this guy actually SNORES all day long!
I've never been sure what the proper greeting for this holiday is.
Happy, Merry, Have A ...
What ever you say, I hope you had lots of good food to eat & nothing to clean up.
Our friend from last year, Two-U (u as in umbrella) I have no idea why the boy named him Two-U, to-u. I'm unsure of the spelling. He landed on what we call our Japanese clock.
He is not your conventional "elf on a shelf", he was a DIY elf and I made the story up as I went along. It makes it alot easier on us older mama's who have a hard time remembering what it's supposed to be doing. If he/me forgets to move/do something mischievous one night, I can always make up a story about him getting in late one night when traffic was bad on the way back from walmart/north pole. 'Cause I'm lazy/forgetful like that.
Happy, Merry, Have A Great Thanksgiving!
As a nurse and a foster parent I have seen and had to deal with more than my fair share of RSV or Respiratory syncytial virus. Although more common in Preemies, I have seen many otherwise healthy babys contract RSV. It is contagious. Be careful this time of year taking young babies to Dr. offices and other places where alot of children congregate. You can keep a blanket pulled over your baby in a carrier in public places like for Dr. appts. (there maybe an undiagnosed RSV child waiting with you)
What You Should Know on Nov. 17, World Prematurity Day
Life as expectant parents is joyous and celebratory. In most cases, babies arrive on time, healthy and ready to head home with Mom and Dad. But for the more than half a million American babies born prematurely each year, this often isn’t the case. Many parents of preterm infants are unprepared for the special medical care preemies often require. According to a March of Dimes survey, this is because most expecting parents don’t discuss preterm birth with their doctor during prenatal care, even if they are at high risk. On November 17 - World Prematurity Day - we’re hoping to help change this.
Despite recent slight declines in rates of prematurity, 1,400 babies are still born prematurely in the United States every day, and 13 million babies are affected by prematurity around the world. Prematurity, defined as being born before 37 weeks completed gestation, disrupts a baby’s development in the womb, often stunting the growth of some of the body’s most critical organs. At birth, preemies often have difficulty with breathing, feeding and maintaining temperature. Because their immune systems haven’t had time to fully mature, preterm infants are more likely to develop infections, and because their lungs are underdeveloped, they are more susceptible to respiratory problems.
For example, nearly every baby contracts respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) by age two. In most full-term babies, symptoms are similar to those of the common cold and parents may not even know their child has the virus. However, because they don’t have the antibodies needed to fight off infection, preterm infants—even those born just a few weeks early—are at increased risk for developing an RSV-related infection, often requiring medical attention or hospitalization. Parents should speak with their pediatrician to find out if their baby is at high risk for developing severe RSV disease, and how they can prevent against RSV this winter.
RSV Quick Facts:
· RSV is the leading cause of infant hospitalization, responsible for more than 125,000 hospitalizations and up to 500 infant deaths each year.
· RSV occurs in epidemics each fall through spring. The CDC has defined “RSV season” as beginning in November and lasting through March for most parts of North America.
· Certain regions have longer RSV seasons than others, with the season beginning as early as July (e.g., Florida) or ending in April.
· Despite its prevalence, one-third of mothers have never heard of RSV.
Prevention is Key:
There is no treatment for RSV, so it’s important for parents to take the following preventive steps to help protect their child:
· Wash hands, toys, bedding, and play areas frequently
· Ensure you, your family, and any visitors in your home wash their hands or use hand sanitizer
· Avoid large crowds and people who may be sick
· Never let anyone smoke near your baby
· Speak with your child’s doctor if you believe he or she may be at high risk for RSV, as a preventive therapy may be available
Be Aware of Symptoms:
Contact your child’s pediatrician immediately if your child exhibits one or more of the following:
· Persistent coughing or wheezing
· Rapid, difficult, or gasping breaths
· Blue color on the lips, mouth, or under the fingernails
· High fever
· Extreme fatigue
· Difficulty feeding
To learn more about RSV, visit http://www.rsvprotection.com/. For more about the specialized health needs of preterm infants, visit http://www.preemievoices.com/.
I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of MedImmune and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate
In Flanders Fields
John McCrae
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Today, we remember our heroes and their sacrifices
I will thank a veteran personally tonight when he gets home :)
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He's a Zombie in case you couldn't figure it out.
Note the absence of 2 front teeth. Kinda making him look like a vampire.
Hair is all natural by bedhead.
and the pose mirroring Frankenstein- purely accidental.
I wish once again I could put into words what's going on with Bitsy's case right now.
Mom isn't even doing the bare minimum. Like keeping men from coming and going in her new apartment. Still feeding her candy & ice cream to her for dinner (all her teeth are rotted out) She claimed to the psych. dr that she thought ice cream was dairy and good for her, not a sugary thing. BUT still, children ages 0=3 are put back with *Bparents at what seems like to me, at all costs.
On one hand I had a baby in my home for 3 years and had to beg them *TPR after so long. Then they rush to put a baby back in the home where *drugs & filth* and dubious people are in and out of the home all the time.
I don't get it. No one is on board with her going back right now not to say she shouldn't ever go back. She should. But when *mom has parented sober/clean for more than 3 weeks.
