Not what I expected to report our first day home--my precious friend Brook came and got the boys and took them to co-op this morning, Troy and I hung out with the girls and at their request, we took them to dance class! TingTing did GREAT! Oh to see her smile and dance. She really tried hard and we're so proud of her.
I don't feel like I've written much about her specifically this trip. Honestly I think it's because things have gone so well, too well maybe. Other than 3 tantrums and having no stamina, she has done really well. She's always coloring me pictures, she'll sit on my lap, she's telling us she love us (a bit early, but....), she likes to be read to (Llama, Llama Red Pajama is her favorite.), she likes to sit by herself and color.... she likes to write words--she'll ask me how to spell things and she knows most of her letters! She'll even ask me if it's a big A or little a.
I won't lie, it's not all a bed of roses, but so not what I was expecting. I keep waiting for the explosion. She is rigid in her schedule of eating, sleeping, and showering but she's doing better at letting me explain the plan to her or distract her. I'm firm and try to be matter of fact with her, that seems to avoid tantrums. Ex. she didn't finish her breakfast and I felt it was a power thing so I put it in the fridge. Mid morning she said she was hungry and I just pulled it out, heated it up, and put it in her spot and walked off without looking back or leaving room for an argument. I am glad that we made the decision the first day to immediately start to parent from a position of authority. With Shaoey and Grace they were younger...I feel that we were able to be a bit more lax at first, but with TingTing I sensed an urgency to make it known that we were the parents. I remember telling her on day two that there's only one queen in the house and it wasn't her.
I keep thinking of what a brave little girls she is, to leave all she's ever known for the last 7 years.
Thank you, God, for this precious gift!
This just warms my heart to read. Did TingTing surprise you with a relatively good flight home? Hope so...that was my specific prayer. Blessings to the expanded Martin gang!
ReplyDeleteb/t/w - *LOVE* her red hair, but hesitated saying anything until now because I didn't know if that is just her coloring or a medical thing. But then I decided it didn't matter...still LOVE it!
Love seeing them all in dance class! Of course Im partial!
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