"We are family"

Saturday morning, July 11th. 3:30 a.m.
It almost would have been easier to just stay awake all night to catch my flight to IA. Turns out it's good that I didn't. If I had, I wouldn't have slept at all before meeting my new siblings.

My flight arrived early, and I intended to call my parents to urge them to hurry to the airport. Just so happened that they were early, too, and I saw my dad standing next to a short, dark haired boy with his hands in his pockets. My heart gave a frantic flutter, but I firmly pushed aside my nervousness.
I approached and flung my arms around my dad, who I haven't seen since last December. Then I turned to my new brother.
"You must be Pedro." He nervously nodded. "Oh, come here, you get a hug, too!" I admired his Texas belt buckle and nice clothes. They both were already dressed for my cousin's wedding.
"Mom and Aracely are in the bathroom changing into their wedding clothes. Oh, here they are."
They both receive my wide-armed hugs, and it was finally done--I had met the new sibs.

The events of the past few days have been crammed full of family. My cousin Karla got married, and my mom's family, quite the party crowd, jumped in wholeheartedly for the occasion. It was pretty fabulous. I wondered how Pedro and Cely would do being surrounded by the masses of people that make up my mom's side--she does have 9 brothers and sisters--but they hung in there and seemed to have some fun, too.

We left IA on Monday after lunch and began the looooonnnggg car ride home, finally getting here at 3:45 today, Tues. I taught my new siblings the fun of the Yahtzee handheld game; Cely seemed to get into it, but Pedro gave up quickly. We shared music on our various instruments of music playback options: my iPod, Pedro's mp3 player, Cely's cd player. Pedro and I have discussed some rap songs I know--not too many--but more than my parents know for sure. Cely showed me the song she likes from Magic Tree House (I guess it's a show)--it's a brother and sister singing to each other about how they couldn't live without the other. It's actually really sweet. Pedro likes Eminem and Daddy Yankee.

Pedro is pretty outgoing; he likes to tell stories and drive me crazy if he can. But he can also be very sweet. I can tell family means a lot to him as he constantly tells me of things of the past from his older cousins, older sister, real mom and dad, etc. He sounds like he got in some trouble at school in the past. Cely is quieter in general, but loves to giggle and listen to Taylor Swift and play games. She has a real sweetness about her. Both have huge grins with dimples. Both have new nicknames from their big sister: Cely has been dubbed Cel-Belle and Pedro is PC. (Pedro quickly redubbed Cely "cell phone.") Both hate to read but have to practice 30 minutes a day to help them get better for school this upcoming year. My dad makes them read to him. I guess they're pretty behind in school.

Their life now must be much different than before. I know my parents have different rules and expectations than they've experienced in the past. I know all this getting involved in the Catholic Church has been less than exciting for them. They've been attending a Baptist church with their foster parents.

I can't help but admire my parents for the commitment they're making for the rest of their lives, but particularly for the next several years. However, it's the kids that make me tear up at times. As my mom said to me yesterday, "If their birth parents had any idea what they're missing . . .I just can't imagine how they could give them up." I feel the same way. It's just so hard to understand how anyone could give birth to kids with a lot of needs, but such a genuine sweetness and desire to be loved, and then allow them to be taken away. How could you not fight tooth and nail to be worthy of them? These kids have to relearn so much to belong to this family, and they have to learn to feel a part of a history and a family very different from anything they've ever known. They've been made fun of and put down by other kids because they're not with their real family. I feel infuriated at the thought.

I guess my biggest hope is just that they do feel like they belong in this family, that they soon see that the rules and chores they do here are annoying maybe but a part of being at home. I hope they can see themselves as Sullivans always:) Now I need to go watch that Hannah Montana show with them (bleh). Oh, and see about getting their initials added to my tattoo.