Getting two new sisters, and adjusting

Meghan had a grand adventure travelling to Ukraine in November last year and meeting Kara. It was not all sunshine and lollipops for her though, as we had to sit in cars for hours and her not being potty trained 100%, it made for messes that were hard to clean, and disgruntled facilitators who were unhappy with a 6 year old having BM's in their cars.

Still she got to experience snow and she was delighted with it, throwing snowballs at us, slipping on ice, and loving the cold air on her face. She barely tolerates heat, cold is another story, she thrives in it.

She did not really like Kara sitting with me and did her best to place herself between us , her behavior spiralled out of control a few times and we had to get stern with her, and she really disliked the food in the dining hall, and refused to eat most of it.

Did she like the trip? Does she remember anything about it? I wish she had the words to tell us, but she does not.

She lovingly calls Kara Anna, still believing she is Oksana, the sister she never met. It's OK if she want to believe this, why complicate her life with our sorrow over losing a precious daughter?

Now she has a new sister, Amanda, here from Estonia, for not even a week yet. Amanda is more frail than Kara and very sweet, and Meghan is doting on her. I think the most amazing thing is how it has brought out a new maturity in her, a mothering instinct I had not seen before.

We always believed Meghan was amazing and kind, so sweet (and stubborn) It is so comforting to see her adjust to being a big sister with such ease. I am so proud of her, but then, I always have been.