Sunday, September 16, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
My work in progress
I have been hesitent to share this picture because my hair does not look how it will after some time. . About a week ago I went and had my hair locked but it will be awhile before it will be really locked. It is something that I have wanted to do for awhile but finally went for it. So now I just have to wait for the final result.
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Walking around in a fog
The last couple of days I have felt like my head is full of fog. The baby has not been sleeping as well as normal. She is getting some teeth and pretty cranky. She does not want to be put down much so I am lifting a 22lb weight all day while trying to get the other normal day stuff done. Everytime one of the kids asks me a question I feel like it takes so much effort to answer. I have to really concentrate. I think the only answer is to get to bed earlier tonight and try to start over tomarrow. I hope a good nights sleep will clear the fog from my head
Monday, September 10, 2007
Foster care - adoption or Fos-adopt
We are nearing the end of our journey with our adoption. Now that we are getting close to being done I feel like I can share knowlegably. I did not want to share until we had experienced the whole thing. We are not quite done but so close that I feel able to share.
I share this because I am passionate about what we have done and what needs to be done. I do not share this to make anyone feel guilty or to say that one way is the only way, only to share my observations and experiences.
My husband and I chose to do a foster-care adoption when we decided to adopt. This was not our first choice because we had a lot of misconceptions that a lot of poeple have.
The misconceptions that most poeple believe to be true for local adoptions are...
1. that is is hard to get a baby
2. that it has to be an open adoption
3. that the chances are high that you could get the baby taken from your home once placed there.
We thought these things and have run into many poeple that belive these things. We have found that they are not true. We started working with this really great agency that is Christian run and doing a wonderful job. After they described the process to us we knew it was a fit for us and our family.
The way it goes is this. You get a home study done just like for any adoption. You tell them what you are looking for in a child. We said, up to two years old, boy or girl, any race, healthy.
Then when all the paperwork is done you are in child-search. This is the point where the agency will look through their files and try to find a good match. When they find one that looks good, they call you, tell you the details, and you can say yes or no as to moving forward. If you say yes, they contact the child's social worker and then that social worker makes a decision on weather or not to set up a meeting.
A quick note.. we said yes to 8 or maybe 9 children and did not move onto the next stage with them. Sometimes there are a couple of families that send in their homestudy and they pick someone else, sometimes they just do not think you are a good fit.
But if they do pick you for a meeting, you go to what is called a disclosure meeting with the child's social worker and your social worker. For us we heard about our baby on a Wednesday, we met with the social worker on Thurdays morning, she liked us, thought we were a good fit and said we could pick her up on Friday morning. It went very fast. They tell us that is pretty typical once you get to that stage in the process.
When we picked her up we were then and are still the foster parents. We do have to go by the foster parent rules but they are not many and not a big deal. We have monthly planned visites from the social worker and there are a few other things we have to do. We feel like it is not that big of a deal compared to what we get for a little inconvience right now.
There are a few hearings that happen while the child is with you but we did not have to go to any of those. She has to be in our home for six months before we can file for the adoption and we are almost to that point. Then we will file adoption papers through the agency and get an asigned court day where we will go to court with the baby and she will become officially ours. She will get a new birth certificate with the name that we named her on it and it will all be done.
So, I am writing this because I want to spread that word about this great program that our state has set up. They have really worked to change things in the last four or five years and although things are not perfect I think it is a great step in the right direction. They are working to place children that are adoptable into families that are going to adopt them as soon as possible. They have made it very inexpensive. We payed a total of 1,500.00 dollars over a few months and will get all of that back because the government pays you while you are a foster parent. The child also gets medi-cal until the child turns eighteen. It is very afordable especially compared to overseas adoptions. The other big plus I think compared to international adoptions is that they get to be in your home while all the legal stuff is being worked out where in an international adoption you have to wait until that is all finalized before you can take them home.
There are so many kids in america that need to be adopted and I do not think enough people understand the process. When we asked our adoption agency what we could do for them because we felt like they have done so much for us they said, just to spread the word about fos-adopt. So, that is what I am trying to do.
I hope this makes sense and is not to boring and technical. I will write more about the feeling type stuff but I felt like I needed to get the facts out there. If you have any questions, at all, please feel free to ask me.