There is no rime nor reason to this crap. I could beat my head against the wall till Jesus comes back and never understand their reasoning. And please don't be deluded that anyone asks my opinion OR the therapist THEY hired.
WHY?
This boy of mine LOVES, in the true sense of the word-- Hex Bugs.
So much so (and had so many) that Daddy had to make a special carrying case for his "bugs". The case is full of bugs.
He plays with them for hours. Real hours. On different holidays they have special bugs. Last Easter the Boy got one with bunny ears in his basket. Too cute. This halloween they came out with skeleton glow in the dark bugs and habitats. He nearly lost his mind when we broke them out for our Foster kid's play party. The kids loved them. So much trading and playing & awing & wowing that 2 hours later, not one kid wanted to leave. Getting to take a bug of their own home with them helped the pain. But it amazed me how much they loved playing with them together. Boys and girls alike loved them.
If you're looking for this years must have toys, I think I found it for you.
I've always been able to find the Boy's at *Target or *ToysRus.
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This was no 3x5 post card thingie. This was not in an envelope.
This big boy measured 6x8. IN MY MAIL BOX.
So now, not only does my postman, who I go to church with know my business...so do you.
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I'm telling you I have the smartest 5 year old boy in the world.
I must admit I am only slightly biased. Only slightly.
The Boy to his Mama:
Why is YOUR Wait A Minute longer than MY wait a minute?
Do you think I would have said that to my mother? Noooooo
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Meet Harper...as in Harper Lee.
Harper is a boy. I know, I know, Harper Lee is a woman. But I love her.
He is a teacup Yorkie. I didn't mean to get him, it was an accident. I just wanted to see them, not buy one. But the Boy was with me (second mistake)and had a flat out hissy fit. He's wanted a dog for 100 years or so he says. The rest is history. THEN I do my research and see how many problems teacups can have & I panic. But he is from a reputable breeder, not a pet store, etc.
He weighs a whopping 1 lb 4oz @ 10 weeks old. His daddy (who is very handsome) weighs 3# & mom weighs 6#. She's very pretty too.
As you can see, he's not grown into the Yorkie Look yet, but his long coat hair is starting to grow and if I don't accidently drop kick him across the room he should be looking pretty handsome in a few weeks!
I do indeed love this Boy of mine. But sometimes he drives me to the brink with his
"eating issues". He has a diagnosis of Sensory Eating Disorder*. It's a complicated thing, so we just have to go with whatever he will eat. Which really comes down to hot dogs, mac & cheese, certain chicken nuggets, PB&J (sometimes)and meatballs (sometimes) and cheese pizza. That folks is my son's repertoire of foods.
Do you notice a distinct lack of something important? No red meat, no veggies & it's all processed type foods. Not a single vegtable has passed his lips since the age of 18 months. No kidding.
I feel like a terrible mom. But if he is made to eat something his brain deems unsafe, he will reward me with throwing up. NOT fun.
So needless to say, we are ALWAYS on the look out for foods he will eat and that are healthy. They are few and far between.
When I got the chance to try a new product Kidfresh meals, I jumped at the chance.
Because guess what they hide in their meals? About a 1/2 cup of veggies in each meal! And it's some of the food he already will eat. Win!
So off we trotted to get some. In Florida and Georgia you can find them at Publix, in the frozen health food section.
He can even take these to school for lunch. Because you KNOW he doesn't eat a lunch that a school cafeteria provides. Ohhhh, no. But these are perfect for school lunches. They don't mind warming them up for him.
Kids don’t eat enough veggies and that’s a problem because they naturally provide an amazing amount and variety of key nutrients, vitamins and fiber that are essential to growth. That’s why all Kidfresh meals are prepared with hidden veggies, providing up to 33% of a child’s daily needs.
Kidfresh has also given me some coupons to share with you!
**3 winners will each receive 2 FREE coupons.
Go to www.kidfresh.com and tell me which ones you think your picky eater would like.
Leave your email address (it will not be published) Contest will be open til Sunday October 2nd.
You can go here to find a store near you: http://www.kidfresh.com/find-a-store
While the opinions & the picky eater are all mine, “I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Kidfresh and received Kidfresh coupons and products to facilitate my review, coupons to giveaway, and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
Boy #1 (not to be confused with The Boy) has moved on to his permanent home.
It was bitter-sweet. He had been with us since he was 3 month old & he will be 3 yrs old soon. He is in a wonderful home with a wonderful parent. Not what we wanted in a perfect world. But he will be well loved, well educated & spoiled. What more can we ask for?
It's made a little easier because we know we will see him on a regular basis after their bonding time.
For this one starfish...I really did make a difference.
Rally for Recess
Danimal’s yogurt is currently running a contest, with five schools winning a brand new, $20,000 playground makeover and Ultimate Recess Day.
In today's budget cuts from where ever, however. Recess has been one of the first important things to go. With obesity on the rise in the U.S, that's the last thing our kids need taken away from them.
As a kid I remember having at least 2 times going out to play in the school day.
That little break helped run off energy and helped me concentrate when we came back in to get down to work.
