tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53430207204921982422024-03-13T09:00:08.659-05:00oneverybusymommaThe daily trials and tribulations of a busy homeschooling Mommy of 4.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger263125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-23338721122446775522010-03-13T09:31:00.015-06:002010-03-13T20:49:08.466-06:00How do you do it?????I think that's the number one question we get. Now I'll be the first to admit that I'm no super Mom. I yell, and have my moments just like everyone else.<br /><br />But .....<br /><br />there are quite a few tricks that I've learned over the years of parenting, and foster parenting. I think the foster parenting has taught me the most.<br /><br />Bed wetting: This happens quite often with the foster kids. Most kids under the age of 10 will wet the bed their first night here, so that's just a given. They have a hard time getting to sleep, and then when they do they sleep so hard they wet the bed. That is their one and only free pass. After that, it is explained to them why kids wet the bed and what to do when it happens. They learn that if they quit drinking after dinner time, and take a potty break before bed, they will more than likely never wet the bed again. Getting up in the middle of the night and drinking out of the bathroom faucet will almost guarantee a wet bed.<br />And if they wet the bed they are required to strip the sheets and put them in the washing machine. I'll add soap and start it. When it's done they put them into the dryer and I start it. When it's done they bring the sheets down and make their own bed. I help them that first time, and show them how it should look. After that they are flying solo. And it needs to be a good job so that they don't fall off.<br />You don't get in trouble for wetting the bed. However, if you come upstairs in the morning and sit all over my furniture with pissy clothes on - you will be getting a butt chewing right in front of everyone. So, it's best to be honest and upfront and take care of business right away. Thankfully I have leather and can Clorox wipe it down, but that is just beyond gross.<br />You would not BELIEVE the places I've found peed clothing in my house. Closets, under beds, even in my drawers in the bathroom vanity!!!!! That there gets you one big butt chewing! Especially since the foster kids' part of the house is in the addition and everything is new.<br /><br />Speaking of pee: Boys and bathrooms, need I say more! The rule in my house is that if you can't aim then you better sit down because I don't clean up other people's pee. I've even had kids pee on top of the lid during the night! I have 5 bathrooms, 3 of which the kids can use. One is right outside the foster kids' bedrooms. If I go down there and there is pee everywhere, they are handed some Clorox wipes and I watch them clean it. It's hilarious watching the faces they make as they do it! Then I say "now imagine if it was someone else's pee". Then they look like they're going to vomit! I tell them, "I don't make you clean up my pee and I'm not going to clean up yours, so I suggest from now on you keep it in the toilet". It's amazing how that works :o) And don't get me wrong, I make my own kids do the same thing, but they're trained to sit so I don't run into that much. Ooh, and closing the lid, flushing, and washing are ALWAYS required!<br /><br />Laundry: If it's not in the basket, it's not washed, and I do not check pockets. When it comes out of the dryer I will fold it, and they can put it away, as long as it's not inside out. I make piles of inside out stuff and they have to turn it right side out, fold it and put it away themselves. They quickly learn to make sure it's all right side out :o) <br />My kids also have a lot of clothes so that if I can't get to it each weekend, it doesn't matter.<br /><br />Meals: You wash your hands, sit down, eat, and be quiet. You need to make sure you've used the bathroom BEFORE sitting down if you need to. Once you leave the table, you are done. You are required to use your manners. When your food is gone, you get fruit. When the fruit is gone, you get dessert. You are free to get down and be done at any time, but don't toss half your meal and ask me for a cookie because I'll just look at you and make some sarcastic repeat of your pleading case of the full belly that you just handed me! <br />And I always get those manipulative ones that like to tell me they don't like this or that, thinking that they can have something else. NOPE! And many have learned the hard way that if you tell me you don't like something, you won't get it again. If your "belly doesn't like popcorn" because you think you'll get something better, you'll never get popcorn again. If you can't eat sausage at breakfast, don't ask me for sausage pizza! NOPE! I remember these things :o)<br />They also know that we eat 4 times per day. 3 meals and a snack, that's it. We don't munch, haul food around the house, or eat whenever they want, and they don't help themselves to anything. If you don't eat your meal, then you better be ready to be hungry until the next one.<br />Many kids are just in awe of the food we make. We eat all natural, so a lot of it is homemade. Something most of them have never had. They've never had pizza that didn't come out of a box, or even pancakes that weren't either frozen or out of a box/bottle.<br /><br />Behavior: Manners are required in my house. We use manners with the kids and show them respect, and they need to do the same. Most of the foster kids have never had to use manners. I always laugh when I remember one of our regular kids "helping" one of our newer kids get a cookie. The new kid had gotten done eating his food and fruit. He came up to the counter and said "can I have a cookie now?" Right away, the other kid says "DUDE, you better add a please to that or she ain't gonna give you one. You don't get nothin around here without using your manners".<br />I make good use of the time out stool. I don't care how old you are, your butt will sit there or you can go to bed. I've also found the bigger behavioral issues with the older kids, so they are reminded when they are acting like a 2 year old. If they are going to act like a little kid then I'll call them on it. Privileges are earned here by your behavior, not your age. And your bedtime is ALWAYS on the line. NOBODY wants to go to bed early. How HORRIBLE to have to go to bed early when everyone else is up!!!! Especially since Saturday is movie night :o) Ooh, and the new kids always get to pick the movie, so it's special for them.<br /><br />Well, that's some of it. All and all, we manage to keep some kind of order around here. Most people think we have the weekend off when they come and visit because it's so quiet. I just had my foster baby's Grandparents here today to visit her. They were in my living room playing with her and kept noticing kids walking by. She finally asked me "may I ask how many kids you have here." I told her "8 including the baby". Her eyes got big and she said, "ooh my gosh, it's so quiet though". I told her, "well, there's plenty of room, and they have things to do, plus they know that if they want to act like they are outside they will be sent outside to burn off their energy."<br /><br />What I find amazing is that the same kids who follow all of these rules for me, act like animals at home. It's all in the expectations!!!!!<br /><br />Ooh, and follow-through! If you say it, mean it, and do it!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-9477547410060159982010-03-10T20:45:00.008-06:002010-03-10T21:45:15.267-06:00I could write a bookbut it would be too depressing.