I share this because I am passionate about what we have done and what needs to be done. I do not share this to make anyone feel guilty or to say that one way is the only way, only to share my observations and experiences.
My husband and I chose to do a foster-care adoption when we decided to adopt. This was not our first choice because we had a lot of misconceptions that a lot of poeple have.
The misconceptions that most poeple believe to be true for local adoptions are...
1. that is is hard to get a baby
2. that it has to be an open adoption
3. that the chances are high that you could get the baby taken from your home once placed there.
We thought these things and have run into many poeple that belive these things. We have found that they are not true. We started working with this really great agency that is Christian run and doing a wonderful job. After they described the process to us we knew it was a fit for us and our family.
The way it goes is this. You get a home study done just like for any adoption. You tell them what you are looking for in a child. We said, up to two years old, boy or girl, any race, healthy.
Then when all the paperwork is done you are in child-search. This is the point where the agency will look through their files and try to find a good match. When they find one that looks good, they call you, tell you the details, and you can say yes or no as to moving forward. If you say yes, they contact the child's social worker and then that social worker makes a decision on weather or not to set up a meeting.
A quick note.. we said yes to 8 or maybe 9 children and did not move onto the next stage with them. Sometimes there are a couple of families that send in their homestudy and they pick someone else, sometimes they just do not think you are a good fit.
But if they do pick you for a meeting, you go to what is called a disclosure meeting with the child's social worker and your social worker. For us we heard about our baby on a Wednesday, we met with the social worker on Thurdays morning, she liked us, thought we were a good fit and said we could pick her up on Friday morning. It went very fast. They tell us that is pretty typical once you get to that stage in the process.
When we picked her up we were then and are still the foster parents. We do have to go by the foster parent rules but they are not many and not a big deal. We have monthly planned visites from the social worker and there are a few other things we have to do. We feel like it is not that big of a deal compared to what we get for a little inconvience right now.
There are a few hearings that happen while the child is with you but we did not have to go to any of those. She has to be in our home for six months before we can file for the adoption and we are almost to that point. Then we will file adoption papers through the agency and get an asigned court day where we will go to court with the baby and she will become officially ours. She will get a new birth certificate with the name that we named her on it and it will all be done.
So, I am writing this because I want to spread that word about this great program that our state has set up. They have really worked to change things in the last four or five years and although things are not perfect I think it is a great step in the right direction. They are working to place children that are adoptable into families that are going to adopt them as soon as possible. They have made it very inexpensive. We payed a total of 1,500.00 dollars over a few months and will get all of that back because the government pays you while you are a foster parent. The child also gets medi-cal until the child turns eighteen. It is very afordable especially compared to overseas adoptions. The other big plus I think compared to international adoptions is that they get to be in your home while all the legal stuff is being worked out where in an international adoption you have to wait until that is all finalized before you can take them home.
There are so many kids in america that need to be adopted and I do not think enough people understand the process. When we asked our adoption agency what we could do for them because we felt like they have done so much for us they said, just to spread the word about fos-adopt. So, that is what I am trying to do.
I hope this makes sense and is not to boring and technical. I will write more about the feeling type stuff but I felt like I needed to get the facts out there. If you have any questions, at all, please feel free to ask me.
Friday, September 07, 2007
First Day of Second Grade
My boy is in second grade. I cannot believe his is in second grade. He has been counting down the days until school starts. This boy was born for school. I told him last night that I did not think I would let him so go school, his answer... You have to, it's the law. Where did this boy come from. He has the funniest come backs sometimes that make us laugh so hard.
This will be his first year at a "big school" It is a private school so it is still pretty small but his firs two years, preschool and kindergarten were at a start up school with just a handful of student and then for first grade I homeschooled him. I think it is going to be an adjustment for all of us but good overall.
He is growing into such a great kid. He is my picky eater but he is learning to be quiet about it. He is a talker but usually has interesting facts to teach you. He loves to read. Comic books are a favorite right now. He is so sweet to his sisters. He has told me a few different times that he is really glad that we got our baby. And he plays well with LuLu.
