Bonnie's New Home

[baby_snow_white]

Bonnie shakes her head. "Is it like a sausage link the older girls got for breakfast?"

Emily raises her hand. "Is like a dog who is left outside in the sun with no shade or and is panting?"

Haanah saw the look Tracy gave her and stops smiling as big.

Joe gets up from the table and takes away the plates. "We have ice cream if any of you want it. All the girls except Hannah says they would like ice cream. Jayme ask Dinah and Angel if they wanted ice cream. Dinah said no she wouldn't. Angel said she would,but she can't eat ice cream because it will make her really sick.

Jayme speaks up. "Dinah said she doesn't want any. Angel said she does,but she can't eat ice cream because it will make her sick."

Bonnie shakes her head. That's terrible that she can't eat ice cream. I guess mommy will have to find her a different kind of desert to eat if she can't eat ice cream."

[robehouse]

Tracy listens to the girls replies, chuckling at their answers.

"Yes Bonnie, hot dogs are bigger than sausage links though. No, Emily, although that is definitely a hot dog."

"Brenda, the girls didn't answer you because they don't know what hot dogs are. you see, when they were in the children's home their diet was very limited. Most of the time for breakfast the girls were fed baby cereal. For lunch and dinner, if they had both, they were fed baby food. They don't know what a lot of regular food is, except maybe if the older girls ate it in front of them. They weren't deliberately not answering you. It's just that they didn't know what hot dogs were so weren't sure if they wanted them or not. Isn't that right girls?" Tracy said.

Tracy got up and got a dishrag from the kitchen. She went around washing each of the girls face and hands. She looked at their bibs and smiled. Every bib had spaghetti sauce sprinkled on them, and had a few strands of spaghetti sticking to them. She sat down to wait for the ice cream.

[baby_snow_white]

Bonnie nods. "Ok mommy. I'll wait until tomorrow to see what a hot dog looks like."

Emily nods. "So that isn't the kind of hot dog you are talking about." All the girls nod except for Hannah. Who sets in her highchair with her arms crossed.

Brenda comes out with bowls of ice cream on a tray. She passes the bowls and looks at Hannah. "Are you sure you don't want ice cream?" She nods as Tracy explains about the girls' diet at the home. "Oh I see. I'm sorry about my rant earlier then. I thought you was all giving me the cold shoulder because you didn't like me. I should have asked if you know what a hot dog is before I went off like that.

Hannah nods. "Yes I'm sure." She smiles. "Well one of us was and still are going to." Hannah goes back to drawing on the tray in what was left of the sauce.

Bonnie looks up. "Thank you for the ice cream. It is delicious."

[robehouse]

Tracy smiles as Bonnie tells Brenda that the ice cream is good. She shakes her head at Hannah. She wonders if Hannah was just being cranky because she was tired. Tracy ate her ice cream slowly trying to decide what to do about Hannah. Everyone else had finished their ice cream while Tracy was still thinking. She couldn't think of anything to do that would get Hannah to like Brenda. Finally she just pushed her bowl to the center of table.

"I'm so full I couldn't eat another bite," Tracy said," I think we better get the girls home now. It's starting to get dark outside and I want to clean them up before I put pajama's on them and put them to bed. They have a big day ahead of them and I want them to get plenty of sleep. If you don't mind I will leave the high chairs here tonight, and move them back to my house in the morning before breakfast."

[baby_snow_white]

Brenda nods. "Well it was good to have all of you over here tonight. It is ok if you leave the highchairs over here until tomorrow morning. Do you still want to have that coffee after you put the girls to bed?" She walks all of them out of the house. Brenda goes back into the dining room and starts to clean it up. She knew Joe would do it for her if she asked him too,but she wanted to do it herself. So she wouldn't have to set there and think about how Tracy's daughter didn't like her except for Bonnie." Joe comes downstairs as Brenda finishes cleaning up the dining room with Wanda in her nightgown. Brenda kisses Wanda on the cheek. "Night pumpkin seed. I want to have a talk with you,but it will keep until tomorrow."

Wanda giggles. "Night mommy."

[robehouse]

"Sure. Give me about forty five minutes and come on over." Tracy said.

Tracy grabbed Hannah's hand and started leading the girls back to the house. She unlocked the front door and led Hannah and the other girls in the house. She lined the girls up in the living room.

