Are you familiar with comedian Bill Engvall's "Here's Your Sign" routine? We had a HYS incident last weekend.
We were at Lowes getting supplies for a new chicken shed. As we pull up to the register with our load of 30 2x4's the cashier asks "Are you building something?"
Without missing a beat my husband replied, "Nope, I just collect 2x4's."
:>)
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Our homestudy
We had our homestudy for our foster care license last night! It went very well. The social worker said several nice things about our home. Everything here was in order so we will be ready to start accepting placements as soon as they finish processing our paperwork. We could have kids in just a week or two!
I am very excited. This is something I have wanted to do for years but it was never the right time. Now everything is falling into place.
I am very excited. This is something I have wanted to do for years but it was never the right time. Now everything is falling into place.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
More foster license progress
Today I sent in our water samples. Everyone I have talked to has said their first test results were not good enough. Most people have to treat their well and then resubmit. I am hopeful ours will pass on the first try but that may be unrealistic. We will see what happens.
I also went to my doctor appointment for my physical for the foster care license. It was a good appointment. Last fall this doctor referred me for weight loss surgery. I seriously considered having the surgery but my insurance would not cover any part of it so it would have been $$$$$ out of pocket. Instead my husband and I got serious about a low carb lifestyle and have each lost 70 pounds since the first of the year. I hadn't been back to this doctor since last fall. He was very impressed with my non-surgical weight loss and said lots of encouraging things. That was so nice to hear.
That's two more things I can check off my foster care license to-do list!
I also went to my doctor appointment for my physical for the foster care license. It was a good appointment. Last fall this doctor referred me for weight loss surgery. I seriously considered having the surgery but my insurance would not cover any part of it so it would have been $$$$$ out of pocket. Instead my husband and I got serious about a low carb lifestyle and have each lost 70 pounds since the first of the year. I hadn't been back to this doctor since last fall. He was very impressed with my non-surgical weight loss and said lots of encouraging things. That was so nice to hear.
That's two more things I can check off my foster care license to-do list!
What a day!
When I was little I used to love to read my Grandmother's issues of Farm Wife magazine (later called Farm Woman and now Country Woman). My favorite part was a section called "Why Farm Wives Age Fast" which was stories of funny things that happened to women around the house and farm. Today qualifies as a "Why Mothers Age Fast" Day.
To begin with, I kept my friend's two children this morning. No problem--they are great kids. My two oldest had a blast playing with them. The problem was that I needed to leave for a doctor appointment after lunch. I was to drop them off at another home on the way to the doctor.
Well I forgot that it would take longer to round up 5 kids than it does to round up 3 kids. I also forgot to take into account that we would have to rearrage car seats and booster seats before leaving. So I was already running a bit behind before I started to get everyone headed to the truck to leave. Then I noticed that both of my (previously ready to go) girls needed to have clean outfits. So we did that. Then I realized my friend's son was shoeless. I inquired about his shoes and discovered that they were on my roof. No not the roof of the truck, the roof of the house. "Why??" you ask. I have no idea. Neither boy would give me a straight answer.
So we spent a few minutes trying to get the shoes off the roof but they were out of reach, even with the use of a ladder. Since by this point I had just enough time to get my friend's children dropped off and make it to my appointment I told my friend's son to put on a pair of my son's shoes. But my son's shoes were too small. At this point I wondered if I would have to take him shoeless. Finally I found a pair of my plain white tennis shoes that fit him so we loaded up and left with his shoes still on my roof. Boys---you gotta love them. :>)
Dropped them off and headed to the doctor with my own children. We made it on time! It was three minutes before my appointment time when I signed in. :) Once there I decided to leave my oldest two in the waiting room while I went back. I have found that 3 children in a tiny exam room is a bit overwhelming. So when my name was called I headed back with my 2yo in tow.
We stopped in the restroom to leave the necessary urine sample. While in there my 2yo managed to pull the "emergency call" chain next to the toilet.
Then we made it to the exam room. While waiting for the doctor my daughter tipped over a metal tray/table (those little tables they lay thier tools on). The metal tray and the metal frame both crashed LOUDLY which caused about 3 nurses and the doctor to burst through the doorway asking "Is anyone hurt?!?!?" That's one way to get the attention of the medical staff!
I gave my daughter a copy of Birds and Blooms magazine that was in the exam room. I was hoping that she would stay busy looking at the pictures while I talked with the doctor. It worked....sort of. Everytime she saw a bird (which, being Birds and Blooms, was every PAGE) she loudly exclaimed "Cock-a-doodle-doooooo!" So my conversation with the doctor was punctuated by lots of rooster sounds. :>)
Now we are home. Everyone is fed, bathed, and ready for bed. I think I'm going to pour myself a diet pepsi with lemon and try to relax. What a day. :>)
P.S. After we returned home my son was able to get our friend's shoes off the roof by snagging them with a hook on a fishing pole. It was his idea to try the fishing pole and it worked! I was proud of his creative thinking.
