Beginning our summer – Free association

I may have mentioned in the last few posts that this is a busy time of year for me. It’s also a fairly stressful one. I teach one section of high school seniors… the count down to graduation is crazy the last few weeks. While the students are less than willing to do anything, some of them really, REALLY need to do something. Like complete an assignment! No one wants to be the teacher telling parents that their child isn’t going to graduate, but some times you really have to wonder if that is what the kid wants to do. So, while trying to keep everyone motivated to do something, there are always a couple who really need a kick in the pants!

Meanwhile the laundry is piling up. Appointments are missed. And yesterday was the first time I cooked a meal that didn’t come out of can or a restaurant in about three weeks. Also, little blog posting as you can see… thinking was the last thing I wanted to do.

Yesterday was graduation, so it’s done. Everyone passed and no teary phone calls had to be made. For the next week, I’ll be finishing up the grading and packing up my room. Let the summer slide begin!

I did manage to register Lala and the Cuddler for swim lessons. Lala will also get dance lessons (they were $11 for the session! Rock bottom cheap! The local dance school – while a real dance school – charges $50 for a month!). I’m sure the rock bottom price is to get the kids suckered into joining one of the local dance schools, but I think I can resist temptation. Besides gymnastics will start up again in the fall.

The swim lessons are every morning! Is that normal? They’re timed just right as to make doing a few days of daycare (and giving Mommy a break) almost impossible and it’s every day! I’m not so thrilled about that – when will I mow the lawn? When will I get time to read some trashy novel? Or repaint the bathroom (decided I hate the grey)?

I also hit the library events calendar and put all the relevant things on the calendar. Free entertainment is going to be our watch word this summer. Actually, “Free!” will be our watch word… but anything “free” is usually pretty entertaining, so there you go. Our trips are planned out too – a weekend/birthday at my father’s house (hot tub!), camping with the family and another week @ my father’s house. Two kid free days @ a professional conference. First overnight stay at Grandma/Grandpa’s house. We’ll see how that goes… What do you do to prepare kids for that? I’ve found that Lala has a very hazy concept of time and preparation before 24 hours of any event tends to cause problems. I made the mistake of talking about the laryngoscope a week ahead of time, and we had freak outs every time we left the house for the week.

If we actually get warm weather, we will also hit the spray park. But that’s not something we can really plan on. FWIW, those of you sweltering elsewhere in the US, a trip to WA coast will bring much relief. Skip the lines and D*isn*y and bring a sweatshirt! We could also use the economic boost. Just sayin’ – it’s a win-win for everyone.

PS. Those large feathered flower hair things are just weird. Please stop wearing them. You know who you are.

Summer Fun

This past weekend was beautiful! In fact, there was so much playing outside, the cuddler actually took a nap. That is a lot of energy expended. Please let it continue... We haven't had a real summer here in four years.

The school year is winding down, but the work continues. Grading, packing up, and still no contract for next year. A bit worrisome. And exhausting.

Lala has her first major dental work appointment tomorrow. She did really well at the initial visit, despite getting lost, pulled over for speeding and a lot of swearing on my part before we even found the hidden office. She wasn't even slightly freaked out by the male dentist... A usual reaction to strange men. I'm hoping that trend continues tomorrow.

- Posted using my iPad

Olden Days

What did people do with toddlers on trips before lap top computers, Ipads and netflix? Because I may have gone crazy without them... 

May Madness

I give up. May is just too crazy.

I am a walking to do list. *shheesh*


Posted on the fly!

Weekend Update

The most heard phrase around work this week has been... "it's May." cue exasperated sigh. Everything happens in May. Testing galore. Field trips. Planning for next year. Graduation and all accompanying hoopla.

Basically, everyone is going crazy quickly and a lot of patience is needed to get through it.

It has made for a slow blogging month because I just don't have time to do anything besides work and keep the house from falling in around me. For a couple of days my house looked like 'that house' on the block with a nice meadow of knee high grass. So far the garden is barely there - between rain and work, I just don't have time to get to it.

Meanwhile, in the "wow! My kids are from such a different generation!" file... I'm having a hard time explaining to Lala the difference between a DVR'd show and regular TV. We don't watch a lot of regular TV, so on rare occasions that we do, she complains bitterly about the commercials. Madison street is failing big time with her. She was not even slightly tempted by the sparkling new sketchers... She just wanted Busytown back.

Posted on the fly!

Memorial Day?!?! ACK!

This month is just flying by! It was April… like, yesterday!

Thankfully, the weather has been somewhat cooperative. I finally got the peas in, and they are sprouting as I speak.

Nothing else has been done. My garden is currently growing weeds. Weeds that I faithfully pluck back out, because I’m going plant there… or, will when I get two minutes to myself.

I’m totally lying – I’ve spent all my extra time reading a new series of books on my phone. Work has been busy and stressful. I’m wanting to escape from it all the time.

Meanwhile, the darned garden still sits alone and barren.

Mother's Day Meme

The level of failures over the past two weeks has risen to a new level. Also, I had to give up my dog - which made me so ad, I really don't want to talk about anything of importance. I just want to avoid thinking.

My most embarrassing moment as a mom was when… my children have worn down my last nerve in public and I'm trying not go insane. I can't always keep that out of my expressions or voice, so I'm always wondering what people are really hearing while I try to keep it together. Also, Lala walked out the door this morning with my bra wrapped around her foot - in front of several of my high school students (bus stops in front of my house!).

The worst parenting advice I ever got was… "Enjoy every moment... they grow up so fast" Really? I should enjoy the whipping off the diaper stage where I have to scrub poop off of the floor? Cause I am NOT feeling it. Not everything is fantastic, but the good stuff makes it worthwhile, but don't feel guilty if you aren't enjoying every moment.

The best parenting advice I ever got was…"The days are long, but the years are short."

I wish they had have told me that being a mom… how amazingly funny your kids are, but only to you.

My most frightening moment as a mom was when…Lala had ear infection after ear infection when she was a baby and I didn't sleep for weeks at a time. Sometimes I'd sing "go to sleep, go to sleep" over and over trying not fall into a sleep deprivation psychosis. I, seriously, doubted that I had what it takes to be a mom.

My best mom blog is… Postcards from Insanity.

The most awkward question I get asked as a mom is…again, I must have one of those faces or I'm just not friendly enough... or I just never feel awkward. I never get asked rude questions. Or it could be the area I live in - why ask when every know kind of awkward situation out there exists in spades around here?

If I had to do anything over as a mom, it would be… yell less and panic less. They go hand in hand.

If I could advise new moms to do anything, it would be to… poop is now your life. First comes the first poops. The new kinds of poops. How many poops? What do the different kinds of poops mean? What if there is no poop? What consistency is the poop? "Did someone poop?" "Did you poop?" Will the poops go in the toilet? Who pooped on the toilet? Who didn't flush their poop? poop! Deal with it.

The "non-essential" items that became essential were… the umbrella stroller. Not only did it save my sanity while going to all the doctors appointments and other appointments, but we also used it as a sleep aid, a high chair, a place to put the baby while showering, etc. It was the second parent.

The products that make me look as if I've had a decent night's uninterrupted sleep are… my mother getting up with the kids.

