Instagram

Any Instagram specialists out there? Larissa has been told to increase her Instagram exposure. She didn’t even have one so we set it up. She wants to do this modeling thing which means she has to actually get her name out there. My Instagram is a lost family and my projects. Her Instagram is her life and photos she is creating. If you’d like to see her photos follow her at melvillelarissa.

There are some days that I panic about all this, getting her name out there. But she is loving it. I am monitoring all her social media and she is fine with that now but I wonder about the future. She may not go anywhere with this stuff but a few runways but who knows. We are supposed to go to Dallas in June and California in July. We were asked to meet with someone in New York over spring break but since there is an agent interested in California we have been told not to sign with an agent in New York. There are also opportunities on a smaller scale in Atlanta and lately I have been thinking about that, it is so much closer. After all, I still have a family to care for at home! Do I hold back? Go all out? I just don’t know. Sarah is home and says she will help, actually wants to help.

I just don’t know!

Either way, follow Larissa if you’d like to support her and see her pictures!

Christmas 2018 Continued

Last Christmas a friend gave me some rocks and she asked for a painted nativity on rocks in return, she knew my schedule so she asked for them for this Christmas. You would think a year would give me plenty of time. Ha, a true procrastinator that I am I started two days before I was going to give it to her! I couldn't find a shepherd rock so I still owe her another rock.

Some of the kids made up their annual Christmas stocking song.

We also baked and decorated cookies..

Pictures were taken

Cookies were placed with care by the fireplace

and Santa came. This year he didn't bring candy for the stockings. I made homemade fudge instead. I think that next year I will make more homemade goodies to put in the stockings. There are a lot of stockings to fill! I think I missed some socks.

Christmas Day was great but a little off schedule. Our youngest foster baby's parents contacted me and asked if they could come and see him. We said yes and they came and had a great time visiting. However, it threw off my schedule. I cooked the fastest Christmas meal ever! All the kids and grandkids made it home and I didn't take any pictures. I actually have a lot of pictures of our foster baby and his parents so I could send to his parents for his first Christmas. After they left I spent my time cooking, eating and visiting with all our kids. So much chaos but such a blessing.

How did your day go? Any new traditions?

Christmas 2018

I know I haven't posted much but I have been pouring my time into the family. We have been busy....

Had our annual ornament party. Funny, I didn't take pictures of all the ornaments made. Everyone brings food and I supply the stuff for ornaments. We had a great time spending time together...

I think one of the favorite things was the little beaded angels.

 Then we went t go see our usual Santa...  Benjamin had a lot to say

This little one wasn't so sure and wouldn't take the bribery...er, can cane.

Miguel had no problem sitting on his lap.

Anthony won't sit on his lap but will take a group picture to make me happy and get some Schlotzkys and Baskin Robbin ice cream.

Then Larissa made her little Noel video. She hadn't been singing for quite a while then decided to start taking lessons again two weeks prior to making the video. She heard Noel at the Singing Christmas Tree show and her teacher asked her to record it.

Then I had a painting party at a friends house... they painted snowmen.

and now it is very late so I will continue tomorrow!

Noel

https://www.facebook.com/101747845913/posts/10156093567030914/

Not sure if the link will work or not! Larissa singing Noel. If it doesn’t I will have to figure out how to get it on you tube to share. Post tomorrow! Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Photo Shoot

Benjamin is taking acting classes at his request following in Larissa’s footsteps. They both love it . They had a photo shoot this last weekend. Larissa has a longer photo shoot with multiple outfit changes and Benjamin had his first one with only one outfit. He did great waiting for hours for Larissa to get her turn. They took his pictures right after hers.

Their modeling agency has asked us to keep up our Instagram, folks I am bad with that. I am old, I do Facebook. But I am going to try and post pictures there. For the interested, I am felmel1. Look me up. Remind me to keep it up. I have all this spare time.

Including a few pictures I took. I tried to stay out of the way. The photographer was Krisztian Lonyai.  This is all new to me, but I did look him up and he has some nice pictures. The kids really enjoyed him and Benjamin went up and asked him to watch him walk the runway! He loved walking the runway.

Larissa has an agent that wants her to go to New York on spring break and another agent wants to see her in LA. Right now we are thinking about doing a show in Dallas in June. Both kids auditioned for and are walking in Concord Fashion Week in March. Having fun with it right now.

Our Fostering Journey

We have fostered for many years and have grown our family during the process. However, in the last year we have realized that our family make up makes it difficult to continue. It seems as though the children coming into our home have had behaviors that are not a good mix with our family. Kids who act out sexually, push toddlers down stairs, pull knives, peep on the girls.  Older kids are difficult given our older kids and toddlers are not compatible with our current foster toddler child. Yes, we can do babies and we currently have a 4 month old who landed at our home at 2 weeks old. However, with our family we don't want to have perpetual babies, the kids are getting older and want to do more activities. Hmmm, actually with grand babies coming along I imagine we will be holding babies or little ones for a long time.

So our last two foster babies are our last two foster kids. We aren't full, we can still be licensed; we have simply decided that we have done all that we can. In some ways it breaks my heart because there is such a need. However, we need to step back and put more time into our family. Michelle is doing an after school theater activity and has decided to do after school tutoring in math to get on the honor roll, she has finally gotten the self motivation to excel! Larissa is still homeschooling, dancing, modeling and singing, Benjamin is dancing and has begged to model so we are allowing him to do so, he starts classes next week. He has asked to take guitar lessons, will have to see if we can fit that in the budget, might wait a bit. Anthony is not interested in doing any activities although we have encouraged him to do so. He is however keeping passing grades and is doing well since he has gone into regular classes. He is doing well so we don't push other activities. Emma, well she is regressing, another post.

So if you wonder why my posts are sporadic....I am busy! We will foster until our current cases are completed.

Singing Christmas Tree

A friend asked me to go to the Singing Christmas Tree with her. I had never been and it was free so I decided to go and take a couple of kids. 

We really enjoyed it. Everyone was really into their performances. Definitely something I want to do again next year. 

Do you have specific activities that you do every year? Adding something new or taking anything away? I find that I have really streamlined what we do making life easier on me. Coming soon will be our annual ornament party.