MERRY CHRISTMAS

Myspace Graphics, Christmas Graphics at WishAFriend.com

Way cool site to keep you & the kids busy all day

This is so fun. The Boy loves it
roll your curser over ALL the snowflakes to see how cute they are.
Go to the bottom to make your own. It's easy and addicting

Merry Christmas *DFCs* Style

Only dfcs* could make Christmas so merry.
We received a letter in the mail today. Extraordinarily timed with the fact that they are closed on Fridays. So of course they can put off the inevitable questions for just a few more days.
It seems our county is broke. In essence, it says you will only be paid per diam and 100.00 FOR THE YEAR for clothing. No diapers, wipes,clothing, shoes, socks,coats, no mileage for transport all over creation for dr appts, visitation, therapies, court or hearings or meetings. No car seats. Oh, and get this, we used to be able to spend 25.00 whole dollars on Birthday presents/party for them. Now, no more.So please pay for all these items out of the per diam sent to you months after it should have been sent to you. ( I added that part)But it's true.
Because we only take babies & toddlers. I don't have to tell you how many diapers and wipes they go thru monthly or how fast they grow. 100.00 is nothing when you bring home a baby that outgrows everything in days or weeks. FORMULA & Food. Don't get me started. Yes, 10.00 a day will cover all that. Don't worry I'm sure we want have even more fosterparents dropping out. Since this is a money making transaction, It will only cut into my profit margin a little. (that's a joke people) Now it will only cost me 300.00 a month to be a fostrparent.
I can see their new recruiting drive will bring people in droves.
This is never ending....
Merry Christmas to you too dfcs* and thanks for those wonderful dollar store* gifts for the kiddos this year. They'll be loved and broken all in 30 minutes.
No, I'm not angry at all. Why do you ask?

More Random photos of our Disney Cruise

People...I have had a good day

My husband, I love him, I love him more 'en my books. I swear I do.
This man ordered me this
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp?bnit=H
for you who read and read you know what this is.
I can now carry in my little clutches a thousand books to read at my whim!
He soooooo romantically preordered this baby months ago. Now it is sold out til mid January. But I have it in my hot little hands right now, getting ready to turn in with my new BOOKS!
I so lovvvvvvvvvvve this man

P.s Did I tell you I have a Barnes & Noble Nook? I do! I think this makes up for the Mrs. Beasley I would have died for, but never got. Maybe.

Towel Animals

Something a little lighter...

Here are some of the towel animals our room attendant left for us each night.

They do amazing jobs.

The Easy Road...Really?

I've been informed by commenters, well intending S.W's, friends who didn't know any better or my story(s) regarding our adoptions, in particular how "lucky" we've been to get 2 babies dropped in our laps to adopt. They said we had an "easy road". I've never seen that in adoption, so I wouldn't know. I've always struggled with what to say to these people. It's impossible to tell a life time of heartache, problems,trials, finances, hardships, ect, ect. So I choose not to go into detail on any of it 99.9% of the time. Even here, I don't think I've ever went into huge lengthy detail of all we have gone through in either of our adoptions. A friend sent me this today that kinda says it perfectly in regard to this particular area of our lives. One phrase in particular is this:
"The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story....
If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too! "
(I don't care for the word "haters" in this instance, but it's part of the poem)

Would you like to see all the poem? Sure you would.
I found it very interesting. Maybe you will too.
*By the way, the two paragraphs above is all that spoke to me about our adoptions. I'm sure it speaks to different people at different places in their lives.



Haters
By Maya Angelou
A hater is someone who is jealous and envious and spends all their time trying to make you look small so they can look tall.
They are very negative people to say the least. Nothing is ever good enough!
When you make your mark, you will always attract some haters...That's why you have to be careful with whom you share your blessings and your dreams, because some folk can't handle seeing you blessed...
It's dangerous to be like somebody else.... If God wanted you to be like somebody else, He would have given you what He gave them! Right?
*You never know what people have gone through to get what they have...
The problem I have with haters is that they see my glory, but they don't know my story....
If the grass looks greener on the other side of the fence, you can rest assured that the water bill is higher there too!*
We've all got some haters among us!
Some people envy you because you can:
a) Have a relationship with God
b) Light up a room when you walk in
c) Start your own business
d) Tell a man/woman to hit the curb (if he/she isn't about the right thing)
e) you are a strong person and don't let people run you over
f) you have a strong and loving marriage and they can't get in-between spouses to spoil it
Haters can't stand to see you happy.
Haters will never want to see you succeed.
Most of our haters are people who are supposed to be on our side (like some family and friends).
How do you handle your undercover haters?
You can handle these haters by: 1. Knowing who you are & who your true friends are *(VERY IMPORTANT!!)
2. Having a purpose to your life: Purpose does not mean having a job. You can have a job and still be unfulfilled.A purpose is having a clear sense of what God has called you to be.Your purpose is not defined by what others think about you.
3. By remembering that what you have is by divine prerogative and not human manipulation.Fulfill your dreams!
You only have one life to live...when its your time to leave this earth, you want to be able to say, 'I've lived my life and fulfilled my dreams, Now I'm ready to go HOME!
When God gives you favor, you can tell your haters, 'Don't look at me...Look at who is in charge of me...
BUT most of all don't become a HATER!'

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.'

Maya Angelou

Have you heard this one before? What did you think?

Every November 28, I wonder what she wonders

My Boy, he turned 4 yesterday.
I'm not saying this because I'm his mama. But he is the cutest, funniest, smartest, caring, compassionate, imaginative Boy I have ever seen. Again, it's just not 'cause I'm his mama. I swear.
About 10 times a day he asks me "Mommy, you sure you're happy?" I have NO idea where that came from. He started that about a year ago.
He'll say something he finds funny and says, "That was a joke, you get it?"
I love to listen to him playing when he has no idea I'm listening. He says the most imaginative, creative, WOW stuff, I've ever heard from a boy his age.
When we went on the Disney cruise without any provocation he said, " Thank you mommydaddy (yes, it's one word) I'm having soo much fun!"
He says I love you all the time. He's a good boy (that can have a temper to rival his goodness)
But it never fails. Every Nov. 28th, I wonder if she knows, realizes, or cares what she gave up.
Who walks away from that? I know it was for the best, whatever her reasons. She gave me the greatest gift one human can give another.
But it never fails, for what ever reason, I want her to know what a great son I have. Not what a good job I've done raising him. But what a wonderful Boy she gave birth to. What a wonderful little boy he is, all on his own. I know he would make her proud.
Does that make any sense?

Random photos..Because I am no where near organized

These are just a few random photos.

