My Days

Today was one of those days where you go from one obligation to the next. It started as my usual morning, get the kids ready to go out the door. Only today I had to get myself dressed in my National Guard uniform so I could go spend the day at the armory.
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Thankfully John was home so I didn't have to take the babies anywhere. I dropped all the kids off at school, went to the armory and started making phone calls. I got Larissa and I doctor appointments, talked to the principal of the school where I am going to go do observations at on next Monday and talked with Larissa's teacher.
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I called her teacher to see how she was doing. At home she is always go, go , go and it has gotten worse lately. OK, she is driving me crazy! I didn't assume she was doing the same at school because of her selective mutism. Her anxiety is just too high to act out in any way at school.
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Her teacher told me that Larissa will talk to her peers and reply to questions from adults. The fact that she will even reply to adults is a huge step for her. However she still will not initiate any conversation with adults.
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Her teacher told me that the other day in the cafeteria Larissa found a fork on the floor and picked it up. She went up to the assistant and stood there. The assistant was waiting to see if Larissa would talk to her, tell her something. She wouldn't. Larissa ended up walking away and putting the fork back on the floor where she found it.
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OK, why tell me this? It made me sad. Sad that once the assistant realized that Larissa couldn't initiate a conversation that she didn't ask her a question. I have the impression that they think she wouldn't. No, she couldn't. There is a big difference. It breaks my heart that Larissa was standing there wanting to tell her something and couldn't, then she didn't get a prompt to help her.....so she put the fork back on the ground. Ugh....
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So, I got to spend the rest of the day thinking about my kid and worrying. How will it be next year when there are 25 kids in class, many of them being a nuisance. Larissa will be forgotten. She will be quiet and not a problem. Ugh....I worry.
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I left the armory just in time to go pick the kids up from school and head home to change. The baby saw me and wanted a cuddle. However, she wasn't happy with just a little cuddle. Every time I tried to put her back in John's lap she cried. But, it did feel good to have her melt into me when I cuddled with her.
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After I changed I got to head to town to go to class. Tonight is my autism class and we had a guest speaker talk about visual aids. It was actually very informative. Although it was geared towards children with autism, I can see how I can adapt something for Anthony. I have some thoughts about that and think I will try to make him a visual aid this Christmas break.
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I got home by 8 pm and had some chocolate and have been surfing the web. I really shouldn't. I finished one of my big papers yesterday but have another big paper I should be working on. I think I will start on it tomorrow.
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I am thinking of making a Santa ornament too.... and I am still working on the playhouse. I also got an interesting call from adoptions. Very interesting. If something comes of it I will have to write about it. For now it is just something else for me to fret about.
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Well, I am going to bed and read some gossip rags. Seems like such a luxury.
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Nite all

How I Make my Baby Food Jar Ornament

I have updated how I hang my ornament. For the newer post go HERE


Step 1 - paint your snowman. If you look really close you will see that I did a very simple design. Black coal eyes with a tiny speck of white paint. Imperfect painted smiles and an orange nose. I took just a tiny bit of white and orange mixed together and ran it across the top and then did some random black lines. These are not necessary. For the cheeks I put my finger in some red paint and dabbed most of it off (it is easier to add then to remove) and dabbed it on the cheeks.
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Supplies to complete your snowman are the fabric, wire and thread. All supplies (including the paint) were bought at Walmart. I really should own stock there.


I am a lazy sewer. If measuring is not required, I don't do it. I pinched the fabric to see where I needed to cut it. I actually liked this stripe fabric because the stripes gave me a cutting line.
You want it to be a snug fit.

I sewed it together as close as possible to the edge.

I end up with a sleeve that I turn right side out.

Pull it over your jar and it is snug so you can really see where the ridge is. This is where the wire will go.

I added a loop to my wire so I can hang my fellow. If you don't plan on hanging him then you don't need to do that step.

Wrap the wire around and twist the ends together, making it tight. The tightness in that ridge keeps it in place.

I made another loop with the other end.

Fold up your fabric and cover the wire.

Decide how long you want the hat to be and trim it. I use the rest for my other fellow who is cold.

Cut a fringe on the end. No measureing, just how long you want it to be.

Take some thread and gather the end and tie off.

Scrunch it up and.........you are done.

On this one I put some wire through the loops to hang it with. I may get some ribbon for the others. I haven't decided yet. I imagine on the tree you wouldn't notice the wire....hmmmm.

Doesn't he look happy hanging around?!

What To Do With All Those Baby Food Jars

OK, I am weak. Those baby food jars were just too much of a temptation on my creative spirit. I have two major papers I need to write, no time for painting.
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However, painting is what I enjoy when I feel stressed so I finally decided to allow myself to paint 4 of the jars. I have decided that I want to make them into Christmas ornaments.
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So, I spray painted them... Added some real simple snowman faces....

