Thinking back Six Years
"Wasn't this the day I moved in?", Brianna asks the other day.
I think, and sure enough, six years ago, when Brianna was nine years old, she moved from her beloved foster home into my house on Pinehollow. She was not very happy to make that move at the time, and it took years until we finalized, but that move marked the beginning of her adoption into this family.
I do remember the MANY times she would tell me, "This is NOT my family!!!!" and "You are NOT my MOM!"
But here we are six years later, laughing about how we got it together, first as a five person family, and now a three person family, with Chester, Weslee, Brianna and me, and fitting together quite well.
Weslee and Brianna could start a new Olympic competition, "Eating the other sibling's favorite cereal before they can get a bowl", or "I ate all your favorite energy bars!", but other than that we survive.
We laughed about her first school years at Cottonwood. She was at third grade, Dr. Kessling the Principal. At the time I had two teenagers also, siblings John(13) and Brian(15), who, because I adopted all these children, did not bear the same parentage as I. John and Brian were Mexican descent, Weslee is African-American, Brianna is Mexican-American(bi-racial), and I am German American. This always comes into play when the children introduce themselves as part of our family to those who are not familiar with our family composition...
I always picked her up, but one day I had over booked at the doctor's office and was held too long. I would not make it to school, and worried she would become frantic if I was not there to meet her at three o'clock, I called home and asked Brian to walk to Cottonwood, meet her, and walk her home.
I raced to the school as soon as I could, and saw what could have been on the evening news.
Dr. Kessling was out on the driveway, shouting at a gang of rowdy boys.
Brianna was cowering on the sidewalk, waiting for me, and my son and his posse was hurling epithets at Dr. Kessling.
It was explained to me, that when the principal saw a "gang" of unruly boys enter the premises, she went to meet them, told them to leave. Brian insisted he was to pick up his sister. The boys with him started yelling at Dr. Kessling, things such as, "We can go where we want," and "Try and make us!" The principal was afraid to let any tiny third grader(she was NOT sure this fair skinned child even belonged with this group of dark skinned teenagers!) leave with this "gang". She was ready to call for back up, when I arrived, scooped up Brianna and Brian, and left without further word.
Luckily as late as I was all other buses and cars had left and no one else witnessed this fiasco!
Brianna also reminded me of an incident at Whitaker. I was called to "Pick up your daughter. She has assaulted another student."
She was in fifth grade, I believe. I was horrified. My sweet little, child. Yes, she was used to tussling with Brian and John. Her birth brothers were just as mean and tough. She let no one get away with even a "touch" or a "look" she didn't like, and here was Grant who swung a metal drink can and hit her.
"I guess it was just an accident," she reports. "I happen to have long nails...and I was angry and reacted."
I entered the office. There was a red faced young man, his neck bloodied with nail marks. He could be scarred for life with a slash like that, and since she is left handed, it was the right side of his neck...yep it was her. That must have hurt. She is suspended, but she also has a home punishment- short cut nails for a long time. They are weapons, and we just cannot trust her with those.
We have been through lots these six years, and we have learned a lot. She has mellowed and matured, we have mellowed and matured. Six years is a long time.
Tradition says, that when a child lives with you as long as the time they didn't live with you, they are truly yours. I think in this case six years is enough.
I think, and sure enough, six years ago, when Brianna was nine years old, she moved from her beloved foster home into my house on Pinehollow. She was not very happy to make that move at the time, and it took years until we finalized, but that move marked the beginning of her adoption into this family.
I do remember the MANY times she would tell me, "This is NOT my family!!!!" and "You are NOT my MOM!"
But here we are six years later, laughing about how we got it together, first as a five person family, and now a three person family, with Chester, Weslee, Brianna and me, and fitting together quite well.
Weslee and Brianna could start a new Olympic competition, "Eating the other sibling's favorite cereal before they can get a bowl", or "I ate all your favorite energy bars!", but other than that we survive.
We laughed about her first school years at Cottonwood. She was at third grade, Dr. Kessling the Principal. At the time I had two teenagers also, siblings John(13) and Brian(15), who, because I adopted all these children, did not bear the same parentage as I. John and Brian were Mexican descent, Weslee is African-American, Brianna is Mexican-American(bi-racial), and I am German American. This always comes into play when the children introduce themselves as part of our family to those who are not familiar with our family composition...
I always picked her up, but one day I had over booked at the doctor's office and was held too long. I would not make it to school, and worried she would become frantic if I was not there to meet her at three o'clock, I called home and asked Brian to walk to Cottonwood, meet her, and walk her home.
I raced to the school as soon as I could, and saw what could have been on the evening news.
Dr. Kessling was out on the driveway, shouting at a gang of rowdy boys.
Brianna was cowering on the sidewalk, waiting for me, and my son and his posse was hurling epithets at Dr. Kessling.
It was explained to me, that when the principal saw a "gang" of unruly boys enter the premises, she went to meet them, told them to leave. Brian insisted he was to pick up his sister. The boys with him started yelling at Dr. Kessling, things such as, "We can go where we want," and "Try and make us!" The principal was afraid to let any tiny third grader(she was NOT sure this fair skinned child even belonged with this group of dark skinned teenagers!) leave with this "gang". She was ready to call for back up, when I arrived, scooped up Brianna and Brian, and left without further word.
Luckily as late as I was all other buses and cars had left and no one else witnessed this fiasco!
Brianna also reminded me of an incident at Whitaker. I was called to "Pick up your daughter. She has assaulted another student."
She was in fifth grade, I believe. I was horrified. My sweet little, child. Yes, she was used to tussling with Brian and John. Her birth brothers were just as mean and tough. She let no one get away with even a "touch" or a "look" she didn't like, and here was Grant who swung a metal drink can and hit her.
"I guess it was just an accident," she reports. "I happen to have long nails...and I was angry and reacted."
I entered the office. There was a red faced young man, his neck bloodied with nail marks. He could be scarred for life with a slash like that, and since she is left handed, it was the right side of his neck...yep it was her. That must have hurt. She is suspended, but she also has a home punishment- short cut nails for a long time. They are weapons, and we just cannot trust her with those.
We have been through lots these six years, and we have learned a lot. She has mellowed and matured, we have mellowed and matured. Six years is a long time.
Tradition says, that when a child lives with you as long as the time they didn't live with you, they are truly yours. I think in this case six years is enough.
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