The Boy would NOT touch the sand. We had to put a towel down for him to sit on, on Disney's private island. So he sat on a towel and dug in the sand. Go figure. The only character pictures he would take was the first 2 days. Mickey in the terminal and chip and dale on the island. After that he was done with them. On Grand Cayman we visited the sea turtle sanctuary, which he loved. we saw turtles from 2500 lbs to 1 lb. It's an amazing set up they have to protect the sea turtles. He LOVED holding the turtles.

Ice cream on a 85 degree beach?? Is it ever a good idea? He thought so.

The little boat you see in front of the Disney Magic is the original pirate ship from Pirates of The Caribbean. Really cool ship to see.

In one of the restaurants they surprised us with the decorated plate for our anniversary. We never even told them that The Boy's birthday was the week after we got off the boat and the last night of the cruise after dinner they brought out a cake with the Disney Magic in chocolate to him for a Birthday cake. No detail gets passed them. It was amazing!

Our itinerary was Cape Canaveral, Disney's private island, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, Disney's private Island and 2 sea days. Loved it! If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. We loved it and are planning on doing a 4 night in 2011.

I'll be posting more photos as I get to them.

HI, I'm Back

Wow! If you ever have the chance to take a Disney cruise...do it.
I pinky promise to post more after Thanksgiving. With just having got back, I still have to unpack, Thanksgiving on Thursday and The Boy's 4th Birthday is Saturday!
So after Thanksgiving get ready to tell me to shut up about the cruise and no more pictures!

Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

D@v!d The Pirate, part 1 & 2

What a difference a year makes.

The first picture is from 10/2008 and the second, this year 2009.

You can sort of tell how much he's grown by looking at the wooden sword. Same sword. His costume last year was size 18-24 months and this year a 4T. My Boy is getting so big.

He always wants to be a pirate, no matter how many costumes we look at. Next year I'm sure he will be a pirate with a little variation. It's good to know what you want to be in life.

Things A Mother Should NEVER have to hear

"Here Mommy, hold my booger"


I'll spare you the details.

You're welcome.

A Little Busy with My kids this time

This is my newest grandson, Rylan James. He looks just like his brother & sister. A whopping 7# 14 oz. He is the smallest of my oldest daughters babies. She now has a 4.5 yr old, a 2.5 yr old and a newborn. Better her than me. There are GOOD reasons she and her sisters were 4 yrs apart and David was 16 yrs younger than my youngest daughter. I need alot of time in between in re coop!
He's a cutie pie and a good eater just like his big brother and sister too.
Now we wait for my middle daughter to have our next grandson in December.
You can only imagine the crazy in my house on holidays.

Next up...the adventures of David the Pirate!

Just in the nick of time

Listerine Oral Care and Reach gave us the chance to take the Oral Care 2 week Challenge.

You see The Boy had recently decided that brushing his teeth just wasn't for him.
Have you ever tried to pry the mouth open of a child who didn't want their teeth brushed?
It's not pretty. And leads to both of you having a melt down.
Our challenge was to brush, floss and rinse every day, twice a day. I thought "yea, right". But I was desperate. I needed something, anything!
So they sent us cool Reach tooth brushes, a calendar with TEETH STICKERS, floss and rinse.
I had nothing to loose.
When he opened the box and saw the stickers and cool tooth brushes, The Boy wanted to start right then and there. Who knew a box of tooth brushes and some stickers would be all it took to get the kid to brush his teeth?
www.listerine.com or www.listerinekids.com will give you more information about the challenge.
I can tell you it's one of the best things we've ever done. The Boy can't wait to show you how "squeaky clean" his teeth are after using the cool tooth brush. THANK YOU Listerine & Reach!


I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by www.MomCentral.com on behalf of Listerine and Reach and received Listerine and Reach products for the Oral Care Challenge and a gift certificate for www.globalgiving.org to thank me for taking the time to participate

All is Quiet on the home front

But I guess that's not anything to complain about.
The 10 month old's Bmom is working hard on her case plan. Harder than I've seen any parent work before. It's something new to me.
I was cleaning off our hard drive and found photos of her son we had in care about 5 yrs ago. She lost him because of some very bad choices she made. but I still felt it would be a wonderful gift to give her the pictures we had of her son at the time we had him. I know she will love them and cherish them.
The 18 month old I'm afraid will be with us for some time to come. Bad choices all around by this poor baby's Bparents. I'm not too sure they'll make it.
Now I will spend my time trying hard to organize and not misplace my mind while trying to get ready for our long awaited Disney Cruise. I don't know who is more excited me or The Boy.
It's just plain boring around here. Of which, I will not complain!

Life In A Small Town or If Mama's ruled the World

I had to go down to the local police dept yesterday, for a little bitness. Nothing exciting I assure you.
From the counter you can see inside one of the holding rooms. From my vantage point I could only hear voices, no faces. But I could hear every word.
Evidently Jimmy (names have been changed to protect the guilty) was just picked up for being a little too drunk. Having fallen asleep right outside the police station. Jimmy was none to happy to be there. It seems he was now running late for work and was going to be in alot of trouble, it seems he has a problem with lateness. So he was trying to leave the holding room & go about his business. but the sheriff was having none of that. Other cops were milling around & didn't seem too concerned about Jimmy. Jimmy kept saying, "Tommy, just let me go to work". Finally after many attempts to get Jimmy to sit down and act right, Tommy the sheriff said, "Jimmy, I saw your mama at church Sunday and she had her whole Sunday school class praying for you. Now are going to sit down and shut up or am I gonna have to call your mama to come down here and talk to you?"
(Jimmy was about 40, by the way)
Jimmy said," No, don't call her, she's on her way to women's Bible study. She'll be mad if I keep her from that. But could you just hurry with the paper work? I gotta get to work"
While Tommy was doing whatever he does. Jimmy said,"That sure was a good sermon on Sunday, wasn't it?"
I didn't get to hear the rest, dang it. I'd already stood at the counter waaaay too long after being helped, just so I could hear if Jimmy's mama was coming down to talk to him and if he got to go to work or not.
I started thinking. Maybe if all these crime ridden cities told the people they arrested they were going to call their mama's to come down and talk to them, there would be alot less crime in the world.

Caffeine...How much does it take to kill you?

http://www.energyfiend.com/death-by-caffeine

It's fun to find out.
I don't think I'll be drinking 260 pepsis anytime soon.

