Jon, 13, drew the pictures on the square for his brother to color in. Jon and David have been in and out of foster care for the last couple of years. David, now 3, is a very active, happy boy. He has grown leaps and bounds since he has entered foster care. He is very proud of finally conquering the big boy world of potty training in the last few months. David loves to play outdoors. He has an obsession with fire trucks and Superman. He enjoys wearing his man of steel outfit and being called Super Dave.

It is amazing how much he has changed since the first time he entered our home. He came to us with little structure; no set bedtime or nap, no consistent discipline, no self control and an aversion to cleanliness. Today, David is taking naps and going to bed at a specified time. He has consequences to his actions and knows that the time out chair waits for him if he misbehaves. He isn’t out of control with his anger and behavior and for a toddler, listens really well. He also has developed a healthy attitude towards bathing, having his hair washed and brushing his teeth. He enjoys being a “big boy” and putting his dishes in the sink, throwing his garbage away and picking up his room.

Jon is a soft spoken, well–mannered teenager. He has been through a lot of turmoil in his life and tends to lock his feeling inside. He is beginning to let himself have fun and has developed an interest in shooting bow with his foster father and riding the ATV. His willingness to participate and draw the pictures on the quilting square for David is a big step for Jon.

Like his brother, Jon came in to our home with all the attributes David possessed as well as hostility toward his brother, extreme jealousy and immaturity. He too, now has a set bedtime, consistent discipline and a healthy attitude towards his hygiene. He continues to struggle with opening up with his feelings but has taken many small steps towards allowing himself to enjoy life and being a kid. He has also developed some control over his anger and doesn’t immediately divert his anger towards his brother as he had in the past. He now displays more maturity and accepts his foster family for what it is; a normal family with ups and downs, by no means perfect, but happy nonetheless.