The things that have kept me sane as a mom are… my mother. My cousins. My co-workers and friends.

The one thing I'll never do again as a mom is… buy toys I would want... not the ones they would want.

I'd like to be remembered as the mom who… put their children ahead of themselves (in a good way)

Motherhood has changed me because I'm… less selfish? more selfish? definitely less of a shopaholic

Frogs

While driving to kidlets to daycare in the morning, I cleared my throat (bring on the spring allergies!). Apparently, it was quite loud as the cuddler exclaimed from the back seat:

Cuddler: "Momma, what was that!"
Me: "I just had a frog in my throat."
Cuddler: *loud gasp of shock*
Lala: "Momma. We. Do. Not. Put. Frogs. In. Our. Mouth!"

15 seconds later...

Lala: "Momma, what is that sound you making?"
Me: "I'm laughing, Lala."

Oh, the joys of kids.

Organization

I am on this never ending quest to find the perfect organization plan. OCD about it. Am I actually organized? No. I drive myself crazy with this stuff!

Earlier today I was reading an article about a mom who uses *xcel to schedule her child's every movement in order to make sure they get into some overpriced Ivy League college. It's a little over kill, but since Lala asked me again if she had to "wear boy socks again!"... I was thinking maybe a little spreadsheet might be in order.

Then I remembered the elaborate schedules I put together in college... color-coded, with images/cartoons. They were works of art. And never last more than 24 hours. Something always came up, threw me off schedule and out it went.

Last week, I was considering hiring a professional organizer!

This afternoon, I read an interview with the found of ListPlanIt. Sounds like a great idea! I rushed to the site to look it over. My savior! But do I really want to spend $20 on something that I won't continue to do once the paper is cold?

My heavens when will I stop? I'm sick, I tell you. Sick! None of these things will make me organized! ARRHHRHRH!

Okay, now that I have that out of my system, I can breathe again.

Seriously. How do you become organized? Is it just something you do? Are you born with it? Ease into it? Kick yourself into?

Home Decor

Have I mentioned my quandaries with paint? Hmmm… yes. I have a serious problem. Mostly due to a serious inability “picture” anything in my head.

When I painted my living room, I went through no less than 8 different colors. Do you remember Bridget Jone*s Diary? I wanted the color of the walls in her garret apartment. It said “warm, cozy and comfy”. Finding that color in a paint was a very long process, however. There is no “garret apartment” color, FYI.

I finally found the color I wanted. I love it. In fact, I love it so much, that I later purchased one of those decor signs with a homey saying on it, in the same color. To hang in the living room. To say it wasn’t very noticable, is an understatement. Totally faded into the wall.

So I moved the sign into the kitchen. Really pops against the blue walls. Looks fantastic.

But now I have a hole in my living room. Finding another sign was going to difficult. Not only would I have to find the right color, but also the right saying. One that wasn’t too preachy, or twee… and be able to find it in about 5 minutes, which is the Cuddler’s shopping limit. Right.

Instead I found Jennifer of Onion Grove Mercantile. Or rather I found her blog Notes from the Heartland. Gardening, DYI, kids… all the stuff I love to read about. And you can probably tell where this is going… I had her paint a sign for that spot. One that is so personalized it makes me squeal. It makes my mother jealous it’s so personalized.

My great-grandfather was a rancher. My great-grandmother was a rancher’s daughter, going back to the days before Canada and the US had really settled on a border. Every story about them tells something about the ranch. The flowers (of which cuttings are now planted in multiple locations throughout the state – I have a granddaughter of the famous rose bush) or feeding the chickens, even stories about the neighbors are still told! The ranch was sold a long time ago – ranching was a hard thing during the 70’s and 80’s, especially when the US government started ‘paying’ people to stop. It’s not an easy life, especially in a place so rural that cell phones can only get signals on mountain tops.

The sign was designed around that piece of family history. I was pretty specific, but Jennifer took my requests and ran with them… even when I changed them!

I asked for a specific type of wood color to mimic the beaten weathered look of wood in that area. Jennifer suggested the colors for the text – which I totally trusted, because of my color issues. At the last minute, I asked her to include my great-grandfather’s brand, incorporated between the ranch name and town. It’s being shipped as I write! It’s going to work so well in that spot and NOT fade into the background!

Easter

We’re still in recovery mode. With four egg hunts, we’re still bursting with candy.

 

It took the Cuddler a little practice to get into the groove, but once he got the idea of picking up eggs and that said eggs were filled with candy, he was a machine! The one time I was able to get video, I had to edit out my unsuccessful attempts to get him to stop gathering eggs so that other children would be able to gather a fair share.

We’ve also had an egg hunt or two every day since then. Sans candy, of course, but no less sought after.

I finally tossed the plastic eggs this afternoon. At least all the ones I could find. The cuddler found two more an hour later. I’m sure we’ll still be finding errant eggs for the next month.

On Sunday, after church, we went to the house of one of Lala’s sisters. Most of her siblings gathered there for the holiday. Plus the cuddler, and the biological children other the adoptive parents, and foster children, and… it becomes so confusing to figure out who is what that eventually we all just gave up. Lala was very happy to see her siblings. At her age, it’s hard for her to verbalize how she feels about them, but her grin and hugs say that she loves them. Luckily, all of the parents are committed to maintaining contact and respecting each other. I can’t imagine how this would work without that… and what a loss it would be for her.

Remodeling Project – Mostly Finished?

Thanks to the help of my parents, most of my spring remodeling project has been finished! And I have photos to prove it!

 

The walls have been painted. The blue always reminds me of the summer sky in the eastern part of the state – where it doesn’t rain for six months straight and the temperature actually goes above 70 in August.

I still haven’t installed shelves in the pantry, but I did move a shelving unit into it and it was filled about 30 minutes later. Space is at a premium around here.

The pocket door works wonderfully, and it’s sooo nice to have my dining space back without the shelving unit – with the door closed, you can’t even tell that there is a stockpile of pasta and soup lurking behind.

I haven’t painted the door yet. I haven’t figure out what to do with it yet. What can I say, I take a long time to make decisions on things like that. I have pondered a creamy white (the color reminds me so much of vanilla ice cream that it makes me hungry!) to match the cabinets or to make it a chalk board. Can’t decide.

 

Speaking of chalkboards… The former closet door in Lala’s room:

It’s already been used several times! Basically, the doorway measure one sheet of drywall (how convenient!). My contractor just screwed in the drywall and framed it out – no extensive taping required. It goes from 6 and half feet to the floor. It’s big enough to be shared by the two kids, without fighting. Always a huge plus. My contractor’s wife thought it was such a good idea when he told her about it, that he had to build one for his son after finishing mine… I warned him about the huge mess the chalkboard paint makes – I use the spray paint. It’s messy, but it makes such a good chalk surface.

Easter Preparations – free association thinking.

I finally completed the (*SSHHH!) B-A-S-K-E-T shopping. I think it should be a pretty good haul for both kids. And get this… my father is coming just before the holiday. Why is this good news? Besides the obvious, I mean. My father won’t buy them another basket. In fact, my father and step-mother have been very well trained by my sister not to do anything without first checking with the parent. Plus, they’re cheap. This means I get to buy everything for the holiday. Which I rarely get to do.