Baby K, A big brother at 10 months

Baby K (the 10 month old) became a big brother today at 12;30.
The baby was a whopper at 7 lbs 14 oz. He is the cutest thing with the roundest head and a head full of hair. He looks just like baby K.
I feel so sorry for mom. She's trying her best. But seems to be swimming upstream against a current.
I'm not sure whats going to happen in this case. She lives in a different county now, so we shall see how all this plays out in the next few months. What ever happens is going to be hard for all concerned.
I took him to the hospital tonight to visit her and she seemed overwhelmed with both of them. Kinda to be expected, she did just give birth this afternoon.
We shall see........

A Boy & his PB&J

The Boy is a very picky eater.
He still will only eat one thing at a time. As in, only Mac & Cheese. Only chicken nuggets. Only a PB&J. No side items. No fries or chips. And he wouldn't touch a veggie if his life depended on it.
Finding WHAT he will eat at any given time is an adventure, so to speak.
But he will always eat Smucker's Uncrustables PB&J.
I have one in the car with me when I pick him up from preschool. It's the only thing I know he'll eat.
Smucker's uncrustables are giving away 80,000 sandwiches!
Go to http://www.uncrustables.com/ to find out how to get yours Free.



I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Smucker’s Uncrustables and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

When it Rains...it pours...literally

We had down pours this last week,the likes that our state has not seen in many, many years.
Many of our neighbors were flooded. Some a little, some alot. I've never thanked God more for living on this hill I dislike sooooo much.
Today I was finally able to go to the next county over (all the major & most minor roads were washed away or out) to take Baby K to the Dr, as he has had a fever for 2 days. But he is no stranger to ear infections, so I didn't think too much about it. But he was terribly cranky, very unlike him. The Dr did a swine flu test and it came back positive!
This is not good. I do not want 3 kids and me (or the husband) sick as dogs.
If you think about it say a little prayer for our sicky house.

Baby Einstein & a priceless hippo

Mom Central & Baby Einstein have given us the opportunity to preview their new DVD "World Animal Adventure". Everyone loved it...from the 9 month old to the 3 year. You would have seen mommy in the picture too, but someone had to take the picture.
World Animal Adventure DVD is the newest product from The Baby Einstein Company http://www.babyeinstein.com that brings exotic animals from all over the world home to babies and even pre-schoolers. The Boy loved it. It has a new feature I've never seen before in their DVD's. Grow With Me. So that older children get more & more out of the video. The 9 month old loved looking at the animals from all over the world. The 18 month old loved trying to say the new words. The 3 year old even tryed out some new words instead of hippo, he tryed to say hippopotamus,which was priceless!
We give the new DVD an A+.



“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Baby Einstein and received a World Animal Adventure DVD to facilitate my candid review.”

Wendy's Heisman & a giveaway

http://blakesmeme.blogspot.com/2009/09/wendys-has-heisman-your-kid-get-for.html

I forgot to mention that along with the great opportunity Wendy's are giving students, they are also giving away a 20.00 gift card on my blog!
How could I forget that?
Go read my blog link above. Leave a comment by midnight Sunday Sept. 20th along with your email address and you could win a 20.00 GC.

A picture is worth a thousand words

Nothing to say for now. All is unusually quiet on the home front.

Of course our house is full with no chance of anybody going home in the near future. So I expect to be left alone for awhile. We'll so how that goes.

Wendy's has a Heisman & your kid gets a chance to shine!

In high school, students not only need to focus on their grades, but they often take on other
activities as well, playing baseball and tennis, writing for the school newspaper, volunteering in
the community, and serving on school committees. Though hobbies, these activities help teens stand out amongst their peers when college applications roll around. With college admissions growing more and more selective.
The Wendy's High School Heisman program presents a great opportunity to help those students who have managed to balance so much, stand out. This award celebrates high school seniors who excel in academics, athletics, and community involvement; in essence, recognizing them for all of the things they already do. Colleges want to see well-rounded students who demonstrate dedication and commitment, making this program especially relevant and accessible.
High school seniors who have a 3.0 average or higher, participate in a school-sponsored sport and contribute to their community can apply at http://www.wendysheisman.com/ , or a high school educator, guidance counselor, or coach can nominate them.
As a little reward, the first 41,100 applicants will receive a free Wendy's gift card in amounts ranging from $5 to $50.
One male and one female from each high school will win the award and continue on in competition for state and national awards. Twelve national finalists will participate in Heisman Weekend festivities during an all-expenses-paid trip Dec. 11-13 to New York City. ESPN2 will feature all 12 national finalists during the Wendy's High School Heisman Awards Ceremony, which airs Dec. 13.
The Wendy's High School Heisman website will display the names of all applicants and individual school winners on October 22, 2009.



"I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Wendy’s and received a gift certificate to giveaway and to thank me for taking the time to participate."

You Can't telll Me This ain't funny

http://peopleofwalmart.com

I beg you, PLEASE go to page 9 last picture on the page and tell me you don't pee your pants when you read the caption.
That's funny...I don't care who you are.

First Day of School

We did it!

You would have to know The Boy to know what an accomplishment this truly was.

He goes nowhere and does nothing without his mama.

We talked school up big time over the weekend. Made a big deal about packing his backpack and snack box. He picked out the snacks he wanted to take, ect. He got up bright and early to get ready to go. But I still expected a melt down when it came time to get out of the car. But when we pulled up for him to get out. They opened the door and he said "my name is Havid, and I have a backpack."He jumped out of car and went in with not so much as a tear. He said he had a great time and loved his teacher! You could have knocked me over with a feather. I had steeled myself for a huge meltdown that never came.

Today however, he was not quite so eager. He didn't want to get up and didn't want to go. But by the time I got him dressed, in the car and there, he had calmed down enough to just go right in again. I was so relieved.

Now if we can just keep this going for ohhhhhhh say 17 more years.

Promises...

Today was crazy.
I promise tomorrow night I will post pictures and the story that surprised us all.

Tomorrow

This Boy starts pre-school!

In this picture he was about 9 months old. He fell asleep on the cat food place mat. He slept with his legs tucked under him until about a year ago.
It seems like time is flying more quickly with this Boy than with his 3 older sisters. Maybe it's because I'm so much older.
All I know is there is no way this little baby should be going away from mommy for 3 whole hours a day! Yes, it's true. I'm excited at the thought of being able to do whatever I want and do it in peace & quiet. But I have a feeling tomorrow I will sit and stare at the wall for 3 hours, worried that some little person is being mean to him or the teacher doesn't understand him or what if he thinks I'm not coming back to get him??
Oh geez, I was never supposed to have a "very first day of school" again. It's not like I've never went through this before, right? I'm sure I'll be OK. Yes, I'll be OK. Yes.
I sure hope he will be too...I hate being mean to 4 yr olds for being mean to my boy.