"Okay let's get you undressed and in the tub. You girls are covered with spaghetti sauce and ice cream," Tracy ordered as she started undressing Hannah down to just her diaper.

She went around undressing all the girls except Dinah and Angel. She left that to Jayme. Tracy led the girls back to her bedroom and through to the large bathroom. The tub was large enough to hold all eight girls at the same time. Tracy started filling the tub with water and started removing the girls diapers. Once the tub was filled to the right level, she lifted each of the girls into the tub. She got a washcloth and sat down next to the tub and washed each of the girls. When she was done she got the girls out of the tub and dried them off with a towel.

"Jayme can you get me some of the pink diapers from the living room? By the way, if you want to you can sleep down here in my room tonight. I know it is going to be hard to get you upstairs with your wheelchair so I will try to get Joe to put in something like an elevator so you would be able to get up and down without a problem. I'll sleep upstairs to keep an eye on the girls."

[baby_snow_white]

Brenda nods. "Ok I'll see you in 45 minutes."

Hannah looks at Tracy. "I'm not covered in ice cream. I didn't have any." The girls splash each other in the tub and giggles while they do it."

Jayme nods. "Ok I'll be back with 8 diapers." She leaves the bathroom and goes to the living room. Jayme comes back with the diapers. "Bonnie, this doesn't include you." She turns and looks at the others. "I'm embarrassed over the way you all acted over at Tracy's friend's house. That is no way for you to act. I know you don't trust her or like her,but that still no reason to act the way you all did. Hannah your bahavior was worse of all. You acted down right rude and a very naughty girl. Your comments was out of order too." Jayme looks at Tracy. "No I'll sleep on the couch. It is your bedroom. I wouldn't feel right about sleeping in there." She gives the girls one more look and then leaves the room. Hannah and the other girls wouldn't look at Tracy or Jayme afterwards.

[robehouse]

Tracy stands there and listens as Jayme talks to the girls. She could see it was having an effect on all of them. After the talk, Tracy led the girls over to her bed and diapered all of them. She led the girls out to the living room where Jayme was.

"Do you know which box the girls pajamas are in?" Tracy asked.

She saw the girls were all standing with their heads lowered or they were looking the other way. Tracy was glad Jayme had given the girls the talk. She realized she would have been lost without her. Jayme had definitely proved her value tonight.

[baby_snow_white]

Jayme shakes her head. "Not really. It should be in one of those two boxes." She rolls over to the boxes and looks though them. Jayme pulls out 7 pairs of footed sleepers. They had holes in them and patches in other areas. "The pajamas have seen their better days. The director didn't care what their sleeper looked like. I patched the holes the best I could to keep them in as good shape as I could. I bought them brand new sleepers and the director took them and ripped them up right in front of the girls and told them they didn't deserve anything that nice." She lays them aside and digs though the box. Jayme pulls out 7 of her t shirts. "These will have to do until we can get them some sleepwear." She puts the t shirts over the girls' heads and pulls them down. The bottom of the t shirt comes to their ankles. "What about Angel?"

[robehouse]

Tracy watched as Jayme went through the boxes. She looked at the footed sleepers and frowned. How could the director of the children's home allow the girls to wear such worn pajamas? She was glad that Jayme had not tried to put them on the girls. She smiled when she saw the girls in their tee shirts. At least they would have something to cover her body. She would have to go to the store again tomorrow and get proper pajamas for the girls. Since it was still warm outside she doubted it would be footed sleepers though, unless that is what the girls wanted. She remembered that Bonnie had a pajama top from when they slept at the motel, but it was dirty. She could wash that if Bonnie wanted to sleep in it still. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day. If she could talk Joe into getting the house wheelchair accessible for Jayme then that work would be going on all day. Tracy needed to get a van tomorrow, and do some shopping. There was also the pool party for the girls tomorrow afternoon. She hoped she could fit it all in. She knew she was not superwoman and could only do so much.

"What do you mean, what about Angel? I was planning on her and Dinah sharing a room. or weren't you talking about bedtime?" Tracy wondered.