I am excited to see how he does this year. I pray that he will make good decisions. That he will make friends and be a good friend. That he will do well with the school work and not get to distracted. I have a feeling we are in for a good year.
( My hard drive on my computer broke just before I was going to post this so it is a little late getting it put up. It is now the end of the week and he had a great week)
This will be his first year at a "big school" It is a private school so it is still pretty small but his firs two years, preschool and kindergarten were at a start up school with just a handful of student and then for first grade I homeschooled him. I think it is going to be an adjustment for all of us but good overall.
He is growing into such a great kid. He is my picky eater but he is learning to be quiet about it. He is a talker but usually has interesting facts to teach you. He loves to read. Comic books are a favorite right now. He is so sweet to his sisters. He has told me a few different times that he is really glad that we got our baby. And he plays well with LuLu.
I am excited to see how he does this year. I pray that he will make good decisions. That he will make friends and be a good friend. That he will do well with the school work and not get to distracted. I have a feeling we are in for a good year.
( My hard drive on my computer broke just before I was going to post this so it is a little late getting it put up. It is now the end of the week and he had a great week)
Monday, September 03, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Quick as can be...
I have not time but I feel like it has been so long since I last posted. I am back from my trip and had a wonderful time. I have a great story to tell but it will have to wait for another time. We are back into the swing of life at home. School starts on Tuesday and things are pretty busy until then. It is really hot here and so we are trying to be creative and stay cool. I am on my way to a friends house to make soap tonight and I am really excited about it. It should be good fun. So, I am off to make some soap, visit with a couple of friends and enjoy a little breather.
I will leave you with this picture of my beautiful baby...
I put a little thing on my sidebar that says what I am going to call my kids from now on in my blog.
I will leave you with this picture of my beautiful baby...
I put a little thing on my sidebar that says what I am going to call my kids from now on in my blog.
Monday, August 20, 2007
My Friend
Tomorrow I leave on an airplane to Colorado Springs where I will get picked up by my really good friend who is moving to Vermont to go to school. I will drive with her from Colorado to Minnesota. Then I will fly from Minnesota to Boise, Idaho where I will meet up with my husband and kids at my sister in-laws house. Have I confused you yet? It is going to be a bit crazy but a very fun last vacation before school starts and summer is officially over.
I want to tell you about this great friend of mine. We met each other in fourth grade. We had been introduced during the summer, so when school started and we both saw a familiar face we migrated to each other and pretty much have been very close friends ever since. We went all the way through high school together. That means that we were friends through, all those junior high crazy days,high school crushes and heart breaks, going away to college, me getting married, her traveling the world, me having kids, to her living in Sacramento and working with my husband for three years. That is the longest that she has stayed in any one place since graduating from high school. When she moved here I thought it would be short. I tried not to get my hopes up but then it kept stretching out longer and longer. Then I got really used to having her close by. I could just stop by and see her, go out to breakfast with her, go on bike rides, she got to see my kids grow up some. My kids love her. She was with us every step of the way through the adoption. She has been a part of my family and now she will be gone. On the other side of the country.
I will miss her deeply. I am also very happy for her. I know that this is what God has for her and I am excited to see all that is going to happen in her life. On the other hand, there is going to be a very big hole in our lives. My son came to me in tears after hearing that she was leaving soon. He said that everyone was moving and he did not like it. My daughter has her own special name for her and does not like anyone else to call her by that name.
I am looking forward to spending two uninterrupted days on the road with my friend. I know that we will talk, laugh, eat good food, swim, and just enjoy the time we have together. We were told that we would most likely not be friends after high school. That most people lose touch. At that moment we decided that would not happen to us. Ten years later, is hasn't. And I know that it never will. One day we will be old ladies, sitting and talking about all the crazy things we have done together.
Tomorrow I leave to meet my friend. The next day my husband gets in that car for a nine hour drive with three kids all on his own. Pray that they make it safe, that the kids are good for him, and that they have a lot of fun.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Last weekend some good friends came to visit. They stayed with us for two nights and we all had a great time. The kids had so much fun playing and we all enjoyed the company. I am always so inspired when I spend time with these friends. They will be moving out of the country soon and so we were blessed to get to spend some time with them before they leave.
