My sons obsession.... help...

All of you know that Owen loves to skate. We all went yesterday to the rink with our friend Truman from across the street. We took a little video and added a little flair... here is what we came up with. Parker is doing well for his second time on hockey skates. He is having fun trying to keep up with Owen.





Parker is almost done with his basketball camp. He is doing really well, having fun and making friends.

I caved and went to my "happy place" today. They were having their semi-annual toy clearence at 75% off. I bought some legos and toys for Christmas. I was in such a rush I never got a chance to get my Starbucks =(

Lisa has a friend spending the night tonight... wish me luck!!! Girls chatting all night. I am VERY happy to have boys!

Much better

After only a few hours of sleep, and a nice relaxing day I am feeling much better. Thank you Andrea for the encouraging message. I think sometimes it takes another foster parent to help turn the other out of the rut they are in. I sometimes feel that people really don't understand unless they are in up to their ears as well.

Parker is doing well at basketball camp. He wants to bake cookies for all of his teachers. He is so not a sport kid. I think he will be in the band or something dramatic. He keeps telling me he wants to play the Tuba. I can so picture him doing that!

Owen has had a better day listening. He is really challenging my parenting skills. He is a very strong willed and active little boy. I think if he was my first, he would have been my only! I would have no energy to have another one. I do admire his determination and strength. He reminds me a lot of myself. When I put my mind to it, I can do anything!

Lisa and Fernando had their big meeting toady about the transition home. They should be moving on in a month. Then I will only have Asia.... It will be really quiet then.

One quick question. I am looking for a hairstyle for Owen. I love his long hair... but I need something new. If anyone has any ideas please let me know. Here is a picture of him a few days ago. Please keep in mind his hair is STRAIGHT and it hasn't grown in on the back of his neck all the way yet ( and he is already 3!!??).

Treat them like your own.... ??

I am going to vent a little here. So if you don't like reading peoples complaints... just skip this post!

I have been a foster parent for 8 years now. It has had many ups and downs. We have seen about 60 or so kiddos pass through our doors each one bringing their own "unique" personalities to the table. I have had Asia for about 5 years now. We have tried to raise her as if she were our own. We provided rules and structure for her that we hope will continue in our family when our two boys are in their teenage years.

This last past weekend Asia asked us if she could go camping. Now something we should all remember is that "foster kids" are not allowed to sleep over at friends houses, or go anywhere other than our home for more than 6 hours UNLESS it is another licensed foster home. Now let's all think back to when we were kids. I can think of a million times that I spent the night at a friends house, sometimes the whole weekend. That is being a typical child. It is a part of growing up, developing and establishing trust with your parents and relationships with peers.

Anyways, I told her that she could go camping as long as I talked with her friends mother IN PERSON and knew where they were going etc etc... The last I saw of Ms Asia, she was outside the house skateboarding.... That night I expected a call from her, or her friends mom. No call... nothing. I knew she was camping. I was upset with her choices not to follow directions but I figured that I would deal with the situation when she got back on Sunday. She came home, argued (as always) but accepted her consequence and life went on.

Not so for me. When I explained to her caseworker what had happened I was the one who got in trouble, more so than Asia did mind you. I was told that I should have called her in as a runaway and NOT to treat her as I would a normal child. To always remember that she is a foster child and not to give her any special circumstances. I honestly feel that I handled the situation appropriately. I would have done the same for my own boys. But now I am getting frustrated. My foster children have more rules and regulations than I ever imagined. It turns out they aren't even allowed to go to kids night out at the YMCA (but I was told that they could make an exception since the kids have so much fun there). They cannot jump on trampolines, go skiing with us, get their drivers licence, even if we were to rent a jet ski they would not be able to participate in that activity. Talk about living in a bubble.

I guess the part that really pisses me off (can you tell by me writing this I am getting heated already!!) is that when people outside of the foster care system look at us as a family it really makes me look like the bad guy. Take for example when we have people over for a BBQ. All the kids could be jumping on the trampoline. Someone invites one of my kids and they have to say "No, I'm not allowed because I am a foster kid". It makes me look like an ass. It has happened so many times and I am tried of explaining it to everyone. Just call me the bad guy. I give up trying to treat these kiddos like my own. It is impossible!

Now I have Asia mad at me, because I can't let her go to her friends houses. It is hard to explain to her about all this. She sees her friends being "typical" kids and doesn't understand why she can't do it too.

So Asia!!! I'm sorry. I love and care for you. But it isn't my fault. We will do the best we can okay???

I'm done now and feel much better now!

My Happy Place

Thank you Rachel for the reminder about my "Happy Place". I did avoid Target today, however Starbucks was stuck in my head. Okay so I went and order my latest drink of the month, a Java Chip Frappuccino Light. So yummy! I didn't have time to eat breakfast either running the O-Man to school and then Parker off to basketball camp (which he is loving BTW). So I decided to stop off and get a special treat for myself, as well as two gallons of milk... with the kids out of school we go through at least a gallon a day!!!

Anyways, I place my order. Then in hindsight I think about the new "diet" I am on. If anyone wants to try it here is what it entails:

• Too busy to eat breakfast since I am running kids everywhere
• Too busy to eat lunch because I am cleaning the house
• Too busy to sit down because Owen is running in circles
• Too busy to get a snack since I have to take the kids to Karate or baseball or swimming...
• Not much to make for dinner since I have no time to go to the grocery store
• I'll just have an apple since it is the only thing I can find in the fridge

With this diet I GUARANTEE RESULTS!!!!

