Another Saturday filled with football and cheerleading...it's my life these days!
My son is playing his 2nd year of tackle football and LOVES it. It was a beautiful morning, although just a little crisp up on a hill at the field. The team lost 7-6 which does not make my son happy. It was a quiet ride on the way home.
Tianna had her football game she cheered at this afternoon. She actually was into it today. Miracles happen. God bless her. She knows every.single.cheer but yet, when it comes time to do it, she's just not into it. I think maybe next year she won't be cheering. We'll see.
The youngest, Aleah on the other hand, is practically jumping out of her skin to be able to get her hands on the pom poms. If they change the birth date cut off next year, she will be 1 unhappy little girl.
It is so fun to sit back and watch my kids in their activities. Sometimes I get so overwhelmed with who needs to be where, but they are happy and that makes it worth while.
Shawn is at a birthday party this afternoon, so the girls are enjoying watching some TV they want to watch. I really want to turn my sewing machine on...but my house is a disaster zone...such choices!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Frustration
It's been well over a year since I have posted anything on my poor little blog...where does time go?!? I find it interesting that today is the day I decide to start back into blogging...
As most of the people who read this blog know, I am a foster parent. My husband and I have been foster parents for 6 years. Through that time we have seen the ups and downs and been on a crazy roller coaster ride called Children & Youth Services.
Yesterday one of my foster parent friends posted an article that was on the local news about a young foster dad who was arrested for abusing one of his foster children. Of course this has caused a lot of outrage on how someone could do this, etc. etc. We have a group on Facebook of foster parents/adoptive parents from our agency where we can talk about anything...tough times, situations such as this, advice, and a laugh...this topic has been discussed a bunch on there. I am having such a hard time with people's reactions.
One of the commenter's on the article said who approves "these people" to be foster parents. Another one said "the state will give kids to anyone so they don't have to take care of them". Many of these comments have rubbed me the wrong way. I have been trying to bite my tongue to not comment on the website where the article is listed. This was just another realization that people are really clueless on what it takes to be a foster parents. I know not many people read my blog...but I just feel like I need to share...
We had to have FBI Clearances, Police Checks, Child Abuse Clearances, home study, mounds of paperwork, training on top of trainings, water testing, emergency exit plans, disaster plans, home visits, dr. clearances, and the list continues. The ironic part?! Birth parents can just have babies and take them home with no license, no checks, no trainings, nothing...all this to say, there are always bad apples on the tree. No matter how many checks or evaluations done...people can slip through the cracks.
But the other question is...what was done for the foster parent? Did they know they could ask for help if they were overwhelmed? Were they offered help? Did they request the children be removed if they were overwhelmed?
I am frustrated that in times such as these, the automatic reaction is to lump all foster parents together and act as though we are bad people and only in it for the money. As I said in our group page, we could lump birth parents together as bad parents. But we don't do that...we see the good in people and want them to succeed in getting their children back into their home if that is the best for the child.
Sorry that was a lot of blubbering...and probably didn't make any sense, I apologize. Maybe tomorrow I will blog about a happier topic :)
As most of the people who read this blog know, I am a foster parent. My husband and I have been foster parents for 6 years. Through that time we have seen the ups and downs and been on a crazy roller coaster ride called Children & Youth Services.
Yesterday one of my foster parent friends posted an article that was on the local news about a young foster dad who was arrested for abusing one of his foster children. Of course this has caused a lot of outrage on how someone could do this, etc. etc. We have a group on Facebook of foster parents/adoptive parents from our agency where we can talk about anything...tough times, situations such as this, advice, and a laugh...this topic has been discussed a bunch on there. I am having such a hard time with people's reactions.
One of the commenter's on the article said who approves "these people" to be foster parents. Another one said "the state will give kids to anyone so they don't have to take care of them". Many of these comments have rubbed me the wrong way. I have been trying to bite my tongue to not comment on the website where the article is listed. This was just another realization that people are really clueless on what it takes to be a foster parents. I know not many people read my blog...but I just feel like I need to share...
We had to have FBI Clearances, Police Checks, Child Abuse Clearances, home study, mounds of paperwork, training on top of trainings, water testing, emergency exit plans, disaster plans, home visits, dr. clearances, and the list continues. The ironic part?! Birth parents can just have babies and take them home with no license, no checks, no trainings, nothing...all this to say, there are always bad apples on the tree. No matter how many checks or evaluations done...people can slip through the cracks.
But the other question is...what was done for the foster parent? Did they know they could ask for help if they were overwhelmed? Were they offered help? Did they request the children be removed if they were overwhelmed?
I am frustrated that in times such as these, the automatic reaction is to lump all foster parents together and act as though we are bad people and only in it for the money. As I said in our group page, we could lump birth parents together as bad parents. But we don't do that...we see the good in people and want them to succeed in getting their children back into their home if that is the best for the child.
Sorry that was a lot of blubbering...and probably didn't make any sense, I apologize. Maybe tomorrow I will blog about a happier topic :)
Monday, June 6, 2011
I did it!
Well, I decided yesterday afternoon that it was the day to do a braid/bead hairdo for the little one yesterday. She picked out butterfly beads. She was a trooper during the whole process.
She actually fell asleep while I braided the back part. We had to take a break and then she sat on daddy's lap so I could braid the ponytails in the front. I got them all done except 1...she had enough at that point, so I had to finish when she fell asleep at night.
I have to find the right product to help smooth her hair out-it is quite frizzy this morning even after using a sleep cap. After doing her hair and using the beads, I have decided that we are probably going to place another order on braids and fun stuff...so many possibilities :)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
A whole new experience
So, it is no secret that my husband and I adopted 3 children of a different race than us. Many of days around the kitchen table there have been debates on what shade of brown we are. The discussion usually ends with the fact that we are all different shades and are special just the way we are.
