We've started settling in. The boys are busy like only toddlers and little kids can be. The eldest (6 yr) came in this morning after breakfast, and wrapped his arms around me and said "I love you Mom!" It just made my heart melt. We told him that he could call me Aunt , or Mom... but he couldn't call me Jack. He thought that was hilarious and decided to call me Mom. Matter of fact he Mom'd me to death yesterday!
I talked to my sister on the phone yesterday, and she got to talk to the eldest boy. She tried telling me that she hadn't hurt her children. I explained that DCS didn't doctor pictures just to make her look bad. I told her that I didn't doubt that she loved her children, because she couldn't have surrendered her parental rights without loving them, but that I thought that the drugs had messed her up so badly that she didn't know WHAT she was doing to those children. She agreed, and said that she didn't think she was that messed up when she went into jail, but that she knew now that she really needed help. She's already in a program in the jail, and she said once she gets out she is going to try to go into a rehab center. I told her that's what I wanted to hear.
*sighs* It hurts to have to tell her these things, but she needs to know them. The boys are beautiful and so full of life. We are so blessed to have them in our lives. I miss getting to sleep in now and again, but the trade off is worth it!