Behavior.

I ran across a journal that I kept of Lizzy's behavior last year. Even I was floored by what I wrote all that time ago. I had to share it with you.

Dec. 21, 2010

9:24 am

I told her to stop doing something and she started punching herself with her left hand in the left side of her head. I told her to stop and she screamed a blood curdling scream at me.

I put her in bed.

9:35 am

Lizzy stole a toy from one of our other foster children. I made her give it back. She stomped her feet and then grabbed a toy and whips it across the room and glares at me.

I sent her to her room. She does well and I let her come out as soon and she walked nicely into her room.

9:45 am

Lizzy was sitting with me and got up. Another child hopped into my lap. She squealed angrily and started kicking the wall.

9:50 am

Lizzy got made because I told her to share. She glared at me and then started throwing toys at the wall.

9:57 am

Lizzy stood and screamed at my son because he wouldn't give her the toys he was playing with.

11:04 am

A child took Lizzy's toy. I gave it back to her. She then took the toy and started hitting herself in the head with it. I took the toy from her. She started screaming and threw herself on the floor and started kicking and rolling across the floor while screaming.

Lizzy does not do any of this anymore. None of it.

To give you some history on her, on Dec. 21, 2010 she had turned turned 2 years old 4 days before AND we had just brought 2 new foster daughters home on her second birthday. As you can see she did not reach too well to them. For the record, she did not act like that AS MUCH when is was just her and Sabrina here or when it was just her BUT she did do some of these things. When I picked her up from the agency she was known for bashing her head on things and being quite wild.

When I read these words I didn't even recognize the child that I had written about. Lizzy actually listens decently now. If she takes a toy from someone and I tell her to give it back at least 90% of the time she does without an issue. She hasn't hit herself in the head (especially like described here) in quite a while and is doing so well with playing with toys and other. Her attention span has grown tremendously. She is a different kid.

That was a very rough patch that I am glad we made it through. It did go on for quite a while. One of the foster daughter we brought home certainly did not help. She was as crazy as Lizzy was acting at that time. It sure was a crazy 5 1/2 months!