[baby_snow_white]

Jayme looks at Tracy. "What I meant was I have 7 t shirts and there is 8 girls. What do you want to put on Angel for pajamas? After Angel gets her PJs on. I'll read all of you a bedtime story. Though I'm not sure you all deserve one after the way you acted earlier." She said sad faces on 5 of the girls." She shakes her head. "No I'm not going to do that too you. That would be something the people at the home would do,but we aren't there and are never going to be there again. So this is a fresh start for all of you. Everyone come set on the floor in the living room and I'll read you a story. Bonnie can translate for Dinah and Angel.

[robehouse]

"Oh. Okay, I can be so dense at times. I will get one of my tee shirts for Angel to wear." Tracy says.

Tracy runs upstairs to her room. She takes several tee shirts out of her drawer and holds them up. She realizes they would be way too big on Angel. Finally she sees one that is a couple sizes smaller that she had accidentally bought for herself. She takes the tee shirt and hurries back downstairs and hands it to Jayme.

"Here you are. While you are reading to the girls I'll go start a pot of coffee. Brenda will be over shortly," Tracy said.

[baby_snow_white]

Jayme nods. "That's ok. I might not have made myself clear." She takes the t shirt from Tracy when she came back down and put it on Angel. The shirt stopped above her ankles."

Hannah hears Tracy said that Brenda is coming on. "Mommy, I would like to go to bed right now. I don't want to be down here when she gets here."

Jayme looks at Hannah. "Would you really rather miss the bedtime story just so you will not be down here when Brenda gets here?"

Hannah nods. "Yes I would."

Jayme nods. "Well suit yourself. Go get in your crib. Tracy will be up later to put the railing up." Hannah gets up off the floor and goes up the stairs to the bedroom. She got in her crib and faces the wall with her back to the door. Jayme told the rest of the girls the Story of Jack and the Beanstack. Bonnie knew the story by heart so she was way ahead of Jayme's version. "Jayme laughs. "I'm either going to have to tell the story faster or pick one you don't know by heart."

Bonnie laughs. "Yes I guess so Jayme." She turns back to Dinah and then looks at Jayme. "Jayme, Dinah wants to know if she can do the bedtime story tomorrow. She knows some indian stories. Oh Sorry. Native American stories."

Jayme nods. "I don't see why not. It might be fun to hear stories about other nationalities. Maybe Tracy would like to set in from time to time and hear bedtime stories. Maybe we can even get her to tell you some." She smiles at Tracy. "Ok ladies. It is bedtime." All the girls groan and slowly walks up the stairs.

[robehouse]

Tracy sets the coffee pot up and plugs it in. She comes over and stands in the kitchen doorway listening to Jayme telling the story. She watched as Bonnie signed the story to Dinah and Angel. Since she didn't know sign language she didn't know that Bonnie was ahead of Jayme. She hears Bonnie ask for Dinah about telling the story tomorrow night. She knew she would have to be there to hear the story. Tracy followed the girls upstairs and to the bedroom. She stopped them from getting in the cribs. She went to each of the girls and picked them up. She cuddled with them and gave them a kiss on the cheek before placing them in their cribs and pulling up the sides. She did this five times.

"I'll be right back, Hannah," Tracy said, taking Dinah and Angel's hand. She led them to their bedroom and did the same thing to them, picking them up and cuddling them before giving them a kiss and putting them in their cribs. She turned out the overhead light and left the door open so the hall light would shine in the room. Tracy came back to the other bedroom and walked over to Hannah's crib. She scooped Hannah up out of her crib and cuddled with her. Finally she gave Hannah a kiss and put her back in her crib. She raised the side of the crib.

"I'll be in the first thing in the morning to get you girls out of your cribs. I don't want anyone climbing out of their cribs by themselves," Tracy ordered. She turned out the overhead light in the room and left the door open as well. Just as she stepped out into the hall she heard the doorbell ring. Tracy walked downstairs and opened the door to let Brenda into the house.

"Whew, perfect timing. I just got all the girls down for the night. Let's go out to the kitchen for our coffee. Jayme, Would you like to join us? I sure could use your input in our discussions."

