Adjustment Time

I went to this blog today:

http://chazleydotson.blogspot.com/

and found this list:

from the day they arrive to the day they leave, and our experience goes something like this:

1. Aliens - That's what they are when they first arrive, strange little people invading our home and snatching away all our free time. The most commonly heard sentence around our house is I can't take one more hour of this.

2. Armageddon - Chaos ensues as our schedules conflict, or rather, as they reveal that they've never had any kind of schedule and throw hour-long tantrums at the words "bath time" and "bed time." The phrase of this stage is I can't take one more day of this.

3. Acclimation - We're getting comfortable now, which means that the day progresses more smoothly, but it also means that they are testing their limits, trying to tell if we really mean that they will get a time-out for throwing toys and hitting their sisters. I can't take one more week of this.

4. Alignment - Schedules and personalities begin to smooth, mostly. For the first time, we're more stressed about upcoming court dates than the end of their daily nap. I can't go on like this forever.

5. Attachment - This is a lie because we've been getting attached to them and they to us from the very first hour. But now you can really see it. Now we're not just strangers, not just babysitters, but something that resembles of family, and the phrase that embodies this stage is the most difficult one: I can't stand the thought of letting you go.

When the girls first arrived, I didn’t think our family could take the stress they’ve brought to our life. Today I confided in my mom that I’m having panic attacks, and she says it’s the girls…it is. And it isn’t. It’s the girls plus football. It’s the girls plus a job change. It’s the girls plus….life. I think I’m right now inbetween Armageddon and Acclimation because I’m still adjusting to them and our new schedule but they’ve adjusted to our home and our schedule. I’m hoping by next week we’re in full blown Acclimation and by Halloween to being well on our way to Alignment!