7 Kids - From Trauma to We Need A Vacation in the Bahamas

Yesterday was my first post on Steemit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect..like everything, I just try to pour my heart into it. It brought a smile to my heart to see the reactions and left me with the desire to share my happiness with someone.

Glances around room as a single cricket chirps out of sequence.

In reality I'm not use to sharing a lot about my personal life and I received some great responses from my Intro: https://steemit.com/intro/@sweetsarcasm/introducing-the-unicorn-with-7-kids-to-steemit

I woke up feeling inspired today and I thought a good post to follow my intro is for the community to meet my amazing 7 nieces and nephews. I know you've probably seen a hundred or more posts about others kids this Christmas season but I promise to try and not bore you too much.

Yawn, stretch

Just Kidding. I drink no coffee and have the energy of Insert something very creative because it's too early.
Typically I would be getting the kids ready for school at this time but it's Christmas break so I'm enjoying a peaceful quiet morning :)

I'll start off with my

3 youngest nephews: Ages 6,5,4

When these little guys first came to my home they were little terrors. They had been through two foster placements and were so confused. Two of them had IEP's and were diagnosed with Autism as soon as they were placed in State custody. I heard the word "No" more times in the first four month than possibly the 10 years prior. Crying fits, tantrums, saying anything to get their way...The song from Aladin comes to mind, "A Whole New World". It was absolutely a whole new world that I had never been used to. And it took A LONG time and a whole lot of discipline to break them of their bad habits, trial and error were the only viable options.

Now....I don't recognize those kids any anymore. "Yes Ma'am" is the new common phase that replaced the word "No". One of the kids has an IEP and was re-evaluated and confirmed having Autism Spectrum. The other no longer has the diagnosis or an IEP. I give a LOT of credit to the school district and often brag to others about how lucky we are to have such great staff who have go out of their way for these boys. THANK YOU TEACHERS READING THIS

All of theses boys are sweetie's, kind-hearted and ready to please. I get to hear "I Love You Aunt Mary" out of nowhere all day. Here's how it goes.

Nephew excitedly: Aunt Mary
Me: Yeah hun
Nephew: I Love You
I know this will eventually be followed with, "can I have a cookie but I'll hold onto the pure joy and innocence for now.

My 3 nieces: Ages 11,10,8

These girls had been through a lot. They had seen things they could never un-see and were generally involved in adult issues they should have never been exposed to. Because of this they were anxious, depressed and failing in school. A couple came to my home with ADHD medicine...and at that point...Aunt Mary didn't do medication so it was a clean slate.

These ladies now? I'm not going to sell you a fairy tale, they're sisters who are very strong willed and opinionated. The fact of the matter is...each of them has an amazing heart. They stand up for what they think is right and their confidence in being comfortable in their own skin never ceases to bring a smile to my face. They all have all A's and B's in school this year. One does take medication but it's not for ADHD...She will write her own book one day, mark my words.

Best quirks I can come up with this early:

One tells on herself anytime she does something wrong. "I did something bad today".
One smiles at anyone and everyone. All of the neighbors know who she is and someone is always hugging her.
One is always helping out without being asked. Now, when she's asked to do something...it's often the opposite. ;p
I get probably 20 hugs a day from just these three. <3

Last but not least

The Big brother: Age 15

Don't be fooled by all of the smiling pictures, this teenager has jumped through hoops, crawled through mud and climbed obstacles. He's done this in life before coming to live with me and for JROTC since coming to live with me. This young man is really incredible and can teach others what it means to overcome your past. Before he came to my home we had a close bond. Within the first 4 months here I wasn't able to handle him, to the point where his belongings were packed and he was ready to move at any point. He had been in charge with unearned freedoms for a long time and now he was no longer in charge...he was a kid and he was having a hard time of playing the role of a kid. We won't even begin to discuss grades and behaviors because non of it is relevant any longer.

Fast-forward. Love, Respect...that's what I have for everything he's overcome. This year at Thanksgiving he brought me to tears in saying what he was thankful for. The first thing he does when he comes home from school is tell me all about his day. He's also not afraid to give hugs and kisses to his Autie, which in turn...makes me feel like I've done something right. He's still a teenager, no doubt but this young man is very honest, fun loving and has a passion for making sure others are doing the right thing.

Each of them are incredible and so unique and each of them play their own role in the family.

Me 3 years ago could never appreciate the amount of individual time and attention it takes to run a household. Me today has learned and embraced it.

Don't ever stop growing, you'll be stuck in your ways thinking you're right.
Sweet Sarcasm

Below you'll see a sliver of fun we've had this year.

Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to let me be a part of it, I hope reading this has helped in some strange way...where ever in the world you may be! Missouri Here

Signing off,
SweetSarcasm