[baby_snow_white]

Each of the girls giggled Tracy picked them up and cuddles them. Then give them a kiss on the cheek. They hugged Tracy's neck and gives her a kiss on the cheek. Hannah hears Tracy and the others coming into the room. She sets up in her crib as she watches Tracy cuddle it each girl and then leaves to do the same for Dinah and Angel. Hannah looks down at the mattress as all the girls except for Bonnie laughs and makes fun of Hannah because she didn't get cuddled and kissed until last. Dinah and Angel got cuddled and kissed before she did because she wasn't mommy's favorite because she was a bad girl. Hannah starts crying. Bonnie took as much of it as she was going to take. She stood up in her crib and looks at the other girls. "Knock it off. We are all family and it is about time you all acted like it. Mom didn't have to adopt all of us. You all could still be in the terrible children's home being abused and neglected. I talked mom into adopting all of you. Because I didn't think it was fair for me to have a new life and all of you not get the same chance. Maybe mom had a good reason for putting Hannah last. Like saving the best for last. I know mom wouldn't play favorites. So knock it off and leave Hannah alone." Hannah wipes away the tears as Tracy comes back into the room and cuddles her then gives her a kiss. She lays down with a smile on her face.

Brenda nods. "I would have been here sooner,but we had a heck of a time getting Wanda into her crib. Everytime I would lay her down. Wanda would pop up waiting something else. I've never had this much trouble getting her into her crib at night."

Jayme nods. "Yes I'll join the two of you. I'll take a glass of milk. If I drink coffee. I'll be up all night in the bathroom."

[robehouse]

Tracy leads Brenda out to the kitchen. She pours two cups of coffee and gets a glass out of the cupboard. She pours milk into the glass and sets it on the table for Jayme.

"Maybe I should put it in a bottle," Joked Tracy.

Tracy fixed her coffee and brought it over to the table. She waited for Brenda to fix her coffee and come over and sit down.

"Okay, I guess I will get started. First of all let me say how sorry I am about the way the girls treated you. I appreciate you and Joe and all you do for me. Is there anything you wanted to talk about?" Tracy wondered.

[baby_snow_white]

Jayme laughs. "Why not. I'm already in diapers and my stroller."

Brenda makes her coffee the way she likes it and then sets down at the table. "Don't worry about it. I might have been coming on a bit strong. You said the girls don't trust people and I might have been rushing it abit. Did you really tell Hannah to tell me she was sorry even if she didn't mean it? Wouldn't you think that would make it insincere if she wasn't sorry about it? It wasn't all the girls who was acting up. Bonnie,Dinah and Angel would polite and little angels. It was Hannah and the others." She shakes her head. "No not really. Since Hannah has been back home. Has her attitude and behavior changed any?"

[robehouse]

Tracy shook her head. "No, not really. When she heard that you were coming over, she refused to stay downstairs, even though Jayme read the girls a story. I wish there was someway I could get her to like you. Yes, I realized that I was teaching Hannah it was okay to be dishonest, but I was hoping that by the time she got to you she would have changed her mind and it would have been sincere. Obviously that didn't happen.I think the rest of the girls will have no problems around you. I don't know what to about Hannah."

"There is something else I wanted to bring up. As this house is laid out now, Jayme is pretty much confined to the first floor. I need her to help with putting the girls to bed and getting them up and dressed in the mornings. Do you think Joe could come over in the morning and see if he could do something so that Jayme can get upstairs with her wheelchair?"

"I'm sorry you are having so many problems with Wanda. Is it possible she is acting out because my girls were over at her house tonight? She might feel like she needs to get your attention again somehow," Tracy contemplated.

[baby_snow_white]

Brenda nods. "I see. So it isn't just at my house. She doesn't like me at all. That is a pretty strong reaction to me. I don't have to be here to get a reaction out of her. Just them mention of my name works." She sighs. "Me too,but if you force her to like me. All you are going to do is strengthen her dislike for me." Brenda shakes her head. "No it didn't happen. You are probably right about that,but from what I saw upstairs. The girls look to Hannah as a leader. If Hannah figures that out. She could start to poison them towards me and before you know it. All your girls are going to start disliking me. I don't think she could turn Bonnie. She seems to have a strong mind and a even stronger will. Dinah and Angel are on the fence. I can't get a reading on them. I don't know if they would follow Hannah or side with Bonnie and stay netural. Hannah is engaging in a power move. If she isn't cut off before she can estabish her power base. You are going to lose control of the house and Hannah is going to be in charge." She nods. "Yes I noticed that when you all was over at the house. Jayme was limited to the first floor. I'll have Joe come over tomorrow afternoon. He has to be on duty tomorrow morning. He has some friends who are in construction who owes him some favors. A hand powered elevator would be a good idea. That way if the power goes out and you know how often that happens here. Then Jayme isn't stuck upstairs or downstairs. She could use the hand pulley to go up or down." Brenda shrugs. "I guess it is possible and she is trying to regain control of the house after the girls upset the balance of power."