To begin with, I kept my friend's two children this morning. No problem--they are great kids. My two oldest had a blast playing with them. The problem was that I needed to leave for a doctor appointment after lunch. I was to drop them off at another home on the way to the doctor.
Well I forgot that it would take longer to round up 5 kids than it does to round up 3 kids. I also forgot to take into account that we would have to rearrage car seats and booster seats before leaving. So I was already running a bit behind before I started to get everyone headed to the truck to leave. Then I noticed that both of my (previously ready to go) girls needed to have clean outfits. So we did that. Then I realized my friend's son was shoeless. I inquired about his shoes and discovered that they were on my roof. No not the roof of the truck, the roof of the house. "Why??" you ask. I have no idea. Neither boy would give me a straight answer.
So we spent a few minutes trying to get the shoes off the roof but they were out of reach, even with the use of a ladder. Since by this point I had just enough time to get my friend's children dropped off and make it to my appointment I told my friend's son to put on a pair of my son's shoes. But my son's shoes were too small. At this point I wondered if I would have to take him shoeless. Finally I found a pair of my plain white tennis shoes that fit him so we loaded up and left with his shoes still on my roof. Boys---you gotta love them. :>)
Dropped them off and headed to the doctor with my own children. We made it on time! It was three minutes before my appointment time when I signed in. :) Once there I decided to leave my oldest two in the waiting room while I went back. I have found that 3 children in a tiny exam room is a bit overwhelming. So when my name was called I headed back with my 2yo in tow.
We stopped in the restroom to leave the necessary urine sample. While in there my 2yo managed to pull the "emergency call" chain next to the toilet.
Then we made it to the exam room. While waiting for the doctor my daughter tipped over a metal tray/table (those little tables they lay thier tools on). The metal tray and the metal frame both crashed LOUDLY which caused about 3 nurses and the doctor to burst through the doorway asking "Is anyone hurt?!?!?" That's one way to get the attention of the medical staff!
I gave my daughter a copy of Birds and Blooms magazine that was in the exam room. I was hoping that she would stay busy looking at the pictures while I talked with the doctor. It worked....sort of. Everytime she saw a bird (which, being Birds and Blooms, was every PAGE) she loudly exclaimed "Cock-a-doodle-doooooo!" So my conversation with the doctor was punctuated by lots of rooster sounds. :>)
Now we are home. Everyone is fed, bathed, and ready for bed. I think I'm going to pour myself a diet pepsi with lemon and try to relax. What a day. :>)
P.S. After we returned home my son was able to get our friend's shoes off the roof by snagging them with a hook on a fishing pole. It was his idea to try the fishing pole and it worked! I was proud of his creative thinking.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
New School Year
We started our new school year this week. It is going really well so far. All of the curriculum I have selected seems to be exactly right.
My 10yo is continuing with Saxon math with the D.I.V.E. cd-rom. To tell the truth, I find Saxon very boring but it seems to work for him so we are sticking with it. The DIVE cd's are wonderful! They are worth the investment if you are going to use Saxon. I am so glad that I learned about them. For those of you who are unfamiliar they are cd's that are a companion to the Saxon book. They feature a short lecture for each lesson where the student can watch the instructor work the sample problems. Very nice!
We are planning to do American history this year. After 2 years of ancient history we are looking forward to the change of pace! Some of the history books have not arrived yet so we are starting the year with a 4 week state history unit. He is studying electricity in science right now which he seems to enjoy. He is also reading Treasure Island.
My 5yo surprised me today. We were counting together. I asked her to count to 20 and instead she counted to 50 without missing a beat. Then my son told her she was halfway to 100 so she might as well keep going. She did keep going and counted to 100. :>) Then she announced that she could count backwards too and proceeded to count backwards from 12.
My 2yo loves for me to count with her also. I say the number and she repeats it. We do the same with the alphabet. She thinks this is great fun.
Tonight we went to the kick-off dinner for our homeschool group. It was so nice to visit with our friends again. The kids had a great time. My 5yo cried when it was time to leave. The kids will have p.e. classes, art classes, bowling days, and other events with this group during the school year.
Our water test kit arrived tonight so we will take the samples and get them shipped. This is one of the steps we need to take for our foster care license. This week I talked to the social worker who will do our homestudy. She is still waiting for our fingerprints to come back. As soon as they are back then we can schedule a date for the homestudy! My husband and I have appointments for our physicals and tb tests next week. We are just about to get all of the hoopjumping and red tape accomplished. :>) Our last training session is 9/29. I am hopeful that we will have everything else finished by 9/29 so that we can have our homestudy done as soon as our training is completed.
My friend who fosters told me that her home was the only foster family in our county with an open bed at the moment. Actually since she told me that a few days ago they took in another placement so they may be full now too. She thinks they will push our license through as soon as all of our training is complete because they need foster families right now. It is sad that there is a need for foster families, but it is good news that they are likely to grant our license in a timely manner. I know several foster families which dealt with a long delay from the time their homestudy/training/paperwork was completed until their license was actually granted. Hopefully that won't happen to us.
