Thrown to the Wolves

Usually, I drink my coffee slowly and thoughtfully, requiring me to microwave it several times because I get distracted.  This morning, I am chugging my coffee as I drive around to the parade of schools, desperately needing it to wake me up and not wanting to miss a drop.  An IV would be easier!  I am the kind of anxious-tired that I can only relate to those first few weeks when you bring your infant home and you keep thinking, "I can't ruin him/her" :)  Good pressure.  I also feel that early baby joy when you can't believe they are yours and you marvel at the gift.  I cannot imagine a better situation with 5 new kids.  I mean it, these kids are fabulous.  And God has created an incredible sense of family that only He could create.  You can't manufacture this stuff!

We started school this week: 2 in elementary, 1 in middle school, 1 at the freshman center and one in the high school.  I never thought that driving away from a 17 year old would be tough.  But I felt like I was truly throwing him to the wolves--High school in the U.S., teachers that don't speak his language, profanity he has never been around, PDA at every corner.  I think it's different when you spend years raising her younger kids; they're differently prepared for public high school.  Not to say that I loved that Logan was exposed to all kind of nastiness but I knew she was equipped and ready to be a Christian at school.  And she was a rock star!  My Peruvians have such an innocence that made it feel weird to push them out and say "Go survive! I hope you figure it out!"  All week, I keep thinking about how in Genesis 16, Hagar calls God the God who sees me.  My prayer is that our kids would feel seen and loved by that personal God.  That God would fill in the gaps that Scott and I can't fill or don't even know there is a need to fill.  God sees them, at their school, in our house, in their head.  I am so grateful He meets them where they are and meets their needs.

Fortunately, no one fought me on going back the second day.  My middle schooler in fact, is rating her days at 9's and 10's on a scale with 10 being the best day of her life.  So I guess she's enjoying it! 

Some of them come home with their brains hurting.  Which I totally get because Peru made my brain hurt.  (Not to mention that I now can't speak Spanish OR English well because I'm so language confused in my house! But that's another story)

So we've almost survived our first week of school.  I'm pretty sure I am more excited to sleep in tomorrow than they are!  The 3 year old had better cooperate! :)  Laney turned 3 this week which is unbelievable.  Our college student started class this week.  That girl, by the way...I am so grateful for! She cleans, baths Laney, does laundry...before I've even thought it needed to be done.  My husband is constantly asking me what he can do...and it's not like he doesn't work 2 jobs or wear 5,000 hats.  I have cooked 2 meals this week that someone else prepared so that all I had to do was throw them in a crock pot.  We have received more than 1 anonymous gift in the mail. We have friends bringing one kid home from school.  We have cousins loving on the kids and making them feel like there is someone in this world that they don't sound stupid to when speaking English.  I could go on and on...  It takes a village--and I LOVE my village!