They live on.......

So with Dab Dab and Sugars gone now, we have been solely concentrating on our Bunny. While he misses his foster brother and foster sister, I think that he is really digging being the only kid again. I must say we are having a pretty good time. We have been on impromoptu picnics, the pumpkin patch and Daddy and Bunny like to have races in the backyard. It is there that I noticed that he has picked up one of my traits from when I was younger. He runs like he an idiot. He flaps his arms like he is preparing to take off and he shakes his head back and forth as he runs. I never realized that I did that until a very rude P.E. coach pointed that out to me in junior high.
Well, while my son looks a lot like his father, he has absorbed some of my annoying traits:
The running
He bites his nails. I have been doing that since I was 3 years old!
He has a quick temper but is over it fairly quickly.
He is super impatient.
He is overly dramatic.
He has horrific allergies.
He sometimes has night terrors like I suffered through when I was a kid.

On the bright side, there are traits in him that could only come front one source, my late father.
He twirls his hair when he gets sleepy. My daddy used to twirl his hair until he had little corkscrews sticking out all in the back of his head.
He has my daddy's dimples.
He has my daddy's temperment.

Even though my dad has passed on and he never got to meet my husband or Bunny, I know that he lives on in our child and any other children we may have in the future. I know my dad would be tickled to know that.
TTFN

OH--NEWS FLASH!!!! Bunny actually went to potty today at school! This is a welcome change from just sitting there for two hours and then immediately relieving himself once he got a pull up on. Go Bunny!!!!

Attached is a pic from our latest venture to the park for a picnic. There are very few pics of Bunny and me since I am the one who normally takes the pics!

Goodbye, Sugars and Dab Dab

So Tuesday I finally got the call. Sugars and Dab Dab, who have been in our care for almost a year, were going to go and live with their grandmother until their mother could get custody of them. Just like it did when those two marvelous creatures entered our world, our lives changed after that phone call. While we are happy for their family, our hearts break for the loss of a son and daughter, a brother and sister to our son, a niece and nephew to my siblings and a grandson and grand-daughter to my mother. We spent most of the remainder of the week in mourning. I would start to cry everytime they would do something cute because I knew that after this week, they wouldn't be with us anymore. I would start to cry if they did something that would normally drive me nuts because I knew that even though it did drive me crazy, I would miss it when they were gone.
Today we said goodbye. This is my farewell blog to these two beautiful children who changed our lives so dramatically.
Goodbye Sugars. You were only 7 months old when you came to us but you were such a happy baby. You looked just like a little cabbage patch doll. Your temper was something to rival even mine. You were quick to laugh and sometimes quick to cry but you were a constant joy.
Goodbye Dab Dab. You were 17 months old when you came to us and you were all over the place. When you came to us you wouldn't really look us in the eye. It took a while to gain your trust and even longer to gain your love but we will cherish it forever. We will miss your constant attempts to make our heart stop by doing things that could hurt you. We will miss your giggles and your dancing blue eyes. We will miss your wet, sloppy kisses.
God speed, our little ones. We hope that you will continue to carry the love we gave you and that, while you may not always remember us, you will remember our family and the fun we had.

Attached is my favorite picture of them. Even though I am not in it, to me this pic captures what family is all about. This is my husband Charles holding our son Eli in his lap with Sugars and Dab Dab on either side of him. Our dog Zoey, who passed away this past summer, is on the couch behind them. This was taken Christmas Eve last year as Charles read "Twas the Night Before Christmas"

Fostermomma, insanity is my name!