Their little girl is very close in age to my girl and they are like two peas in a pod. We were amazed at how similar they are. They spent most of the days in dress up princess dresses. They have stong emotions that go up and down quickly. They both suck their two middle fingers. They are the middle children in their families. And they got along really well. On the last day, just before they left they were cuddled up in a bed together laughing and giggling. I hope that they can remain friends for a long time. It seems that they have a special bond. Kind of how I feel about my friend. There are just some people that you feel a connection to right away. It is a special kind of friendship. One that I belive can stand the test of time, and of moving far away.
Their little girl is very close in age to my girl and they are like two peas in a pod. We were amazed at how similar they are. They spent most of the days in dress up princess dresses. They have stong emotions that go up and down quickly. They both suck their two middle fingers. They are the middle children in their families. And they got along really well. On the last day, just before they left they were cuddled up in a bed together laughing and giggling. I hope that they can remain friends for a long time. It seems that they have a special bond. Kind of how I feel about my friend. There are just some people that you feel a connection to right away. It is a special kind of friendship. One that I belive can stand the test of time, and of moving far away.
Sick girls
The baby has been sleeping through the night for awhile now so we decided to move her crib into the girls room that they will be sharing. I had mixed feelings about it. My room looks so empty and sad but at the same time it is nice not to share it with a child. The girl was very excited about sharing with the baby and seemed so grown up all of a sudden.
The girl woke up when I checked on her before I went to bed with a fever. I took her temperature and then went to bed. A little while later I checked on her again and she wanted to come to my room. So I made her a little bed on the floor next to me and we went to sleep. She woke me up a couple of times and was so pitiful. I hate it when my kids are sick. I feel so helpless to make them better. The sickness just kind of has to run its course. She was sad that she missed out on her first night with the baby but she is really to sick to care to much. She has watched tv for hours on end. She has hardly moved at all. She still has a temperature and I feel so sad for her.
The baby had shots yesterday and is running a low fever also and spitting up over and over. I hate shots. It just seems so wrong to take a perfectly healthy baby and make them sick but I know it will pass soon. She is 21 lbs and 11 oz. A big girl for sure. The doctor said she looks really healthy and is meeting all the milestones that she should be. I am so thankful for this.
So, today is the day that I stay at home with two sick kids. It is hard because I feel bad for them but am I a bad mom if I admit that one day with my daughter not going full force is kind of a nice break?
The girl woke up when I checked on her before I went to bed with a fever. I took her temperature and then went to bed. A little while later I checked on her again and she wanted to come to my room. So I made her a little bed on the floor next to me and we went to sleep. She woke me up a couple of times and was so pitiful. I hate it when my kids are sick. I feel so helpless to make them better. The sickness just kind of has to run its course. She was sad that she missed out on her first night with the baby but she is really to sick to care to much. She has watched tv for hours on end. She has hardly moved at all. She still has a temperature and I feel so sad for her.
The baby had shots yesterday and is running a low fever also and spitting up over and over. I hate shots. It just seems so wrong to take a perfectly healthy baby and make them sick but I know it will pass soon. She is 21 lbs and 11 oz. A big girl for sure. The doctor said she looks really healthy and is meeting all the milestones that she should be. I am so thankful for this.
So, today is the day that I stay at home with two sick kids. It is hard because I feel bad for them but am I a bad mom if I admit that one day with my daughter not going full force is kind of a nice break?
Friday, August 10, 2007
My Friday Moment by Moment
7:15AM Wake up and bring baby into bed with me.
7:20AM Daughter joins us and moves me aside so she can play with the baby
7:25AM Realize we have a lot to do this morning and get us all up and out of bed
7:30AM Help son make 10 english muffins with jelly and butter to bring to his class. Everyone eats breakfast, I make coffee
8:00AM Sip some coffee, help son get dressed with minor melt down about the choice of clothes
8:15AM Get self dressed, make-up, hair, all in record time.
Another sip of coffee
8:30AM Feed the baby a bottle while directing the rest of the family about where their snacks are, the sunscreen ect...