<br /><br />A book about all the hell my foster/respite kids go through. Not only do most of them have mental/emotional deficits because of their Mother's alcohol/drug abuse during pregnancy. They have so many things that they have to endure, for so many years, it's a wonder they're alive. The older child is always the caretaker. The one trying to keep the family together, making sure the littles get some food, trying to keep the parents happy, and losing their own childhood. Then there are the littles, who are so powerless, unable to even care for themselves, but trying to survive in garbage heaps with no food, clean clothes, etc.<br />The kids are removed, for only several weeks, and in that time we think people can change. People rarely change. As much as they think they love their kids, they love their habits even more. They squeak along, working on this or that, just to stay out of the radar. The kids are stressed because they know their parents are failing, so they'll run around like maniacs cleaning the house whenever someone enters it. They'll stand in shock, wondering if today is the day. But they know there's a better life out there! <br />They're torn! <br />They live for the days that they can come and stay here for the weekend. Some try to be "good" so they "get" to come, and others will be "bad" so they will "get sent" here. (I put it in quotes because these are the things they believe, not the truth) But they still love their parents. And why can't their parents be "normal" like their foster parents????? Why can't they live like we live????? Why can't they have a clean house, food to eat, and someone to pay attention to them. Someone who gives them hugs, asks them what they want to eat, and bakes cookies. Why do they have to wonder when they'll get to eat again. Why do they have to get themselves up and ready for Kindergarten in the morning? Going hungry because there wasn't much supper last night and there's no breakfast.<br />I remember going to Sam's Club and coming home to find kids in awe of how "rich" we were! HOW do you buy so much food???? "You're RICH with FOOD". They want to know what I use THIS for, and when are we going to eat THAT! Can we have some NOW? They get so overwhelmed that I learn to bring the food in when they're in bed or the other room.<br />At first they can't eat so much of it. Their stomachs are so small that they can't eat enough to keep themselves full for very long. After a few weeks they're eating great, but it takes time. I have to MAKE these kids finish their food in those first weeks because they get full so fast. They'll feel sick because their bellies aren't used to being stretched. They'll ask when we're going to eat again and what it's going to be. So if we aren't going to eat again they can save some - because they have a hard time trusting that the food's going to keep on coming.<br />They're skinny! I'm thankful for adjustable waists! Bathing them makes me cry! I feel like I'm going to break them when I dry them off.<br /><br />What is a toothbrush?????<br /><br />I help them the fist time and they are scared when they spit and there's blood - or brown stuff. The brown stuff is from rotten teeth. Brown spit and rotten teeth bring horrible breath. I have to take them to the dentist where they are terrified because they've never been there before. Only to find out how many teeth have to be pulled and how many have to be filled. And this child needs to be put under to do it because there's so much work that needs to be done.....<br />the child is 5!<br />When baby teeth have to be pulled out before the big teeth are ready to come in, you have very few teeth left.<br />Kids will have ear infections that are so bad they can hardly hear anymore. How could that be? The child was just in for an ear infection not that long ago..... You ask the child if they took meds for it. No, but they went to the Doctor for it. I look at the medical records and see prescriptions for meds. Ooh, I see, Mom probably took the meds because she's an addict. The child is suffering with pain and hearing loss for months because Mom took her meds. We go see an ENT who sucks out the extensive amount of fluid to see that her drum is deformed and she now needs a tube.<br />We go to the eye Dr., because one child has a horrible lazy eye and he remembers having glasses but they broke about a year ago. Child is legally blind in that eye and the other eye isn't so hot!!!!! <br />Child is failing in school!!!!! <br />Child can't see a DAMN thing!!!!!<br />But Mom has her drugs!<br />and her ear infection meds!<br />We get him some RAD glasses - they're blue :o)<br />I see the child 6 months later and his glasses are "broken". Probably lost - because they've moved 3 times since then. <br />Ooh, and another new school next week!<br /><br />They don't complain!<br /><br />I KNOW!!!!!<br /><br />Hard to believe isn't it, but they don't. My own kids complain all the time, but these kids don't complain about anything they've been through. Most of the info I get from them has to be brought out in a round-about way. They are not looking for a pity party. It's almost like the roles get reversed. Their parents complain non-stop. Everyone is out to get them, they've done nothing wrong, they need this and they need that. But the kids just go with the flow.<br />I hear about how "clean" my house is. (Again, something they believe, but not necessarily the truth :o) They call their house "messy". I wouldn't call a landfill messy, but to them that's normal, and it's actually supposed to be that way.<br /><br />I told ya I could write a book about it. You'd be surprised to know how many families this is about.....Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-74709570753790523142010-03-07T11:09:00.007-06:002010-03-07T20:37:26.452-06:00A fun weekendWe are having such a fun weekend. Our 3 foster kids from last Summer are here for the weekend for respite. They are such wonderful kids and it's so fun to have them here. Our kids were just jumping up and down and screaming when they arrived, lol!<br />I really hope that we get to see more of them. We were planning on taking them camping with us one weekend this Summer, but seeing them now is even more fun. As I write this, Hubby is off to the pool with 5 of the kids. P stays here because she does aquatherapy on Fridays and it gets too crazy there on the weekends because of all the other kids there. I also have the 2 year old visitor here :o) They are having lunch right now because the 2 year old was starting to doze off and I want her to eat before her nap so she'll sleep well :o)<br />The weather is still just fabulous, although I could do without the mudd! Never fails, kids are like magnets to water and mudd, lol! Plus dogs with muddy feet do wonders to clothing! It's supposed to be even nicer this week, up in the middle to upper 40's! But it's supposed to rain 3-4 of the days, sooooo - more mudd :o)<br />I really feel for those that are going to get flooding this year again. This extra rain and mild weather aren't helping any :o(<br />Well, back to the laundry :o)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-73930101220705142992010-03-04T22:16:00.005-06:002010-03-04T22:33:53.179-06:00InterestingToday was an interesting day. We had a family come and meet us so that we can do respite care for the kids. It's strange to invite a stranger into your house, but I understand her wanting to meet us first. It gives me a really good reason to get my house cleaned up good :o) Now we have 15 kids that we do respite for, so our weekends are quite exciting to say the least.<br />My 15 passenger van has been in the shop for the last week and we finally got it back yesterday. I really missed it because it's tough to get them all into a minivan all the time. Especially now with the new booster seat law we have. It's nice to have enough room that everyone has enough space to be able to get buckled up without running into each other. It's not fun trying to get P up into the van, but I'm going to get her a step stool so it will be easier.<br /><br />Tomorrow our foster kids from last Summer are coming to spend the weekend with us. We are very excited to see them again. They were such sweet kids :o) Hopefully we'll get to start having them more often.