Holiday Inn StateCation..

Want to take a little vacation without all the cost and intense planning?
www.momCentral.com asked me to tell you about my favorite Holiday Inn.
My favorite Holiday Inn to stay in on the spur of the moment, just to get away, is Chattanooga Choo Choo Holiday Inn. It's close to a great downtown, aquarium, restaurants and great little shops and other things to do. You can go to all the great places and a great time and not have to worry about the drive home, just stay at this great Holiday Inn! On the plus side, you feel like you just had a mini vacation with a whole lot less money & stress
Whether you’re looking to visit historical landmarks; spend a long weekend at the beach; or even stay a night in the big city. When you stay with Holiday Inn, you’ll experience the changes transforming its hotels world wide including signature bedding with “soft” and “firm” pillows and power showers in the bathroom, just to name a few, all with a more contemporary look and feel.
Go to www.holidayinn.com to find your closest Holiday Inn to plan your next stateCation.




“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Holiday Inn. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate

The Greatest Show on Earth

Ringling Bros & Barnum & Bailey knows our economy is bad. But don't we all need a break from real life for just a few hours? They are running a promotion to help us bring some great memories to our kids at a pretty good price.
44.00 isn't bad for a family of 4, for some great fun & lasting memories. Be sure to use the promo code: MOM to get the discount. Below are just some of the places they will be.
Go to their website to see if they will be in your area for this great deal! A link to http://www.ringling.com/
The discount code for Ringling Bros. Circus. Code: MOM
*Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at select ticketing channels**. Offer good on all performances, minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each. Offer not valid on Circus Celebrity Seating, Front Row and VIP seating or combinable with other offers. Other Restrictions May Apply.
*Offer #2: 4.00 off all weekend performances


“I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Feld Entertainment. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Disney On Ice

As you all can tell, we love Disney. I think my count down to our Disney cruise has been up for 2 years or it seems like it anyway. Needless to say, we can't wait til November.
I love Disney on Ice. Like all things Disney, it's magical. I love to see the look on the kid's faces.
It's time for the Disney on Ice tour in our neck of the woods. Is it in yours? Go look:

http://disney.go.com/disneyonice/

Here is some really great deals that you can get on a family package too.


Mom Central is excited to extend the following special family offers; look for the box marked "MC Promotion" when purchasing tickets:
*Offer #1: Get 4 tickets for just $44 by entering the code "MOM" at select ticketing channels. Offer good on all weekday performances, which includes all weekday evening and Friday matinee performances; minimum purchase of 4 tickets required; additional tickets above 4 can be purchased at $11 each.
*Offer #2: All weekend performance tickets will be $4 off the original price
Offer #3: Get the best Front Row and VIP seats available – We have reserved seats in the Front Row and VIP sections just for you! No discounts available on these seats. Use the code MOM. “I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Feld Entertainment. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.”

Tonight...he cried

I can count on 1 hand the number of times/reasons why my husband has cried in 21 years...and I'd have fingers left over too.
A Marine with 18 yrs under his belt and a trained counselor who knows how to deal with his emotions.
He cried tonight when we went to The Boy's open house for preschool. (in the car)
I swear to you a chubby cheeked, baseball shaped head baby boy who was 7 1/2 months old just came to live with us (for a little while) like last week! Is it even possible that little boy will start preschool in a week and a half?? Will he really be 4 in a few months?
Where does the time go? But a 56 yr old man is crying because his little boy is growing up way too fast.
***I went back thru my blog to find a very old picture of The Boy, before he was The Boy.
Here is what I found. http://blakesmeme.blogspot.com/2007/02/if-your-thinking-of-becoming-foster.html
I used to tell my husband he was ugly! I know, I know. I was building a wall, so as not to fall in love with him. We all know how that turned out.
I remember exactly the day that picture was taken, and trust me...it was yesterday.

No More

The Boy said he is tired of having his picture taken.

Might I suggest he stop doing stuff like this.

Summer Fun

Our summer has been nice and lazy. Which is good.

-First we have the swimming lessons that were not to be. He went 2 days and said he was not getting in the water with a stranger. What's a mom to say to that. We didn't go back.

-He decided playing in the sprinkler with goggles on, was alot more fun.

-He's future is so bright, he has to wear sunglasses inside.

-We learned the hard way this summer that The Boy does not digest dye. I have stayed away from giving him food/drink with dyes, but the time must come when big sister gives you gross colored candy...and it comes out the other end the exact same color...yuk

-The time also came when mommy went to the Dr and big sister watched The Boy and showed him how to play computer games on her computer. Now he drives mommy crazy with his new ability to play on the computer.

- Every boy being potty trained must wear a cowboy hat while waiting for the next go at the potty.

What a busy summer we've had around here.

Virus' & Bacteria..oh MY

If you have kids in school or day care, you KNOW.
It seems like they are a breeding ground for all things virus or bacteria.
I call daycare the "boiling cauldron of virus' "
After I started doing foster care and my kids went to daycare I learned very quickly I had to do
something to keep all the mystery virus' and yuck at bay. Or I would never be able to work.
http://www.momcentral.com/ asked me to participate in their blog campaign for Clorox.
Which I was more than happy to do. Because without Clorox, we would be the "house of sick" alll the time.
Here are a few things I do around here to keep the virus' down that are carried home on a regular basis.
-I fill the sink with hot water & add 2 cups of Clorox (which cleans & sanitize my sinks) while that sits there, I wet a cloth in that water and:
-I wipe down all the high chairs
-put toys in there that can go in water
-wipe down the surfaces of jumpers, walkers, bumbo seats, ect.
-wipe down all the door knobs & door jams that little hands touch
-wipe down my dining room table and counters
-one of my best secrets...(nothing to do with virus') while away on vacation or just a weekend away I put about a cup of Clorox in each toilet bowl to keep anything from growing in there while away. You'll come home to a nice clean toilet bowl!

You can go here:
http://www.clorox.com/healthier_lives/article.php?subsection=new_moms&article_id=what_to_expect.

to find out more ways to keep your house yuck free. And of course just plain clean.


"I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Clorox and the What to Expect Guide and received a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate."

PERFECT

I could not have ripped from my very soul and put this into more perfect words.

As a matter of fact...I think she did rip it from my soul. Truth be told, from anybody
that's ever done foster care and put their whole LIFE into it.

You must read this:
http://itspewsforth.blogspot.com/

Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred ...

