Three and a half months later I am sitting at my computer feeling ready to blog and reflect on 2018 and on the year ahead as well.
On New Year's Eve we enjoyed a great family conversation at dinner about memories from 2018 and goals or dreams for 2019. It was fun to hear what the kids remembered. I wanted to do a post sharing what we shared as well as some of the milestones etc for each of us this year. You might be able to tell which ones I added and which ones the kids said. :)
T:
Milestones and highlights and memories: Getting Sunshine and Buttercup, the cats being so tiny, having a part in the Christmas program, the flood at church (apparently that was a highlight for her) first year of summer school, Park and Rec, started medications, taking dance class.
A little about T:
She is now in first grade and has the same teacher that M had. She LOVES to read and is now finally reading chapter books silently. There is such joy and awe when you see your child able to read chapter books silently... like they have had their eyes opened to a whole new world. T loves fashion, make-up, all things fancy etc. She is still a LEGO lover. She enjoys drawing and painting and creating. Where many would see junk she sees treasure :)
Goals and dreams for 2019:
Go to Fargo, have lots of presents for her Birthday, that the cats could get girlfriends (she was serious), get better at headstands and walking on her hands, eat chocolate smoothies, try to stop sucking her thumb, be "more funnier", not be in people's personal space, make Daddy mad less, be better at ballet, go to an amusement park this summer, find her lost "frog tired" blanket.
Our parent goals: Help T with breaking the thumb sucking dependance! Continue to work with her on: impulse control, body awareness, personal space, accepting "no", increased responsibilities at home, gentleness with voice and body, a deeper understanding of God, His Word, and His work in her life.
M:
Milestones: sleeping alone in his room, rode on and loved fast rides at an amusement park and three trips to two country fairs, discovered that LEGO's are fun, getting Sunshine and Buttercup, turning NINE!
A little about M: He continues to LOVE to read books and listen to audio books. He enjoys playing sports with Brandon, creating with LEGO's, spending time with family friends, drawing and creating, watching Dude Perfect videos, cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs. He is starting to enjoy being a part of adult conversations. He still loves being with his big buddies K and J as much as possible.
Goals and dreams in 2019: He wants to go to an NFL game.
Our parent goals: Help him have further understanding of: Empathy, Remorse, Boundaries, and Social Cues. Work with him to expand his food options. Allow him to have increased responsibilities and jobs at home. Engage with Him about God, His Word, and His work in M's life.
Shelly:
Milestones and Highlights: Sleeping with Brandon instead of M, great Mexico vacation with Brandon, organizing most of the storage areas at church and creating a children's ministry storage closet, teaching 4K-5K Sunday School, Presenting on the joys and struggles of adoption at an event, doing a Whole30, managing 64 amazing church nursery volunteers, taking daily walks outdoors, adding the kittens to our family, finishing the Monk series, reading lots of great books (many for fun), my support groups, a church family that is really like a family!
Goals and dreams for 2019: Grow more in my love for the Lord and a deepening desire to spend time in His Word, Catch up and MAINTAIN being caught up with the blog... for real! Continue to grow in finding joy in parenting children with trauma. Work towards being able to take a family vacation that isn't just visiting our family but having family adventures!
Brandon:
Memories:
Going to Mexico, biking less and sleeping in more, talking with a priest and getting the loud 6:00am bells to stop ringing, getting the cats, all the changes at church and handling them well, playing LEGO's with the kids.
Goals and dreams: Our family would grow in speaking life, we would all handle frustrations in good ways, group in enjoying His relationship with God, T would stop sucking her thumb.
A note from me: I am planning to tackle this blog catch up by trying to do a month of posts each week. I am not sure if this is possible, especially since I have several very long posts to do, but that is my initial hope.
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