8:45AM The baby spits up all over, clean it up, worry about why she is spitting up so much lately. Get knots out of babies hair while fielding daughters questions
8:55AM Husband and son are out the door, put Curious George on for daughter, put baby in bouncy toy, heat up coffee that is now cold, make my breakfast and read some of the paper while eating
9:30AM Curious George is over, get ready to go to the mall, can't find daughters other shoe, run back into the house three times for forgotten items.
10:00AM Get to the mall, strap baby in front carrier, put daughter in stroller
10:10AM Look for shoes for daughter
10:30AM Ride merry go round
10:40AM Continue looking for shoes. Find very nice sales lady who helps her try on 10 pairs of shoes. Daughter is feeling very proud and big. Decide on the pink, sparkly, light up ones.
10:50AM Thank sales lady profusely for making my daughters day
11:00AM Get in car and drive to store to buy double stroller after carrying 20lb baby around the mall all morning.
11:15AM Take care of daughters melt down
11:30AM Try out lots of strollers
11:45AM Wait for them to check the stock for the color I want
12:00PM Still waiting and holding 20lb baby. Remember why the double stroller is a must.
12:20PM Finally buying stroller
12:30PM Thankfully the nice man is helping us to the car. I am hot, hungry, and my arms are aching
1:00PM Home and put on a show for daughter when I realize naps will not be happening today. Friend brings lunch over. Eat and chat. A nice break to my kid filled day
2:00PM Clean up house, hold cranky baby, change laundry
2:20PM Make a snack for daughter, change baby for third time due to lots of spit up
2:30PM leave to pick up son from last day of summer camp
2:45PM Pick up son who is having so much fun he is not very happy to see me
3:00PM Get home and put daughter down for a rest, son in his room for some quiet time and me and the baby hanging out catching up on blogs and email
3:30PM Daughter is not going to rest, baby spits up all over me and I am ready for my husband to get home.
4:000PM Call husband, he is about an hour away, not to bad. Very thankful that it is Friday.
4:30PM Finally get the baby to sleep and break up a sibling squabble.
5:00PM My husband is finally home. He helps me put together the new stroller and takes the kids off my hands so I can sit and read and eat a snack.
6:00PM Go downstairs and make crepes for dinner. I felt like making something special and it takes a little longer than I expected but they are good.
7:00PM Finish dinner, my husband starts getting the girls ready for bed and I read the Emerald City of Oz (the fifth or sixth book in the series of Oz books) out loud to my son as he finishes dinner. Then he gets ready for bed.
8:30PM The kids are finally asleep, even the baby, I lay in bed not able to move after a long week. Read for a little while get ready for bed.
9:30PM Go downstairs and check the house. Close up for the night. Take son to the bathroom.
10:00PM Read some more to fall asleep
10:30PM Go to sleep
7:20AM Daughter joins us and moves me aside so she can play with the baby
7:25AM Realize we have a lot to do this morning and get us all up and out of bed
7:30AM Help son make 10 english muffins with jelly and butter to bring to his class. Everyone eats breakfast, I make coffee
8:00AM Sip some coffee, help son get dressed with minor melt down about the choice of clothes
8:15AM Get self dressed, make-up, hair, all in record time.
Another sip of coffee
8:30AM Feed the baby a bottle while directing the rest of the family about where their snacks are, the sunscreen ect...
8:45AM The baby spits up all over, clean it up, worry about why she is spitting up so much lately. Get knots out of babies hair while fielding daughters questions
8:55AM Husband and son are out the door, put Curious George on for daughter, put baby in bouncy toy, heat up coffee that is now cold, make my breakfast and read some of the paper while eating
9:30AM Curious George is over, get ready to go to the mall, can't find daughters other shoe, run back into the house three times for forgotten items.
10:00AM Get to the mall, strap baby in front carrier, put daughter in stroller
10:10AM Look for shoes for daughter
10:30AM Ride merry go round
10:40AM Continue looking for shoes. Find very nice sales lady who helps her try on 10 pairs of shoes. Daughter is feeling very proud and big. Decide on the pink, sparkly, light up ones.
10:50AM Thank sales lady profusely for making my daughters day
11:00AM Get in car and drive to store to buy double stroller after carrying 20lb baby around the mall all morning.
11:15AM Take care of daughters melt down
11:30AM Try out lots of strollers
11:45AM Wait for them to check the stock for the color I want
12:00PM Still waiting and holding 20lb baby. Remember why the double stroller is a must.
