Two Boys, Our Second Placement

We've had two boys, 1 and 7 years old, for nearly a month now. Of course, we don't know how long we will have them, which seems to be the most popular question! The general time frame in foster care is six months to a year, but it could be shorter or longer, depending on if an approved relative decides they want them or they come up for adoption. Boy7 and Boy1 also have two half sisters living in another foster home across town. Thankfully, we can get together often!

Boy7 making cupcakes for his brother's 1st birthday!

Boy7

Boy7 is sweet and has a great attitude most of the time. He is also very helpful. His teacher loves him and he enjoys going to school. It's obvious he is missing some of the basics, such as some letter sounds and easy sight words and also simple math. However, he is progressing very well and often reads for an hour at a time! His math is also coming along. It's amazing what a little help and encouragement at home can do.

Boy7 also loves Josh very much. He misses him so much when he goes to work, even if he is just gone overnight! His biological dad has never even seen his son, so Boy7 says, "I don't have a daddy." Josh is teaching him all kinds of things, including chess. I call Josh a "walking encyclopedia" so he is full of information for a curious little boy. And, oh, does Boy7 ever have the questions! He is also learning a ton of vocabulary having come from a bilingual home. (His previous school paperwork actually said there was no English spoken in the home, so who knows?)

Boy1's 1st Birthday!

Boy1

I was hoping for a baby and thankfully Boy1 is still babyish. In fact, he just turned one last week!  he is crawling around and pulling up, but not yet walking. Apparently, he was still on heated formula bottles and was used to being put in bed with one. He refuses to drink from a sippy cup, so I decided to just take one step at a time. After all, he just experienced a huge change in his life. I believe he previously went to daycare, too.

So, I transitioned him to whole milk but still heated and I feed him a bottle before each nap/bedtime. He doesn't really like to rock much, and he does well most of the time just being put into his crib. He sleeps through the night other than waking up from a bad dream, perhaps. He soon goes back to sleep on his own.

He is learning new words and even some baby signs that I'm wondering if he might have learned at the daycare.