WILL kick your butt! Forrr Real, it will.
The weight will leave you, just so it doesn't have to stay around to sweat & hurt so much. It is only 20 minutes of workout. But I tell you, I thought I would surly kill over before the end of that 20 minutes.
I couldn't do it 3 days in a row. I did it 2 days in a row and was seriously exhausted the third day and had to rest. My muscles were screaming. I can tell a difference already after one week. My endurance & tone have changed noticeably.
I decided to buy the dvd after reading several blogs talking about the huge difference it had made in a very short period of time. I go to the gym to use the tread mill, but rather do my real sweating in private. So I bought it. I didn't even know who Jillian Michaels was/is. Still don't really. I guess she does Biggest Loser. My reality show tastes run more toward Big Brother & Survivor.
If you want to try this all you will need is hand weights, 2 or 3 # ones...and a towel to wipe the sweat.
The Boy does it with me. I'll have to take pictures one day. (it's hard to breath,sweat & use a camera all at once) He says "are we gonna do our exercises today?" I think he's trying to get even with me for sending him to preschool a year early.

20 years ago today...well actually July 29th....

Ahhhh, 20 years ago and 40 pounds ago I married the man of my dreams. Actually I never dreamed they came as great as this man did.

I married a Sgt in the Marine Corps, who was soon to be promoted to SSgt. He was 36 and never been married, I just turned 24 and didn't have the sense God gave a gnat. Plus 2 little girls, he loved as his own.

Ohh, let the poor delusional women talk of their romantic proposals...poor things. They don't know romantic. Forget proposals on live TV or the big screen at the football game. Fancy dinners with large diamond rings. I poo poo the very thought!

Who among us, neigh...in all the world, can say they were proposed to in the Walk In Beer Cooler at the E-Club in 29 Palms, Ca??? And right before he had to get up and call bingo for all the little old ladies on a Tuesday night. Huummm, does it get any better than that? Do you know how cold a walk in beer cooler is, while on one knee?

You may ask why a Marine was working in the enlisted club. Well, this man I trapped, umm, I mean fell head over hills in love with, worked a second job as an "A-Duty" (asst, duty manager) because he was bored and had nothing better to do. And I worked there because it was FUN! Where else is the ratio of single men 1000 to every 1 female? Talk about having your pick! So I went for the very best one.

We were married in the Joshua Tree National Monument at sunset on a very hot desert evening.

I love this man. I can only hope for 40 more years.

HAPPY DANCE HAPPY DANCE

(I'm the Tiger, The Boy is ...well the Boy)

Why am I sooooo happy?

The Boy has gone TWO (2) whole days without any "potty accidents".

With the girls, it was no big deal. At age 2, I said "here's a potty, now you pee & poop in it"
And they did.

We've been at this for at least 6 months and he just wasn't interested. Buying big boy underwear with a "hole" in the front seems to have captured his attention. Being a boy ( I guess) it is cause to pee out of the hole at any and all times. Sometimes he has a dry run, just because he wants to use the hole. I'm sure 90% of it was he just got it. But I'm sure those alligator underwear with the hole played a good 10% of it. I will buy 10 more pairs of alligator underwear with a hole in the front, if it means this Boy will be fully potty trained by the time he starts Pre-K in Sept & most importantly for the Disney cruise (kidding...I'm tired of buying pull ups and diapers)
We go through hundreds of diapers a month when you throw in 2 foster babies. $$$$$
For the record, we look just like those two at the top of the page every time he goes potty.
I have no shame.

WHY?...Has begun

I don't remember my girls starting this early. But you know how the mind fades with time.
On Thursday, July 9th 2009, The Boy being 3 yrs & 7 months old ask his first WHY question. We were in the van last night going out to dinner, (which happens once in a blue moon) In the second row of the van, out of nowhere the Boy said," Why is this car so big?" I said, "So we can have enough room for the baby's carseats.". And that was it. On the way home, he said, "Why are we going this way?" I said, " This is the way to go home." We get out of the car and he says,"Why are the clouds up in the sky?" And I say,"ummm, because that's where God put them".
I have a feeling that will be my fall back answer for a few years.

Wow! I need a tea bag, all I have is loose leaf

As Alan Jackson says, " I'm not a very political person, I couldn't tell you the difference between Iraq & Iran." But I was married to a Marine for 18 years. (I'm still married to him,he's just retired now:) So I do understand the cost of freedom and every nuance of the sacrifices made by all military families. And I've lived in enough different countries to tell you we live in the best nation on earth. If we don't politically correct ourselves to death.
Go listen to this. It may be the best 6 minutes of your life. The guy is amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeYscnFpEyA

My Thoughts Exactly

Do you read Antique Mommy? You should.
As a very young mommy, I thought the time would never end. As an older mommy, I'm afraid
the time is slipping by way too fast.

http://antiquemommy.com/2009/07/03/the-view-master/

She put it into words perfectly.

Are You Kidding Me??

Today at visitation Cry Baby's mom said:
She would like the clothes I bought for CB when he out grows them,to give to her nephew! Because she "knows" I get paid back for the clothes I buy!!! NOT LADY!
ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Where do these people get their information?? From LK?
No, lady. This is what happens. I get reimbursed for 50.00 worth of clothing (that takes 6-8 weeks for that to happen) But since he was placed with us when his foster home was closed we don't even get that, because the original foster placement used that. Now, what ever he needs comes out of my pocket and guess what? You'd be surprised how fast they grow, and how much clothes cost. Now in the fall, I will get a whole 'nuther 50.00 for clothing, but of course he'll need to wear those. And shoes must come out of that too. So just how many outfits, shoes, socks, ect do you think you can get for that? NOT much.
Just when you think you've heard it all...
**LK, I give you NO credit at all, other than your ignorance of the other side of the coin. Which by the way, never ceases to amaze me. You do know there are people out there who can not and will not take care of their kids. Meth addicts and crack addicts don't pay taxes, I find. So let's not say they contribute via their tax paying.
I dare you to raise an infant/Toddler on 250.00 a month. Please include in your calculations: FORMULA, bottles, clothes,(not dollar store or Goodwill) DIAPERS, wipes, daycare (because someone has to work to pay for this) older babies & toddlers need baby food, age proper snacks, sippy cups, more clothes, shoes, transportation to see the parents, your time and gas to do so. Taking time off work for multiple Dr visits, because they are always sick & never up to date on anything. Of course you'll need time and gas for that too. There is so much more, but I'll let you do the calculations for just these "few" things for now. Please do, get back to me on how your budget comes out. By my calculations over the years it comes out that I pay about 150.00 per month to be able to be a foster parent to children who have NO parents or relatives who can or will take them in.
By the way, the children leave my house with more than they ever came here with. If you don't count the health, love and stable home they have while here.