<br /><br />On a homeschooling note. My kids are trying to figure out what kind of schooling schedule they would like better. Right now we do school from 9-11am each day. My son told me today that it would be really nice if we could do school for 2 days per week and have 5 days off, lol. I told him that we do 10 hours per week and if they want to change it to 2, 5 hour days that they could do that. However he needs to talk to his sister about it and get her ok also. We'll see how that works out :o)<br /><br />I do think we are going to start doing year round school this year though. That way if I have another baby we can take time off then if we need it. They don't do much in the mornings during the Summer anyways, so we might as well learn something. That way we won't have to review everything they have forgotten by Sep.<br /><br />The weather has been SO beautiful the last couple weeks that most of our snow is gone. March makes me nervous though because it's the month when we usually get the MOST snow each year. Hopefully this year will be different, lol!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-64300231844522591132010-03-03T09:53:00.004-06:002010-03-03T10:19:44.717-06:00As my blog title says...I've been one very busy Momma :o) Sorry I haven't been on here much lately, heck I didn't even get Christmas letters out this year. We got 4 high maintenance foster kids on Dec. 10th and it's been busy, busy since then. They were here until the end of January, but apparently the word got out that we are very flexible with our schedule, so we've had respite, crisis nursery, and some free babysitting(because social services wouldn't pay for it and the child needed it, but that's another story) going on quite regularly. Every weekend is booked up with anywhere from 2-6 extra kids, and the weekdays vary depending on the needs. Right now we have a 10 month old for the day.<br />We've also been doing a lot of extra curricular activities. The kids love going to homeschool gym time with their homies, and the older 2 are taking basketball at the local public school also. P is back to aqua therapy each week and is loving it. She walks around that pool like she owns it now :o)<br />So, the mornings are filled up with homeschool, and the afternoons are spent running around here or there, or doing my phone calls/paperwork while the kids are outside playing. The weather has been wonderful lately :o)<br />I've also had quite a few Dr. apts too because we've decided to maybe have another baby, or a few :o) We were going to adopt more kids but are finding that the greater majority have more issues than we are prepared to deal with on a lifetime basis. We already have 3 with developmental issues and don't feel we should take on more. Granted, if we were to have another special needs child we'd be fine with that and take it in stride, but we don't want to do it voluntarily. So we'll see how it goes. It's going to take some major planning because our foster/respite care will have to come to a quick end if/when I get pregnant because my pregnancies are like something out of a horror movie :o) We're quite excited, and our kids are flipping out with excitement because they LOVE having a house full of kids, which is good because that's what we want :o) And having a house full of kids that don't all have FASD/RAD/drug withdrawal/etc. will be even more fun :o)<br />So that's a little of our update :o) I'll try to be better about getting on here and also answering some of your questions. I know quite a few have been asked and I haven't had the time to get to them. If you'd like to add to my list just email me or post a comment :o)<br />Have a wonderful day ♥Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-24799248444657329722010-01-31T22:21:00.006-06:002010-02-03T11:01:17.049-06:00She's walking on her own!P will be 6 next Saturday. On her 5th birthday she took her first steps with us right there touching her shoulder to give her a little stability and confidence. TODAY, she stood up off the couch and walked across the room all by herself! We were playing the Wii and she wanted to touch the people on Daddy's 50" screen that's right at her level :o) She was just a girl on a mission to get at the tv and as soon as I'd guide her back to the other side of the room and let go of her, she'd make a U-turn and head right back over there, lol :O) It's a wonderful day :o)<br /><OBJECT id=BLOG_video-bef3026d233a51da class=BLOG_video_class width=320 height=266 contentId="bef3026d233a51da"></OBJECT>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-91816243373067106162009-10-25T19:05:00.005-05:002009-10-25T19:34:45.755-05:00Oh HAIL no!Tonight we were carving pumpkins, and P usually dives right in, grabs a handfull, and then has to be stopped before eating it, lol! WELL, tonight she decided she would have nothing of it, lol! Dave grabbed her hand and put it in the pumpkin and she quickly pulled her hand out, ripped him a new one, and then kept her hands as close and tightly fitted to her body as she could.<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTthV9NKII/AAAAAAAAAd8/3lJE2x1c2NM/s1600-h/2009_10251025090046.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396699410582022274" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTthV9NKII/AAAAAAAAAd8/3lJE2x1c2NM/s400/2009_10251025090046.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTsyAybQBI/AAAAAAAAAdc/LAud7C7R5hQ/s1600-h/2009_10251025090047.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396698597445812242" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTsyAybQBI/AAAAAAAAAdc/LAud7C7R5hQ/s400/2009_10251025090047.JPG" /></a> The rest of the kids had a blast carving their pumpkins.<br /><br /><div><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTsy8UPEgI/AAAAAAAAAds/nEawz7Eemfo/s1600-h/2009_10251025090043.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396698613425312258" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTsy8UPEgI/AAAAAAAAAds/nEawz7Eemfo/s400/2009_10251025090043.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTsycEiSFI/AAAAAAAAAdk/7IOpJWZ5YzE/s1600-h/2009_10251025090045.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396698604769527890" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTsycEiSFI/AAAAAAAAAdk/7IOpJWZ5YzE/s400/2009_10251025090045.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTszE4660I/AAAAAAAAAd0/nCEl9AaJPek/s1600-h/2009_10251025090049.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396698615726664514" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SuTszE4660I/AAAAAAAAAd0/nCEl9AaJPek/s400/2009_10251025090049.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-18123497132413294732009-10-18T19:59:00.002-05:002009-10-18T20:24:52.910-05:00My RecipezaarI tried to email my recipezaar.com favorites cookbook to some of my friends, but it didn't work, so here are some of my FAVORITE recipes ;O)<br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Homemade-Syrup-23460">Homemade pancake syrup</a> - we don't have maple flavoring so, we use vanilla<br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Pancakes-65049">Pancakes</a><br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Moms-Chicken-Nuggets-46233">Chicken Nuggets</a> - you can also use larger pieces of chicken and make patties. They are awesome from what I've been told :o)<br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Homemade-Marshmallows-15589">Homemade Marshmallows</a> - it makes a lot and if you put them in the freezer, they don't freeze, but stay nice for a long time :o)<br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Unknownchef86s-Very-Best-Dinner-Rolls-96514">Dinner Rolls</a> - These are to die for!<br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Whipping-Cream-118677">Whipping Cream</a> - I use powdered sugar instead of regular sugar<br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Oatmeal-Chocolate-Chip-Cookies-II-4065">Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies</a><br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Unfried-Refried-Beans-234919">Refried Beans</a> - I doubled the ingredients but not the water and it turned out great.