So preschool started yesterday for the kiddos. Bunny was signed up for Mon-Thurs, Dab Dab was signed up for Tues and Thurs and Sugars is supposed to go Mon and Wed. I go to drop off Bunny and Dab Dab yesterday and, because my pill of a stubborn son Bunny refuses to go on the potty, he can only go two days a week this month. If he isn't potty trained by the end of this month, he will not be able to go to school there. No pressure, right?
We started trying to train him when he was 2. We bought him a potty chair that played songs when you made a "deposit" in it. He was terrified of the little cup that they put on there for boys to help keep the bathroom from being painted in pee pee. We took that off and then he was scared to sit on the big boy potty even with a training seat on it. I guess in his mind something is going to come up and grab him or something. Anyway, we got "Potty Time Elmo" and he loves the songs and will watch it with such intensity that you would think that something is getting through to him......Nope! He will now sit on the potty with no problem. He will sit for hours. He will watch 5 movies, read war and peace and balance our checkbook but HE WILL NOT GO ON THE POTTY!!!!!! As soon as you let him get off and put underwear on him, THEN he goes. I don't want to push him too hard but gee whiz!(pardon the pun)
Dab dab had no trouble in his class. The only time he pitched a fit was when they were out on the playground and the teachers said that it was time to go in. That was when he did his "throw himself down on the ground and sob hysterically Scarlet O'Hara and the oscar goes to" fit that he (and his sister) like to perform. When they came back inside it was time for snack so he was all good.
Sugars' first day was today. She had a great first day but I swear, after I picked her up, she had a little bit of an attitude. It was almost like she was the popular girl and I was the nobody geek who she "allowed" me to be near her and carry her books. She just through she was the shizzle!
Of course, with Sugars being at school, that left the boys at home with me. I believe that the last time I counted, we watched "Blue's Clues" 6 times. No, not different episodes. I am talking about the SAME episode! Needless to say, I set my TIVO to record some different episodes tomorrow. We got along pretty good. They got along better than I expected. Of course, even though our house looks like a toy drive exploded, the boys always manage to try to covet the exact same toy.
Then it was off to pick up Sugars from school. When we got back home, the kids decided that it was now three against one (actually five against one if you count the two puppies). I looked at them. They looked at me. It was on like popcorn! The endless stack of laundry that I folded obviously looked too neat because Dab Dab toppled it over. The toys I picked up and put in the toy box? Why would we do that when Bunny is the best about relocating them all over the place. Sugars posed the age old question...."Why can't I dance on the dining room table?".
Listen, don't get me wrong. I love these kids with all of my heart but being a SAHM is hard! I never realized how easy I had it working full time. This may be the toughest job I have ever had but I am determined to master it. Now, excuse me. I need to go and pass out now.
TTFN

Hop-A-Long Dab Dab

For someone with a broken leg, Dab Dab sure does get along pretty well. Right now he is just limping along like a little old man without a cane. The doctors mistakenly thought that if they put the cast on all the way up his leg and bent it some at the knee that it would keep him off of it....WRONG! It took him about 5 minutes to figure everything out. First he kind of scooted around. Then he crawled. And now he is ready to run. He still has two weeks to go before the cast comes off (boy, does it look gross!) but he definately isn't letting it slow him down.
Here is a pic of him with his cast on. He fell asleep on the couch with this big giant smiley face ball. He face is hidden to protect his privacy.

Tiny terrors on the loose

So we got two puppies. Their names are Lulu and Lenux(Hubby named him after his favorite operating system)They are part weinie dogs and part boston terrors...oops, sorry terriors. I forgot how destructive puppies can be. They had already eaten through one set of computer speakers and a USB cable. Last night, I installed a cheap set of speakers. It took me about 5 minutes to install and only about 5 seconds for Lulu to chew through not only the speaker cable, but also through the USB cable for the speakers as well. As I type this, they are playing tug-o-war with a plastic slinky that someone left in the floor. Nothing is sacred to these pups. Shoes, whether they are on someones feet at the time or not, are very easy targets. And lets not forget the mad dash to see which one of them can nibble at your toes the most from their kennel to the back door when you let them out to do their business in the morning.
I will say this about them. Since we got the pups, the kids haven't thrown as many temper tantrums. It is really hard to throw yourself on the ground in a fit when two tiny puppies are trying to lick your face off.
Its a good thing they are cute.....or we would have to lock them up. I am pretty sure I am talking about the puppies=)
TTFN

The daring young boy.........