Created a hat, they can't be naked after all.

Final product......what do you think? I personally think he is kind of cute.

Now I just need to figure a way to hang him from the tree. I think I will do Santa and I have some other ideas brewing. But, they will have to wait. I may just give some away here if anyone is interested.

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Regarding our foster kids, keep them in your prayers. With the new watered down case plan the mom has I expect that they will go home the week before Christmas. Everyone involved knows that the initial issue why they came into care has not been resolved. It is a hard case.

I leave you with a picture from my yard this morning.....flowers in bloom.

Trust

It wasn't long ago you feared the water

When I placed you in the water that first night you screamed in terror

You didn't get very clean that night

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It wasn't long ago you cried when I held you up in the air

You didn't trust me to hold onto you

You wanted held close

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I held you close

I comforted you

I loved you

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Now you love to play in the water

You laugh and play

You are squeaky clean

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Now you love to be held in the air

To look down on me

You trust me

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Soon you will go home

Nothing has changed in your home

The system is broke

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Will you still trust

Will you still love the water and being held in the air

Will you remember my love

Penguins and Hair

Larissa decided that she wanted to make some penguin cupcakes to get a free book from Kathy at http://just4christiangirls.blogspot.com
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Sarah helped, actually she made the cupcakes while I was doing Larissa's hair. After they cooled we had some fun.


Larissa's penguin has (oops, had) two different eye colors.

and it was mighty tasty too.

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When I picked Larissa up from school I realized that her hair was terrible. I mean, "I am a neglectful mom" type of hair day. Her hair has been growing a lot lately and the hair product that I use just don't seem sufficient anymore. Anyone know of a really good one? Add to that Larissa's sensitive scalp and you have a set-up for disaster.

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I would love to cut her hair short but I don't think that would be acceptable. At the very least I need to get a silk pillowcase. Anyone know if they sell Tinkerbell silk pillowcases?

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We got it under control tonight and she now looks acceptable to the general public. I really don't like those looks I get in public when she is having a bad hair day.

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Now, about these baby food jars...................................my stress level is getting high because I have so much to do in the next month, but my hands are itching to do something with them. I do have some ideas.

But, I must go study now. Too much school work to do in the next 30 days to play.

Changes

I was looking for some specific pictures and came across these. These were taken in the old days where you couldn't take hundreds of pictures and then just delete the ones you didn't like. Either you got the shot or you didn't....and you didn't know until you went and got them developed. Sometimes you got a surprise, not always pleasant.

Photography sure has changed and I actually like it for the most part. However, I am one of those who has all these pictures on my computer and not so many in an album or scrapbook. Oh, I tried the scrapbooking, so far I am up to 1989.....and I don't see that improving in the near (or far) future.
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The other day Larissa was looking through old photos of herself....sitting on my lap flipping through pictures on the computer. I guess I really need to get some type of books done. I did one on Shutterfly of a trip to the Riverwalk and it came out rather nice. I remember going to my grandma's house and looking through all her old photo albums. It is a little different then going through the computer.
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Anyways, here are Jason and Tasha in 1990. Please ignore my glasses and hair. The kids like to tease me about those two things. I can't help it if I was about blind!
So, where did that young lady come from? Ack, Tasha this year.

Changes are happening just a little too fast for this old lady.

Bad Choices

I really am not sure how to help my daughter Joselin. She continues to make bad choices for herself.
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In the school she is currently attending she has been offered the opportunity to get her diploma. They gave her some credits that she did not earn and wrote up a two year contract with her.
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Part of this contract was that she would go to tutoring Mon-Thurs after school. They even gave her transportation home after the tutoring. I was shocked, they don't offer anything like that here.
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Well, we just found out that she has not been going to tutoring for the last three weeks. She has been doing something else then taking the later bus home. She may lose her opportunity to earn her diploma.
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She talks of wanting a diploma but I just don't think that she wants to EARN one. She has grown so accustomed to being given things without earning them that she doesn't see the value of working hard at something. I was surprised when they gave her credit for classes she didn't earn. Once again, part of the cycle of receiving without any effort.
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We have tried to teach her the value of hard work but it just hasn't taken root. She says she wants a job where she doesn't have to work. Uh, sorry child that is not the way it works. She has lived a life where stealing, cheating and scamming gets everything. Why have I been so unsuccessful at teaching her otherwise. Why is the allure of doing nothing to get something so strong?
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Some days I think that when she matures she will realize that her way is not working. Maybe then we can do damage control and help her. On days like today, I think that may never happen.
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Bad choices, we all make them. But it is so hard to watch your child make them and know that there isn't anything you can do.