<br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Fresh-Green-Beans-with-Garlic-12436">Green Beans with Garlic</a><br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Chicken-Breasts-Smothered-in-Tomatoes-and-Mozzarella-108633">Chicken Breasts Smothered in Tomatoes and Mozzarella</a><br /><a href="http://www.recipezaar.com/Pizza-Dough-Abm-251840">FABULOUS Pizza Dough</a> - I add a ton of Italian Seasoning from Sam's Club :o)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-30743863611969862962009-10-10T20:19:00.003-05:002009-10-10T20:39:55.259-05:00Wow!I can't believe it's almost been a month since I've been on here! It's been busy. My garden went totally wild. I had tomatoes that were HUGE, and a lot of them. I think one day I picked 8 bags of them, plus a whole wagon of carrots, and a bunch of squash. I was bummed that I left a ton of them in there that were still green, but I could hardly manage the ones I did have. I definitely need to have fewer tomato plants next year :o) I must thank my WONDERFUL Mother for helping me process them into a bunch of spaghetti sauce. I also made some fresh salsa :o)<br />We've also been busy with school. We go to the park with friends, went to learn about bugs at the Eastman Nature Center, and to our local History Center. The kids are getting right into school and are loving it. They're always excited to see what President we are learning about each week, and what the Science experiments are going to be. They both hate math, but do well at it, and they LOVE to read. There is nothing quite like the satisfaction of teaching your child to read. Every book is a proud moment because you can see those little minds ticking along :o)<br />P is enjoying school. I love her aid, and everyone else that works with her for that matter. She's always coming home happy and in good shape. They hired another K teacher, so they were able to split the classes into 18 kids each, instead of 24. That was nice to see :o) This last week I went with her on a fire station field trip, and Daddy went with to an apple orchard. We all had a blast! She loved riding on the bus with Daddy and started chewing on the seat in front of her, lol!<br />She spent a couple days in the hospital a couple of weekends ago. She had some kind of internal bleeding and we're still not totally sure what it was from. Possibly some kind of GI irritation or something like that. We took her to the ER with blood in her stool and they sent us via ambulance to Gillette Children's Trauma Center in St. Paul. I LOVE that place! We've had bad experiences with Children's Hospital in Minneapolis, so I definitely wanted Gillette. That's where a lot of her specialists are through anyways. She goes in again next week for a GI Clinic with the GI Specialists. Hopefully we'll have some answers soon, but for now she's on Prevacid (antacid) and that seems to be helping.<br />Hubby is still on the beating path for a job. It's unbelievable that he hasn't been hired yet. He's applied for hundreds of jobs. I've started applying and whoever gets the full time job will work, and the other one will stay home with the kids. I think he's over qualified for many of the jobs he applies for, and the ones that he is qualified for require a degree. We'll see...<br />I just started selling Avon! I'm very excited. I've placed a link on the sidebar to my store if you'd like to check it out, or pass it on to anyone who might be interested. I'd greatly appreciate your business :o) They've come a long way since I sold it 15 years ago. Now you can order online and have it shipped right to you! Or, if you are local, you can have it shipped to me and I can give it to you. Whatever works for you :o) They even have women and girls clothes now, and the prices are amazing! And you can't beat the makeup. I have to control myself or I'll spend more than I make, lol! I definitely have to set some goals and limits for myself, lol! If I sell x amount, I can buy x amount, lol!<br />Anyways, that's my update. Thanks for checking in and I'll try not to disappear for so long this time :o) Enjoy the rest of your weekend :o)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-89717472194417031412009-09-12T19:15:00.005-05:002009-09-12T20:13:54.882-05:00Back to our small family :o)The foster kids left last week and we are back to our small family of 4 kids :O) I know that's not small to most people, but it's SO quiet around here and my kids are longing for more playmates :o)<br />J had his first day of Special Ed for the year on Wednesday. He's loving his new teacher and friends, and was excited to be there. He did a great job!<br />P started Kindergarten on Thursday and I went with her for the day. I let her ride the bus and then went to the school myself. It was good to meet her aid, teacher, and all of the different ladies that will be working with her during the day. She has probably 8 or more different ladies that will be helping with her during various times. Her teacher, aid, resource worker, lunchtime lady (also the school social worker-awesome lady), adaptive phy ed teacher, speech teacher, PT, OT, and probably a couple more. It seems kind of scary but I already knew almost all of them from the last 2 years that she's been there. I kind of like having more than one person because it keeps check on her and what's going on. In her class there is the teacher, her aid, and the regular class aid. There are 24 kids in the class in all. I LOVE her teacher. She's young and energetic, and such a sweet lady.<br />A & W started school here on Tuesday. It was a tough start for W because he, for some reason, thought when I said that we were quitting Connections Academy to "have more time to do fun stuff and field trips with our home school group" that it meant we would be doing all fun and games, lol! It took him quite a while and some major meltdowns to get the work done for the day. I held my ground though. I never allow my kids to whine their way our of doing an assignment I've given them. That would open a huge can of worms that we aren't even going near. We later had a nice talk about the importance of education and how smart he is. I honestly think he's an "advanced placement" kid, but he would rather stare at the wall and do nothing. He's a grade ahead in Math and reads great. It's quite impressive for a kid with FASD who just turned 6, however it comes with a dedicated Mother who won't allow him to quit. If he were in public school I guarantee he would fail because he can be so slow and distracted. If given the extra time, and several repeats of the instructions at times, he's brilliant. If it were up to him he'd go to public school in a heartbeat because he's never been there and thinks is SO wonderful. But for now, we're not even going there :o)<br />"A" is a dedicated homeschooler :o) She LOVES being home with me, adores her home school playgroup friends (and some public school friends), and just thrives in the extra attention and hands-on instruction. She loves having the extra time to do crafts and practice piano, and is content to NEVER go back to public school.<br />I'm very excited that Fall is on the way and Winter is coming. Fall is such a beautiful season, and I LOVE the clean whiteness of Winter. I always hope for an early snowfall so we can enjoy the beauty of it. I also like that the bugs are gone :O), and I can bake and cook and not worry about heating up the house all the time. The smell of fresh baked goodies in a closed-up house is marvelous.