A twinkle in their eyes...

A perfect Queensland day. The breeze was blowing gently, the sun shining, and the shadows of the leaves from the mango trees was dancing across our freshly mown grass. The bubbly giggles of my 3 and 4 year old spilled across the wind.

I looked out at them jumping on the trampoline, thinking about how wonderful they are. The 3 year old, with his blond hair and blue eyes, a truly angelic face, and the four year olds sweetness just oozes from his skin. I thought, how blessed am I that I can have these two boys. That they can just jump up and down on the tramp without a care in the world, and how privilidged am I that I can sit here and watch them. Not missing these heartwarming moments.

I turned back to the study desk where my 8 and 11 year old were working on their assignments, and began to reread the passage that had somehow seemed less important than gazing on the happiness and glee outside.

It was then that my neighbour knocked on my door. He had several stones in his hand, and trying to calm his anger, he politely asked that I stopped my foster children from pelting his car with stones. I looked back outside. The scene that had earlier seemed so wonderful and innocent, now shattered.

The boys were still giggling, and jumping with glee... but I now noticed, the bucket of rocks so carefully collected by the two, balancing on the edge of the tramp, and in their grubby little fingers - ammunition... and in their eyes... a gleam, that was a little less about the simple things in life, and a little more about who could be the first of them to actually hit the car with their rock!