Hello, hello...

"Hello hello do you like my hat?" -Dr. Suess. A random greeting to you all, but when you read stories a thousand times phrases pop into your mind, so why not start with that??? :) Anyways... Merlin is gone for 3 wks. Yes, you heard right. 3 wks. I'm okay, not as good as I would be if he was home, but I'm okay. Tiffany, my niece, has been here all week and will be here until Wednesday. I really dread when she leaves, but I guess I'll just pack up my kiddos and spend some quality time with friends and sisters! In every negative there is always a positive, aye?? (am I my dad's daughter?:)  It helps that it is so hard on Marv to be away from his family. He misses us muchly. Makes me feel good :). Absence makes the heart grow fonder. It almost feels like we are engaged again! A thought I've had lately...When you get married you love "because of". After almost 8 yrs of marriage you love "in spite of" and it is so much sweeter and deeper! Why am I talking of marriage??? You all wonder what is taking Marv away for 3 wks. Before we got our new additions he had told my bro-in-law that he would help him frame up his house in Wyoming. Well, he was in no way obligated, but he didn't have a lot of work lined up for May and it would really help Daryl out if Marv could help him. Then Daryl's offered to send Tiff for 10 days and so Marv said he would go. (Together with the original plan I was to go spend the time with my sisters in Alberta, but unfortunately our new girls are not able to cross the border yet. It was very hard for me to give that up, but so goes)
   Anyways... 2 wks ago today we were getting ready to go to church and Addie was not herself, very figgity and nervous. Suddenly she dissolved into tears and I asked her, "What's wrong, Addie?". She said, "I want to go home." She said it a couple more times and then cried and cried and cried. What can you do? What can you say? I just held her for a long time, then Baby needed me so Marv took over and held her for even a longer time. Needless to say we missed Sunday School. When her anxiety level is high she cannot quit chewing on something, anything, always has to have something in her mouth. At first I would kindly remind her to not to put it in her mouth. Then a friend told me that sucking and chewing releases calming chemicals in the brain -very interesting- so now unless it is ruining something (like a book etc) I don't say anything. We will cross that bridge later I guess. It is really the only thing she does to show her emotional stress and I can usually tell if it's high or low. It seems her anxiety has been higher the last 2 wks and I told SW that. She said that birthmom is under high stress right now with the court date looming and how birthmom and child even though separated often feel the same anxiety. Our SW thinks that when court date is over Addie will calm and settle. Which is interesting to me because birthmom was really apprehensive about Addie's birthday, which is tomorrow. I would say that Addie's anxiety level has been high today. I guess we will see how tomorrow goes. I think that it would be healing for Addie if she would expose her feelings more. I sometimes wish she would have temper tantrums, meltdowns, etc... I was glad when she DID cry and ask to go home. I have wondered in what ways can I encourage her to grieve. As she gets more secure she may start to show her feelings more I don't know. Or maybe she will just move on, who knows.. We are still waiting on the judge assigned their case to schedule a court date for the relinquishment of birth mother's rights, but it should happen soon. Still no reason to think it will not happen. Birth father has been served his termination of rights and it will be final on May 22, if I understand everything correctly. The other day Oliver wanted me to take pictures of him for his birthmom. I told him that I was his birthmom and then he told me that he wanted a different birthmom! :) hmmm this could get interesting :) I also told him we needed to find him some brothers. He got all excited and said, "Like, just like me?" I said, "Yeah, where should we get them from? Quick as a wink he said, "Alberta". :) lol. There we have it. Goodnight.