Didn't we all look forward to that time to burn off energy and just get out and play for a bit, it helped break up the monotony of the day? When my son started kindergarten this year, I was shocked to find out that he only got 20 minutes a day. Recess is not just mundane playtime. It is a time when most children get the only exercise of their day. It also teaches interaction skills/social skills to our developing children's minds.
Benefits of Recess
■ Taking a break and engaging in physical activity increases concentration, which can increase test scores.
■ Children who engage in physical activity are at a lower risk for becoming overweight.
■ Free, unstructured playtime can help reduce stress in children.
■ Recess encourages socialization and cooperative play, skills that will help children throughout their entire lives.
■ It’s just plain fun.
Danimal’s Rally for Recess Contest
During the Danimal’s Rally for Recess contest, you can collect codes on specially marked packages of Danimal’s yogurt, or by sending away for a free code. Enter the codes into the website and help your school top the Leader board in their league. One school from each of the five leagues will win the playground makeover and ultimate recess day, which may include such awesome things as a rock-climbing wall, an obstacle course, and a giant slide. In addition to the grand prize, each day Danimal’s is giving away one recess-related prize to an instant winner. While all of Danimal’s yogurt products are great, my son particularly loves the "drinking yoyos or Smoothies. They make great quick and easy after-school snacks. The Boy insisted I buy the Strawberry Explosion & the Strawberry/banana Smoothies AND the Crush Cups for this review.We always have Danimals in the house in pretty much every flavor.My Perfect Boy has a Sensory Eating disorder. He literally LIVED on them for a year. We have a box of the Danimal’s Coolision in the freezer. The Boy loves to think he's big by making his own YoYo ice cream.
Don't tell the Boy, but I sneak one ever once in a while.
I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Danimals and received a gift card to facilitate my review and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.
I can.
yes,yes,yes. I know WHO did the spoiling too.
His daddy. Not me. I'm the mean one.
The Boy wants a hermit crab. You know the only place they SELL hermit crabs is at
the beach, right?
We live no where near a beach.
The boy was begging for a hermit crab WITH a painted shell. I told him we couldn't get one but we had a friend going to the beach for Labor Day & we would ask her to pick him up one.
Then he said, If she's going to the beach to get a hermit crab, why can't we just go and I can get my own hermit crab.
I told him to call his daddy and he'd explain.
So Daddy told him maybe we would just go to the beach.
I'm going to try that trick one day, with saaaayyy...I want sushi...from Japan!
**Edited**
Thanks to Tara we spent the night at Pet*smart picking out a 47.00 hermit crab. Actually the crab (mr crabs) was only 6.99 all of his "stuff" was the rest.
I guess it was cheaper than a 500.00 weekend at the beach. somehow I feel like I just messed myself over on a mini beach vacation.
I can't believe my Boy is in Kindergarten.
He loves it. He has as much pride going into kindergarten as any incoming high school senior I've ever seen. He is on his way to being a big "daddy-boy". As in a big boy like daddy. That is his goal in life right now. To be like his daddy.
I did not spare you the First Day Pictures.
Yes, I take all the credit for his awesome handsome-ness & edible cheeks.
I have no problem taking all the credit.
I know you guys are getting tired of seeing pictures of the most handsome Boy in the world...but it's all I gots right now.
It's so HOT the kids can't go out to play. So HOT the thought of even going to the pool makes me want to positively swoon. Therefore no pictures or anticdotes.
Boy #2's transition to his @doptive home is coming along better than I ever hoped. I'm sure it's accidental on *dfacs* part. Since it's the @doptive parents's SW who is actually doing all the work.
Bitsy & whinnie are visiting with Bmom$ and seem to be adjusting well. Whinnie gets whinnier by the day, if that's possible.
The Boy will be a big kindergarten boy tomorrow! It just seems like yesterday I was rocking him that "first night" contemplating throwing him out the window. Time flys!
....And the world keeps turning.
I just know you can't wait for first day of school pictures. Right?
Awhile back I got the chance to try a new product for the washer. Affresh Washer Cleaner by Whirlpool. If you missed it you can read it here
I've tried it a few times and I love it. REALLY.
Where the washer had a somewhat musty smell when not used for a few days, now it has NO smell whatsoever.
Also, before I started using Affresh Washer cleaner,every time I wiped out the inside of the washer there would be a residue. I'm not sure if it was from the detergent or fabric softener or both. But now, after a few uses the cloth comes away clean. No more residue.
I liked the Affresh so much that when I went to a friend's house and she told me about the "smell issue" she had with her front loading washer, we loaded up the car with kids and went to a Big Store and I bought her some Affresh Washer Cleaner. Yes, I did. She put one through a cycle and we couldn't believe the difference. She, like me,didn't even know a product existed that could take care of the problem. She was very happy.
I must say I am very happy I got the chance to see something new on the market that actually does what it says it will do.
Although the opinions/residue & snails are mine: “I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of affresh and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
I walked into a store and saw this card....
I knew I had to get it for a friend, even if the inside said something totally inappropriate (like the outside doesn't) It said Happy birthday or something like that. I just crossed it all out and made it my own. (Like the outside wasn't already)
I loved the vintage mommy & baby. But the words tell it like it REALLY is.
