I'm a little slow sometimes...

I just realized that my last post was on Amanda's 13th birthday.  I cannot believe she is a teenager!  and boy o boy is she acting like one (or at least what she thinks a teenager should act like)  She has been beyond defiant, rude, verbally abusive to me (calling names), writing on her body with pens and sharpie's (and sometimes purposely hard enough to cut the skin, she thinks she is tattooing herself), refusing to do schoolwork, lying about just about everything and just being an all around nightmare.  I have talked to her therapist about it with out much help.  This week I called my sister to come and get her so we could both get a little respite.  She will be back in 4 days.  I am going to enjoy all 4 of them.  Of course I will be busy cleaning and disinfecting her room, and basically taking away everything she owns except her bed, a blanket and some clothes.  She is coming back essentially on lockdown until she can earn back something.  Praying continually for some change in her.
On a brighter note, I got a call today about a baby.  He is still in the hospital right now very sick, but they wanted to arrange placement asap. I said yes, but we will see if this one actually goes through. Stay tuned
very soon, I will post some more pictures. :-)

Change

If there is one thing that is true around this house it is that things change... often.  January was a pretty sucky month.  I was drained and tired and bored.  I waited and waited and nothing I wanted to happen actually happened.  No new kids, no great breakthrough with my darling homeschooled child, nothing.  So when February rolled around, I felt the need for a CHANGE!  So once again I am painting a new room.  I am turning the sunroom/playroom into Caitlyn's bedroom.  It is going from barn red to sunny yellow, new curtains for the 8 windows that are in there.  Then Amanda is moving back upstairs and I am moving back upstairs, and my mom is going back downstairs. Amanda's room might get painted again too, I haven't decided if I will be that motivated.
Right now the house is a mess, there is a ladder in the sunroom waiting for me to touch up some yellow paint, the dining room chairs and table have been turned into a safari tent with a sheet and all the stuffed (jungle) animals are in a pile next to the piano.
My ice maker isn't making ice, my dryer doesn't put off hot air and my furnace stopped working twice last week.  This is my life. :-) 

This and that

So far today I have been to the bank (it was closed), took B for a haircut(had to take C along too), got B new snow boots (and a little chocolate for mama), played in the snow (well, I stood out there and watched) loaded the dishwasher, and now I am finally sitting down to start my homework for class on Monday. (ok, I got sidetracked here)
It has been a hard week for me.  I did not get as much done as I would have liked.  Amanda did not get as much schoolwork done as I would have liked (at this rate, she'll be going until July).  Things are not going as planned in the daycare/I need some income area and I hurt my knee using the Wii. oh. yeah. and it snowed and turned really cold.
On the bright side, and yes, there is always a bright side.  I found some new curriculum I want to try and I think Amanda will like it too. My sister came to visit for a few days and took Amanda off my hands one afternoon so I got some alone time while the other two were at school. I also got my laptop back from the PC Dr. after they rid me of all the virus and everything was still there on the hard drive (yippee)
I also got a foster care call this week. My agency is back on rotation! Their transition is almost complete and they can start placing again.  the call was for one of two boys.  One was 4 and had some pretty severe behavior problems the other was 8 and is a specialized placement.  I said no.  I just don't think that either would be a good fit and I have never had a specialized placement before. At least I am still on their radar.  I thanked her for calling and told her to keep calling and I would decide on a case by case basis.  I also asked about the three from a month ago and she said that she has checked and was told DCFS hasn't completed the investigation.  I cannot tell you how mad this makes me and I can only pray that those children are safe until DCFS gets around to checking up on them!!!!!

I am confident the next week will be better (the power of positive thinking)

Wonderful

We had a wonderful Christmas.  My kids are so great and appreciative of everthing they get.  I cannot tell you how many times I heard, "Thank you for getting me ____, mommy!" and hugs and kisses, I was so proud of all three of them.  It was not a big Christmas since our life situation has made some interesting changes this year, but they were so happy with everything.  It does a momma good to hear such things from her kiddos.

But now, I am so over it.  Christmas I mean. Well, at least the decorations.  I started un-decorating yesterday, only two days after.  There have been times in the past when our tree stayed up until February!  I think this year since I am home more, it is getting old. :0)

So I am going to spend the rest of the week taking things down, putting them away and organizing new toys and getting ready for the new year.  more on New Year and all that entails coming up soon.

tis the season

Sunday Morning

I wish I could say it was a quiet lazy kind of morning. but it's not.  I was up around 6:30 and Ben was soon to follow.  He is up with the sun that boy!  And learning how to whisper is a skill yet to be mastered.  As I showered, he lay on my bed watching tv, normally a no-no in the mornings.  Caitlyn made it up about 20 mins later.  Oh my morning children.  Now, at 8:15, they have had breakfast and are playing (rather loudly) with each other.  :-) 
We are off to church in about 45 mins.... if I can get Amanda up an moving.  Ha!  my preteen is not the best in the mornings, to say the very least.
I love them anyway.
Pictures to follow this afternoon

Nothing yet...

Well, it has been 2 days and I haven't heard anything about the new little ones so I am assuming they are not coming.  Annoying but typical.