Not only is shades of skin in our home a very normal conversation...hair is another topic. I have done the best I could with my little ones hair, however, I recently had a "duh moment" and started looking for blogs on taking care of African American hair. My son's hair is not difficult-take him to the barber and have them trim and shape him up as they see fit. The brush it out everyday.
My dear T-her hair is more like ours, however, she does need lots of conditioning. I think I have hers pretty much figured out. There are days when it looks like a rats nest and I have to throw my hands up in the hair in frustration.
My poor little one has had me stumped for, well, really since we got her. When we got her at 5 days old, her hair was so soft and oh so curly...I had wished it would stay that way forever. It didn't. She has some major 4c hair(didn't know what that meant until I got help from blog land)...I have been doing it all wrong. I knew the basics...don't over wash, use wide tooth comb, condition, moisturize, etc. After finding a couple of very helpful blogs with mom's in the same situation as me, I have gained so many helpful tips already. Some of things they tell you to do, I think to myself...what a dummy I am. Basics like just putting conditioner & water in a spray bottle together to use as a detangler...it works AMAZING. WAY better than the stuff you buy in the store. The other tip I learned...again, seriously made me feel dumb-was instead of using a brush/comb for detangling-use my hands...um...seriously?!?! I have 2 of them...they are free...and get this...IT WORKS! Go figure! So just using those 2 tips have already made hair care for the little one's so much better. She used to run away screaming when I got the basket of hair stuff down to start on her hair. Not now. I still have a loooong way to go. Apparently I need a routine. Apparently I need basic products instead of the craziness I have been buying. Apparently there are lots of fun accessories you can buy...placed an order yesterday and can't WAIT for them to come in the mail. Beads galore and little clippies...oh my!
I would love to learn how to cornrow-not sure that will be happening anytime soon-but I can do a basic braid and saw some cute styles that use those and beads-so I am excited to get started. The parting aspect of it has me overwhelmed...but I'm sure we'll figure something out.
I don't know if anyone out there that follows my blog has a use for these...but here are some blogs/webpages that have been VERY helpful!
http://www.curlyiscuter.com/index.html
http://www.chocolatehairvanillacare.com/
http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/
Not only is shades of skin in our home a very normal conversation...hair is another topic. I have done the best I could with my little ones hair, however, I recently had a "duh moment" and started looking for blogs on taking care of African American hair. My son's hair is not difficult-take him to the barber and have them trim and shape him up as they see fit. The brush it out everyday.
My dear T-her hair is more like ours, however, she does need lots of conditioning. I think I have hers pretty much figured out. There are days when it looks like a rats nest and I have to throw my hands up in the hair in frustration.
My poor little one has had me stumped for, well, really since we got her. When we got her at 5 days old, her hair was so soft and oh so curly...I had wished it would stay that way forever. It didn't. She has some major 4c hair(didn't know what that meant until I got help from blog land)...I have been doing it all wrong. I knew the basics...don't over wash, use wide tooth comb, condition, moisturize, etc. After finding a couple of very helpful blogs with mom's in the same situation as me, I have gained so many helpful tips already. Some of things they tell you to do, I think to myself...what a dummy I am. Basics like just putting conditioner & water in a spray bottle together to use as a detangler...it works AMAZING. WAY better than the stuff you buy in the store. The other tip I learned...again, seriously made me feel dumb-was instead of using a brush/comb for detangling-use my hands...um...seriously?!?! I have 2 of them...they are free...and get this...IT WORKS! Go figure! So just using those 2 tips have already made hair care for the little one's so much better. She used to run away screaming when I got the basket of hair stuff down to start on her hair. Not now. I still have a loooong way to go. Apparently I need a routine. Apparently I need basic products instead of the craziness I have been buying. Apparently there are lots of fun accessories you can buy...placed an order yesterday and can't WAIT for them to come in the mail. Beads galore and little clippies...oh my!
I would love to learn how to cornrow-not sure that will be happening anytime soon-but I can do a basic braid and saw some cute styles that use those and beads-so I am excited to get started. The parting aspect of it has me overwhelmed...but I'm sure we'll figure something out.
I don't know if anyone out there that follows my blog has a use for these...but here are some blogs/webpages that have been VERY helpful!
http://www.curlyiscuter.com/index.html
http://www.chocolatehairvanillacare.com/
http://beadsbraidsbeyond.blogspot.com/
Monday, May 23, 2011
Once a Tiger-Now a Wolf
My son had his Crossover ceremony a couple of weeks ago for Cub Scouts. He moved up from a Tiger Cub to a Wolf Cub. I am so proud of him for achieving the goals that were set for him in order to move up. Memorization and things are not the easiest for him, and although he did get very frustrated, he did it!
Crossing over the bridge the Boy Scouts made for them. 
After he was given his new neckerchief.
The girls needed it to be known that they were there too!
Organizing
I started organizing my fabric scraps by color...anything that is a fat quarter or 1/4 of a yard or less gets thrown in a container. The trouble is, I only got 4 containers when I was at the store, so my orange, blue, green, and reds are organized...I will slowly have to seperate out the rest as I get more. 
Friday, May 6, 2011
Finish
This quilt has been finished for awhile now...just now getting to put it up...don't you just love my "helper?" Precious, isn't she?! This quilt is almost king size, I believe. I don't love it...it is one that my aunt's and cousin's all made 1 year over Memorial Day weekend many years ago. I am just excited to have it off the UFO pile!
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