I knew I had to take a picture because I'm sure I'll never come across a truer card.
Here's to you all you mama's of crazed kids, like mine and you know who you are.
Truer words were never spoken.
NOT that he does Karate! It IS Tae Kwon Do.
Just sayin' look at all those belts! And he's only 5.
Jackie consults him on almost all his movies.
A million dollars and five more belts to go, til he's a black belt.
Oh yeah!
Some good:
Boy #1 visited with his potential adoptive parent today. He ignored them for 2 hours. However, they seemed very nice, educated & willing. They have gone thru a private agency* to adopt thru &fostercare* I've never heard of that, but I guess it's not impossible. We shall see if &Dfacs& does the right thing with this *transition* (since he has been with us his whole life) vs. how they did things with Boy #2 a few months back. This is a good thing. We chose not to adopt* him for many reasons. so this is a good thing. He needs a home now, while he has no issues.
Some good/bad:
A new baby girl, henceforth called Whiny. Is very "parentified" according to SW*. I guess that means she talks like ummmmmm,grown up *thugs. As in, "I just took a dump in the toilet, you should flush it" or Or refers to her private*
parts in a most vulgar way. And then said "oh hell, I dropped my sippy cup". (and she's just 2)She also accidentally hurts herself and blames it on everybody else, doesn't matter if they're even in the room. It doesn't appear she's ever been told what to do (discipline) And while she talks to you, she does it in a whiny voice, which drives me up a wall. Oh, and her fav-o-rite hobby is tattling. He looked at me mean. That man (my husband) is opening that drawer. Boy#1 is eating his peas first. ALL-DAY-LONG.
Now what was good about this one? oh yes, she kinda keeps Bitsy busy.
So I'm sure I will have lots of blog fodder in the near future. Did I mention BMom* thinks she can run my life from rehab* too?
The Fun never stops at my place. ...No, really, fun passes us by, and just leaves the crazy.
OK, here are the facts. I wanted a front load washer and dryer. I wanted them because 1) they look cool with all the buttons and shiny things & 2) I spend half my life doing laundry with all these kids & 3) they do bigger loads and save energy and water. All very good things.
I got my washer. I read in the instructions where it said to keep the door propped open to allow it to dry out,as some water is apt to stand in the drum causing a bad odor. (like mold,mildew,bacteria) double gross.
I have smelled a washer that has the mildew smell and didn't want my bright, shiny washer to smell like that. Not to mention the grossness of having bacteria, etc floating around in your supposedly clean clothes. And if I'm honest I have washed more than my fair share of bugs and snails lately because of the Boy's new hobby. I just don't want bug guts floating around in my washer. I'm a little picky that way.
But another fact is, I didn't know there was actually a product you could use to help clean and prevent residue build-up in my shiny washer.
It's Affresh Washer Cleaner from Whirlpool. You use it monthly. The oxygenated bubbling action tablets penetrates and dissolves unseen residue. It's more effective than cleaning with bleach alone.
I'm so glad to have a product I didn't even know I needed. And trust me I need it.
If you want to read more about the product you can go to:
http://www.affresh.com
While the opinions/snails are my own, I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of affresh and received product samples and a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
Want to see what I was like before *DfAcS* made me a bitter,sarcastic,snarky shell of a woman? NO? Who cares. REad it anyway. I used to be funny. LIKE really funny OK!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
I'm so healthy ...and, Oh,so cheap......
In our decision to adopt this boy of ours, we decided maybe this go round we would try to establish some"healthy" eating habits in him (it's too late for us) He's knocking on 2, and just recently had his first taste of sweet tea! Yep, I know, I'm a good mommy. Hey, that is good, you know. My 25 yr old was chugging coke out of a baby bottle at his age. But I've gone to nursing school since then & got ahold of some common sense along the long way.
Anyhow, we decided organic, hormone & antibiotic free milk would be a good start. So start it we did. It's expensive! But hey, the little guy is worth it, that and not having him antibiotic resistant, and having a beard in 5th grade. So I come across this great deal on www.wantnot.net , (go see her if you haven't. She has THE BEST cheap stuff SITE, you've ever seen.) A great deal from Amazon on Horizon organic milk in little sippy boxes, not found in your regular grocery store/walmart. Free shipping and everything. (by the way, one of the pluses is it doesn't have to be refrigerated)So like a good mommy, I go there and buy 2 CASES. (it was a good sale, free shipping and all) So they deliver it yesterday and I so happily put some in the fridge for him and then I'm all like, "DRINK, DRINK LITTLE BOY, IT'S GOOD FOR YOU!" AND HE DOES....alot.
sO I go visit wantnot today as usual, as you never know what good deals she'll have. and there on the screen she's apologizing for the "milk trouble" she'd caused because so many people had ordered. Apparently I am blind & stupid & can't read, because she said there on the box, it said " KEEP AT 80 F OR BELOW".People, I live on the surface of the sun right now! well kinda, it's been 102 for days here. If you don't factor in how hot it got to be in that UPS truck, while he ate his lunch in the air conditioning at Waffle HOuse! So was the Boy's milk clabbered or not??? Of course she said to call Amazon, and all would be well, and I did, and they did.