I know this seems odd, but my mother goes crazy all the time. She would show up with Easter Baskets for them. And probably bikes. And a swing-set. And after that, what’s the point of getting anything else.

Anyways…

Have you seen the pre-candy-stuffed eggs for sale? Seriously, is it that hard to fill eggs? Are people really that busy? Too busy to fill Easter Eggs? If you’re that busy, why not just skip the whole thing and go to a community hunt?

Do you think people just buy things at Wal-#art because they’ve got this reputation as the ‘cheap place’? It seems like people see that smiley face and load up their carts. Every time I go in, I literally have to stop myself from saying to people “it’s cheaper at the local grocery store”. Granted the local grocery store isn’t the most attractive of places and the floors are uneven, but staple products are cheaper. Except butter. Which is now ridiculously expensive.

Do you think people buy those pre-filled eggs because they think they’re cheaper than filling their own, because they’re sold at Wal-#art?

Open Adoption

I have an open adoption agreement with birthmothers of both kids. It’s something I’ve felt was important for them, at least when they’re older.

But it’s a catch-22.

Right now, it’s not all that important to either of them. Let’s face it, they’re little kids and don’t really understand what it’s all about. We haven’t even got to the “where to babies come from” stage, so, it’s not like they have questions or are curious to see anyone. At this stage of game, the agreement is more about birth mom’s feelings. I get that. Really.

At the same time, there are very real reasons as to why neither birthmom could parent in the way the children needed them to. That is concerning to me on many levels. Maintaining contact requires a lot of judgment calls on my part to protect the children from potentially dangerous situations and probably protect myself from them, as well.

And let’s not get into how awkward visits can be.

I guess what I’m trying to tread carefully in saying is that walking that line can really suck. And most of the time I’m not sure if I’m walking on the right side. I’m still a big supporter of maintaining contact, but it’s not for faint of heart.

Recently, I got a request for more frequent visits. I didn’t know how to respond. I still don’t, to be honest. In the funny how life works category, I ran into a former CW, who knows the BM very, very well. When I mentioned the request, her first reaction was ‘No!’. It confirmed what I was feeling. That this wasn’t appropriate.

Now I just need to figure out a way to say it.

Growing

Lala can now go and wash her hands in the bathroom sink by herself. Will I ever get to the stage where I hear running water and don’t feel the flush of panic?

 

My lawn is in full chaos mode! It’s growing by leaps and bounds, but hasn’t been dry enough to cut. I may have to spend my afternoon with babysitter to mow. It would be just depressing if I didn’t love the look of a newly mowed lawn.

 

My garden is full of weeds. I get tired just looking at it.

Easter Basket Goodness

Easter is fast approaching... which means I have to get some easter baskets going! Someone has already been talking about the Easter Bunny bringing candy (durned Daycare friends!).

Here's my problem:

1. I don't want to give the kids a bunch of candy. I can handle the hyperactivity, but I can't handle the whining and screaming that comes with not being exactly even between the two or when we have to stop eating candy.
2. OMG! They have so many toys already! It's such a pain to try to keep things organized and in their places. What small trinket toys can I get that I won't be killing myself to keep track of in a week?

This weekend I'm going on a toy purge! I don't care how much they might play with it or how much I would like them to like it... it's going to be gone! Having less around is definitely better than adding to the current chaos. I'd put up photos, but I'm way too embarrassed.

The cuddler has never played with his wooden blocks unless it was to either dump them out with a loud crash or throw one at someone's head. Apparently, he won't be an architect. They're the first into the bag. Second will be the loud electronic rolly-ball thingy that I purchased in hopes that Lala would start crawling after it (she was a really late crawler).

Please tell me I'm not the only one who buys wish toys for their kids... you know, the kind of toys you hope your children fall in love with and make up elaborate imaginative games with that are not only entertaining for long stretches of time but also mold them into geniuses.

Energy

"Energy...
Sometimes I think I'm runnin' out of energy
Seems like we use an awful lot for
Heatin' and lightin' and drivin'
Readin' and writin' and jivin'"

I have not been keeping up with life. My house is a mess, my desk looks like.. well, you can't even see the desk really. And I've been falling asleep around 8pm every night. I think I'm just in a pre-Spring funk. We're starting to see some sunshine, but it's usually coupled with freezing temperatures and I haven't really been able to get outside to do anything. It's the time of year where I start planning to move some place warmer. Don't get me wrong, I like winter during the winter months. I just can't handle the spring months that are nothing but freezing cold and rain. I want to be warm darn it! Sadly, I haven't found the perfect place yet. I wonder what it's like in Kentucky?

This morning, Lala told me that very soon she'll be "big enough to sit [in the driver's seat] and reach the pedals". Her birthday is coming up soon!... I guess I'm not the only one in hurry for time to pass by.

MidMorning Quickie

Getting back to work after Spring Break has been exhausting. I don't know if it is jump back into the swing of things or the annual rush to squeeze everything in while simultaneously planning for next year... but I've been hitting the pillow about 5 minutes after the kids are in bed!

 

What have we been doing?

• construction on the new pantry took about four days longer than planned. This meant that I've really had no time to paint or put up the shelves. For now it's a pantry, with primed walls and an old shelving unit inside. That will have to hold for awhile.
• the blackboard for Lala's room is nearly finished - hopefully this weekend I will get the frame painted and photos up. She already loves it!
• it rained and poured all break so I got nothing done in the garden. I now have dandelions everywhere.
• I found out that my job is safe for next year, but just barely. In reality, I could still be laid off, since the legislature won't make up it's mind.
• our town is getting a $400,000 "spray park". I'm a tad annoyed as we have about three actual days a year when this could be used. An indoor gym open on the weekends would be a much better use of funding - or my friend keeping her job. Plus there is already a spray park in the next town over. And by "next over" I mean, the border between is a street. Our government is run by such narrow-minded competitive morons.
• my taxes are completed and will be mailed out today. I will then begin my haunt of my bank account watching for the money or will begin a couple of weeks. I have to submit by regular mail because of the finalization of the adoption and it will probably be reviewed pretty closely will the sudden adding of two children and the refund being more than I paid in. That adoption tax credit is the bomb!
• It's been sunny for the past two days! The kids are loving playing outside. Pray for a nice summer. We've had such crappy ones for the last three years.

Today we had our annual tsunami drill. During the discussion, we were informed that we needed to make plans to stay with our students for at least three days, if need be, and trust that our own children would be taken care by whoever they were with for those days. Talk about going above and beyond...  kinda gives a new perspective to that "teachers are greedy parasites on our society" argument. How much are you willing to pay to know that your child will be taken care of in a disaster if you couldn't reach them? I'll be having a chat with the daycare manager today. I'm certainly not willing to leave it up to hoping for the best - which I think most of people do.