12:20PM Finally buying stroller
12:30PM Thankfully the nice man is helping us to the car. I am hot, hungry, and my arms are aching
1:00PM Home and put on a show for daughter when I realize naps will not be happening today. Friend brings lunch over. Eat and chat. A nice break to my kid filled day
2:00PM Clean up house, hold cranky baby, change laundry
2:20PM Make a snack for daughter, change baby for third time due to lots of spit up
2:30PM leave to pick up son from last day of summer camp
2:45PM Pick up son who is having so much fun he is not very happy to see me
3:00PM Get home and put daughter down for a rest, son in his room for some quiet time and me and the baby hanging out catching up on blogs and email
3:30PM Daughter is not going to rest, baby spits up all over me and I am ready for my husband to get home.
4:000PM Call husband, he is about an hour away, not to bad. Very thankful that it is Friday.
4:30PM Finally get the baby to sleep and break up a sibling squabble.
5:00PM My husband is finally home. He helps me put together the new stroller and takes the kids off my hands so I can sit and read and eat a snack.
6:00PM Go downstairs and make crepes for dinner. I felt like making something special and it takes a little longer than I expected but they are good.
7:00PM Finish dinner, my husband starts getting the girls ready for bed and I read the Emerald City of Oz (the fifth or sixth book in the series of Oz books) out loud to my son as he finishes dinner. Then he gets ready for bed.
8:30PM The kids are finally asleep, even the baby, I lay in bed not able to move after a long week. Read for a little while get ready for bed.
9:30PM Go downstairs and check the house. Close up for the night. Take son to the bathroom.
10:00PM Read some more to fall asleep
10:30PM Go to sleep
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Ground breaking
For those who do not know my husband is the owner of LJ Urban and they are working to build eco-urban houses. A couple of days ago they broke ground for the first time. It is very exciting for them and I am so proud of him. They set up these sit here signs on all of their project sites to get people thinking, dreaming, and excited about what is coming to their neighborhood. I think there are about 6 of them. We went last night to see them and the kids thought it was very cool. They really stand out and I think it is a great idea. The one picture is from the front and then the second is the back of it that you see sitting on the rock. The last picture is where the first phase of houses is going. It does not look like much right now but you can see where each house will go and get an idea of how it will look. I just thought I would share what my husband does and show you all how amazing he is. I am very proud of him.
Monday, August 06, 2007
My baby is six months old
Can this sweet girl really be six months old already? It does not seem possible. This girl. She is amazing. She is the sunshine in my day. The baby that I finally feel like I might have a handle on this parenting thing and I am enjoying babyhood. She is sitting up now, eating food, and trying to say da da. My husband is very proud. That has been all of our kids first word and it looks like it will be hers to. I am alright with it because now the other two say mama about 3,562 times a day and I can wait a little longer for another one to start saying it.
She is a true gift to us. I feel like I did not do anything to deserve such a great baby. It was like she was just handed to me out of nowhere just like a gift from a great friend. She adores her sister and brother and they adore her. They are eager to tell people that this is their sister with a great big grin on their faces.
They can make her giggle and laugh. They play with her and she is so happy. She is eating food with no problems. Whatever you give her, she eats. Sweet potatoes, great, peas, no problem, bananas, bring it on. She loves it all.
We get stopped in stores and restaurants all the time with people telling us how beautiful she is and happy. It is like the whole world knows that she is a very special girl. And she is.
Her hair is getting longer and I am having to learn how to do it and take care of it. It is a process of trial and error but I am getting the hang of it. Sometimes. I am not used to having to do anything with a babies hair but it is so curly and long. I might have to search out some wisdom from some women that know the tricks.
She is such a trouper. She just goes along with whatever we are doing and always with a smile on her face. She naps when she is tired, eats when she is hungry and is sleeping through the night almost every night now.
She is our little bird. When she was really little she made these little noises that sounded like a bird, so we call her our little bird. She is what we all revolve our lives around right now and it is good. She is a common bond that we all have. She is going to grow up knowing that her brother and sister think that world revolves around her and she will smile at them and their hearts will melt.