<br />My garden is doing FABULOUS! All of my tomatoes that I had started in my house are growing strong out there, as well as the row of tomatoes that I planted as seeds. The seed ones aren't much smaller than the ones I started inside either. The cool Summer has kept them from turning red though so I'm hoping that they will finally turn red before the first freeze. I have tons of them out there just waiting to be picked. I've started bringing them in and ripening them in paper bags, but I don't want to have to do it with them all. However, the ones ripened in the house are much nicer looking. I also have got tons of carrots out there. I have picked quite a bunch of green beans, a few peas, some cucumbers, chili peppers, and broccoli. The long-neck squash just keep on coming and my Mom has made applesauce-squash muffins with it. They are awesome! We also have 1 cantaloupe growing out there and it's SO CUTE! Our pumpkins came up too and we have about 10 that are getting pretty big. A few grew out of the fence so we're hoping that the deer don't get them :0) We kind of overdid it on the lettuce. You can only eat it so fast and it all comes up at once. Next year I'll plant a few feet each week so it won't get so out of hand. And ONCE AGAIN!!!!! my watermelons didn't come up :o( <br />I'm making notes for next year of the things I'll change. <br />1. The lettuce, as mentioned before. <br />2. We are going to grow the pumpkins and squash out in the back yard in a big pile of soil, so they can get crazy without taking up so much space. <br />3. I want vining green beans because I got WAY MORE when I used those last year! I'm also going to plant a lot more of them because we eat them like crazy. <br />4. I learned this year to stake up my vining peas because they rot on the ground :o( <br />5. I'm going to plant my tomatoes all around the fence line so I can just tie them to it and not have to pound stakes all over. The ones I did tie to the fence stayed there beautifully :o) <br />6. I won't let the kids plant a row of wildflowers in the middle next year because it blocks the sprinklers :o) However, my redneck self, had hubby put a metal green fence post into the ground and duct tape the sprinkler to it so now it's 3 feet off the ground and working great :O) hehe<br />7. I'm going to combine my rows and make my isles larger. That way I can plant in larger sections, instead of long skinny rows.<br />8. I'm going to plant a ton more cucumbers because the kids love them and I also want to slice them and make dill pickles for the kids, since all the store ones have dye in them! (I'm SO hoping that someday healthy will out win pretty :o)<br />9. I'm going to plant earlier, because damn it, if it freezes, I'll just do it over :o) I'd rather take the chance and have earlier veggies.<br />10. I'm going to sit all of my flowering baskets in the garden to get the twice daily watering until they are blooming bright and ready to hang. Otherwise, they get forgotten and don't go very far :o)<br />Well, back to the laundry I go :o) Have a great weekend!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-28638327726498741892009-08-29T08:15:00.007-05:002009-08-29T09:19:50.208-05:00Here I am :o)Sorry I haven't been around much! We got the 4 foster kids and life got REALLY busy! They all have to go to Dr. check ups, dental visits, eye visits, specialists, etc. Plus I had to get them all registered for school, go to counseling apts, visitations, etc. Not to mention the mounds of paperwork, lol! I also have to tend to my garden and have some fun too :o)<br />One of them left after about 5 weeks to go to a previous foster home that was willing to adopt her. She had behavioral issues that were beyond what we would be willing to live with for a lifetime, and we just don't have time for the intense counseling that would've gone with a child like that. Most of her behaviors were because she wanted to go to the other foster home because she has known them for most of her life. I'm glad she's where she wants to be and I'm glad she's not here anymore because it took a toll on my other kids.<br />The other 3 kids are great. They also have an older brother that might be coming to live with us. We're not sure yet though because they might be going to live with their Mom again soon. We'll see...<br /><br />Other than that I've been working hard to get ready for school to start. J will be in special ed 2 days per week again this year and P will be in K. She will only be going 2 days per week because they do that every other day schedule and I told them she needs to have at least one day per week off that is consistant, so Friday will be her day off. She'll be in a regular class with an aid all day that will be with only her. She'll participate and listen to what she can and then she'll be pulled out to practice walking and therapies, and do adaptive phy ed. I'm very nervous about her going this year. She'll be with all new people and new kids. The last few years she's had the same therapists, assistants, and teachers. I'm very glad that her special ed teacher from before will be her case manager though because she's the one that knows her the best there. We'll see how it goes. I still get PCA hours for Peyton, so if it doesn't go well I'll just bring her back home and have a PCA here to help her while she learns with my other kids.<br />A & W will be starting 2nd and 1st grades here at home this year. They are each a grade ahead in math, so they will be doing their own math at their own pace. They will also read and learn language arts at their own pace. All of the other subjects will be taught together because that's what they prefer. Last year they were each doing different things, and every time I'd be reading science or social studies to one of them, the other one would be more interested in that assignment than what they were supposed to be doing :o)<br />They are going to be doing Math Mammoth for math. <br />Language Arts/Reading is going to consist of then reading lots of books of ours and from the library. I'll also do a lot of reading with them. We have a few websites online that have great spelling and vocabulary games. One of them lets you put your own spelling words in, and then it creates the spelling game/test so they can practice.<br />For History, we are going to learn about a President each week, and the history of their lives, where they live, their families, what happened during their term(s), and what they accomplished while in office.<br />For Geography, we are learning about each of the 50 states, their capitals, landmarks, people, history, state birds/flag/tree, and things like that. They will also have field journals that they will write and draw pictures in after going outside each day. They will tell what they saw and about the weather. They learned a lot about weather last year that they can put into their observations. We will also be reviewing the things we learned last year, like continents, oceans, streets, maps, etc.<br />For Social Studies, we are learning about different cultures in America and around the world. We will learn about their foods, traditions, dress, etc.<br />Science will be learning about how things work together and the natural environment around us. We will be doing lots of research and science experiments.<br />Home Ec is something we do all the time anyways when we cook and bake. They also know a lot about different foods and healthy, natural, eating.<br />For art, we will do painting, paper, and other peojects that we can find or think up to do. We'll review how to mix colors to make other colors, and how the color wheel works.<br />I will be teaching them both piano this year. We tried it a couple of years ago but they were too young to assign letters to their fingers, lol.