But now I sit here looking at 2 cases of very expensive milk and my only thought is,"Do you really think it would make him sick if he drank it? THAT is an awful lot of milk to throw out." Besides he drank some last night, before his blind mother knew of the big bold warning on the box.
Dang, I'm cheap.
BUT I DO NOT LET HIM DRINK COKE OUT OF A BABY BOTTLE
why why why??? do I continue to be surprised at anything that happens when it comes to *fostercare/dfacs*? Am I really that dense? (don't answer that)
At this point, I should not be surprised, should not lift an eyebrow, if a 1 ton giant purple people eater pulled up in a giant pink choo choo train and said aliens were here to pick up a child to take it back to it's mother on the planet EverywomansAgoodMom&drugFree. I should just hand the child to them, shut the door and go about my business.
So why does it surprise me when the anonymous person hired to transport a child to visit their parent, brings the child home from a visit and tells me "dfacs*" is going to start ^transitioning^ said child back to their parent in 4 days??? Should I be surprised? upset? mad? feeling left out of say, an important issue? All the above, except maybe surprised?
Because really, who am I? I am the glorified babysitter. Right? What need have I of these paltry details? Oh, you think I have a life? That some of these details might impact some insignificant plans I may have?
Or maybe I'm just P.O'd that someone who has nothing to do with the care & wellbeing of this child knows more than I do when it comes to knowing what's going on in this case. I mean with all the nonexistant communication that goes on between #SW* & ^fosterparent*
The purple people eater I can take. But dang, it takes 1 minute to send an email. 5 to make a call. I don't get it.
that I just spent 3 hours trying to talk my nephew out of majoring in *SocialWork* for college?
Honest to God, they admitted he fell through the cracks. Those have to be some pretty
huge cracks.
Ok. Now what are you going to do about it?
It's only been 2 1/2 YEARS.
So much for your expensive billboards/ads begging for *adoptive* parents*.
AND he's a baby! With ZERO issues.
How do I go back to NOT knowing about this world?
The Boy Wants to be:
A Pirate
A Rock Star (I have no idea where he even heard the word, but I'm sure I've got Disney channel to thank for it)
A Bug Scientist
And a Daddy, just like his Daddy.
I'm only slightly proud
What household with infants and children doesn't have Tylenol in the cabinet?
I know I have more than your average household's number of infants and toddlers at any given time. So I probably have more than few different bottles.
As a nurse I know the importance of using the right dosage/dispensers, ie..don't give children's Tylenol to infants. It has more acetaminophen in it. Needless to say not good for an infant. Never, ever use a a regular "eating" teaspoon/tablespoon to give medicine. But at one point in my life I didn't know some of these things. It can be confusing. Always be careful that any child isn't being "doubled up" on acetaminophen. Some couph syrups have it in them, and then we give Tylenol for fever.
Too much acetaminophen can cause some bad things to happen.
Starting as early as this fall, there will be one concentration of acetaminophen
for single ingredient Tylenol products for infants and children. They will continue to have specially dosed syringes for both infants and Children.
Here is a link to a site with some great information that will come in handy when the new Tylenol comes out.
http://www.tylenol.com/page.jhtml?id=tylenol/children/subfsafety_convenience.inc.
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Tylenol and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
Well actually when it comes to #@Dfacs* I guess that's not really true.
and I sit here to type this, I realize there is some news.
(I also realize I wish The Boy hadn't pried the letter I off the computer, it's really a very useful letter)
But in other news.......
Bitsy is still here. Her mother is working her *in-treatment plan. She visits her twice a week. Hopefully this will wake her up,get her off the hard stuff & they will teach her how to parent* sober. We shall see.
Boy #2 who has been here since he was 3 months old, is still in the all too familiar holding pattern/one month it to death til he's 2 1/2 plan. No real rush to find him a home. Which infuriates me to no end. They have no real explanation as to why they are in no big hurry to find him a home.And by the way, there is NO reason not to. This boy is so attached this going to be one huge mess. And really...do you think they care?
Speaking of attached. Remember Boy #1 who went to his *forever# home in December? I begged on bended knee for them to do the ^transition% correctly. And I was just the ignorant foster*parent* (they also didn't listen to the therapist they employed to help)They *transitioned crap-ally,(I just made that a word)as in little to none. Because of his age and time with us, it should have been done alot differently.
I find out he has developed a profound studder. It takes him five minutes to get out a single word and his behaviors have gone through the roof. As in *daycare is barely able to contain him. But I guarantee ##dfcs# does not or will not see that the way they ^transitioned^ has anything to do with it.
When will they realize these are lives, souls, human beings & they are playing *russian roulette with their lives?
From the makers of Zhu Zhu pets comes DaGeDar !! Here is a sneak peek of what I am sure will be this Christmas' must have toy for boys. The Boy,who is king of anything that's round, was dancing around begging to have these "racing balls". I must admit they look pretty cool. I really like the tiger.