Our lives are so much better with our new addition. Our gift from God.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Links I am liking
Thursday, August 02, 2007
August
It is August and summer is in full swing around here. We have been very busy in a good way, doing fun summer things. Summer has always been a favorite time of mine. As a kid it was a time without school, playing with friends all day long, and swimming. Now it is a time when we do not have as much of a schedule and we can spend our days doing all those summer things. I love to swim. It is one of my favorite things to do. Now watching my kids love it to is so much fun. They love the water. My son learned to swim last summer but this summer he is so much stronger and more confident. My daughter has no fear. She cannot swim yet but she is not afraid to get her face in the water, jump in off the side of the pool or go down a water slide. It is really nice to be able to share that love with my kids.
We are at lake Tahoe for our summer vacation and there is a lot of swimming going on here. We went to the lake on Tuesday, the pool yesterday and today we plan on doing a small hike that will take us to a swimming hole. My husband is leaving with the kids tomorrow and I am staying here while some girlfriends join me for the weekend. I am really looking forward to that. It should be some crazy fun with six moms and no kids.
My son starts school in a month. I have very mixed feelings about that. He is so excited and I know he will love it but I am going to miss him. I am used to having him around all the time and it will take some getting used to. When school starts we will have much more of a routine and that will be good but for now we are living it up. Soaking in every last drop of summer and swimming as much as possible
We are at lake Tahoe for our summer vacation and there is a lot of swimming going on here. We went to the lake on Tuesday, the pool yesterday and today we plan on doing a small hike that will take us to a swimming hole. My husband is leaving with the kids tomorrow and I am staying here while some girlfriends join me for the weekend. I am really looking forward to that. It should be some crazy fun with six moms and no kids.
My son starts school in a month. I have very mixed feelings about that. He is so excited and I know he will love it but I am going to miss him. I am used to having him around all the time and it will take some getting used to. When school starts we will have much more of a routine and that will be good but for now we are living it up. Soaking in every last drop of summer and swimming as much as possible
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Stay at home mom time cards
Have you ever wished that you kept a time card like people that go to work do? After a day like today where I have had a child with me at all times since 7AM and it is now 9PM and I am finally off duty (unless someone wakes up). It makes me wish that I could tell people that I just worked 14 hours straight, no breaks, no lunch break, no bathroom breaks (if you don't count it a break when someone is there talking to you and asking questions the whole time).I want to have the sympathy that is given to someone who has worked that long day and is tired. I want to know that it has been acknowledged that I really put in some long hours, some hard work, above and beyond. But the truth is that I will go to bed, wake up in the morning and do it all over again. I love it, don't get me wrong. I would not want to be doing anything else. It is the most satisfying thing that I could spend my days doing. The thing that bugs me is that when I am at a work party with my husband and someone asks what I do. I kind of cringe. I never know how to answer that question. So I end up saying something like, " Oh, I stay home with the kids" and the other person always says something about how that is a very important job and then moves on. I wish that I had a better title for what I do, something like, child development coordinator, house manager, chef, nurse, teacher, child behavior trainer, and referee, then they might understand what it is that I really spend my days doing.
What we did over the weekend
We went to the lake with my family. There is this little lake called Lake Valley that we like to go to at least once a summer. It has a little island in the middle of it and my dad shuttles us out there with all our gear for the day. The water was great, there were a couple of kayaks and some good food. It was a very fun day. The girls with the glasses on is my sister, she is doing much better as you can see. The other girl is my cousin, and the one holding my sweet baby is my dad.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
The Dentist
This seems to be a theme lately around here. I went to the dentist today for a cleaning. I used to really dread going for a cleaning. It would hurt, feel like it was taking forever, and the sounds are just awful. Not any more. We have the greatest dentist ever. I went in this morning. I was asked what movie I would like to watch while I was getting my teeth cleaned. I picked My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Then I was offered a hot wax hand treatment so I thought, why not, so I sat in the chair with headphones on, watching a movie, my hands in warm gloves, and almost forgot that I was getting my teeth cleaned. It felt like I was at spa that I had to keep my mouth open at. I have got to say that we have scored with the dentist. Why can't every doctor, dentist, type appointment be like that?
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