Small Organization

One area we struggle in is dirty dishes. Every day you could almost fill the dishwasher with only cups. So one day I purchased the kids their own cup. The older ones are responsible for their own cup and washing it. All cups need to be back on the tray by the end of the night.

When I did this I thought it wouldn't work out. The cups would disappear or become very nasty. It has now been over a month and it has actually been a success! Our number of cups going through the dishwasher has greatly diminished. No cups have been lost. The cups are all clean. I tried this a while back when the kids were younger and it didn't work. I guess they are finally at an age in which they can manage to be responsible for a cup.  Notice they are all different colors.

Creative Day

Backtracking....

I still get requests for birthday parties. I went to a party where the 7 year olds wanted to paint a flower with bees. They had a great time and so did I. I really miss my shop and receive a lot of requests to do my art camps and parties.

The rest of the day was spent at Historic Camden. Our local rock group was there and we had a lot of rocks hidden throughout the area. They also had a night rock hunt. Some kids didn't want to go so we took the kids who did. 

I was asked to paint a rock for a hunt before the event. 

The weather was great for a change and the kids who went had a great time.

Our foster Little Miss went and loved it as well.

They lit a canon at dusk.

A small sampling of the rocks they found.

It was a different type of activity but there was a great group of people there. Larissa said that everyone was so nice. Anyone else have a rock group in your area? Ours is quite active.

Sleepover

How do you feel about sleepovers? I am very selective and leery of them. I worry about older sons in the home and husbands/boyfriends. I guess I am a bit paranoid. It isn't that I never allow them, I am just very selective. Some of my kids have only spent the night at family or a specific friend of mine. Emma had been nagging me to spend the night at one of her friends house. I had been holding off as I didn't know that family well. The mom is a teacher at her school. After a while I relented and decided to allow her to spend the night. We are trying for "normal" childhood positive experiences.

The sleepover went well. The rebound effect didn't go so well. She got in the car and I asked how it went. She started yelling at me about some birthday party and why didn't she get to go. Huh? I didn't know about any such party. Well, she did and she planned on going. Speaking to me in such a tone that didn't bode well for future sleepovers.

Why is it when I allow certain kids to have new, positive experiences it always ends with a huge dose of self-entitlement? It makes it so hard to allow them to do anything. An interesting side issue that I note is her sense of superiority that she seems to hold onto. She talked about how their house was in a bad area and the house so small. Uh, it was in a newer, nice subdivision and a 2800 sq ft home! I have no idea what will happen to her when reality hits her in the future. I reminded her that our home is our home for her use and we worked hard for it. She will not start out in a big house when she goes off on her own.

So do you allow sleepovers?

Seizures/home schooling

Larissa has been on a new seizure medication for a bit, long enough that we should be seeing some improvement...... nope.

Today was a busy day, I took Larissa to the orthodontist, lunch and then dropped Sarah off at college.

On the ride home I saw Larissa's hand pop up and then heard her raspy breathing. I knew at that moment that she was having a seizure. I can't even explain to you the feeling that I get when I am driving along and realize that my kid is having a seizure. It is painful, it is frustrating, it is sad, it is scary, it makes me feel that in some way I am failing her because we haven't found the medication that works and it is impacting her life.

We got home and I did her hair while she made some slime. (She is addicted to that stuff, I have bought so much glue it isn't even funny!)

We went to dance and then when we should have done homeschooling she was too exhausted to do so. Instead she went to bed.

Homeschooling has evolved. Because of the kids we homeschool in the evening. It has been working out the best for us because her mornings are shot. When you have several seizures at night it makes mornings hard. When you also have them during the day it makes evenings hard too!

We are struggling with school. We are doing Saxon math because I like the repetitiveness of it. However, we often have to stop because she suddenly forgets facts that she had mastered or some things are just difficult for her to get. We will stop and do extra work in areas where she is struggling. These days it is often.

Sometimes I feel as though I am failing in the homeschool department. Unless something suddenly changes, she is not going to catch up, she is not going to be able to get the credits for math that she needs to graduate. I have been told by someone who works with troubled youth that I should teach her life skills, what she wants to learn and the GED. Not sure where I stand with that. Anyone homeschooling and struggling?

We have been having fun with science and some other projects. 

On my stressful days I paint late into the night.....

 

She is now taller than me but doesn't acknowledge it yet.

Montessori School

Anyone with experience with Montessori schools?

We have a local Montessori school that has gotten a charter. We had contemplated this school for Benjamin but then once they got their charter they had to go to the lottery system to determine who could attend. 4K costs about $400 a month but once they start kindergarten it is free.We decided to enter Benjamin into the lottery since he would already have a slot for kindergarten if he goes to 4K. We are concerned that he would really be bored in public school. A bored Benjamin is not a good Benjamin.

I feel that he would do well with the hands on approach and that he would be motivated to learn. However, I have had someone tell me that their kid didn't learn anything. Now it makes me concerned. If you have any experience with the Montessori methods please let me know how it was for you.