Of course all the begging in the world will not get him the racing balls, AKA DaGeDar. They won't be out until later this summer. I bet you can guess who will be
looking for DaGeDar the rest of the summer.
I am not a diet person. Once upon a time, I could think about dropping 10 pounds and do it. Well thanks to age and hormones (oh how I hate you) In my mind I'm still 25 & 105 lbs. NOT. At 4"11 there's no room for extra pounds. 5 lbs on me looks like 20. So I've been going to the gym 3 times a week for almost a year and the scale has not budged. Not even 1/2 a pound. So I had to actually think about the way I eat and the fact I can no longer eat like I'm 25. So that you don't think I'm 120 lbs and griping about it, ohhhhhhhh NO. I wish. Remember 4"11 & let's say a little over 150 lbs. Not pretty, not pretty at all. So the husband and I decided to go on the Dukan Diet together. (It's based on high protein intake) I'll save you the details. But there is interesting info on how the body burns protein vs carbs & sugar. I was very sceptical when the book said you could drop 2 lbs on the first day of all protein and up to 10 lbs after 5-7 days on the all protein portion.
Well it happened! Those scales had not moved in 2 years no matter what I'd done. It was 2 lbs the fist day on the diet and after 6 days I had lost 8 lbs and the husband 10 lbs.
We started the first phase without the book, because it wasn't out in the U.S yet. It's a French diet. So just being french means it has to work... right?
I must admit all protein gets a bit tedious, but when you see the scale keep going down, you know it's working.
We started phase 2 of the diet yesterday, which adds veggies. So now we will have have one day all protein, one day protein/veggies. All of these are unlimited all day.So it will be interesting to see how much I can loose in this phase of the diet. I stay in this phase for 110 days. It says I should reach my target weight of 115 by August! Then onto a maintenance phase with more foods added.
I just hope I have the will power for this. Because lets face it, almost all diets work, if you can stick to them.
If you're interested in seeing what this one is all about I found this info in the beginning and used it to get started: http://thedukandiet.info/the-dukan-diet-in-a-nutshell/#more-1313 I found this very helpful and find after getting the book it contains pretty much all the book does, except some recipes.
This is only my opinion. Not paid for or comped. Just wanting to let you in on my misery. Dukan has NO idea who I am or cares. However by the end of this, me and the chicken industry will be on a first name basis.
The setting: A church pew next to 2 older ladies.
The conversation: Did you see Lizzie? She's fell off su-much I almost didn't regognize her. She never was what I'd call fat, she just weighed kinda heavy, you know.
I must admit I had seen Lizzie, and she had fell off quite abit.
As I was sitting there all I could think was, I AM soooo bloggin' this.
If you need this interpreted, too bad. This was pure unadulturated southern and true. There are no other way to put this conversation.
Can you pick out WHICH is the 5 yr old, the 3 1/3 year old and which is the 2 year old?
Is a Lego making genius.
I'm not sure how good the pay is over there at the Lego Think Tank. But for what I pay for Lego's, he should be pretty rich early in his career.
Things have been a little sideways here at the house of D.
Once upon a time I was the girl in the office that most women wanted to kill.
I was always cold, even in the summer I wore a sweater to work. I weighed a decent
number on the old scale and ate what I wanted. I had "good hair" and skin. I could remember a conversation that took place 6 months ago. I needed glasses, but HEY, I could see close up.
Well things have changed of late. Or Maybe I've just been in a bad mood for 40 years, I don't know. (name that movie!)
Now I seem to have the pleasure of hot flashes and I sweated (is that a word? spell check says no) for the first time (no lie) a couple of weeks ago. I don't sweat! I'm a southern girl, I don't sweat. Yuk.
Last year I put on, for arguments sake & my vanity let's say "a few pounds". And yes, it did change positions. How can that happen? I don't even want to know. Really I don't.
Good hair? good skin? I don't even remember it. Now I just have an oil slick on top of my head. Too much info? Too bad. Just keepin' it real for those who need to know. Which brings me to my memory. Most days I'm happy I remember to get out of bed and take The Boy to school. I won't tell you how many times my poor boy has gone to school without his snack box. A big no-no in the world of preschool.
And my vision. I can no longer see far away or close up. I think that is technically called Blind!
So this brings me to my original question I forgot to even pose up front.
Am I perimenopausal or have I just been in a bad mood for 40 years?
So I ask my trusty Gyn what I could do to keep from loosing my mind and he suggested hormone replacement when THE time comes. The more I investigated the HRT, the more I did not care for the side effects/upped cancer rate ect.
So I decided to try a natural alternative. Estroven.
I really had no clue what was going on when all the crazy started happening. 'Cause I was kinda young, you know :)
So you can go HERE
and find out some of symptoms/signs of perimenopause & menopause.
And go HERE for some of the different formulas Estroven has for different symptoms.
I've never been sorry I went the natural route vs the HRT. HERE is some more info and stories too if you're interested. And as always you can Like them on facebook for special offers & coupons. http://www.facebook.com/Estroven
Estroven really does help with all the craziness all us women must go through.
“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of Estroven and received a gift certificate to thank me for taking the time to participate.”
STRESS
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience,
raised a glass of water and asked, 'How heavy is this glass of water?
Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.
The lecturer replied, The absolute weight doesn't matter.
It depends on how long you try to hold it.
If I hold it for a minute, it's not a problem..
If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.
If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.
In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.
He continued,
And that's the way it is with stress management.
If we carry
our burdens all the time, sooner or later,
the burden will become increasingly heavy:
and we won't be able to carry on.
As with the glass of water,
you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again..
When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden.
So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down: don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow.
Whatever burdens you're carrying now,
let them down for a moment if you can.
So, my friend, Put down anything that may be a burden to you right now. Don't pick it up again until after you've rested a while
The world lost a great man on Saturday.
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pilotonline/obituary.aspx?n=jack-garrison&pid=149768458&fhid=11492
I had the privilege to know him, to work for him and call him my friend.
That sounds so little. I can't find the words for what he was to me.
He was a great man and wonderful doctor. Rarely shall the twain meet. I have only seen it once in my life.
His wisdom and knowledge were unsurpassed.
He taught me: If I'll lie for you, I'll lie to you.
and that there's another part to Great minds think alike...it is: or fools seldom deviate.
If it weren't for these patients that trust me, I'd be just a man with a piece of paper.
Every person no matter their lot in this world deserves respect. You don't know what they've been through.
People will treat you with respect, if you act like you deserve it.
I have never seen a man who had so much to brag about, be so humble in my life.
He would always say, "Mrs A, I'm the son of pig farmers, if I can do this, anybody can."
And he ALWAYS, but always called his "girls" Mrs. whatever their last name was. He respected us. We loved him. Other than my husband, I can honestly say I have never respected another human being so much.
There were times when I could have spit nails I was so mad at him. Appointments started at 9:00 am, I would be lucky if he got there by 11:00. An older gentleman would come in and say, "I know Jack's not here. I just went by his place and he was still mowing the lawn". And he would sit down and wait. All his patients waited. They knew when it was their turn he would spend an hour with them too, if they needed it. You see, he didn't just treat what they came in for that day. He KNEW them, their family, their jobs, their kids. And what was going on in their lives right then.
We would call Mrs. Garrison to "tell on him". Anything from being way too late to being gruff with us. She say,"now girls, give him a break. He was at the nursing home, at the hospital, had to go to some one's house (yes, he still made house calls til almost the end of his career).I'll talk to him when he gets home." I have no idea if she did "talk" to him, because he never said a word about us calling her and telling on him.
A patient was never,ever turned away because they couldn't pay right then or didn't have their co-pay up front. He would not stand for that.
I think about that every time I go to the Dr and the nice girl asks for my co-pay up front. Jack Garrison would have had somebodies head on a platter for that.
The man had a presence and deep voice that filled up a room. There was never any doubt when he was in the room.
I once called him a butt head! I do believe I may have been the only person who dared say that to his face. It is a fond memory :) He had a bad habit of throwing the days mail at my head every morning (afternoon) when he came into the office. I was always able to catch it. Except once. It hit me right in the head. Before I thought (trust me,BEFORE I thought) I said,"you butt head". He laughed so hard I thought he would choke. It's a laugh I hope I never forget. For many years my Christmas card was signed, Your favorite butt head. I loved that man.
Once after I thought he was particularly mean, I told him the M.D after his name, certainly did not mean medical Dr. It had to be MEAN DR. He made me go in the room of every patient that day and tell them what the M.D meant. He thought it was Hilarius.
Even after my husband received orders away from VA.Beach I could count on a call about every 6 months. Our calls started with "Is this Msssss A." (the Mrs & my last name was drawn waaaaaaay out) And I would say," Is this the meanest Dr in the world? He'd say "yes it is, so I guess we've both got the right people." I love that man. We'd exchange small talk for awhile, mostly family, me crying, because I couldn't find another Dr. like him to work for in the place. And all would be right with the world for a while longer. Last Christmas he called me on Christmas day, it was the best present.
He was also a man with the heart the size of,well, him. He was giant. He had nine kids. 3 home grown & 6 store bought. If you every see me use that terminology, that's pure Dr. Garrison. Blame him.
In our last conversation, he said, "Mrs A I'm proud of what you're doing down there". Meaning foster care & David. I got to tell him that greater men than me had gone on before me to show me the way. He cried. He had just lost his beloved wife Mary of nearly 60 years. He loved her with such devotion. They did not celebrate yearly anniversaries, but if I remember correctly monthly anniversaries. I can't count how many times that man would leave in the middle of the day to go to the card store to get an anniversary card. That my friends, is a great man. I often wondered how many cards she had from so many months of anniversaries.
After he retired I begged him teach at a medical school. I'm sure you already know this, but they don't teach doctors to be good human beings. What he had, I'm not so sure you could teach anyway. Either you got it or you don't. And now the insurance companies would just take it from you anyway. I know there isn't a CPT code for listening and caring.
I have a million Jack Garrison stories, but my eyes are so raw now I can barely keep them open.
I'll have to remember to tell you the billfold story. Right now my eyes & heart can't take anymore.
And I'm NOT very happy about it.
