A Joyous Reunion!!!!

After not seeing them for a little over a year, our former foster children, Sugars and Dab Dab were reunited with us for a short visit this week. Their grandmother, who has custody of them, was kind enough to let us see them. We met at a hotel we were staying in and were waiting in the hallway when they came out of the elevator. They both got off the elevator and saw me and Charles standing there. We weren't sure if they would remember us or hide behind their grandma. They froze for a few seconds and, while they didn't race into our arms as expected, they calmly and softly walked up to us and raised their little arms for our embrace. I being the total sap that I am immediately began to cry. Within a few moments, it was almost back to old times. Sugars and Dab Dab, along with Eli, decided to singlehandedly dismantle what started out as a somewhat clean and put together room. You couldn't hear yourself talk with all of the laughing and yelling but it was probably the greatest sound I have heard in a year. After awhile, we took the kids to McDonalds while grandma went grocery shopping. I forgot how hard it was to keep up with three little ones scattering in every direction. I think that was actually the reason we stopped going to Micky D's when we had them=)
So we ordered the McNugget Happy Meals and got the requested toys that they all picked out. After a few bites of food it was off to the play area. Dab Dab busied himself with taking his toy, which was ball shapped, to the top of the play area and dropping it down the slide. Great idea if you have the slide all to yourself but he kept getting ticked off if someone grabbed the ball before he got down there.
Sugars, even though she went up the play area several times, decided to get "stuck" at the top and started crying for "Daddy" to come up and rescue her. Charles climbed up there the first time and got her down and decided to take the slide down. I do wish, dear readers, that my snazzy camera had video because it was a sight to behold. The second time, I tried to send Dab Dab and Eli up to rescue her and she shooed them away and demanded that Charles come back up and rescue her. She is only 2 but she already knows how to bend men to her will.
We met Grandma back at the hotel in the parking lot and said our goodbyes for the evening with the promise of a quick visit the next day. Before they left, we gave them their presents that we have had for them since last Christmas. I swear that Dab Dab wanted to set up his new t-ball set right there! Sugars loved her Cabbage Patch "baby" that looked just like her.
The next morning grandma had to work so the babysitter met us for a little bit in the hotel lobby. We played and I took pictures. It wasn't easy because Sugars and Dab Dab never liked to sit still. Eli, on the other hand is always camera ready and starts saying "Cheese" as soon as he sees a camera. We ran up and down the halls and gave piggy back rides and shoulder rides and then raided the lounge for snacks which consisted of apples (cut with love with a dull plastic knife), stale fruit loops and little cups of water. It was fun and crazy and magical. Then it was time to say goodbye. Sugars said that she didn't want to leave and I told her that we would come back and visit at some point and she seemed to be okay with that. We put her in the car in her car seat and she gave me some "sugars". Dab Dab on the other had, remembered that last year when he said goodbye he didn't see us for a very long time. He grabbed onto Charles neck and would not let go. He started screaming and crying and we pratically had to force him into the car. He is only three and doesn't understand the circumstances to which he and his sister came into our lives. All he knew was that at one time, we were a family and then one day we weren't. Even though I am a big advocate for fostering, that is definately one of the downsides. It is hard enough to explain things to children who are old enough to understand these things, let alone to children who don't. All we can do is keep trying and to let them know that we love them and will always remember them.
We would like to thank their grandmother for taking such good care of them and also for finding it in her heart to let us remain a part of their lives. I know that the time that they were away from her was a dark time but she has managed to look past that and keep us updated on how they have been. She has also graciously allowed us ot post their pictures for all to see since they are no longer in care.
The picture above is Charles, Eli and myself as well as Sugars and Dab Dab...also known as Gavin and Ryleigh.
TTFN