Healthy Me

I know someone read that and just about sprayed the computer with their coffee… I’m not really known for my healthy choices, you know. Don’t get me wrong, I am full of advice on what you should do, but apparently, I’m a do as I say, not as I do kinda gal.
Since turning 40, however, I seem to be on an ill health cascade. I won’t go into the gross and some what embarrassing details. Suffice it to say that I seem be going down fast.
I’ve slowly (very slowly) been trying to change. I haven’t been perfect, but I figure it’s better to do something, than just completely give up, you know?
Today I started the Couch to 5k program. I’d say the idea is daunting, but it’s not really. I’ve attempted it before and quit (big quitter here!), so I know the initial days are do-able. The hard part comes in going beyond the first days. Is that a huge metaphor for life or what?
In past attempts the biggest problem I’ve had is the interval timing. I can’t run and count at the same time! I’m too busy worrying about breathing and where my hands are… toss in the new blood pressure thing*, and it’s a no go. Of course, technology came to the rescue. A gentleman by the name of Robert created Couch to 5k podcasts. Totally free, FYI. The podcasts are perfectly timed and a voice tells you when to start or stop a running interval. The music also kicks butt. Instead of trying to count while breathing, I just concentrated on breathing, watching my heart rate and praying desperately that the voice would tell me “great job, now slow back down to a brisk walk”.
Day 1 completed!
On to Day 2, after I’ve recovered and put pressure on my feet again. Oy vey.
*Although, I’ve not passed out again, I have discover that if my heart rate gets to a particular height, it suddenly decides to drop to half. It’s fascinating to watch on those heart monitor thingys, while you’re desperately trying to get off of the treadmill before you do a face plant. There isn’t even a warning… just up one flash of number, down the next. Now I just watch it obsessively and slow down before I get to that point.

Hello!

Today starts the Ultimate Blog Party at 5 Minutes For Mom! I am always on the look out for a good blog to toss into the ol’ reader. Plus the giveaways are fantastic! If you are a regular, you may remember that I won a prize just before Christmas from them for the Cuddler, which was nice. He got quite the haul.

If you’ve just found us, Welcome! I’m Jana. I’m a single mom to two adorable little ones (no bias, they’re way cute!). In November 2010, we became official! You can read our adoption story below, if you’re the curious type.

My daughter Lala is “almost four” (she bypassed three) and is in love with gymnastics. The Cuddler is nearly three and is a firecracker! We love to go for walks, hang out with cousins and generally cause mayhem. They both have a fondness for ink pens… but only when they can draw on furniture. I now have an arsenal of tips to get various inks out of a variety of upholstery. Just ask!

I would love to be a stay at home mom if it weren’t for the whole needing money thing. Instead I spend my days with teenagers, teaching English at a high school. When I’m not working, I’m desperately trying to teach my kids how to play games (with rules!), cooking and figuring out yet another remodeling project. This summer I may drag out my sewing machine, but I make no promises on that one…

Let me know if you stopped by and I’ll return the favor. (:

Our Adoption Story

You know how you read those adoption stories where a baby just seems to fall in to a couple's arms? Or something that seems right out of Life*ti*me TV? I wanted to be that person. There are thousands of parents out that do.. and it's not realistic. Contrary commercials, news casts and telethons, adoption is hard. It's heartbreaking and joyous at the same time.

In 2005, I decided to adopt a child. I won't go into all the details surrounding this decision, but it wasn't something I just jumped at... I did a lot of soul searching, talking with friends and researching. I completed paperwork to adopt from China in early 2007. Just in time for the slow down. In fact, I knew it was slowing down as my paperwork was flown to China - I just didn't think it would drop to glacial speeds. When the wait for a referral hit the five year mark (four months after I submitted my paperwork!) I started to reassess. Five years is a long time and who knew if the wait would keep growing. I did not want to be a new mom at 60!

I started looking into domestic adoption and started down the path to adopting from foster care. I told myself I was walking in with my eyes open. I went to the informational/training classes “knowing” what I was in for. Ha! As I was officially licensed on a Friday at 5pm., I can’t really say it took less than 24 hours to get a placement. By the following Monday morning, however, I got a call. Two days later, Lala was home for the first time.

On the day Lala was born, I posted this. It’s funny that I mention how things change when something goes from possible to imminent. Little did I know that my daughter was being born a thousand miles away that very day. If I had known, I probably wouldn’t have been obsessing about clothes.

Eleven months later, she returned to her BM. I was very conflicted and I had a very sad Christmas. It’s not a memory I like to visit.

In February of 2009, I got a call asking to temporarily take in a seven month old boy. Two weeks at the most. When I got him home, he pee’d on me (as little boys are wont to do). He giggled and I said to him “you’re the one aren’t you? You’re going to stay.” He just smiled. Seriously.

In July of 2009, 8 months after Lala was returned to her BM, I was asked to provide respite for her. Two weeks at the most (do you see a pattern? I know I do.). I saddened. Not because I didn’t want to see her, I did, desperately… but all this moving around could not be good for her.

On November 8, 2010, we officially became a family. It didn’t really hit me until the next day. Then I just grinned like an idiot all day.

Five years. From 2011, it seems rather quick and easy. It wasn’t. But it wasn’t the decades that some people experience and still are… Sometimes I think it I’d started in 2005 with foster to adopt, I wouldn’t have waited so long, but then again, I wouldn’t have my children either. Maybe. Life works in weird ways sometimes.

Bringing in Spring – Simple Birdhouse Tutorial

April is nearly here! To celebrate our intermittent sunshine, Lala and I decided to get a little crafty and build ourselves a bird house!

First we got an empty half gallon milk carton. We have about a million of these as the cuddler is lactose intolerant, but for some reason manufacturers only sell in half gallon cartons. (PITA!)  I cut out out the front and approximately half of two sides. A “roof” is a good idea, to help keep the spring rains off of the seeds. It’s not perfect, but this is a simple bird house for those with the attention span of a three year old.

 

Lala inserted a left over shish kabob skewer through the bottom portion, so that the birds will have something to stand on while feasting on our yummy bird seed. Thin for little bird feet – hopefully the crows and seagulls won’t be able to get a good toe hold.

 

 

I poked a hold in the top, and Lala threaded a string through – FWIW, this is an important dexterity skill for kids. She was very proud of herself for doing this last step in our creation.

You can paint, just make sure to scrape off as much of the shiny coating as you can. Otherwise the paint won’t last more than a day. We did not bother to paint as the rain would have washed it off rather quickly and the dog probably would have eaten the paint chips from the ground. Our dog, while cute, is not the smartest. I also screwed the lid back on – no point in having a ‘roof’ if there is a hole in it.

 

Lala carefully filled the bottom with bird seed and I hung it outside of her bedroom window, so she would watch the birds.

I don’t know if we’ll actually get any birds, given that it’s spring and the dog goes crazy whenever a bird nears our yard, but given that the birds usually tease the dog by sitting just our of reach on a wire or fence post, they probably don’t give a hoot (see above).

Lala is just excited that it’s out there and it means there is something else to look at besides mud and rain puddles.

New Project

Spring time is the time to spruce up, make things anew and let the sun shine in! I have next week and I am planning to clean, declutter, paint, repair and weed up a storm. So, of course, that means starting a new project – because I might as well finish up a new one, while finishing the others. That makes sense right?

Ok, so my thinking might be a little off, but it works for me. Lala’s room was the original master bedroom. It has two closets. Lala does not need two closets. I do, however, desperately need storage space in the kitchen. For a mid-1950’s kitchen there is almost no storage space at all. Where did they put all those futuristic gadgets? The fine china that never got used? The canned goods for atomic attack?  Anyway, my kitchen feels cluttered and disorganized. A pantry would be fantastic!  I’m already planning out the shelving plan. 

