Every morning, my day starts at 6:00. Get up, get dressed for work, gather up the kids, dish out meds, make sure everyone has what they need, head out the door, get into the car, drive to the high school, drop off the teenager, and head to the elementary school where we all unload for the day. Six out of seven children attend the elementary school that I attend. I teach first grade, my youngest daughter is in first, Mikey is in second, Cassadie is in third, Hunter is in fourth, Jacob and Alexia both are in fifth. They are only a month apart in age. Then, I teach all day, load everyone up at 3:30 and come home. That's when all the fun begins! Chores, animals, and sibling rivalry! Homework time, bath time, and dinner time!
Has anyone ever noticed how children argue over some of the most ridiculous things? Today, my two youngest boys had their panties in a wad over a book bag. Hunter is going to stay with a friend of mine Thursday, and he needed a bag to put his clothes in. Mikey (owner of the book bag) freaks out because Hunter took it and said it was mine. I mean, the kid is in absolute shut down mode, tears and the whole nine yards, over a book bag that he NEVER uses anyway. The thing was shoved into the back of the closet, which is why Hunter decided to use it.
I want to introduce you to my kids, and give you a little more knowledge about each one.
First, we will start with the baby, Skylar! She hates her name, and wishes for us to all call her Anna (and we do). She was two years old when she arrived in our home. Oh how I fell in love with her! Mommy's little peanut! She was sweet, but demanding of the other kids. She pretty much ran the show. Now that she is 7, she has decided that she will start showing her tail a little! On a good note, she has straight A's in school, and she has an amazing teacher. She loves to learn and read! She is super smart, and wants to be a teacher when she goes up. At least, that is her current plan. Their minds all change so quickly.
Next, there is Michael (Mikey)! Mikey is on of my biggest challenges. He cries about everything, and he suffers from PTSD, ADHD, and slight OCD! He had a rough ride at a very young age. We got him when he was three, and he came here because he was being kicked out of his previous foster home. They said if someone didn't come get him, they were going to throw him in the street. You see, he melted down when they wouldn't let him wash his hands after using the bathroom. There was NO SOAP! He needed to wash his hands, but could not comprehend that water was the only thing available. The foster home he was in before that was the doozy! They held his head under water as a punishment. When he first came to me, it took a week and three people to get him in the tub. You can only give someone a sponge bath for so long. The boy was stinking up the whole house. If you have ever seen the Flintstone movie, then you will remember when BamBam got his first bath. Yes, Mikey was our BamBam! He can not function at home or school without his meds. He, also, is a very smart boy who makes straight A's. He spends hours on his homework, because it has to be done to perfection (and his teacher gives a lot of homework)!
Cassadie is next! She is a beautiful child with a beautiful smile. We have power struggles, because she would be happy to take my place. She would love nothing more than to be the momma! Some days I seriously consider letting her have it! LOL She has poor boundaries with males, and struggles to understand that she is only nine years old. She came to us when she was four. God bless her, she had a broken leg, because her foster mom stepped on her as she was turning around. We called her Hop-a-long Cassadie! It sure didn't slow her down from telling everyone what to do and how to do it. She struggles in school, and I often wonder is she isn't dyslexic. The closest testing place is two hours away, so we are going to make an appointment this summer to have it checked out. A lot of her problem is lack of effort. If she would put as much effort into her school work as she did into over throwing me, she would have straight A's. Overall, she is one of the best behaved children.
Hunter, Oh Hunter! Where do I even begin with Hunter. He came to us when he was four. When the boy first came to visit, we quickly discovered what we had to look forward to. As soon as the caseworker got out of the car, he locked all of the doors. He would not let her in the car, and he pushed every button he could find. Then, he became as wild as a tornado when he entered my home. He ran over the furniture, up and down hallways, and around and around the kitchen island bar. We struggled, and still do to an extent, with hygiene habits. Sadly, he also likes to steal and hoard things that aren't his. When in trouble, he drools like there is a busted pipe in his mouth. He has been dx with ADHD, Bi-Polar NOS, ODD, and Adjustment Disorder. He is very smart, loves to read, has the cutest laugh in the world, and can snuggle with the best of them.
Alexia is by far my biggest challenge. Such an angry little girl, and always looks like there is no hope for tomorrow. She sometimes loves you, and sometimes hates you. She has let me know what a horrible mother she thinks I am on several occasions, and has even told me she wished I was dead. Her tantrums were so bad when she first came that I recorded them for fear that DFCS would think I was beating her. She was beating herself, and she left marks on her head and arms regularly. She would scream, cry, hit, cuss, run, smash, throw, and much more. Her meds help a lot, but they do little with her actual mood. She always looks so lack of emotion. Don't get me wrong. She has moments where she is so happy that she is uncontainable. But then....like a light switch...it turns off. Her happy moods last no where near as long as her angry/sad moods. She is also dx ADHD, ODD, Adjustment Disorder and Bi-Polar. She and Hunter are birth siblings. Can't you tell????
Jacob! So smart and so witty! Funny and loveable! Nothing like he was when he first came. In all of our early pictures, he was frowning and pissed off. He wouldn't budge and refused to even fake a smile. He told me he hated me and tried to run away many times. I just told him I was going with him, and we would head down the road. Hey, if you get to run away, so do I! He blamed me for taking him away from his foster mother (he had been there for four years). In reality, she didn't want to adopt him, because he was white. She said he didn't fit into her family or neighborhood. I finally leveled with him and he sobbed in my lap for hours. Now, he is a momma's boy! He opens my car door every where I we go. If I open my own door, he gets angry! He is super smart, but sometimes his comedian efforts get him in trouble. He has a potty mouth on him, and says some of the most inappropriate things at times. But hey, at least this one loves me!
Finally, there is Brandon! Poor guy is such a troubled soul. He has bounced all over the place. Raised mostly by his grandfather, passed on to his mom, then to his dad, then to us! Rinse, Repeat! Over and over this boy has moved from one place to another. No stability, so security. I hurt for him! I connect with him, but I don't know how much he accepts. When faced with trouble he runs away from it. Literally! We have to call the cops to chase him down. You know where he runs to? Straight back into the hands that hurt him most. They are his mother and father, and I guess he will always be loyal to them. I understand his feelings, but it hurts me to watch. I know what is going to happen. This boy has done some pretty crazy things! He thought eating mosquito poison would solve all of his problems, but that only led to a horrible migraine! Super smart! Exceeded everything on state testing last year! Made it to high school, and is all A and B! Just so angry and depressed! He can't focus on things, and he can't communicate with people. He doesn't trust anyone, and he will tell you this straight faced. He is currently attending an outpatient program three days a week for his emotional and behavior difficulties. Let's hope it helps! He has so much potential!
Well, there you have it! All seven of my wild and crazy bunch! The Baxter Bunch is what we call it! Welcome to the family.
No comments:
Post a Comment