I tried a new recipe--vegan tofu doughnuts. The kids got me a little doughnut maker as a gift. It only took me 9 months or so to get around to trying it out. They didn't last long, but I got pictures to prove they did, in fact, exist:
We are still finding our new chemistry as a family of 8, and the kids are still learning how to be siblings. That translates into an awful lot of bickering right now which can really wear me out by the end of the day. The hardest part of parenting my new kids is not their medical needs, it is the emotional issues we deal with, related to food, and to bonding. John still goes into overdrive charm mode as if he is family shopping with some new people. That is a bonding issue that will take time. We don't go out very much and are just trying to build stability for both of them. Therese really knows how to tick off her brother. Seemingly hundreds of times per day she will wrap herself around my legs and announce, "MY Mommy!!" This triggers a chain reaction in all 5 of the other kids. It is a good thing I'm so much bigger than they are, or they might rip me in pieces as they grab whatever part of Mommy they can. Many days I spend so much time dealing with situations between the kids, that my laundry pile may take over the house soon. We do have a lot of sweet times, but right now things are definitely a work in progress.
Therese has decided that whining is something you do in America to get what you want and has already developed skills in it that are enough to drive me out of my mind. It sure didn't take her long--she is the champion whiner of all the kids. She really is very observant and is always ready to try to work the system. I hope that over time she will realize we will take care of her even if she doesn't work so hard at it. We are her family now! She was sick over the past week and really overreacted, I think because of bad memories of being sick in the orphanage. When she started coughing she would pull her blanket over her head and cry and cry. It was worth giving up some sleep to rock her in the night when she was coughing and crying, and to feel her go to sleep resting against me. She has a Mommy, and I think she is starting to realize how nice that can be.
Here is a sample of my attempts to capture the famous "stinkeye" on camera. This girl is VERY expressive, and has some of the best (worst?) facial expressions I have ever seen.
Yes, she is Little Miss Stinkeye, but she is very cute and lovable a lot of the time.
