I'm Back

Seems like it has been forever since I wrote a post.  Time is flying by and lots of changes are happening.

I have been overwhelmed by my responsibilities.  I am terrible with online classes.  I procrastinate terribly and then have massive amounts of work due in a short period of time.  I tell myself I will not procrastinate....it doesn't work.

This week I had assignments due in both of my classes and then my comps exam to take.  I need to pass those to student teach next semester.  I should know in a week how I did.  Now I need to get back to work on my two classes but am procrastinating once again.

I have home health coming to our home again for my mom. I now have a nurse coming once a week, an aide coming twice a week and physical therapy coming twice a week.  We are trying to get my mom a little stronger so that she can help with standing and pivoting.  I am starting to have back problems from lifting her without her helping.  Hopefully they can get her standing again.  There isn't really a physical reason why she shouldn't be able to, she just doesn't have much motivation.  She says she wants to but she isn't willing to do the work.

Soccer has ended this week so that is finished.  I had no idea that there would be games twice a week. It was crazy having 4 kids in soccer and I am glad that is over.  I am not sure who will be playing soccer next year.

With some of my obligations out of the way I hope to get some of my sanity back!

So....what have you been up to?

Halloween 2012

The pictures tell it all.....

I do think the day was a success.

Childhood

The weather here was fantastic over the weekend. The kids played outside for quite a bit of it. They played and they occasionally fought.  There was a time that they spent more time running in to tattle than actually playing.  However, over time they have learned to play more than tattle.  The girls have now been in our home a year.

A year of stability.

A year of reclaiming their childhood.

A year of learning how to be a part of a family.

A year of learning trust.

 

 

There are still issues to overcome but they are much smaller then they were a year ago.

 

These kids don't know it but they have a gift, they have a gift of their childhood.  They have many years in which to play and make childhood memories.  They don't have to worry if there will be food on the table or appropriate clothing to wear. (It took Michelle 9 months to finally say that she was full after a meal.)

 

They still have many years to build sibling bonds and learn appropriate relationships.



 

I grew up protected.  I thought that every child was free to play and enjoy their childhood. 

 

 

                                                

 

Now I know that is not true, to have a healthy childhood is a gift.

 

Homecoming!

Tasha was supposed to come home on Saturday. we got a call on Friday from Tasha telling us that she was just told to pack up because she was flying out!

So we hurried and made some welcome home signs....

 

We were at the airport at midnight waiting...

We practiced how to hold the signs......

And we welcomed Tasha home.  It sure was a long year and we are so happy to have her home safe and sound.

 

 

She shopped on the internet while she was away so she had lots of boxes to go through.  My house presently looks like a tornado went through it since she can't take stuff upstairs unless it is hung up in the closet.

I got a kinder egg, I haven't had one in a while.  I have to laugh at this picture, I have blue fingernail polish on.  The fact that I painted nails seemed to shock many of my children.  I don't wear make-up and rarely paint my nails. 

 

 

Tasha is planning on enrolling in college next semester.  She has been trying to go to school for a while now and always seems delayed for one reason or another.  She has some credit but not enough.  She wants to be a psychologist so she has lots of schooling ahead of  her. 

 



 

(Thanks to Pam who came along and took our family photo, one shot and she did great!)

Still Here!

I am still here......very, very busy.

Can't seem to resolve anything.  Got a letter in the mail letting me know that my moms labs had a problem so I had the pleasure of trying to find the right person to see what the problem was.  Five people later I did get a hold of someone who had the answers, he antibiotics needed to be changed.

Adoptions called and said that our physicals are now out of date.  So all of us need to get physicals done before we can proceed with adoption.  Several of us had then yesterday and some will today.  Friday John and I have to go have our TB test read and I think we will be done with that.

I have been fighting with medicaid for my mom.  South Carolina will not give her medicaid until I can prove that she no longer has it in Texas.  I have called Texas and after getting the run around they said that they would send a letter.  Twice I have called....twice they have NOT sent the letter.

Now long term care calls to see if we are still interested.  We signed up for long term in home care over 6 months ago and have been sitting on their list.  We have to have medicaid to get the help.  Long term care is where they offer 14 hours of weekly in home care.  We have been paying for some in home care and could really use the help more often.  I am not sure what will happen since we are stuck with medicaid.  I hope that they don't put us on the bottom of their list again!

My school has been overwhelming me.  I have two online classes that I try and ignore but that just doesn't help.  I have a big crunch the first week in November.  I have things due in both classes and a major comp exam.  If I don't pass the comp exam then I can't student teach next semester.  The next opportunity to take the test is in May.  I am working on my classes now and next week will study for the comp.

Good news....Tasha is in Texas.  She is supposed to be flying home this weekend.  We are looking forward to having her home.  The upstairs is still torn up and I am not sure where we stand with the bed bugs.  I think we are waiting to see if any eggs hatch.  No new bites on the teen lately.

Soccer wraps up next Monday and I am so glad about that!  Trying to keep track of their uniforms is a full time job around here.

No pictures....because I sat my camera down somewhere and now I can't find it.  It is killing me because I have stuff I want to take pictures of!  I must have something for Tasha's homecoming this weekend.

Well, off to study.  I'll be back to normal programming soon.

Gas Leak

Well, last week was a total bust and this week isn't proving to be must better.

I did learn something today....if you turn on your heater and head to bed make sure it is actually heating first.  The weather here has been great but kind of cool in the evenings.  I turned on the heat because of my mom who is always cold.  When I got up in the morning I thought that the heater hadn't come on.  I noticed it was blowing but didn't think on it much in the morning rush.  I did think it odd that it was blowing cold air.

I went a did errands and then around noon Sarah came in the front door and said that it smelled like gas and she could hear hissing.  Immediately I knew that the heater was blowing cold air because the gas was leaking out.  The side and front of our house smelled of gas.  I turned off the heater and it stopped hissing.  I dread seeing our next gas bill!  I am thankful that nothing happened.  I can't imagine what would have happened if someone had come by and lit a cigarette or something.  The heater repairman will be out tomorrow.  We will not be turning on the heat tonight.

Sign of Insanity?

Today I had lunch with my husband.

I told him that I had a meeting at the school on the 18th.

He asks me if it is the 18th of November.

I said no, the 18th of October.

He tells me that it is the 18th.

Dang.....missed the meeting.  Not because I didn't know that I had a meeting on the 18th but because I didn't know it was the 18th. 

Is that a sign of Insanity?