Since Jacie got up this morning, she has hung on me...the whole time. It is difficult for me to think when someone hangs on me, touching me all of the time...
She is quite the 'peeping tom,' if you know what I mean. She constantly wants to watch me...especially when I am dressing. She has an avid interest in all of my affairs...
It is not unheard of for me to be talking along to someone (public or private) and feel her hands inch up the back of my shirt as far as she can reach...
Some of this may be 'little girl' stuff. I am not accustomed to little girls. It is because of that, I try to be casual but anyone who knows me can vouch for the fact that I am not touchy-feely and I love, love, love my personal space. It is one of my best friends. Well, it used to be...
She is doing fairly well right now. She yells at her brothers a lot. I can't explain to you how much. She has picked up the bad habit of mimicing everything that she hears, so if I say, "Loren, go clean your room."
Her little voice pipes up, "Yeah, Loren. Go clean your room." You can bet how well that goes over. A definite lead balloon...
The amount of verbal sparring that occurred in my home has multiplied, that's for sure.
Yet, I feel in my heart that we are getting somewhere. I have faith that given time, attention and patience, a normal childhood will result. That is my goal. I stick to it even when it is not the most comfortable.
Yesterday, we saw some friends who had never met Jacie. They were ohhing and ahhing over how cute she was. The man said, "She is how old?"
Bart answered, "Eight."
The guy said, "Eight going on...(I believe he was looking for twenty.)"
I answered..."Two."
We laughed.
Bart and I exchanged glances...because it is so hard for people to understand that she doesn't function at age level yet. She needs to walk each of these 'childhood' levels in order to be emotionally sound. We cannot push her through them or brush them off...they are vital to her well-being and future. She is...and will continue to be (for awhile) my beautiful, spunky eight year old toddler. She will make it. Of that I have no doubt...the big question is, "Will I?"
Pray for her as we start to work through her sassy mouth. She does not understand that she is stepping outside of her boundaries.
Thank goodness, I was blessed with the patience of a saint...hehehe. Okay, I'm not but I bet I have more patience by the end of this. I hope so. I deserve it.
Hope that you are all staying warm and well.
~CP
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