So back to the story. My new diet got me thinking. I wonder how many calories are in this drink. So I ask Lou, the barista at my Starbucks, and she replies. "If it tastes good, it really shouldn't matter". HMMMM. It did matter to me. So I came home and got to looking. Mind you, I don't add whip... although I am usually so tempted and sometimes cave in, but this time I was good.

It was 160 calories. For a drink??? I guess thinking about it a pop would be more. But sitting back now writing this and drinking my Java chip.... it is WELL WORTH IT!!!

What a nice way to start my day. Now I am off to skating with the O-Man. I promised him yesterday since we just watched.... This little boy will skate 24-7 if I let him! I am hoping some good friends will come with us.... we will see!!

Inviation Only...

When driving to Applebees last night James and I were having one of those conversations that can never go right. It started out talking about all of our old friends. We were the first from his group to get married and everyone thought we were crazy.... Okay so to be honest we did get married for immigration purposes ( I am Canadian).... but we would have done it anyway!! So only about 50% of our friends are still married. Wow. What an alarming number.

Then the conversation started to move onto why people got divorced. Most likely cause: Cheating. Now, I am a very honest person. I believe if you want to be with someone else, let your partner know, and then move on. But, we got on the subject of what would happen if I were to make different choices.

The answer from James was simple: physical harm to the other man.

BUT WAIT: what if I cheated with another woman?

Once again those of you who know me realize that this is just talk. I have many gay friends but it's just not for me.

His response: That would be fine, but I would have high hope for an invitation.

Okay call me crazy but isn't it the same thing?? Cheating is cheating...

So in talking with a few other people today most agrees with what James said. Man, I never would have thought!

My husband is such a typical male!

Anyways I am off to my crazy night, swimming, Karate, and trying to get some of this foster care training done before tomorrow.

How to Make a Comment

After numerous people told me about their confusion on leaving a comment I thought I would post directions.

• Click on the comment link below the post
• type your comment into the box provided
• type in the security check word that you have to copy into the box
• Click on Name/URL and just type your name
• Then click on Publish your comment

TA DA!!!!

If anyone needs me to program their DVR or TIVO I am available too... HAHA

Relaxing Sunday

Today was a nice calm day. Parker went to church with his friend Ethan. Most of you know that we are not big "church people" so this was a new adventure for him. In typical Parker style he came home talking all about God. He was even praying to Jesus in the back of the van "Dear Jesus, Will you please make the rain go away so we can go on a bike ride. And please make my brother Owen be quiet!". It was VERY funny!

I got a free moment to get my nails done! It was nice to spend some time alone. Owen and Parker both had skating lessons today. Parker was on his hockey skates for the first time. He did well! Owen was typical Owen... I am going to get many gray hairs from that little boy!

The weekend is over, and now back to the grind of the week. Parker is going to Basketball camp for the week. We will see how this new adventure pans out.

What a fun day!

I slept in until 9 today!!! It felt awesome! I don't think I have slept in that late in quiet some time. Parker had Karate in the morning and Owen was playing hockey in the driveway. We all had lunch at Smash burger. That place is yummy. I would hate to count all the calories in the food though... but well worth it.

We all went skating at the YMCA in Lafayette today. Owen enjoyed the change of scenery from his usual rink. James actually put on his skates for the first time in 3 years. It was fun!!! He was racing with Lisa and Fernando. I think Parker was getting a little jealous. We ended up stopping at the hockey store on the way home. Owen got his first hockey stick. He was thrilled. Parker wanted his own skates and we caved in and got them. Let's see if he can actually skate on them.... ughhh!

So I still can't find my charger for my camera. I might need to go and get a new one. I am going to bathe the boys and put them to bed. I need some quiet time.

So tired today!

So I am going on 3 hours sleep. I get really emotional when I am tired. Of course the boys never stop. We went for a bike ride to a friends house. It was nice visiting with you and the girls Amanda. We should do it more often! Parker was happy to see a good friend and Owen did what he always does... runs around like crazy.

James is back from Wyoming. We are all going to cuddle up in our bed a watch a movie before we tuck the boys in for the night. Lisa and Fernando are starting their transition back home to mom. They are having more and more visits with family. It is really quiet around here when they are gone.

On a funny note: James (who hates skating) dug his skates out of the storage shed. He told me he was going to sell them.... but he is really trying to be a good dad to Owen, who is a little on the obsessed side when it come to skating and hockey. We are going tomorrow afternoon. I will take the camera.... this should be FUNNY!!!

I should be sleeping

So, I should be sleeping. I never sleep very well when James is out of town. It is about 2:30 am and I just heard the little footsteps of Owen getting out of his bed and ready to climb into mine. Parker is sleeping with me tonight so I will have to fight for some bed space when I decide to head up to bed. As much as those little boys hog the bed, it is very sweet to wake up to hugs and kisses from them instead of a alarm clock!

I figured I would start this blog to try to capture the little moments that happen every day. It seems that life is going way too fast. Parker will soon be starting 1st grade, 2 weeks to be exact! I am excited for him to go off to school all day, but I will miss him. Owen is going to be starting preschool at Happy Valley soon too. I am not sure why I enrolled him there though... he has such a fear of horses.... and it is a farm like preschool.... oh well he is a very fearless little boy and it should be a fun and new experience for him. I think I will take the time I will have by myself when the boys are in school and start take full advantage of our YMCA membership. It should be fun!

I would post a picture but I can't seem to find the charger for my camera. I last saw it in the hotel in California....