So, we have been taking care of Dab Dab and Sugars for 10 months and this past weekend, we had the first true injury. There have been bumps and bruises along the way but, miraculously considering Dab Dab's penchant for mischieviousness, there have been no ER visits for him. Well that all changed Sunday night. When he woke up from his nap, he decided to climb up onto his headboard, which is about 1 1/2 inches wide, and peel the lettering on the wall above his bed. He got two letters of his name peeled off when he slipped and got his leg caught between the headboard and the wall. Daddy immediately went in and rescued him and checked him out and he seemed fine. We even went to McDonalds that night and he played for a few hours. The next afternoon I discovered that his left calf was bigger than his right and that it was tensed up. I thought that maybe he had pulled a muscle or something. But when I took him to the ER and they did an X-Ray, it turns out he had a fractured Tibea!!! He was such a brave boy. They put a splint on him and told me to keep him from walking around. Yeah, right! I think that this child may have come out of the womb and a fast walk! He doesn't run as much as he flies.
I was hoping that they would put a walking cast on him but it ended up going up to his mid thigh and they bent his leg at the knee. But it does have dinasaurs on it, which he thinks is really cool.
This week has basically been spent tending to his every need and trying to keep him happy. Since I just got out of a cast myself, I know how frustrating it can be. While he cannot walk right now, he is getting really good at scooting around on his bottom. He is also pretty good about ordering me around. I live to serve, I guess. I am just glad he is feeling better since he got his cast on. I think that the splint allowed too much movement and it was hurting him.
So, since he is too little for crutches or a walker, we will carry him around or push him in a stroller. He is being a little trooper and hopefully will be back to climbing and jumping in no time.
TTFN

What is it about Daddy?

What is it about dads? Let's face it. The moms are usually the ones who take care of the kids during the day into the evening. We feed them. We change them. We wipe their noses and their backsides if the need arises. Yet somehow, we are overshadowed by that magical creature called "Daddy".
Take yesterday, for example. The kids were hitting, biting, scratching, screaming, pushing, pulling and stabbing each other(okay, that last one is an exageration...but not by much). The new dog is running around tripping over his own legs. All three kids are yelling to watch a DVD and none of them are choosing the same one. My house looks like a war zone. Both boys had to be put in thinking time...twice. It's fire, flood and famine over at our household until......we hear the garage door open. In walks Daddy.
Suddenly, a choir of angels is singing. The birds are chirping. The bees are buzzing. I swear a ray of sunshine falls on my husband as he makes his way through the door and into the arms of the three little beings who, just moments before, were playing "wack-a-mole" with my head. It's all hugs and kisses and playing and laughing and dancing. Meanwhile, I am huddled in a corner talking to myself and twitching. I can only glare at my husband and hope he slips on the milk that is in the floor from when the boys decided to have a spitting contest. I don't think they ever decided who won.
Oh well.......I am going to go and pass out now.
TTFN

This is for you, Zoey

I am going a little off topic tonight. For those of you who know me, Zoey, my sweet dog that I have had for almost 14 years, was what I would consider my "first child". She passed away tonight.
I officially became Zoey's "person" when I went to the SPCA looking for a dog. There were many dogs to choose from but this dog was sitting by herself in a little kennel with her head cocked to one side. It was almost as if she was waiting for me to pick her up. From then on out, it was love. She would sit on my shoes in the morning in the hopes that this would prevent me from going anywhere. Whenever I was packing a suitcase, she would sit in it while I was packing. She would sometime sit on my feet so, if I decided to leave, she would be the first to know about it. Whenever I would go out of site for two minutes to use the bathroom or something, she would greet me when I was done like I was gone forever. She would be the baromenttor by which I would measure all of my dates. If they didn't like her, they were out of there! If she didn't like them.....well, who am I kidding. She loved everyone! My husband(at that time, my boyfriend) told her he loved her before he ever said it to me. When I brought Bunny home from the hospital, I started calling her "big sister" and so one of Bunny's first words was, "Sista". So, somehow, because of that, she was called "Sista" by all of the kids more than she was called Zoey. She was our family. We loved her and we will miss her tremendously.
IN MEMORY OF ZOEY MARIE HOGAN ROOF OCTOBER 1994-JULY 2008

Of all the toys that we have..........