[robehouse]

"so how should I handle Hannah? I can't just sit back and let her do whatever she wants. I thought Bonnie was the leader of the pack as far as the girls went. Jayme, have you noticed Hannah making a play to be leader? I guess I may just have my head stuck in the sand as far as the girls go. How can I cut her off?"

Tracy sighs as she realizes this being mommy stuff was not as easy as she first thought it was going to be.

[baby_snow_white]

Brenda shrugs. "I haven't a clue. When you find out the answer let me know so I can use it on Wanda. I've been trying to 4 years to try and cut it off,but nothing works. The only thing it has done is cement her control even more."

Jayme nods. "Bonnie has been the leader and the mouthpiece for the group." She shakes her head. "Not until tonight at Brenda's house. Hannah has always been the quiet one who does as she is asked and you would never really notice she was there. Hannah has always been the invisible child of the group. The play for the leadership role came out of no where. I don't think the other girls saw it coming either. They seemed just as shocked as we was."

Brenda laughs. "Well she isn't invisible anymore. She has came out of the shadow and made her presents known loud and clear."

[robehouse]

Tracy sighs. It was starting to give her a headache. "I never thought about control issues when I decided to adopt the girls. I just thought the girls would be happy to have a mother and stuff like that. Not that I would make any other choice in the matter."

"I thank you for coming over tonight. It has given me lots to think about. I think I better be getting to bed myself though, or at least go upstairs in case the girls need me. I guess I will see you in the morning with the high chairs. I know Jayme is probably tired as well. Today has been a long day."

[baby_snow_white]

Brenda nods. "I'm probably the cause of Hannah's problem. From what I have heard. Hannah was content to be in the background and let Bonnie assume the leadership position. I come along and Bonnie is polite to me and Hannah sees that Bonnie is no longer a good leader and someone has to step up to regain control of the group." She sighs. "Maybe the best thing for Hannah and the others is if they don't see me anymore. If I'm not in the picture as a threat. Then Hannah will back down and blend into the background again. Putting harmony back in your house."

Jayme shakes her head. "No Brenda. I don't think you are the problem. Well not entirely. You see for a very long time. They have not had any adult outside of me that they can trust. All the other adults at the children's home was mean and abusive to them. So they built up a tough outer shell to hide behind so they wouldn't be hurt. In the pass two days. Their whole life has been turned upside down. They was taken away from the only home they have ever known. They have been paraded in front of people who they have no idea if they can trust or if they are going to hurt them like the people at the home did. They have seen goverment agents from the Department of Child and Family Services, Nurses and doctors at the hospital they was in when they was taken from the home. The flight attendant on the plane home,Various people at the two targets. Now add you,Joe and Wanda into the whole mix. They have been overwhelmed and They lashed out the only way they know. Normally Hannah is a very sweet and loving girl. Don't let what you saw tonight tant your view of Hannah. If you do. Then you are never going to see the real Hannah when it does come though."

[robehouse]

"I think it may have been partly my fault too. I have been pushing them too hard. I could have shielded them from some of this. I wanted them to become friends with you and Joe. I didn't realize in doing that would cause such a reaction in Hannah or the other girls. we already promised the girls a pool party at your house tomorrow, complete with hot dogs. I don't think we should take that away. However after that, I am going to keep the girls home so they can become used to their new surroundings without the pressure of dealing with other people. How does that sound to you?"

[baby_snow_white]

Brenda shakes her head. "You had no idea that this was going to happen. No one could have forseen this. I'm not so sure that would be the right choice, Though I don't know what the happy median is going to be. They all seem to like Joe and if you keep them away. They are going to feel like they are being punished because they don't like me. We'll keep working on it even if it takes having coffee meetings every night until we come up with an answer to the problem. I very much want the girls to like me and Wanda as much as they like Joe,but I don't have an answer for it. I don't know if bribing them with sweets would do any good or their teeth any good. There is one question I have. Do you know if they are going to grow up to be normal size or are they going to be toddler size forever?"