Make-up Games in Tee Ball

Okay - it took a survey request to get me back to the blog again. Sorry. Blogging, Facebook, Twitter - what is the world coming to? (Actually, I don't twitter. I have just begun to text, though.) There must be some time for real life, which is pretty full in the summer!

Recent kid comments:

E. was showing me her foot the other day. She said she has a "pinky toe," 3 in the middle, and a "thumb toe!"

Also, I doubt if E. has a huge future in baseball. She has a make-up game scheduled for her tee ball team, and she said, "Grandma, I think I know what we're going to do at the make-up game. I think our team is going to chase the other team and see who can get all the make-up!"

Sarah, C. and E. are moving from our home next month. Whistle said, "When C. and E. move, can we look for more foster kids?" Probably eventually, but I thought it might be really interesting to see what it was like for only three (3!!) of us to be in this house. We'll see . . . . If they call with a baby with medical needs, I'm right on it. Otherwise, I guess we'll see. When Whistle asked me a question the other day, I answered, "We'll see." He cried and said, "We'll see means no!" In this case, though, it means . . . we'll see. And . . . when I jokingly mentioned "getting a new kid" to Ben yesterday, he said I should sign the "non-adoption clause" first. He should meet Claudia, Teresa, and all the others of you who really DO have big families. Here, we haven't managed to fulfil our blog name . . . And one more makes SIX!

Adoption Survey

If you adopted an unrelated child from foster care, your input is needed for a survey on post adoption birthparent contact. Michelle Roberts, a foster and adoptive parent herself, is doing a graduate thesis on post adoption contact in foster care adoptions. Even if you have had no contact with your child's birthparents, your input is valuable to the study. The online survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and contains no identifying information. As a special thank you, you will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to the store of your choice. Please take a moment to help with this study. Go to www.AdoptionStudy.org for the online survey or contact Michelle at meroberts2@eiu.edu if you would prefer to have a paper survey mailed to you. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Play Ball!

On the first day of this year's tee ball practice, Whistle said, "Practice!?
Why not a REAL game?
I ALREADY know how to play!"

On the way to tonight's game, he said, "Do you know what I'm going to do when I grow up?"
Other Mother: "No, What?"
Whistle: "I'm going to play COACH pitch!"

What She Said, What They Said

I have lots of things I've wanted to write about, but obviously haven't gotten it done. Hugger's been to Camp Barnabas (that post is still in draft form), we took Whistle to a STL Cardinal's game, he's played several tee ball games, I finished a 9 week training for new foster parents, Father and I attended a foster care conference and saw a couple of shows at Branson. Plus this is the last of 4 weeks of summer school for Whistle, C. and E. We also have had LOTS of communication with local offices of our state agency. That hasn't been good, and we're tired of thinking about it. Sometimes it's frustrating beyond belief to have workers who just don't "get it." Because of lack of communication and a worker who doesn't get it - we missed a very important event in Whistle's case. It doesn't change any of the outcome, but was emotionally draining for us.

However - today I have something else I want to share with you. I'd like you to read Claudia's post at Never a Dull Moment.

I don't think every family needs to do foster care by any means, but I do firmly believe everyone should be doing something to help others. There is no James 1:28, as she said. The King James Version gives the verse as "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." I don't know what the original language word was that is translated as "visit," but I do know that as Christians, and following Biblical teaching in general, we should be looking for opportunities to give, help, and support. Doing foster care and adoption is one part of that - but everyone can (and should!) do something.

Teenager Update

It's been a while since I downloaded pictures from the camera, and it was like looking through a scrapbook remembering the last few weeks. First on the camera were pictures of dyeing Easter Eggs (edited to correct DYING Easter Eggs - how awful!). Even Father got involved this year! Next was Teenager's birthday. We celebrated with her the day before her birthday on May 4th. Since her birthday is on Cinco de Mayo, she always wants to have Mexican food, and celebrating a day early helped us avoid the crowds of Cinco de Mayo. This year it was a necessity, but maybe it will be a preference from now on! The picture above is with her sombrero (and whipped cream on her nose, from the HUGE ice cream dessert the waiters brought when they sang to her). It's hard to believe she is actually 17. Where does the time go? She was only 10 when she came to us, and such a little girl!

We see Teenager off and on, and talk on the phone often. We had met her boyfriend once before, but on Memorial Day, we took a couple of friends, and we all had dinner together. It was a good day. Teenager is healthy and happy, and we're very thankful. She has a summer job, which is nice for her, too. We love you, girl!

Like Mother . . .

Emma is loving her first days in kindergarten. She turned 5 last August, so it's been a long time for her to wait. She likes to be busy all the time. When she was a toddler, she didn't play with toys, but would check out everything on every table (in other words, everything we didn't want her to touch)! When her mother, Sarah, picked her up from school yesterday, she asked the teacher, "Does she talk all the time?" The teacher looked surprised and said, "No." Then she went on to say, "She's quite the mother hen, though! And that's okay, because we have some who DO need help!" When Sarah related it to me, we both laughed, because Sarah knew . . .

A few years ago, a little girl named Sarah started kindergarten in eastern Nebraska. One day the teacher was showing a substitute teacher around her room, and she said, "If there's anything you need to know, just ask Sarah. She knows everything that's going on. If anyone even brings a note to my desk, she wants to know what it's about!" When the teacher told me that, I was suitably embarrassed of course, but we had a good laugh, because . . . that was Sarah!

So, if "Like Mother, Like Daughter" . . . it makes me wonder where Sarah got it. If you desire to comment, please remember this rule: If you can't say something nice, please don't say anything at all." ;-)

First Day of Summer School

Today was the first day of summer school. For granddaughter E., that meant the first day of SCHOOL, as they can go to summer school before actually starting kindergarten in the fall. She got up early, excited about going. A little TOO excited and nervous, in fact, and she lost her breakfast before leaving the house. She wasn't the least bit hesitant, though. She will be 6 in August, so has waited a l-o-n-g time for this day to come, and she was ready, even if a little queasy in her stomach.

C. wasn't all that excited about going back to school, but WAS excited about seeing her best friend Firecracker from the Ours family again. As soon as she saw her walking to class, she jumped into the line with her, and Firecracker said to me, "Will you call my mom and tell her I said, Hi?" I did, on my way out of the building. Things like that make the first day of school fun for all of us. As Firecracker's mom says, "That girl!"


Whistle was also excited. He knew exactly which outfit he wanted to wear. Our conversation went like this:

Whistle: I want those blue pants and that Nike shirt.
Other Mother: Which blue pants and Nike shirt?
Whistle: You know. The blue pants and Nike shirt!
Other Mother: I don't know which ones you mean.
Whistle: You know . . . that shirt that I go "AAARRRRAAAAAGGGGHHHHHH!!!" and you go "Do you need help?"
I still didn't know, but now know that apparently he had trouble getting it on last time!


As the Mom from the Ours family and I both know - these later in life kids keep us on our toes!!