Post Placement Visit

It's so quiet in my house right now.
The kids are napping.
The dog is snoozing.
No cars rumbling by.
No neighbors buzzing about.
It's so calm.

Today, we had a visit from our social worker. Our 6th month post placement report is due to Russia in January... which means it must be at our adoption agency in December... which means the social worker must complete it in November.

Everything went well. She stayed for a couple of hours, played with the kids a bit and asked us all of the required questions. The kids did a great job playing on their own while Scott and I sat through the interview. No one melted down. No one (Justin) pushed his sister. No one (Lexi) rolled headfirst off the couch. When given a direction, no one (Natalie) crossed her arms and huffed, "I don't want it!" Good job kids! :)

Today did give Scott and I a chance to think about how far we've come since those crazy days in Russia. We're all learning our new roles. I realized that I spent so much time worrying about how the kids would adjust, I didn't realize it would take me some time to adjust as well. And if we've made it this far in only 4 months, what will life look like a year from now? I try not to think that far ahead though. Right now, I'm doing the one day at a time dance.

We were asked what we found rewarding about parenting. There are certainly rewards. Knowing that Justin, Natalie, and Lexi are together and safe is the biggest. Other special moments pop up throughout the day. Laying beside Justin at night, taking turns saying what makes us happy. Watching Lexi softly pat Justin on the back when we're reading a bedtime story.

You know what my biggest reward is though? Putting my head on Scott's shoulder and knowing we're in this together. I could never do this with anyone else. He is my perfect partner.