<br />They are both doing gymnastics at the school this year. A decided that she didn't want to do Dance this year because gymnastics is more fun. I was happy about that because dance is 1/2 hour away and I can't bring the other kids with. Gymnastics is just a few miles down the road, you register monthly so if you want to skip a month you can and I can sign up foster kids without knowing how long they'll be here, there are no costumes and shoes to buy, W can do it at the same time, and I can bring all the other kids to sit in the bleachers to watch :o) Very happy about gymnastics :o)<br />We also do lots of playgroups and field trips with our homeschool group. The kids learn SO much from actually going places and seeing how things are done. Hoping to get to the Science Museum, State Capital, Apple Orchard, Pumpkin Patch, a Farm with Bison, Horses, Beef, and Pigs, the Nature Center, our local History Center for our county, and a bunch more.<br />AND a whole bunch more stuff as we go along :o)<br />Anyways, that's our update :o) I'll try not to disappear for so long next time, lol!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-4562373687730201482009-07-27T22:45:00.002-05:002009-07-27T22:59:45.764-05:00I got a van.....Pictures to come later :o) A friend of mine from Adoption Support Group had a 15 passenger that she no longer needed so she gave me a good deal on it. I'm SO thrilled. We're bringing it to the shop tomorrow some time to rotate and align the tires, put the receiver hitch and the electronic brake for the camper on, change the oil, and whatever else we need to get it in tip top shape. It will be so nice to have the kids all in one vehicle, and also with an empty seat in-between each of them to boot :o)<br />Our 4 foster kids are still with us and we might be getting another one depending on what happens in court tomorrow. Our sibling group of 3 has an older brother that might be joining us.<br />We have 4 birthdays coming up here in the next month so I need to get busy on that too. 2 of them are later this week :o)<br />I'm off to bed :o)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-33143389928018692912009-07-21T21:32:00.002-05:002009-07-21T21:53:44.813-05:00WoW!It's been a while since I've been around :o) I've been VERY busy! We have 4 foster kids now, plus we've been doing some respite for a couple more on the weekends. Getting new foster kids is a busy endeavor because you not only have an instantly larger family, but they all have to have Dr. check-ups, along with dental, vision, etc. Plus I have to bring kids to counseling apts., visitations, court dates, etc. Run, run, run. I also had to bring each of these kids shopping because the sibling group had only the clothes on their backs (2 of them didn't even have shoes on), and the other child's clothes were horrid.<br />Our new additions are 11 G, 6 B, 5 G, and almost 2 G. The 5 year old is on her own and the other 3 are siblings.<br />It's fun and exciting to have new kids in the house. My kids are getting along great with the new kids. It's very heartbreaking to hear the stories of their lives, but we just have to remember that we are the good in their lives right now and we are helping them to see what "normal" lives look like. They are all loving it here, as most of the kids do, because we have so much for them to do.<br />I'm now in the market for a larger van. I would like to get a 15 passenger because with the new booster seat law here I have to have almost all the kids in seats. And we all know how impossible it is for kids in booster seats to sit side by side and be able to actually buckle them. We'll see though because we can't get a loan to save our lives right now and cash is pretty short. We really do need something though because we have to drive 2 vehicles to go anywhere with them all and that's just crazy. Tomorrow, P has a PT apt. so I'm going to take the other 7 in the suburban to the park, while my Hubby takes her to her apt. I can fit 7, very tightly, in there, but not 8 :o( It's not something I want to do every day though because my hands would break trying to buckle all of those seat belts so close together.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-1001978839792290582009-07-08T20:33:00.004-05:002009-07-08T20:51:39.669-05:00Fun with great friendsToday we had a wonderful time at homeschool playgroup! What fun to hang out with great friends and great kids. My kids always have a blast and hate to leave.<br />My best friend and her kids came down from up north to go to the Jonas Brother's concert tonight, so hopefully we'll be seeing them later, if they make it this far out here :o) Her husband's Mom lives closer than we do but it's just great to visit so they are going to stay here. However, it will be a late night and I don't know if they'll be wanting the long drive here. We'll see...<br />We are also waiting to hear on a sibling group of foster kids that might be joining us. My kids are SO bored now that the other 4 have left, lol. It's SO quiet around here. They had so much fun with the respite kids last week and just keep asking when more kids are coming. We'll see about that too, lol.<br />On a great note. The stuff in the side yard that I thought was poison ivy has turned out to be Box Elder trees, yaaaaaaayyyyyy! The little trees have the 3 leaves like poison ivy, but as they get bigger there are more and more leaves. We have them popping up all over the yard. It's great because our house was built on a farm field and all of the trees have had to be planted. Luckily the lady that used to live here planted a lot of trees and they are now 15 years old. We have also planted a lot and they are growing strong. Our pine trees have started dying off like crazy though. Some say it's because of the long cold winters and dry summers. It's a bummer, I'm not a huge pine tree fan, but I hope they will finally stop dying. During the winter it's all we have for any privacy when all of the leaves fall off of the other trees.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-78446617841647288952009-07-06T21:43:00.003-05:002009-07-06T22:21:46.123-05:00What a fun week!We did respite care for 4 kids for the week and it was a blast! We played, inside and out, swam in the pool, watched movies - with popcorn, and just had a blast. 2 of the kids I would adopt in a heartbeat, the other 2, probably not :o) It's amazing how you can tell so much about a kids past home life by spending time with them. And it's also amazing how different they all can be.<br />Hubby and I love big families and would love to adopt again some day. Having a houseful of kids only makes us love it more. We're homebodies and enjoy just being with our kids and having fun. More kids just means more fun :o) Our kids also love having visitors. They were sad to see the kids leave today and asked their foster parents when they could come back, lol. They're a little too young to understand the whole foster care process. Our foster care experience is just with our boys and they came and stayed, so our kids think all foster kids will stay with their foster parents and can just come and visit anytime they want to. I really think these 4 probably will end up with their foster families, but that's not up to me.<br />Tomorrow we will be having our annual foster care license renewal visit. We had to get a new fire extinguisher(refill/retag or replace each year), replace our hard wired smoke detectors(every 10 years), have our well water tested(each year), get background checks for us and my parents since they live on the property(each year), provide proof of current pet vaccinations(each year) fill out a bunch more paperwork, and complete lots of continuing ed. It's amazing how much education we have to get to do foster care. We're thinking about doing theraputic foster care (kids that have more needs), so then we'll have even more continuing education to take each year. It's ok though because we are the kind of people who love to learn. I think there are lots of birth parents that could use some of this education :O) I'm always amazed at how many parents don't know the first thing about healthy pregnancies and raising heathy kids. The stories that some of these foster kids have are so unreal that it's amazing they are still alive.