Things can change overnight…obviously. We went from leaving work one Monday morning just me and Jonathan and by the time we got home from work we had two extra little ones in the house. How life can change in an instant. Well yesterday life changed again for us, but this time not unexpectedly. We left work yesterday morning with two little boys that were going to daycare and came home last evening just Jonathan and myself. For those of you who are lost…the boys were placed in another home yesterday. There were spots that opened up in a group home with children their age and the foster mom has more experience with that age group/discipline issues. Its what is best for the boys. We will miss them, they are really sweet kids! We are now back to waiting for a new placement. This time we expect to be waiting longer because we are asking for such a younger age (8 months or younger) and only 1, no siblings this time.
Here are some things I learned from being a “mom” to two little toddlers!
* Your time is no longer your time
* You are constantly on the go
* Sleep….what’s that
* Expect 4 to 5 tantrums a day
* Bedtime is my favorite time of day
* Expect to have toys, diapers, clothes, shoes, juice cups and such EVERYWHERE
* Its hard to have your house ready to show for selling purposes all the time with two toddlers
* It’s easier just to eat at home
* Our schedule revolves around nap time…give or take 2 hours
* They will often mimic each others behavior – good or bad – especially when they see it gets an adults attention
* They don’t need a lot to be content
* They can be content with the basics- a blanket and a few toys-until they see someone else has something different.
* The best way to avoid meltdowns/tantrums is to redirect their attention–but sometimes no amount of redirecting will help.
* It’s difficult when you only have 2 people that can watch your kids and they live 45 minutes away.
But we also learned that having two little ones in the house can be fun, enjoyable and exciting. It was nice to see how, even for a short time, we changed their lives and their behavior. Knowing we had an impact in their lives and hopefully that will affect them throughout the rest of their life. We are excited to get a baby and have a whole new set of challenges! We’ll keep you all updated.