First, the beadboard was removed from the dinning room by the contractor (I don’t do stuff requiring a circular saw)  - I really hope that brown stuff was some kind of glue… but really, in this town (where taste went to die) it’s entirely possible that someone thought it was cool color.

 

Also, please note the yummy wallpaper. I’ll bet it went perfectly with the dark brown hexagon tiles on the floor.  Actually, I find it really interesting to see the layers and wonder who was living here at the time. What were they thinking? I know it was in style – did someone put it up thinking “this is going to be soooo cute!” and fall in love with it?

 

 

Then the wall was removed. The pantry will have a pocket door (*squee!*), and that required much of the wall to be removed. Then we realized that probably the shelves from the closet would need something to hang on to that wasn’t the pocket door – yep, the whole wall had to come down to rebuild it to be able to hold the door and shelves and anything else I wanted.

Notice the cuddler helpfully attempting to electrocute himself. Luckily, not only were the wires capped, but they were also tucked into the wood and then wrapped heavily with electrical tape. My contractor has little kids too!

Everything was shimmed, screwed in place, wired, nailed, etc. all in preparation for the dry wall tomorrow. Hopefully, the contractor will be finished by Tuesday. Then I can start my painting and shelving.

Is it sad that I’m excited for a place to put canned goods? And the ice chest. A place to put the durned iced chest.

Bathroom Colors

I know that many people have a hard time choosing color – I know that I do. Originally, I thought I would paint the new bathroom with an aqua color; it would look fantastic with all the white. Unfortunately, what it did not look fantastic with was the blue glass tiles.

So, I have a bunch of new samples. I want something that leans toward a warm tone. It’s cold enough around here – warm colors at least will trick me into thinking I’m warm. However, I’m starting to lean towards the grey on the far right – it has a blue undertone, so I’m still wary.

The grey on the far left is a M*arth* Stew*rt sharkskin color with a green undertone. The yellowish one has brown undertones, as does the 3rd grey, but it’s so light, it’s almost white-ish.

 

Opinions?

Starting to Spring

Yesterday was gorgeous! Well, as gorgeous as it gets around here in March, anyhow. And given that it was Saturday, we had to to do something – sitting around all day is not something that two year old boys do really well.

We decided to head out to the local bulb farm. In the spring, the fields can look something like a postcard from Holland. This early, however, it mostly rows of Daffodil bulbs. By next week, it should be a riot of yellow. We also saw many horses and cows along the drive. When you are two and three the farm animals are important.

We picked up several bunches of Daffodils to brighten our table and some Primroses for the front porch.

The cuddler has entered the “helper” stage, so he helped me plant out on the front porch when we came home. He decided which colors should go together and learned about about how to remove a plant from it’s pot without hurting it. He’s got quite an eye for grouping flowers. It looked quite pretty.

blogging with children

 

Last night, I though to myself that I should join one of those ‘blog hops’. You know… see who turns up and who I ‘meet’. I’m a sociable person.  Unfortunately, between dinner, introducing a new babysitter and chaperoning a high school dance I ran out of time. I try not to publish anything after 1 am; nothing good is published after 1 am.

This morning, after making breakfast, I decided to try again.

While trying to keep two toddlers entertained, but unhurt. Also with out loosing any furniture. So far, no one has been seriously injured.

But I typed in the wrong blog address in the Mr. Linky thingy. Yes, I did.

I know there is no such thing as ‘multi-tasking’. Why do I keep trying to do it?

Schooling

Last week I registered Lala for Pre-K. It was exciting, while at the same time bittersweet. I'm excited that she is growing up and exploring new things… but she's also moving out of my control. Sure, she attends daycare, but it's a daycare that I choose with a low child/teacher ratio. A facility where they have time to care for her special needs and her educational needs.

I don't believe that my local public school does not have that environment. I know the teachers, working in the same district. They are wonderful, caring teachers. They work hard to give the best education to all of their students. But, dear reader, there are only 24 hours in a day and these teachers are human beings. The kind with bladders and families of their own; they deserve to be able to have access to both.

The fact is that local public school is slowly dying the death of a thousand cuts. Class sizes are so large that there is not enough room for all the desks needed. That alone is enough to give me pause. There will only be one teacher for all those students. No aid, no helper… no one watch others while Susie has a temper tantrum, Johnny wets his pants, Billy eats paste and Betty tries out her Power Ranger super kick on Tommy. By the way, the teacher also gets no break until lunch time. Lunch will be a scarfed down power bar, while trying to set up for the afternoon and tutoring Jimmy, Shawn, Cody and Joe (they don't know the Alphabet). Notice there is no time to use the bathroom… for six hours. The teacher will then spend another four to six hours preparing for the next battle day. There won't be time to cook a dinner for her/his own family or play with her/his own children; just a never ending meat grinder of "get-er-done". Sounds great doesn't it? Remember Lucy and the candy conveyer belt? My child is not a product to be wrapped.

That's why I'm shelling out the big bucks for a private school.  One with small class sizes, teachers who are treated like human beings, lots of helpers and plenty of room to move around. The students actually play – because playing is how littles learn… not by sitting for hours at a desk – because no one can watch 30 kids run around alone. Although I know those teachers in the public Pre-K are wonderful people, I also know that they aren't able to do the job of four people.

Uniforms and standardized testing make great window dressing, but they won't educate my child. Cutting union bargaining laws make great sound bites, but they won't educate my child. Spending billions on the latest fad, the latest test, the latest gizmo will make someone rich, but it won't educate my child.

That's what any parent should care about.

Decluttering

Anyone with children will tell that they come with a LOT of " stuff". Some of it isn't even really their "stuff"! For example, my cookie cutter collection has tripled since Lala's arrival. Toss in very generous grandparents and birth parents who sent boxes of things for every. single. holiday. on. the. calendar. and it just adds up tremendously.

Some things I have no qualms about tossing. Pens without lids. Playdough. Broken toys. Then again... somethings I can't bring myself to toss... MY favorite shirts for the cuddler. All of the children's books in french that my mother would cry about if I tossed away. Some times I think the list of things I can't bring myself to toss is larger that the really usable list.

Really, it's not good to have so much stuff. First, it takes way too much time to keep clean. Second, the kids do not enjoy having cluttered spaces; they can't play and it makes their behavior wacky. Third, it makes me feel like the worst mom ever. Kids deserve to have a nice place to live with a mom who can play with them instead of constantly moving things around or trying to fold 47 pairs of pants - for a toddler!

Do you have a decluttering system? How do you choose what gets tossed and what does not?

For what it's worth, I did toss the stained shirts that were MY favorites for the cuddler. I cut out the designs on the front and tossed the rest. At less the designs take up less room than the whole shirts did.

Mom Tip #33

Keep your car gassed up! I know, it sounds silly… and raise your hand if you heard your Dad’s voice when you read that first sentence. Yah, me too.

In light of last week’s events, keeping at least it at least half-tankfull seems like a good idea.

