The home with three kiddos

First thing's first: we stopped fostering pups for a little while until we get settled with this current transition.  About a week ago I considered going back on that and throwing a dog in the mix as well, but now I'm SO glad I chose not to.  I'm still hoping that someday we can help with The Rescue again, but for now a break is really nice.

So we finally got matched with a kiddo and she's been living with us for a while now.  Things have been going mostly well.  In the last half week, all of the kids have been having...issues because I think the awesomeness has worn off and they're all needing more one-on-one time, but it's hard when there are two animals, one husband, three kids, and yourself who all need some alone and/or one-on-one time.  A (the little gal who's living with us) was very blunt one day and told me "I want to go to the store with you.  Just you.  I never get alone time just with you.  Daddy's always there.  Or Gabe is always there.  And Smushy (what she calls Hux) is always always there."  Whoops.  The older kids have had such fun playing for hours on end that it didn't even hit me that I should be forcing some one-on-one time.  The next day, Gabe started bawling his eyes out when we got to the YMCA (and he normally LOVES going to playgroup there) because he "just wanted to stay home with [me]".  Whoops again.  So my new goal is to try and find a couple smidges of time each day to do things with each one of them separately (which is extra hard this month).  Normally we all brush our teeth together at night, but now I've started trying to brush separately so I can be with each of them individually (since they're now both wanting me to "help" brush, floss, mouthwash, get on jammies, etc.  This morning I was able to spend some time with A before Gabe woke up (although Hux was up with me and kept coming over every once in a while too) and when A went to school, I sat and built things with Gabe for a while...and then played megalegos with Hux for a while.  I'm hoping the little smidges of focused energy on each of them will encourage happier kids once their tanks are full again.
One huge step forward: I think last night was the first night A didn't cry herself to sleep. 
So it's been both very exciting and extremely exhausting, but I'm loving the changes that are happening with us.