HOT! HOT!

*UPDATE: We'll switch off days, you get a day of 100 degree temps and we get a day of rain. It sounds fair!

Whew! Its HOT out there!
YOU KNOW YOU ARE IN South WHEN. .. .
When birds have to use potholders to pull worms out of the ground.
The best parking place is determined by shade instead of distance. (who wants to go anywhere? It's too hot to breath.
Hot water now comes out of both taps. (honest, it does)
You can make sun tea instantly.
You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.
The temperature drops below 95 and you feel a little chilly.
You discover that in JUNE it only takes 2 fingers to steer your car.
You discover that you can get sunburned through your car window.
You actually burn your hand opening the car door.
You break into a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:30 a.m. (It was 85 at 7:30 this morning)
Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death?"
You realize that asphalt has a liquid state.
The potatoes cook underground, so all you have to do is pull one out and add butter, salt and pepper.
Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from layingboiled eggs.
The cows are giving evaporated milk.
Ah, what a place to call home. . . God Bless the South

Did you know she was adopted?

I overheard a conversation of two teachers discussing a student.
Evidently the child wasn't the smartest kid in the class. One finished talking about how "not very smart" the child was. The other leaned in and said, in the only way a southern lady can. " Did you know she was adopted?" Adopted is said in a low whisper, like it's an ugly word, you don't want God knowing you said. (Only southern women can do this effectively.)
Ohhhhhhh, the other one said. Like that explained any and everything the kid ever did or didn't do.
This isn't the first time I've heard or been apart of, one version or another of this conversation.
I just wonder ...what's that supposed to mean? Are adopted kids assumed to be "not very smart"? Act out? Be angry?

I Have A Huge Pet Peeve...

I know you're all surprised by that.
Why? Why? why? Do Bparents pick one thing to harp on?
Every one's choice around here seems to be diaper rash.
This new baby ( the 16 month old) We'll call him
Cry Baby, came to us with a small diaper rash. He is VERY fair skinned.
If he goes outside he turns bright red. That's just from the house to the car. That's how bad it is.
So needless to say, he has sensitive skin.
The Bparents visit him 3 times a week. They saw him yesterday(didn't say anything about a rash) and then again tonight. Transport brought him back & said bparent was upset because he had a terrible rash "all over, even his butt".
So I thought good grief what's happened in the last 2 hours. He was fine when he left here. The very small rash he came with, was clearing up. So I take him to change him and see what's going on. NOTHING, same healing rash, barely visible, but his butt was red from sitting in the car seat, even had the "wrinkle" print on there from the where the diaper bunched up. So my guess is he had that same print from the car ride to see them too.
But it was very evident it was not a rash, but where he had been sitting in the carseat.
This never ceases to make me blow a gasket. Because I know she will call the SW & make a huge to do about it. Then I will insist she come out and look at this "terrible" rash.
I know it's a control issue with the bparents. But it drives in crazy!

Tip Junkies Birthday Giveaway!

You're going to love this.
Tip Junkie is having a huge giveaway on her blog.
She is giving away the cutest stuff.
You must go over and see everything.
At: www.tipjunkie.com

They're dropping like flies

I got another call this week for a 16 month old. Yet another home in our county has closed it's doors, so to speak. So those children in that home had to have somewhere to go. This makes more than a few closures of foster homes in a very short period of time.
For those of you just starting...please know this will take some kind of toll on you, your spouse, children, way of life, your marriage and all the relationships you have. You will not come out the other side unscathed. Yes, you can and I can stop at any time. But the need is great. But know there is a price to be paid. That price is different for each family.
-
Now to address a question I received:
Foster Care has it's detractors (and we know who some of them are) I have my issues with it too. Take away the "baby stealing issues" that some have, but there is still the very real issue of pure abandonment on the part of birth parents. You know, the ones who choose drugs & alcohol or who simply do not want the child and walk away never to be seen again. And relatives want no part of taking the child/ren. I've had 5 of those cases.
WHAT would you have happen to those children? No one stole those babies.
THEY WERE THROWN AWAY LIKE YESTERDAY'S TRASH. Yes, I'm yelling. Because it happens everyday, and I know it's not just where I live, it's everywhere.
No one will ever walk away from these children again. Because they have parents now. PARENTS who love them as though they were their very own. Guess what? and they are their very own. Don't ever tell me, my child is not mine. I will laugh at you and ignore your ignorant butt...and my 3 yr old will push you and tell you to leave his mama alone.

This & That...but all cuteness!

The first picture is of my grandaughter and the Boy after a quick swim. She's the cutest thing in the whole world, but mean as a snake!

In photo #2, he came to me with my head band and said, "Look mommy, I'm Dr David!"

The other 2 are from a really cool wooden "castle" park we found the next county over. Where Lord help me, he will be taking swim lessons next month. (not in the castle, but down the road in a pool :))

Another "cool" way to support adoption & foster care

Once again the cool moms at www.momcentral.com gave me some great info to pass along.

For the past three years, Wendy's has made it a Father's Day Frosty Weekend tradition to donate 50 cents from the sale of each Frosty to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption. The money raised goes to the Wendy's Wonderful Kids program, which funds full-time adoption recruiters at local agencies across the U.S., who in turn pair up parents with foster care children needing homes. So, you and your family can enjoy a tasty (and affordable!) Frosty together, knowing this campaign assists children across the country in finding a family of their own.
Now the really cool part:
Go to www.frostycard.com and you can send the dad in your life a cool free Father's day card and Wendy's will donate another .25 cents to the Foundation!
Alot of people have no idea that Dave Thomas was adopted and has a huge foundation he started for foster care and adoption. If you'd like to find out more about the foundation, you can go here:
www.davethomasfoundation.com

I have something to say

You may not agree or be happy I'm putting voice to my thoughts.
*Please remember The Boy is not our first adoption. Just our first from foster care. So I know of which I speak* We don't label adopted vs. got big&fat & had terrible labor dragging your butt into this world, around here. Matter of fact all my kids have "issues". So this is not knocking adoption or trying to scare you away.
I just believe we all need a dose of reality in this crazy foster care / adoption world we find ourselves living in.
My point is genetics will trump environment 99.9% of the time. We have lived this experiment, if you will.
Most of you read many, many different adoption or foster care blogs, but I realized nobody, but NOBODY tells it like it is, better than Cindy Brodie. Who has been at this for something like 20 years & adopted something like 39 kids from foster care.
Maybe you read Cindy and know what she goes through and have thought of adoption with her words of wisdom ringing in your ears...but then I realized maybe you've never heard of her or run across her blog. So I thought I would share. Because I think ANYBODY who is adopting, especially from foster care must read her blog.
Here is a little excerpt from this morning that struck me:
" I suppose the book I eventually will want to publish will be about the REALITY of adoption from the foster care system, it's not very pretty"
Go visit Cindy. Read her archives. But don't blame me if you loose your whole day & find yourself weeping & thinking & rethinking.
http://thebodiebunch.blogspot.com/
I'd be interested in what you think or what you've learned.