A few years ago, we had a severe wind storm. A lot of damage and no electricity any where. Many people were living like a pioneer for more than two weeks. Listening to our local radio station it seemed like half the population was lined up at the only working gas station in the area. Some ran out of gas waiting in the line – imagine what would have happened if that person had had to leave because flood or tsunami? Luckily we didn’t have to head for the hills, but the peace of mind in knowing that we could was well worth the extra ten minutes.

We think about getting our children’s favorite snack and making it to swim team practice on time. Some how we’ve got to put those rarely needed, but desperately needed tasks in to the mix too.

We’re Off

As much as I complain (and complain) about the weather where we live, it does have many, many good qualities. One of the best is the local children’s museum. It is possibly the best children’s museum I’ve ever seen. This includes every museum in NYC – which are pretty nice. Our local children’s museum is devoted to hands on learning.

Lala’s first trip was devoted to driving the school bus. And the ambulance. They actually have an ambulance complete with siren and stretcher in the back. They can “drive” the ambulance to the hospital – it’s a complete emergency room! Or to the dentist office. Or the veternarian’s… which ever they choose. That’s after going through the farm where the kids “pick” apples, corn, potatoes, etc. Run a store, butcher or bakery or decided to put on a play – with costumes and sound effects. I can’t even describe the science area – complete with tug boat!

And it’s all indoors! Majorly important feature around here.

Sure it’s a bit pricy for us single parents, is a long drive and requires that I take someone with me, but it’s so worth it. Next year, they’re going to open one that is even better (shocking!) and I can’t wait for it. If there is anything kids need it’s learning that is fun! They’ll be sucked into sitting at a desk for 6 hours a day soon enough.

Emergency Plans

We all awoke this morning to the news of the devastating earthquake in Japan. While watching the news, I noticed the scrolling text on the bottom of the screen and discovered that schools were delayed today because of a tsunami warning.  It’s something we live with – there are signs like the one on the left are found all around here.

It made me think… do I know remember what the daycare’s emergency evacuation plan is? Where will the kids be taken in case of tsunami? Where would I pick them up? How long will staff members take care of them?

My job requires me to responsible for someone else’s children in case of emergency, but if I am, who will be watching mine?

Have you reviewed the emergency plan at your children’s school/daycare? Do you have a plan? Do you children know what it is? I know that some would say not to expose your child to the worry, but I believe that forewarned is forearmed. It’s a relief for them to know who is going to care for them or what they need to do if something happens. Have you done this?

Mom Tip #63

I can’t remember where I saw this, but it worked like a charm!

Mildew in bath toys? Pour some vinegar inside (or pour a tiny bit on top of the hole and then depress toy carefully and release, so that the toy will ‘suck’ in the vinegar). The vinegar will kill off the mildew.

The article also recommended not buying any more of these types of toys, but if you are like me, that isn’t always a choice. I almost never buy toys and yet we have a household.

Spring-like?

Ok, the photo is from last year… but I thought a photo little green shoots was just sad. Every March I’m desperate for spring to finally come, eagerly waiting for flowers, sunshine and warmth.

Today we did finally get to play outside for awhile! We even broke into the sandbox!! Ok, the cuddler was much more excited than I was about that one. But I was able to get out the pruning sheers and start cutting away some dead stuff around the hydrangeas and the raspberry bushes. It’s not much, but it was something outdoors! Without rain or freezing wind! During daylight hours! I know! It’s so exciting!

Afternoon

An afternoon by myself! Woot!

Sure there is a pile of laundry waiting for me at home, amongst other chores… but some times you’ve got to do it!

Wrote for several hours, listened to music and just generally worked on what I wanted to without interruption. I even tried to call people to have a conversation that would not be interrupted by children screaming… but apparently everyone else was out having their own day off.

Love Drop

Last month the Love Drop Team raised over $13,000 (and 3 iPads!) to help two little boys with autism receive a service dog. They were beyond touched, and we did this in only 1 month - that's it. Everyone came together and gave a few bucks each to impact one family's life. If you were a part of it, THANK YOU!  You can check out the final video of us showing up to their house here - it's pretty cool.

This month we start all over again and rally behind Katie, a single mom out in Dallas battling not only two brain tumors so far (she's knocked out one, and currently working on the other), but who's also dealing with hydrocephalus. We'd love to bring the community her way, and make a huge dent in her medical bills.

Wanna help?  Here are 3 ways we could use you:

1. Give $1.00 - This is the best way to help out and join our team at the same time.
2. Join our blogger network - Blog about our Love Drops each month like I am :) It's easy, it's rewarding, and it REALLY helps spread the word (which in turn helps our families). Love Drop will give you all the content you need.
3. Give a gift or provide a service - Gift cards are always helpful. Places like Target, Safeway, gas stations, etc would definitely help them out.

Thanks for reading!  Here's to love, baby.

Do You Remember?

Do you remember getting “the call”? Whether you adopted domestically, internationally, or what-have-you, you probably got some sort of call.
I actually got a few. The first one was just under 24 business hours after I receive my license. I immediately had to go and tell everyone at work. Of course, they were just as excited for me, as I was excited. One co-worker even called the placement co-ordinator to get more information about the placement and timing. I didn’t actually pick up Lala until two days later.
Yep, Lala was my first foster care placement. She returned to her birth mother after 11 months.
A year and half later, I got another call for Lala. This time to do respite for her birth mother. Although I was excited to see her, I was told it would only be for a week. Five days later, I received a call from her case worker. Something had happened and it looked like I would be adopting Lala… or at least as close as they get to making a commitment.
Another single momma is really close to getting her call. She’s been waiting much longer than I, so I can only guess how that magnifies her excitement. Perma-grin, inability to focus, laughing out loud at seemingly random times… it’s all good!

Mom tip #27

Are you a regular user of dryer sheets? If so, there is something that needs to be done to keep it in top condition and possibly prevent an electrical fire.

Wash (and I mean scrub) your lint trap!

The other day my parents visited my home. While my step mother was doing some laundry she took out the lint trap to empty it and noticed dryer sheets on a shelf nearby. After asking if I used them regularly, she took the lint trap into the kitchen and ran it under the water faucet. The water did not go through! The screen was filled with water!  Using the dryer sheets clogs the screen of the lint trap.

Give it a good scrub and your dryer will dry the clothes faster, use less electricity and keep it working for a longer time.

Or you could hang it outside… should be in a climate where it’s not going to be raining daily for the next three months.

Wordless Wednesday

March 1

Please let spring be just around the corner… I’m tired of cold and wet. Spring break is only 29 days away and I’m counting each and everyone one of them.

Therapy

Since we’ve ruled out a laryngeal cleft, Lala’s primary care physician has recommended swallow therapy. Now that she is nearly four, perhaps she can be taught to swallow.

Our local school district offers such therapy – for free! – and is currently looking for children to add to their program. Lucky me, I knew exactly who to call to get more information. Hopefully on Monday we can start the process to get the therapy. I’m quite sure there will be tons of paperwork, but maybe it will distract me from fights over juice boxes and why we don’t take drinks from any else’s cup.

Home Improvement

When I first bought my house, I had a punch list of things to do approximately two pages long. In fact, someone asked me why I would buy a house with such a list… why not just find a house with all those things already done. After having looked at about 100 houses and having viewed other since then, I’m pretty sure that my dream house either does not exist in this area or is just too far out of my price range. Either way, here I am.