<br />Someday soon when we get on our feet better, we'll have to look into getting another 12 or 15 passenger van. We really learned this week that with the new booster seat law, it's hard to get them all in our vehicles. Normally our own kids all have 5 point harness seats that go up to 65 lbs. But when we have foster kids we'll put P, J, and any other younger kids into the car seats and then have our older 2, and the older foster kids just use the seat belts. Now we have to have any of the kids from 4-8, or under 4' 9", into booster seats. Even with our Suburban, it's a tight fit with 6 kids. I actually don't know that a 12 passenger would even work. They have 4 belts across in the back and that makes it impossible to put any 2 seats next to each other, so only 6 kids would fit on the 3 seats. With a 15 we could fit another 2 kids. Maybe we'll find a good deal on one when/if we need it. We are licensed for up to 4 foster kids but so far we haven't had a placement yet, just done respite for other foster parents. Generally they try to keep foster kids in the same county that their parents live in so that they can stay in their same schools and be close enough for visits. Our county isn't that busy of a county so we, and other foster homes, sit empty. That's fine though if it means there are fewer kids out there being placed in foster care, because that means there are fewer kids being abused.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-26671830922436418262009-07-03T18:00:00.002-05:002009-07-03T18:32:09.547-05:00You are what you eat...As many of you know, we feed our kids and all natural diet. I just can't read a bottle of something like pancake syrup, and see that they have maybe ONE real ingredient in there, and then dump it all over my kids' pancakes. You'd really be safer to feed your kids the dirt in your yard than the chemically produced foods that they sell these days. With all of the resources out there, there is no reason why we can't ALL eat a natural diet. There are local farms that sell humanely raised, grass fed meats. And the <a href="http://www.feingold.org/">Feingold Program</a> will help you find all of the foods in your local Walmart supercenter, or other grocery store, that are natural.<br /><br />I received an email from <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/">Mother Earth News</a> today and it had a story out of Rolling Stone Magazine about Smithfield Foods, a horrible and environmentally terroristic hog farming company. They abuse the animals, pollute the local water and land, and make the neighbors so sick that they can't leave their homes at times for fear of passing out in their yard from the caustic fumes.<br />Click <a href="http://www.motherearthnews.com/Happy-Homesteader/Smithfield-Factory-Farms.aspx">HERE</a> to get to the Mother Earth News story and then click on "<a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/12840743/porks_dirty_secret_the_nations_top_hog_producer_is_also_one_of_americas_worst_polluters">profile</a>" for the rest of the story.<br /><br />Then click <a href="http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html">HERE</a> to go to eatwild, and find a farmer that produces healthy, grass fed, and humanely treated animals in your area.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-82950944295380247182009-07-01T21:52:00.004-05:002009-07-01T22:07:38.398-05:00PicturesThis morning our homeschool group went to a local bakery and took a tour. We got to see how the breads are made and also sample some :o)<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Skwiwu6l7vI/AAAAAAAAAdI/eGMGzPuyRhA/s1600-h/2009_07010701090007.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353692277659528946" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Skwiwu6l7vI/AAAAAAAAAdI/eGMGzPuyRhA/s400/2009_07010701090007.JPG" /></a> Put me in coach!<br /><div><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiUEHpLiI/AAAAAAAAAdA/LpqIp-18QZI/s1600-h/2009_06280628090019.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353691785135205922" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiUEHpLiI/AAAAAAAAAdA/LpqIp-18QZI/s400/2009_06280628090019.JPG" /></a> This is our new puppy Lilly:<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiTiQ5lZI/AAAAAAAAAc4/FXiPXlz-UwY/s1600-h/2009_06280628090016.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353691776047224210" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiTiQ5lZI/AAAAAAAAAc4/FXiPXlz-UwY/s400/2009_06280628090016.JPG" /></a> P got some new furniture! A big garage sale score for Mommy. Got the whole set for $25! They retail for about $250 plus shipping at the school supply stores.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiTTJvUvI/AAAAAAAAAcw/KLiTVHLuIos/s1600-h/2009_06280628090011.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353691771990659826" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiTTJvUvI/AAAAAAAAAcw/KLiTVHLuIos/s400/2009_06280628090011.JPG" /></a> She's loving them!<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiTGm6TjI/AAAAAAAAAco/wIXVnbICfos/s1600-h/2009_06280628090009.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353691768623353394" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiTGm6TjI/AAAAAAAAAco/wIXVnbICfos/s400/2009_06280628090009.JPG" /></a> My big girl walking around the pool with just the touch of her PT's hand to give her the confidence she needs. Ooh, and of course Mr. Duck :o)<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiS1ve8RI/AAAAAAAAAcg/EubKxAQ-ZBE/s1600-h/2009_06280628090003.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353691764095906066" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/SkwiS1ve8RI/AAAAAAAAAcg/EubKxAQ-ZBE/s400/2009_06280628090003.JPG" /></a> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-3851778973134006442009-07-01T12:02:00.000-05:002009-07-01T12:03:16.218-05:00<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YONvS7Qm-gc&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YONvS7Qm-gc&color1=0x234900&color2=0x4e9e00&hl=en&feature=player_embedded&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-3492902908644783122009-06-29T22:44:00.003-05:002009-06-29T22:57:20.492-05:00Hi :O)I've been crazy busy! We had 2 respite foster kids (babysitting for other foster parents) from Friday until Sunday, and then 2 more came on Sunday for 8 days. The other 2 are coming back on Thursday, so we'll have 8 kids here for 5 days. It's all fun. It gets a little crazy but they're 10, 9, 7, 6, 5, 5, 5, and 3 so they play well. It's nice when the weather is nice and they can go outside and burn off some energy. Hopefully the wind will tame down a little and we can get into the pool one of these days. We got in on Sunday before the other 2 left but it was cold.<br />Things are going pretty well with the new dog. She's still only 8 months old so she keeps trying to run away. She jumped the 4' fence a few times so we had to put her on a leash. Then she jumped it with the leash on, lol. So we had to shorten it a little to keep her around and prevent her from hanging herself. Hubby and my Dad put in the in-ground fencing last Thursday but we have to wait until we have time and good weather to get the dogs out there and get them trained on it. My only worry with that is that other dogs and animals will have access to them. We might eventually have to just put some 4' chicken fence around the border of it. I know it sounds dumb but the in-ground electric will keep ours from jumping over and the chicken fence will keep others out. Our dog that we just put to sleep literally ripped chain link fencing apart with her teeth. She was a wonderful and friendly dog but once she realized that she could get out, she was on a mission.<br />Well, I better get to bed, we've got aquatherapy in the morning for P.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-32053890933071669712009-06-21T22:02:00.006-05:002009-06-21T22:30:53.513-05:00Pictures from camping this weekend.A little fishing at the Dam. The kids were scared, but fascinated, by the rushing water just below their feet.