Oh, Emma's teacher is taking a break. A good friend of mine is getting out of education. Why? The level of behavioral problems with the kids and lack of administrative support. They feel that they can no longer teach. It is scary out there. Apparently Emma will have a substitute for the rest of the year.

A Completed Project

I saw this cute playhouse and I thought it would look nice in the backyard......then we received it and the 5000 pieces with the book of directions.

After evaluating our yard we determined that it would actually be less work to build a deck to put the house on. See how a simple project becomes not such a simple project.

I put the kids to work.

All this extra help made for "quick" work. Ahem

So many different screws.

We persisted. We have a million unfinished projects going on but I was afraid that if we didn't get this done then the part would start to get lost or damaged.

Tada....completed. We even stained the deck! Isn't it cute.

Benjamin is in charge of watering the flowers

Adoption Talk

At this time all minor children in our home are either adopted or foster children. When we got back into foster care our conversations with Benjamin increased as he tried to understand why they go and why he stays. One day I taped one of our conversations. Sharing it with you. You never know where conversations will go with him!

Foster Care Review Board

I regretted missing court for Itty so when I got notice for the foster care review board I decided to take Itty and attend. I always reluctantly go to these meetings. Honestly I don't see where they hold much sway with the court. I haven't seen that in any of my cases. I took Itty into a room full of little old ladies, haha. Seeing the child you are discussing sure does make a difference. Either way I was not surprised with their recommendation, TPR and adoption. Given the information presented to them that was the only logical outcome.

Now we sit back and wait to see how dad does completing his plan in jail. (Yes, insert eye roll). I know that the objective is always reunification. I get that, we try to encourage the parents. I have encouraged them and sent pictures to remind them of why they need to do their plan. But in the end it is up to them. They chose to leave the state so haven't seen their child in 10 months and haven't sent him anything for Christmas or his birthday, not a thing.

To me completing the plan as part of a mandated sentence while in jail has no value. Heck, what else to they have to do, they are a captive audience. Obviously I am quite opinionated on this one! I feel that as time goes on and longer we are fostering I am getting more cynical. To find out that kids who went home are still in jeopardy as their mom is arrested for selling narcotics to the police just makes me all the more aware of that pull of drugs. I say, and have always said, that overcoming the pull of a drug addiction is very hard. Staying clean is very hard. Trying to do it and get your family back on track is hard. Drugs are hurting so many families, people, kids.

Stepping off my soap box.

Doing it all?

As to how I do it all, I don't! My true life facebook post from the other day.....



Some days I think that I have my shit together. Then other days I accidentally grab clothing for the little ones out of the dirty pile instead of the clean pile. I have piles because I don't remember when I last had time to actually put clean clothing away. Then I don't notice until I am taking them out of the car because the house is a tad dark because all those expensive light bulbs that are supposed to last a year only last 2 months at my house and I never remember to buy more!

Sick

Trying to keep my blog updated and I get sick! I was sick all week. I started the week off with a stomach bug. Just as I was getting over that I came down with a sore throat. By Saturday it was so sore the pain was running down both sides of my neck so I went to a local medical place. I actually had strep and an ear infection! I haven't had either in a very long time, I think strep was about 25 years ago! I am very thankful for antibiotics.

Of course momma duties don't end. During the week Itty was sick and I had to take him to the doctor, he had an ear infection and has been sick with something else. Today was the first day in a while that he was really feeling well and happy. We celebrated his first birthday this last week. He wasn't feeling the best but he did love the chocolate!

I made him some shirts. One for eating cake and the other for after he got cleaned up from eating cake.

Then we had the issues with the glasses. Michelle came home with her glasses broken in half. She said that a girl pinched her face and they broke. I called the school to see if this was the true story and if so that this girl needs to keep her hands off of Michelle's face. Apparently it wasn't a big issue with the school because I have talked to three people and never got any response. Yes, it is sad that I can't just take her word for what happened! Needless to say, I had to get her new glasses.

Sick or not I had to destress and paint a bit. I did some Easter rocks.

Call him Taters

Then it was during this time we started on some backyard projects. Timing! Another post..

The day before Easter I was picking up antibiotics and shopping for food. I also picked up basket items for the kids. I used to really enjoy doing baskets and found that this year was my most conflicting. Honestly, If I could have gotten Emma and Michelle nothing I would have. As it is they can't have candy because of braces and brushing issues so that part was decided. I did get them a paint by number set. I got Larissa one as well. I wanted to see who had the patience to do one before I looked more into them. I loved doing them when I was a kid. Larissa and Michelle have spent a lot of time working on theirs but Emma just colored in large blocks of colors and does not have the patience to wait for the outcome.

We shared Easter with some friends so I only had to cook half the meal, sharing is great. By Easter I was feeling much better and Itty was on the mend. Our only glitch was that Joselin chose to go with a friend for a few hours and got stuck at her friends house. She didn't get to join us.

My many blessings....