My 10yo is continuing with Saxon math with the D.I.V.E. cd-rom. To tell the truth, I find Saxon very boring but it seems to work for him so we are sticking with it. The DIVE cd's are wonderful! They are worth the investment if you are going to use Saxon. I am so glad that I learned about them. For those of you who are unfamiliar they are cd's that are a companion to the Saxon book. They feature a short lecture for each lesson where the student can watch the instructor work the sample problems. Very nice!
We are planning to do American history this year. After 2 years of ancient history we are looking forward to the change of pace! Some of the history books have not arrived yet so we are starting the year with a 4 week state history unit. He is studying electricity in science right now which he seems to enjoy. He is also reading Treasure Island.
My 5yo surprised me today. We were counting together. I asked her to count to 20 and instead she counted to 50 without missing a beat. Then my son told her she was halfway to 100 so she might as well keep going. She did keep going and counted to 100. :>) Then she announced that she could count backwards too and proceeded to count backwards from 12.
My 2yo loves for me to count with her also. I say the number and she repeats it. We do the same with the alphabet. She thinks this is great fun.
Tonight we went to the kick-off dinner for our homeschool group. It was so nice to visit with our friends again. The kids had a great time. My 5yo cried when it was time to leave. The kids will have p.e. classes, art classes, bowling days, and other events with this group during the school year.
Our water test kit arrived tonight so we will take the samples and get them shipped. This is one of the steps we need to take for our foster care license. This week I talked to the social worker who will do our homestudy. She is still waiting for our fingerprints to come back. As soon as they are back then we can schedule a date for the homestudy! My husband and I have appointments for our physicals and tb tests next week. We are just about to get all of the hoopjumping and red tape accomplished. :>) Our last training session is 9/29. I am hopeful that we will have everything else finished by 9/29 so that we can have our homestudy done as soon as our training is completed.
My friend who fosters told me that her home was the only foster family in our county with an open bed at the moment. Actually since she told me that a few days ago they took in another placement so they may be full now too. She thinks they will push our license through as soon as all of our training is complete because they need foster families right now. It is sad that there is a need for foster families, but it is good news that they are likely to grant our license in a timely manner. I know several foster families which dealt with a long delay from the time their homestudy/training/paperwork was completed until their license was actually granted. Hopefully that won't happen to us.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Sunday
It is so nice to have my husband back home with us. We had a great day together today. First we went to Bass Pro. The kids love the huge aquarium and the taxidermy exhibits. We didn't end up buying anything. I did try on a brand of shoes I am thinking of buying. Now I know what size I need. They didn't have my size in the color I want so I passed on them for today. I think I can get a better price online anyway.
We had a quick lunch at Burger King. It was okay. That is not my favorite fast food restaurant but it worked. :>) My 5yo wants to know if the Burger King is married to the Dairy Queen. I think that's cute.
The girls and I finished our Socks read aloud. Now we are reading The Littles Go Exploring. We've read this one before buy my 5yo requested we read it again. It is a fun book.
My 2yo has not been going to bed very well for the last week or so. This is a new thing. Previously she had been doing very well. Last night she got in my 5yo's bed after the 5yo was asleep and TOOK OUT THE 5YO'S EARRINGS!!!!! Ahhhhh!!! Both of them! The 5yo does not like to have her earrings changed so I rarely take them out. We got them put back in place without incident though. It is time to retrain the 2yo what bedtime means. :>) She did much better tonight.
My husband grilled smoked sausages for supper. We even splurged and had buns (we've been low carbing for months). My 5yo also made a cake for us. Tomorrow we are back on our strict eating plan. It was nice to have a treat.
Have a good day!
We had a quick lunch at Burger King. It was okay. That is not my favorite fast food restaurant but it worked. :>) My 5yo wants to know if the Burger King is married to the Dairy Queen. I think that's cute.
The girls and I finished our Socks read aloud. Now we are reading The Littles Go Exploring. We've read this one before buy my 5yo requested we read it again. It is a fun book.
My 2yo has not been going to bed very well for the last week or so. This is a new thing. Previously she had been doing very well. Last night she got in my 5yo's bed after the 5yo was asleep and TOOK OUT THE 5YO'S EARRINGS!!!!! Ahhhhh!!! Both of them! The 5yo does not like to have her earrings changed so I rarely take them out. We got them put back in place without incident though. It is time to retrain the 2yo what bedtime means. :>) She did much better tonight.
My husband grilled smoked sausages for supper. We even splurged and had buns (we've been low carbing for months). My 5yo also made a cake for us. Tomorrow we are back on our strict eating plan. It was nice to have a treat.
Have a good day!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
A New Record
This evening we bought the girls each a new pair of shoes at Old Navy. They both wanted to wear them home so we let them. On the way out of the mall, my 2yo let her feet drag the asphalt parking lot (she was in her stroller). The toes of both new shoes are totally scuffed up. {{{sigh}}} This was less than 5 minutes after purchase. We've had children ruin a new item quickly before but I think this was a new record.
He's Home!
My husband is home! He had been working out of town for over a week. We are all so glad that he is safely home. :>)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
