With school starting tomorrow for Vincent and Gabriella, I honestly think that Julianna will be sad when they leave. It is true that Francesca and Dominic do not start until Tuesday, which will be helpful for her and for Angelo, but they will miss their siblings a great deal when they are at school. As for Julianna attending school,...based upon my observations for the last two weeks, she is definitely a girl who will benefit greatly from attending school sooner rather than later. She is like a sponge and will soak up everything that is given to her. I will be contacting the school district this week to establish a time to develop a plan for her assessment. Then, we will go from there.
Kenny and I are amazed at how well she has just blended into our family and continues to pick up the language every day! Kenny was away for three days and when he returned, he said he noticed a difference in the amount of verbalizing she was attempting and how relaxed she seemed.
Today, we spent the afternoon at the pool. The two younger kids had a blast. Vincent and Gabby decided that they were tired of the pool, while Francesca and Dominic both lifeguarded at some point during the day today. While in the pool this afternoon, Chechie reported that Julianna said, "Angelo, stop," when Ang splashed her with water. Julianna also told Gabby today that she would get "help" from "Momma" when Gabby was fake crying over something trivial.
Julianna's diet is...well...improving...I think. Her favorite food is bread with butter...lots of butter. She needs to eat nearly every 90 minutes or less. Julianna also consumes a great deal of liquid each day. Today, she ate fish, rice, ...even homemade macaroni and cheese. I haven't seen her hoarding any food...just a new level of comfort with going to the cupboard or refrigerator to get what she wants....usually bread and butter!
Her wild time continues to be right before bed...it is usually an indication that she is tired and needs to go to sleep. She and Mom have had a few disagreements, and of course, Mommy won. Julianna calls for Poppa when she's not happy with Momma, i.e. when Mommy made her brush her teeth and she refused....Mommy helped her to brush...She then asked for Daddy to intervene...needless to say, he tucked her in after I kissed her.
Julianna is an extremely affectionate child. She hugs and kisses us all the time. She tells us "I love you," a phrase that I taught her early. I think she knows what I love you means now.
Kenny and I have had tears of happiness for Julianna each day since we have brought her home. She is such a delightful little person with a great personality and so much potential. God certainly knew that she belonged with us...! We can't imagine how her life would have been had she remained in the institution. What a difference for this darling little girl.
I'm still getting used to having 6 kids and the family dynamics as they have changed with the addition of Julianna. I think it takes time for everyone to adjust...but probably more so for the adults than the kids...its that whole resiliency thing again.
All in all...a good day...and a good start for Julianna. She was concerned today wit little Angelo fell on the asphalt in the driveway. The blood had her concerned...but we were able to help Ang feel better...sure glad Kenny was home to add a sense of calmness for all.
Tomorrow's a big day...it will be here soon...for now it is...ciao!
Annie