The punch list is not only extensive, but it’s also expensive. And time consuming. Thus the reason that it’s only about a third crossed off. One major project this summer was to re-do the bathroom. All I can say about the old bathroom is purple toilet. That pretty much says it all, doesn’t it? To say a bit of money, I did not have the contractor put up the wall-paper or paint. Paint is definitely in my skill set. And wall-paper can’t be that hard. I’m a teacher. I’m good with glue. Also, the wall-paper is white. Simple.

Cue six months later and I still haven’t finished the bathroom. What can I say? The school year started and I got busy. Toss in two small children and the idea of wall-paper sounds really scary. But I’ve slowly been working on it.  I started with scraping off the ‘texture’ off the wall.

The previous owners looooooved textured walls. Every wall in in the house was hosed down with those little dry wall nubbuals. Except the kitchen, thank heavens. Anyways, I heard all these horror stories from people who had attempted to de-texturized their walls. One person even said, I would probably have to re-drywall all the walls. Scary! Then I tried scraping it with a scraper-type tool. Came right off. *Sigh of relief” A little scraping and a lot of sanding and vacuuming and I was ready to go. By the way, I scraped in December. And then did nothing for another two months. I am not speedy.

I did experiment with a paint color in November, but I’m still undecided. Everyone who has come to house is required to give an opinion. Only one person voiced my concerns – why did I go with a green, if the accent tiles are deep blue? We’ve been friends since 1984, so I think she’s pretty honest. I’ll let you look at the photos and decide for yourself.

Yesterday, I had some free time and I decided that I would put up that wall-paper. It’s the paintable bead board wall paper that everyone was talking about last year. As soon as I saw it I knew that was a project within my skill set. Saws scare me (My kids aren’t old enough to dial 911). This wall-paper requires paste, which means it requires a child-free zone to cut, paste and book. Also, if you only have one bathroom, you need a time frame in which children will not be using it, because they WILL need to use the bathroom when you are in middle of putting up a sheet. Also, the paste directions are vague and require math unless you have enough time to do an entire large room. It takes a few minutes to thicken up – like instant oatmeal. Also, having a small paintbrush handy to paste those edges that might have missed, is a good idea.

As you can see the dominating color in the room is white. It’s a super small bathroom (I’ve seen half baths larger), so a few concessions had to be made to get that airy feel. First is the white on white – the floors are white with a hint of sand and light blue. The bath tile is while with small blue accent tile and of course, the white toilet. After five years of purple toilet, I would kiss it… you know… if it wasn’t a toilet. Oh, the sink is also white. There is no counter, because after trying to jerry-rig one for a couple years, I know it will just make the room feel claustrophobic.

You can see the wall color in the photo on the left, but I think it’s truer in the photo on the right. You can also see the blue accent tiles. Is it a good combination? Maybe I should go with a dove grey?

I’m trying to stay with warm tones, because it’s always cold here and there is not heat in the bathroom. I don’t, however, really want to try to discover a good browny/tan color. It took eight testers and a year to find the right shade for the living room.

What do you think?

If I couldn’t fail…

I would:

1. Complete in the Iron Man Triathlon. No need to win… just be there and complete it.
2. Write a book proposal
3. Ok, maybe this should be number 2… come up with an idea for a book
4. write more freelance inquiries
5. Dance
6. remodel the kitchen, myself
7. work from home
8. design a new landscaping plan
9. start my own business
10. own a farm

What would you do? And why aren’t you?

Wordless Wednesday

11 Things

In my slow continuation of the Reverb10 prompts – supposedly completed during the month of December 2010, but probably continued throughout the year for me…

What are 11 things your life doesn’t need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life? (Author: Sam Davidson)

1. More responsibilities at work.  Every day is just another mad dash to finish projects. I feel crazed all the time with little time to really evaluate what I’m doing – are my students learning? Is the remediation working? Honestly, I just can’t take the time to really examine it… there is always another meeting to get to, another set of papers to grade, more data to enter into a spread sheet, another parent to call – I’m really spread thin and it’s wearing. I need to say “No” more – even if no one else is willing to step up and do it. Perhaps if I stop saying “yes”, someone else will step up and I won’t feel guilty.
2. More pain. 2010 was not a healthy year for me – and I’m still paying for the sudden onset of middle age (!??!). Hopefully, by making healthier choices this year, some of those health issues will be resolved or at least less intrusive in life. It seems like at certain points, choices that I have made caused these problems to increase. Making different choices may decrease these problems or even make them go away completely.
3. Disorganization. Organization makes life so much better, doesn’t it? It’s not just that things are easier to get done, but my anxiety level is conversely related to amount clear floor space. Strange, but true.
4. Laundry! President’s Day Weekend, I washed six loads of laundry. Six! There has to be a way to keep it from getting out of control like that. That weekend I started by getting rid of tons of the Cuddler’s clothes. The kid could go three weeks without running out of clean outfits! What two year old needs that many pieces of clothing? And without that many clothes, the laundry level will drop at least some. I mean, the kid is always half naked anyways!
5. Laziness/Procrastination – I know that everyone has days when they just need a break, but I also know that I can take advantage of that thought a little too much. No one needs to ignore their responsibilities for extended periods of time. (see number 4)
6. Lack of Focus – What is the focus of my life? What is the focus of yours? Do you even think about it? In the midst of toddlerhood, it’s hard to remember what is important when getting everything done. Heck! I’m writing this in February! My focus needs to be more than just survival on a daily basis.
7. Loneliness – I spend my days either with toddlers or with high school students. Not exactly material for heart to hearts, if you know what I mean. I need to make an effort to make some more friends.
8. Lack of patience – I think it’s been mentioned a few times that I’m very busy. To be honest, when I get bored when I’m not busy. On the other hand, just because I’m busy and may have forgotten something or need something right away, does not mean that it’s an emergency for everyone else. And any parent who tells you they don’t need more patience is either medicated or lying.
9. Lack of Budget/Waste – In this economy, everyone needs to be more prudent with finances.
10. Illness – See number 2. I’m sick of being sick!
11. Self-recrimination – really, is there anything more useless? What a type suck!

Free Books and Writing

Since discovering the Kindle app for my phone, I’ve been a bit addicted to it. I am, however, a consummate miser. Which means I stalk the free downloadable books like, well, like me stalking down the last cookie in the house.

There are tons of free/cheap stuff blogs that all seem to have some way discover free books that are actually good. I also check the top 100 free books list on amazon. Last night I downloaded Life From Scratch by Melissa Ford. (which is no longer free, sadly) The protagonist is a blogger, who believes she is a “food blogger” (similar the Julie of The Julie/Julia Project), and the wins a big blogger award because all the readers like reading about her life… along with the cooking. I haven’t finished yet, so I don’t have to worry about giving away the ending to you.