Just out of curiosity..........

Raise your hand if you have an honest to goodness I'm a Foster Parent in the state of...certificate???

I've read on several blogs about people receiving "certificates" stating you are now a foster parent. We've been at this 5 years and I've never seen a certificate. Matter of fact, we have no idea when we were official foster parents. We were sitting & waiting for someone to call (hahahaha) to tell us we had been approved when the phone rang for a placement.

Along about May every year they come and do our yearly renewal, but we've never had anything in writing saying we are foster parents. Is that odd?

UNLESS you count the little laminated card I got this year when I complained that a bmom saw me at wallymart and demanded I have a little impromptu visit with her and the extended family right then and there. She threatened to call the police & say I had her child without her consent. I called her bluff, and said,"go for it, we'll see which one of us goes to jail". Three months later I got a little card that said and I quote:

D is performing foster care services for *&^(&*^ county dfacs. Your cooperation is appreciated.

It's fill in the blank. And has an expiration date for this month! I had to beg for that. Something to identify myself with, in case CRAZY ever happens again.

How could they let this happen??

Jaime Foxx???? REALLY?
They let him slaughter my beloved George Strait's song...in front of him?
He must have bought his way on there. He Butchered it, I tell you, Butchered!
A tribute to the best of the best and they let him do this.
I'll never be the same. And please don't tell me Jaime Foxx fancies himself a country singer now.
ohhhhhh, please.

Peace & Quiet

My WONDERFUL HUSBAND surprised me with a weekend in my beloved mountains!
Sorry no pictures. Too lazy to raise the camera. I do have one of the flowers I put on my great grandparents grave, but I didn't think you'd be interested.
I don't think there is anything more relaxing than a nice, peaceful cabin in the woods. We did nothing, just nothing. I wish I could have read a book. But the Boy being 3 yrs old, needed to be watched at all times. Not conducive to reading a good book. But, sitting on the front porch, rocking & doing nothing for a few days is bliss. Shear bliss.
And I surprised dfacs* with arranging my own respite care for baby K. I'm sure I'll hear about it later.
"They" called Friday morning wanting me to take a 2 yr old. Then got upset when I said we were going away for the weekend. She said"Well, it seems everyone is leaving for the weekend".
Sorry Lady. We get to have a life too. I told her if she could get respite care til Monday I could take her, or permission to take her with us. Not good enough for her. She found a place for her, which is the important thing.
Hope everyone had a nice long weekend.

All Is Quiet on the home front

for now.
It's just Baby K & us.
The boy sure is a big guy. At his 6 month ck up he weighed 20 lbs 9 oz & 27 inches long! It's all I can do to carry him. His brother we had a few years back was a tall boy, just not as chunky!
It looks like he will have a baby brother some time in September. Since mom has already lost one to the system, they will only run a 6 month concurrent plan.He's been in care for over 2 months now and she's not working her case plan. With another on the way in 4 months. Looks like TPR for this soon to be duo. I'm not sure there will be too many people jumping at the chance to have 2 babies under 1 yr old though. That's alot of work! But he is such a good baby. It's almost like he's not even here. He wants to be fed and changed & put in the floor to play.
The Boy misses Baby Weepy more than I thought he would. He asked me why Baby K couldn't chase him around the house like Baby Weepy did. I've been told they are doing well in their new placement. Baby Weepy is sick again with yet another ear infection after his teeth surgery. It seems some of the infection from the teeth got washed back up into the ear canals. I'm afraid he will be a sickly little boy for awhile. I pray for a wonderful family for those two. God knows they deserve it. I don't feel they should go back to the family member who wants them, because that track record is almost as bad as bmom's.
Here's hoping for a nice quiet summer around here. I can sure use it.
I'm still thinking seriously about a private agency, as the county is getting worse by the second. Our foster parents are dropping out like flys.

Random thought...kinda

I think I'm going to check into going with a private fostering agency. It would appear from talking to others, the foster parents actually get treated like people. Who KNEW?
Can anybody share how it is with private vs. state agencies?

Is It Really That Bad

When you go to the pharmacy for the 114th time in a month to pick up "some one's" prescription and for the life of you, you can't remember their birth date? (and sometimes last names)
The little pharmacy girl looks at me like I belong on the world's worst mama list. (she may be right) But if she only knew how many birthday's, day's they came to live with us, court dates, check up dates, SW worker visit dates, that float around in my brain at any given time...she just might be impressed that I know my own name.

4 diaper boxes

It all came down to 4 boxes of stuff. They left with more than they came with, including a little piece of our hearts.
I cried more today than I have in years.
I feel worse today than I have in a very long time.
Today, I don't think I'm a very good person.

It only works in theory...

Anonymous said...
You do what you need to do. But make sure as many people as high up as possible know why.

Anonymous, I swear if I thought it would do a shred of good. I would tell any & everybody. But I know it will not. I will again be the bad guy, because I have pointed out someones short comings. It would be all, "you should have told us. We would never have let it get to this point". And I would have pretend to believe that. And they would have pretended they would have done something. I've been there, done that and all it does is create bad feelings all around. It would peg me as a trouble maker.
The sW already told me, "Oh, I didn't know he was THAT sick and needed THAT much attention". REALLY? Because I told her everything, every detail, every time.
Around here respite is a joke. You don't get respite when every home is full, no one wants to think about watching someone else's kids, when you're house is full too. You literally have to take the kids up to the office and say here you go, I told you I needed respite and no one called me back on it and it's time for us to leave. Sad, sad, but true.

Where To Start?

