A Puppy?

So apparently we are just plain crazy. Last week we adopted a 12 week old puppy (lab/retriever mix) that had been abandoned. Who wouldn't want to add in a puppy to this mix, right? We thought it would be good for each kiddo in their own way. My oldest craves love and attention, and a dog is truly man's best friend. He is able to love on that puppy and get loved on in return at any time of the day. My daughter doesn't like things that are unpredictable or loud, but the puppy definitely has worked her way into her heart. I think she might learn to go with the flow a bit more. My littlest has some muscle weakness and is supposed to play standing upright as much as possible. Have you ever tried to make a three year old stand and play?? Well, having a puppy chew on your head while you are playing on the floor sure helps to encourage you to stand up more :) (Don't worry, he wasn't frightened or in any serious danger). So now we have another child: another mouth to feed; another kid to potty train; another snuggler; another adorable bundle of joy to make us belly laugh until we hurt. What's one more member to a family, right? But seriously, six is now enough. Two parents, three kids, and a dog. We are closed!

Skype

Technology is a such a blessing! We are able to Skype with the kiddos foster parents, chat with new relatives they have yet to meet, and it's how we first "met" them! Skype has been very emotional for us all in the last few months. I cried for a long time, tears of pure joy, when I first Skyped with the kiddos. The kids also get pretty emotional when they Skype with their foster parents. I know they need this connection to the last two years of their lives, but it is difficult to deal with the aftermath. They fight over the attention, and they all end up crying at one time or another. So what to do?

Well, I think we have finally found a system that works though! Each child gets 5 minutes to talk to whatever "guest" we have on Skype. This ends up being a 15-20 minute conversation, which is about perfect. It prevents the fighting for attention, and, even though it is still emotional for the kids, no one ends up crying. It is wonderful to be able to keep a connection without having to sacrifice our sanity :)