Chaos reigns....

Well, I have survived two days with 5 kids. I will find out tomorrow a little more about the length of stay the two "new guys" as Ben calls them will have here. My new friend Michelle, who runs the In His Hands Orphan and Adoption Ministry, brought by some clothes tonight for the boys. The really don't have much to speak of so every little bit helps. Poor little guys had a visit today with Mom and sibs and then cried for her all night. Amanda has been amazing with them. She has been so kind and talked to them and calmed them down and played with them. She has been such a helper too, helping get breakfast ready and cleaning up. She has really shown an amazing amount of responsibility the past two days. Ben and Cait just act like they have always been here. There hasn't been any jealousy on their part. They play well together and of course we have enough trains an matchox cars for 10 kids.I am going to have to get a bit more organized if they stay very much longer because things could really snowball and I could be overwhelmed in no time.

I had a procedure done at the plastic surgeon, he removed a mole, on Monday so i have been all swollen and crusty on my nose. The little kids keep looking at me and saying "boo boo" ? Caitlyn wants to touch it. Still too sore for that. I am going in for carpal tunnel surgery on March 25 and during that time the Dr. is going to remove the other mole on my nose and the very tender cyst on my head. I asked if he was going to have to shave any part of my hair because if he was I wasn't going to do it. I have a thing about my hair.

Well, the day is done and I believe all the little ones are finally asleep. Thank you Lord! I leave you with this picture to make you all smile.

What was I thinking

Last week, I talked to Becky at Catholic Charities for a variety of reaons. I had some ideas I wanted to run by her about helping recruit foster parents and some licensing questions. I also told her I would be willing to consider another placement, not a permanent one, but we had room for 1 more.

I should be careful what I ask for! I now have two new little additions to the house. M and P are 2 and 4 and about the cutest little men I have ever seen, after my Benny of course. I am not sure how long I will have them and they have two siblings living in another foster home aged 1 and 5. Yikes. They were super good tonight but I am going to have a lot of laundry to do and work getting beds set up for them this weekend. I have been praying about this and I really don't know if I am done taking foster children. I don't want to adopt any more but there are children who need a safe place to go. I guess I had better go to bed early as I now have five childrent to get ready in the morning!

Happy Birthday Amanda!

Today my big girl hit the double digits. I can't believe I have a 10 year old. The day started out ok, I had made her birthday cake last night (confetti cake, no icing as requested) so it was ready. We were all up on time and ready to go. She got to hear her name on the radio wishing her a happy birthday which was fun. But just about the time the bus was to pick her up, I noticed she didn't have her glasses on...... again. I had to race around to try and find them, couldn't find them, yelled at her in the driveway, felt bad for yelling at her on her birthday and ended with "bye honey, I hope you have a happy birthday"

She didn't. She got a detention at school for lying (and what a whopper she told) to her teacher, she got in trouble at home for lying at school. She told the teacher her brother hit her in the arm with a hammer when they were trying to fix the shed the night before, in the pouring rain and gusting wind, which is why she had my wrist brace on her arm. Sheesh, you would think she would tell a more believable story.

Once we got home things just got worse. She complained about the present her Nana got her, I was apalled at her bad manners and didn't even give her the present I had bought for her I was so mad. She was grounded from the tv, and she didn't bring home her school folder with her detention slip for me to sign or any home work so I made her clean all evening. I'm not sure if I am done with her punishment or not. She wanted to go to a movie tomorrow night that the church is showing for the kids, but I don't think I am inclined to let her go.

***sigh*** I am not sure if we are going to survive the teen years if things don't get better.

Today was Cait's day

I knew it was too good to be true..... 1 am on Monday morning Caitlyn started vomiting. By 8 am she seemed fine, no fever, ate a good breakfast, so I took her to daycare because I had a Dr. appt I couldn't miss. (I had some EMG testing done on my arms to see if I have nerve damage.) When I was done I went to work but I was there about 45 minutes and the daycare called. The other end was now the issue. I have to love my daycare, they waited until she had 4 watery diapers before they called because they wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt and asked me if she had been on antibiotics which may have cause the problem. I wish. So I went to pick her up and she took a 4 hour nap. Fortunately this allowed me to get caught up on the laundry I didn't do this weekend. I stayed home 1/2 day today and then left her with Nana for the afternoon while I went to work. I must say, I could get used to being a stay at home mom, sigh, if only I had someone to support that habit. She and I had a fun morning playing dolls and going up and down the stairs to finish the laundry, playing with the dogs and eating a whole zoo of animal crackers. She never has had another poop, watery or otherwise so she is going back to daycare tomorrow. I wonder who's next......

I love Saturdays

We are having such a nice, lazy day today. Sometimes we just don't do anything on Saturdays. I got to sleep until 8 am! of course, Ben was in the bed with me since about 3:30 am, but still. the kids grazed thru breakfast, and watched cartoons. The dogs were able to stay outside for quite a while. Amanda did her very few chores right away and now at 1:05, Caitlyn is sleeping, Ben is watching an old Barney video for the 100th time downstairs while mom grades papers, Amanda is playing on the wii and I am contemplating a nap even though I have laundry to get started.

Ben is wearing underwear today. Aunt Debbie bought him a pair of train underwear for Christmas which he found last night and was thrilled. He has gone potty twice and been dry for quite a while, maybe this is the turning point. One can only hope.

I think I'll go take that nap now.......

We are sick

Sigh. Every year it seems in January or February we get REALLY sick. Ben has had the stomach flu for 2 days now. He has never thrown up before so it really freaks him out and Amanda is so disturbed by vomit, she screams hysterically and runs. I woke up this morning with an eye so swollen and matted shut I can hardly see. I had left over drops from Caitlyn last October that I have been using today, but it doesn't seem to be helping so I am off to the Dr. tomorrow. And on top of being sick, we are supposed to get some really bad weather tomorrow. I hate winter.

Ben

I never wanted a boy. What did I know about being a boy? I mean really, how was I going to teach him the boy stuff? Then I got Ben. He was this tiny little baby who looked like a little old man. I love this boy so much. He is charming and funny and imaginitive, he is the perfect son for me. He is currently obsessed with trains, it is hilarious! I look forward to seeing how this little man grows up.