This is much too fast. He's only a baby. Those teeth just came in like...the other day!
The Bmom of Boy #2 who has been with us since he was 3 months old finally called today out of the blue. I haven't heard from her since Christmas. When I had to make her take him for a visit.
Well, today it was as though no time at all had passed since her last visit. She just wanted to pop on over and pick him up for a visit. I told her I didn't think so, there was a court date she had missed and I was unsure how visits were to go.
Since it's supposed to go to TPR* (it's only been 2.5 yrs)I told her to call the S*W.
I called his new S*W to give her a heads up that bmom may call and to be ready.
After I explained to her the conversation I'd just had with mom, she actually said, "I don't know what to do, I'm new at this. I'm going to have to ask someone else and get back with you." I will insert here, that this is the 3nd new s*w he's had in the last 3 months.
Not one of them knows mom's history or even what's supposed to be going on in the case...after 2 1/2 years...Jimenyfriggincricket !
I called Boy #1 new mommy & daddy tonight because The Boy had been asking to see and play with Boy #1. When they answered the phone I could tell it may have been a little hectic around there, so I said I'd call later. New mom said "oh no, now is fine. I'm just putting together a crib, we just got a call for a 1 yr old and 3 day old sibling." .....and she said it ALL CALM LIKE....like it was no big deal. I'd forgotten when they adopted* Boy #1 they had to change their status to foster* to *adopt, leaving them open for *foster placements.
This was their first *foster placement and she believed them when they told her it was just over night. You see she works full time too. She was sure they would be there tomorrow to pick them up.
Bless Her Heart
I swear I won't beat this horse forever (Ali this means I promise not to talk about Orlando forever)
But I had a most interesting conversation with a friend who did not go to Orlando, so I felt it my duty to let her in on what she missed.
As we talked about the Greatness that was Orlando and the Awesomeness of meeting all the women I got to meet and what each and everyone of them brought to the table and or pool.
She said a most interesting thing.........If *DFACS* found out about what I or we had done they would have fits seven different ways from Sunday, and a couple not seen on a Saturday. (realizing that not all of the ladies were foster parents)But the ones who were..........goodlordhavemercy.........
They would NOT realize the therapy value or any kind of value in having something like I just experienced. It gave us hope,guidance,wisdom,love,how-to,how-not to, a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen, understanding & no condemnation, and did I mention hope?
A coniption fit (from *dfacs*) to end them all would take place in every corner of the US. What my friend said was very true. This kind of thing would not be tolerated. God only knows what would happen if this kind of thing was allowed to go on!
They should be paying us to do this kind of thing, not a witch hunt* for those trying to just make it one more day.
Not because I will ever forget these women.
But because I don't want to forget the details.
I had the privilege to meet the most awesome women I have ever known. And I have known some pretty incredible,strong woman in my life time.
Where do I even start? I will pose the question that one of these women posed in the van from the airport on the way to our Amazing house: What mother in their right mind would ever allow their children to meet someone on line, (some of us have "known" each other for years thru our blogs)but still. Fly from all over the U.S and Canada to a place some have never been to and stay with complete stranger, in a house for 4 days? Many of us, dare I say most of us stepped out of our comfort zone. WAyyyyy out of our comfort zone, to be with other mothers just like ourselves.
Because you just don't find support for what we do in our daily lives in your next door neighbor.
Some things I never want to forget is:
A hot tub is a very therapeutic place
*10 were at the house where I stayed, but there were around 70 total!!
When there's 10 women in a house, dinner is cooked, cleaned up and messes are minimal.
No one notices or cares when you walk around in your jammies with no bra.
or your cellulite.
It is really work to understand what a ska ma-shal is saying to you. They have a language of their own, as well as being funny, & they give good advice when you can understand them...she can't help it, bless her heart.
I am sorely tempted to move to TX, so The Boy will have the most awesome 4th grade teacher, I've ever known. She Sooo came up with the best blog title I've heard of.
A local mom that I wish was my neighbor. A kinder, gentler heart I have never met.
A little CanadaGirl, who stole my heart with her knowledge & sweetness I will never forget. From this day foreword I never see a napkin again without a secret smile.
2 women from "a far off,snowy place" who are strong, who put their effort where their mouths are. I couldn't even comprehend raising the children one of them does and then dealing with the "work" part of their lives. Strong women.
The kinda close-by me-Mom that I've "known" for awhile- strong, beautiful,funny, wonderful and why can't she live closer?
The mom who is a Flower ;) lovely,graceful,wise,funny. Oh, why can't they live right in my neighborhood.
The musical instrument--full of wisdom and beauty, but will fight for everything her child needs...really fight.
Sitting and doing nothing is Therapy...good therapy.
Talking into the night about your story, their story, without judgement, without gasps, or "are you crazy" looks, are worth more than all the therapy I could afford. It is cleansing, it is.....more, more,more than I can put on paper.
It is truly something you have to experience to KNOW.
I will never forget this weekend or these incredible women I got to know.
When you're doing something as mundane as watching the news and know it's only a matter of time before your phone will ring.
(It took an hour and a half)
Some days I wish I could go back to not knowing about this parallel universe we now live in.
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