You can change with an open door, and an open heart.....you can do anything and love everyone!

 

Our days are full. Besides public school, we are homeschooling five days a week. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday's I have three educational assistants, every Wednesday we have a speech therapist working with three of our children, we have an occupational and physio therapists that come see three of our children bi-weekly. On Friday's we have piano lessons, while adding therapeutic horse care and lessons on Thursday afternoons and swimming lessons on Wednesday's. In total we have seven professionals that come to our home Monday-Friday. That's not including any medical professionals that we see on a routine basis nor adding our public school children's list of needs. People ask, "How on earth do you do it!?" "How can you deal with a constant stream of individuals coming in and out of your home daily!?" At first, I didn't think we could handle it. I thought "Agh.....this is going to be exhausting" But this is what I've learned and how I feel now. I definitely LOVE our breaks where this is no school, there is no daily responsibilities and our routines are slack. Breaks where I don't have to prepare, plan, order school supplies, make lunches, counsel throughout our days plus continue with household chores, and constantly cook having dinner precisely at 5pm, and where 7am breakfasts can slide until later. However breaks don't stop our taxi service but at least it's a more relaxed atmosphere. (Life does slow down during breaks) Breaks are awesome BUT I've learned to love everyone that comes in our door. All our education assistants, all our therapists, our doctors, almost everyone that works with our family, with our children - even the public school teachers! (Ha ha) I look forward seeing everyone. Everything (everyone) can be and/or feel unsettling at first, especially meeting people that are working with your children for the first time, for the first few months even.....but after awhile everyone becomes settled, and comfortable with each other. We start understanding our roles, and our wishes;  simply to enhance our children's lives. I have learned so much these past few years working along side our therapists, our educational assistants and homeschooling our children. I feel I am closer with my children then I have ever been. From nutrition, to mobility, to cognitive, through speech including sign language and educationally I am involved. After spring break was over, I felt this "Agh"......but after two days back into regular routine I'm feeling more of a "AH HA" moment. This is my life. I love being busy. Being productive. Constantly involved, learning and teaching along side my children. I love everyone that walks through my door. They all have enhanced our lives, and I truly believe we have enhanced theirs as well. Yes, they all have a job to do, it's a job but as time moves, we are connecting together more then just the career entails. My daughters PT (physio therapist) brought her ultrasound machine to spend time on my tennis elbow (for example) All of us have shared our private lives, and I'm always offering fresh baked goods. lol We all attend some outings together such as field trips, walks and just out for coffee. When I've written about adoption, and on how adoption has brought us more family then just the children we adopted, it has brought us previous foster parents, and birth family.....it's the same as adding multiple professionals - we become closer, and eventually it's not an issue having continuous people coming into our home, they belong. Most of everyone that comes daily just walks in. I told them, "Don't knock, just come on in" and there's always a very warm welcome and a yelling, "HELLO" from a littlest daughter. I have been there where I questioned homeschooling, questioned and worried about how exhausting our life will be having so many children, or having so many people in our life.....change isn't easy. Any type of change regardless what it is can be difficult to process and get accustomed too. I can tell you.....I have worried, stressed and procrastinated over everything and all the changes in our life. I can also tell you all those feelings are normal and don't ever doubt yourself that you can't do something, or you can't handle a change, or adapt to something, or someone new in your life. You can. Life is full of transitions and I can guarantee with patience, and with believing in yourself, your family and all those extra people in your life - it will be enhanced in more ways then one. Long ago, before adoption, before any professionals existed in our life, and before homeschooling I wouldn't be able to write this post. I had compassion for people but more of a closed door, today my door is wide open and I'm confident that whatever and/or whoever walks through it, we can welcome and I know - you can too!

 

If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.
Wayne Dyer

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.
George Bernard Shaw

AND to conclude......"I hope everyone that is reading this is having a really good day. And if you are not, just know that in every new minute that passes you have an opportunity to change that'