If this goes all over the place, blame it on DFACS*, they made it that way.
Let's go back about 2 months ago when I only had 1 (one) foster child, Baby Weepy.We planned on taking The Boy & The Grandson to ride Thomas the Tank Engine about 2 hours away. I asked for respite care for baby weepy, just 8 or 10 hours. Not over night, not for the weekend, just for the day. I gave them 2 MONTHS notice, so I wouldn't have to worry about not getting anybody to do it, or them saying I hadn't given enough time. I bought the tickets 2 months ago at 22.00 a pop. Not cheap for a 25 minute train ride, 2 hours away. Then came Baby K, I told his SW at placement I would need respite for that time. No problem, she says. Then came Baby Weepy's baby sister. I let the SW know again via Email to please not forget I needed respite for the day. No reply. The day gets closer. All the SW's in our area are off on Friday's because of the budget cuts. Thursday night they called and said, "we can't find anybody, can't you take them with you?" Need I tell you I was upset? On Friday morning Baby K's SW calls to say she found someone to watch him. Ok, one down, 2 to go. Baby Weepy & company's SW never called back. When I called the person about Baby K, I told her my story and she so graciously offered to do the newborn too. But did not have the space for another car seat, which is understandable. So I was left to deal with what to do with Baby Weepy. The knowledge that 2- 3 year olds and 1- 2 year old WILL MELT DOWN on a long trip made me just want to forget the whole thing. Then I was angry. Realizing that they could not care less about me or my family and what we do for these kids. All I was asking for was an 8 hour break. They wouldn't even see to it that we got that. (What do you think they will do/say in November when I WILL be going on a 10 day vacation?) So we were stuck taking him with us.
After I had delt with this all day on Friday:
THEN Friday night we were called by a complete stranger from some shelter where Baby Weepy's Bmom is, wanting us to bring them down for a VISIT. HELLO, she popped positive when she came back from the state she ran to after she had the baby. If she's in a non-lock down shelter waiting to go into state paid for rehab AGAIN, chances are she's used after she came back here. I told the nice person that I didn't think so. What ever visitation that went on would be supervised by dfacs* and transported by same.
OH, to add to all that I was put on 90 days probation at work (something I've never been thrugh) Because I have used all my vacation & sick days on Baby Weepy and all his medical problems. That was all gone by the end of Jan. Now every time they call me to come get him from daycare, which is 3 or 4 times a week, it's with no pay. Plus a very upset supervisor. I understand their position. They hired me to do a job and it's not being done. I relayed this to the SW who said, "let me call them, I can change their minds." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? I can't take another day off for 90 days. I have a kid too, that gets sick or needs to be taken here or there. This is just gotten way out of control. And they don't care. They do not care about me or my family, the stress it puts on us or anything else for that matter. I am nothing but a place to drop kids. The system does not care if it destroys your family, as long as the kids have a place to go. Now, they are upset with me that I want allow them to call my employer.
The fact is, I can't continue on with them not caring about the stress and strain they create by not helping me with respite or just return phone calls. They don't care my job is on the line. Or the fact I have 4 kids under the age of 3.
I'm afraid I had to ask that they move Baby Weepy & sister. I know that's bad. I feel bad about it. But at some point in all this I have to consider my family & my sanity. We have to have a life too. I can't continue this madness. Baby Weepy's health issues would be a huge load if he was the only kid I had. But with 3 more...they get sick too, need dr appts too.
I can't keep everybody happy. What I must do is remember not to neglect MY family, which is what has been happening for months.
They are not happy with me. I guess there goes foster parent of the month* for us. I was looking forward to the plastic trophy.

Changes

are about to come.
Things got ugly.
More later.

Here is where I pose a mind blowing question...

I want even go into how it came to be that I ask you this question. I'll let you use your imagination.
How can you have a 5 month old baby and be 5 months pregnant?
I've been a mama...a nurse... & somebody with a little common sense for a long time and for the life of me I can't figure this one out. Or maybe I just don't want to think about it.
Any insight?

You'll NEVER guess what happened...

Dfacs* made a mistake! Can you believe it?
Actually (they tell me) CPS* made the mistake.
What mistake? Calling Gma and telling her to come pick up Baby Weepy's sister from the hospital. It seems the CPS dept. didn't know there was another child in care & that ICPC* was being done on Gma. Which disqualified her as a placement for new baby.
Gma came all the way from another state, to be told,"oh sorry, our mistake".
I understand her irritation at the system... I deal with it everyday in alot of different ways.
I got a call yesterday asking if I could come to the hospital to pick the baby up.
Picking a newborn baby up from the hospital is never "pretty", for some reason I'm always the bad guy??? I didn't pop + for drugs. I'm not taking your kid away.
I didn't have anything "nice" to say to mom who was still high on crack. So I chose not to say anything to her. Her mother knew all the updates on Baby Weepy, who she all the sudden was worried about after 5 months. I have no pity or politeness for women who choose to do that to innocent babies. You may feel differently, and that's fine. I have a hard time holding my tongue when asked questions, I tend to give truthful answers. So it really was best not to say anything to her at this particular time. We'll see if she really wants her children back or drops off the face of the earth like she did 5 months ago.
If this seems all over the place, it's because I'm running on 3 hours sleep and a dim memory of what it's like to take care of a newborn and get "stuff" done.
If your keeping score, I now have a 3yr old, 2 yr old, 5 month old and a 3 day old.
After this, I'm taking loooong break. I promise.

No, this isn't a riddle, It's what I have to deal with...

Raise your hand if you know the answer.
I got a phone call informing me baby weepy has a sibling. (I had been hoping she was lieing about being pregnant, but I guess not) and would I be able to take the baby if they could not find a suitable relative? (Hello, that's why I have baby weepy) I told them yes, I would. The only relative was gma in another state who was trying to get baby weepy through ISPC* but she had been working on it for 5 months and had gotten no where yet. Had only visited one time. They said, "OK, you'll be hearing from us."
Then I get a call from Gma saying a SW had called her and asked if she could come take this new baby from the hospital, because she tested + for drugs. The SW said come tomorrow, sign papers and take the baby back to the other state.
NOW, I ask YOU. Am I Crazy to think, WHAT is going on? If she is good enough to take this newborn (which she said she'd never do because of her age) right from the hospital in this state & same county & take back to another state, WHY? has baby weepy been in care for 5 months? Why are things not good enough for her to take Baby Weepy? I think it's whatever is convenient for them at the time. This has my brain (or what's left of it) reeling.
I don't get it. Am I missing something. It's not even that CPS* wasn't involved with the new one, because they are. As soon as she tested pos. a SW was called and a case opened.
Just when you think you've seen it all.

He just gets older...he doesn't GROW!

Maybe it's good, maybe it's bad.

I just can't see where the Boy is growing at all.

It was hot outside yesterday as he "helped" me plant my garden. So I go inside and grab the first pair of shorts I can find. Size 24 months...fits him fine! He's almost 3 1/2.

Here's a comparison from last Easter to this Easter.

The first one is last year. The last one this year. Can you tell the difference? A little less baby face maybe?
(he would like you to click on the last picture, so you can see his turtle pants...he's very proud of them)