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349982856677231234" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71EA6tCoI/AAAAAAAAAao/Um_OIIT3ZoU/s400/2009_06200621090002.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349982862338403698" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71EWAbrXI/AAAAAAAAAaw/d0EQL79nFqU/s400/2009_06200621090003.JPG" />Decided that the dock might be a better place than the river bank.<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349982863164692738" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71EZFb2QI/AAAAAAAAAa4/0sVONU6Mf70/s400/2009_06200621090007.JPG" /> Got sick of fishing so I took these 3 to play at the playground :o)<br /><br /><br /><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349982867457341218" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71EpE4dyI/AAAAAAAAAbA/m4Rcg7skyPY/s400/2009_06200621090008.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349982870624270002" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71E0379rI/AAAAAAAAAbI/p65iF8yYHw0/s400/2009_06200621090017.JPG" /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349983416509192818" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71kmdC2nI/AAAAAAAAAbQ/a0QVBad3GAk/s400/2009_06200621090020.JPG" />Back to the camper for some lunch.</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349983425019320818" border="0" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71lGKBGfI/AAAAAAAAAbg/Cx2Bffzej2U/s400/2009_06200621090031.JPG" />The next day we went to the beach.</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349984263825382674" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj72V6893RI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/8SE9Ndl7Lnw/s400/2009_06200621090054.JPG" /> Made a sand castle :o)</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349984259545889138" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj72VrAp-XI/AAAAAAAAAcI/x8YX1g1TV1Q/s400/2009_06200621090050.JPG" />Mr. J. Dizzle decided that it was past his nap time so he came and asked for a towel and went to sleep :o)<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349984260069277938" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj72Vs9cQPI/AAAAAAAAAcA/Sk1di45000w/s400/2009_06200621090048.JPG" /> P loves her sand :o)<br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349984253826555906" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj72VVtD4AI/AAAAAAAAAb4/lWdEPvoT-LU/s400/2009_06200621090044.JPG" /> Walking in the water with Daddy</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349983431348188098" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71ldu788I/AAAAAAAAAbw/vWniGSlYdQ8/s400/2009_06200621090043.JPG" />Pooped out from a long day at the beach.</p><p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349984265620367618" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj72WBo7KQI/AAAAAAAAAcY/HQ2cwP2Bvgk/s400/2009_06200621090063.JPG" /><br />Time for bed.</p><p><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71lUsln7I/AAAAAAAAAbo/0WMVLsBZnTg/s1600-h/2009_06200621090034.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349983428922417074" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71lUsln7I/AAAAAAAAAbo/0WMVLsBZnTg/s400/2009_06200621090034.JPG" /></a> We got to see our new cousin again this weekend. Gotta love that smile :o)<br /><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71k3UjT5I/AAAAAAAAAbY/m8QWOuDO2a4/s1600-h/2009_06200621090026.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5349983421036973970" border="0" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_28rroC-ZJiw/Sj71k3UjT5I/AAAAAAAAAbY/m8QWOuDO2a4/s400/2009_06200621090026.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-69980744289037472612009-06-19T09:26:00.002-05:002009-06-19T09:32:05.885-05:00MN State ParksMN State Parks and Trails.<br /><br />Also check out:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.exploreminnesota.com/lodging/campsites/index.aspx">Explore MN</a> - Places to stay and things to do.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.kampdels.com/">Camp Dells</a> - This place rocks! We've never been there but I know people that have.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-81787784602912067682009-06-18T21:54:00.002-05:002009-06-18T22:14:35.375-05:00Greetings...from the road :o) We are camping :o) Finally, we had a free weekend and nice weather :o)<br />We drove up north today, got our camper set up at my BIL's house, and then we went fishing on the pier at a lake just down the road. The kids could see the little Sun Fish just diving at their worms from the docks. They caught about 20 of them and had fun tossing them back.<br />Right now the kids are in bed and hubby and I are watching the weather. Some big storms just roared in and we are hoping they go away soon.<br />Tomorrow we are going to go fishing again and maybe do some swimming :o)<br />We are hoping to be able to do a lot of camping this summer. We really need the break after the stressful year we've had so far.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-13615520835676373162009-06-16T13:37:00.005-05:002009-06-16T13:42:47.775-05:00My New Blog!I find SO many cool and educational sites online and through different groups that I belong to. I have most of them in my favorites, and try to share and list them here and there on my blog. Well, this morning I decided to start another blog where I can highlight the different, helpful, websites that I have found to help with homeschooling. If you check one out and like it, or don't like it, please comment so we can share reviews with everyone :o)<br />Check it out:<br /><a href="http://homeschoolsites.blogspot.com/">Homeschool Sites</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-69275481001844018882009-06-15T21:11:00.002-05:002009-06-15T21:23:46.429-05:00Playing in the sand...Today was a gorgeous day! We went outside this morning and played in the sand, under the shade of our giant umbrella that Grandma got for us. It was just wonderful. I wish every day of the year could be so nice!<br />I opened up the camper doors and aired it out a little more. It still has some of that "new camper" smell and I hate it because it's chemical fumes, just like the "new car" smell is.<br />We are still looking for another dog. Our poor Bailey is just lost and lonely. She's 10 years old, but I just don't see us ever being without a dog. I love the protection that they offer. If someone is in our driveway or yard, they bark. I always know that my kids are safe too. Not to mention that they are just great companions.<br />I was honestly shocked to see how much a shelter dog costs. $200-$300 for a shelter dog is just crazy. I realize that they have spayed/neutered them and updated their shots, AND that a puppy would cost just as much during their first visit to a vet, but puppies are trainable and, well, they're puppies :o) Half the fun of getting a new puppy is that they are little puppies :o)<br />We'll just keep our eyes open for a good deal, or a cute puppy :o) It has to be a big dog because it will be outside. We can't have a dog inside because of P. We tried it before and all she does is chase it down and grab it. She doesn't know not to hurt it. I worry that she'll either hurt the puppy or it will hurt her. I couldn't live with myself if she got bit.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5343020720492198242.post-78656497428121550932009-06-14T12:45:00.003-05:002009-06-14T13:41:17.227-05:00Video's of P's Toughbook and her using it:<p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dypoIzqv-9bOmk2Nx71qFdA2Oj0I0rYTofrOvJRWw2VGf8_EFAJZAWG8PqtxgAhR7Xf9AeKXClMAw4-tnPmDw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></p><p> </p><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyN02ggXHekTjaDe1tGqDglyEKkZ_ZhpX5ELxnJgUeHZdh5R_ZE_P1_qbka-AIBKCPeM0YK-DA623wipE3ScQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1