This book inspires me to write more and write better. Not just the part where the blog idea becomes a book idea, and the author sells a book, seemingly by magic, but also the part where what the author publishes really connects with other people. I’ve been keeping diaries for nearly 40 years now. I’ve been writing some form of a blog/online journal since 1998. And while, journals and diaries are good writing exercises, they’re just too narcissistic – or at least, in my case they are. Really, the teacher in me should cringe at the typos, bad grammar and entire paragraphs that don’t make sense. It’s easy to loose that need to write something really good when you’re real name isn’t attached to it. Heck, a lot of my friends don’t even know I publish a blog. (I do wish to point out that most of those friends feel that blogging is weird and creepy, so why bother talking about it, right? I have told them… they just don’t remember or care.) Some days it’s just too much to write and really think about, but is that my best excuse? Crap, why bother to write at all?

I know I’m always on some sort of self-improvement kick, but improving my writing can co-exist with everything else. After all, I am writing about eating healthier, raising wonderful kids, keeping a clean house, exercising more and all that jazz. I might as well attempt to write about in an effective and entertaining manner.

What inspires you? Why do you blog? Are you still blogging for the reasons you started?

Reading your answers and thinking about mine is better than sitting around wondering what happened to all the play-do.

Nothing

Since returning home on Wednesday, it’s been a bit of whirlwind. Work is very, very busy and we have guests this weekend. I haven’t really had the time to sit down and really think about what to write regarding the test.

I guess I would have to say that my main emotion is annoyance. We went through that whole process – hours of driving, hours of sitting around and waiting… all for nothing. The doctor was able to confirm that Lala is aspirating thin liquids (including her saliva), but did we really need to spend what will probably be in the tens of thousands of dollars? Were we too quick to jump on the Laryngeal cleft bandwagon?

Even more important, where do we go from here? Is there anywhere to go? It’s not like this is a huge problem for Lala. She’s healthy and growing and on target developmentally. Why do we need to fix this?

Laryngoscope

As I write this, Lala is under anesthesia (thank the lord for spell check) getting all checked out.

The procedure should only take about 15 minutes – but the prep and recovery will bump that total to five hours. That does not include the hours without food for the both of us. I’d go grab something, but I’m too afraid that I’ll miss something.

She did great right up to point where we were separated – in fact, she got a little bored with the waiting.

Hopefully, the doctor will find that it’s simply a stage one cleft – easily fixed and we’ll be on the road in a couple of hours. That’s what I’m keeping foremost in my mind.

 

And… it’s over! Well, she’s still in recovery waking up, but it’s done. He found nothing.

Pizza Night

Friday night is pizza night around here. We all look forward to it as the signal that the weekend is here.  Because the weekend means, ‘mommy won’t wake me up.’
Lately, Lala has become very grumpy in the morning. The first time I woke her up and she told me “Go go the cuddler!”, I laughed. The 20th time, it wasn’t so funny. When I was late to a meeting at work that I called, it wasn’t so funny.
Although Lala goes goes to bed around 7.30pm, she doesn’t actually fall asleep sometimes until 9.30pm, playing in bed. We have a routine – but it doesn’t make her tired or relax enough to go to sleep. If she wasn’t 3, I’d be thinking about sticking her on the treadmill to wear her out…
What kind of a bedtime routine do you have? Do your kids go to sleep at right away?

Better Bread

I believe I may have complained mentioned that I live in a rather humid area. Actually, it’s more like damp.  Damp and cold. Fighting moss and mildew are constant battles.

And I swear, this is the reason I have a hard time making bread. At least, that is all I can come up with. Despite the success of others in the area, it’s what I’m sticking with.

The other day, however, Country Blossom posted yet another photo of yummy-looking, beautiful, perfect bread loaves. I dug into her archives to find the recipe and try it out. Amish White Bread – it has a 5 star rating with over 2,000 reviews. I would say that is has been tested many, many times.

My results were fantastic! The bread was light and slightly sweet. It was not squishy or moldable, like commercial white breads. And best of all, it rose rather high in less than 8 hours, without the aid of a bread maker. That is key! Bread itself isn’t that hard to make, but can take a while with all the rising, punching down and rising again. If I can combine bread making with laundry and writing, while naps are being taken on the weekend, I can do it easily. When it takes all day and in the evening, well… the hassle just isn’t worth it.

It is definitely going to be added to my weekly routine of bread making!

There is also a recipe for homemade noodles that I would like to try one of these days.

Wordless Wednesday

Diaper Wars

I need help!

The cuddler is constantly taking his diaper off – like, every time he pees, I hear a little voice say “I poopy!”. Now my house is around 1200 sq. feet, yet, I cannot run fast enough after those two magic words to catch him before he has whipped off that diaper. I’ve tried the old “put the diaper on backwards”, “put the footy pj’s on backwards”, and “let him run around naked” bids, only to end up with bodily fluids/solids on the floor.

Before you think it, his body may be ready for potty training, but his brain is not. He has pee’d on the toilet, but only because he wanted to… he does not make the connection between the have-to-pee and peeing on the toilet. One is something that just happens. The other is a fun party time.

Has anyone ever actually used Duct tape? I assumed it was just a joke, but I’m quickly reaching the poop breaking point.

Drop Some Love

Once again the Love Drop team is attempting to make the difference in the lives of one family, and change the world along the way.

Let’s introduce Ethan and Alex. Both are autistic – I think every foster/adoptive is intimately familiar with the process of finding support, interventions and materials to help our children with their needs. This family is no different. They want their children to have the opportunity to grow and shine in the best possible way. They have been approved to receive a service dog, but the cost is nearly insurmountable. It’s a mind boggling amount of money to raise, especially while caring for three children! Our goal is to raise $13,000 so we can get them a highly trained service dog. And if possible, two iPads so they can speak again (they can't even say "I love you" to their mom -- these iPads allow them to get their voice back).

There are so many ways you can step in and help! Even $1.00 will help!

Last month the Love Drop Team raised over $2,500 and boxes after boxes of goods and items to help Jill and her family get through a hard time in their lives (homelessness & financial worries). We did this in 1 month. All 400+ people came together and gave a few bucks each to impact one family's life. If you participated in this, THANK YOU. The final presentation can be seen here. (It's pretty cool!)

Here are 3 ways you can help:
Join the team - This is the best way to help out, and all it takes is $1.00.
Join our blogger network - Blog about our Love Drops each month like I am :) It's easy, it's rewarding, and it REALLY helps spread the word (which in turn helps our families). Love Drop will give you all the content you need.
Give a gift or provide a service - Gift cards (iTunes would be great!), two iPads (so we can help the boys speak again!), and anything else you think could help out.

Preparation

During a conversation with my supervisor yesterday, it sounded like he was preparing me to be laid off in June. I suppose that some would be optimistic and say that that is 6 months away and a lot can happen… but I think it’s better to be prepared. And start saving. It is somewhat ironic that just last week I was saying that I would not like to attempt to sell my house and move, and this week, it’s looking more like that will happen. Can you hear the Universe snickering?

I would love to be able to stay home and write freelance, because it’s a nice dream. To all the moms who pull down the bucks while their kids are home – Kudos! Big time! I’m not sure I would be able to do it. Honestly, some days I’m still trying to figure out how to get everyone fed and all the dishes done, without going crazy. Work? While I’m free to surf the net or watch endless episodes of Dog the Bounty Hunter? (Don’t judge… you know you’re watching Real Housewives!) I dunno if I can do it.

What would you do prepare for a lay off?

Wordless Wednesday