So our house basically looks like a toy store exploded. We finally regulated the ride on toys to the outside but there are still tons of toys for the kids to choose from. It was pouring down rain outside and the kids were going stir crazy. They had already spent time watching our back fence blow down and now it was time to move on to something else. Dab Dab slowly looked around. What to play with? Which do I choose? Should I pick the ball? What about the firetruck? No, wait! I've got it! I will dump out the laundrey in one of the netted laundry baskets and put that over my head and run around with it! Sugars went and dumped the other one out and did the same thing. Since Bunny couldn't find another one, he tried to take Sugars' laundry basket. Dab Dab was not going to have that. He could laundry basket-jack his sister, but no one else can! He made a run for Bunny and knocked him down. Then he went over to another regular basket and handed it to Bunny, kind of like "Use this instead but stay away from my sister". We went and found another netted basket just like the others had and gave that to Sugars. Before we knew what was happening, they were racing back and forth from the living room to the front door and back again with those things on their head. Of course, it was kind of hard for them to see out of them and sometimes they would crash into each other but that did not let that stop them. Oh well, I guess it is better than dog poo=)(read previous post)
TTFN

Respect the handicap, darn it!

So I recently had surgery on my achilles tendon. I basically go from my bed, to the potty, to my computer desk in my bedroom, to a chair out in the living room where I can hang with the kiddos. Well, whenever I go to hang out with the kiddos, their favorite activity lately has been to move my little knee walker, the only way I have to get around, out of my reach. They think that it is so cool to push Mommy's "bicycle" around the living room. How funny it is to hear Mommy yell that she has to use the bathroom and the scooter is no where within reach. Let's all have a jolly laugh as we watch Mommy hop around on one foot half way across the room as she tries desperately to retrieve her only means of transportation.
It's funny what passes for entertainment around here=)
TTFN

And a child shall lead them.......

So picture this, the kids are outside at the picnic table. Bunny keeps bringing pieces of grass to the other kids to "eat". They all sit down at the table and hold hands. The kids say a prayer. It is a cross between the "Now I lay me down to sleep" and the mealtime "God is great, God is good" prayer. They held hands and closed their little eyes and said their "Amens", just like we do during mealtimes and bedtimes. This should prove to you that you must watch your behavior around kids at all times. They not only copy anything negative you do(cussing, fighting, etc) but you also have the opportunity to show them positive things as well. This could be anything from saying prayers to giving kisses and hugs and teaching manners.
ttfn

Oh how we love the rain........or not!

So most of you know that I have been laid up this past weekend after having surgery on my Achilles tendon. I was pretty much bedridden all weekend with my mom and husband taking care of me and the kids. I can now get around okay, I just can't put any weight on it for awhile. So I hear it start to rain this morning and I heard my mom go "Bunny, no!" So I hobble on out in the living room to see what was going on. Bunny had made a dash through the doggy door and was outside in the pouring rain shaking his little fist in the air and yelling "No, no rain!" Not to be outdone, Sugars follows him out and is just absolutely tickled to run out on the grass and have the rain hit her in the face. She thought that it was the greatest thing ever. So my mom finally gets Bunny back into the house but, if anything, Sugars is moving further out because she is totally digging it. My mom has to go out into the yard to get her to go in while I am trying to keep Bunny from making a run for it again AND am trying to find the cover for the dog door so that we can cover it. Dab dab, in the meantime, it just calmly watching all of this take place from his place by the window.
Needless to say, these angels keep up on our toes (or toem in my case) but when you have kids this young in age, you are pretty much prepared for anything.
TTFN

Sugars---The tiny tornado!

Sugars had her appointment today to get evaluated to see if she would be in need of special services(speech therapy, etc) The appointment was at 11 so I decided to take her into work with me rather than get the boys all riled up at the sitter because I picked Sugars up and not them.
Needless to say, Sugars made her first and only trip to my place of employment. In a matter of 5 minutes, she managed to bump her head of the corner of the desk, twice, then she picked something up(we never did figure out what it was) and got it stuck in her mouth, emptied out the trash can in my office and emptied out my purse. Then when I insisted she put everything back, half of the contents of my purse ended up in the trash! She also kept dropping her bottle and spilling milk everywhere because it was apparently really funny to see the adults keep picking the bottle up for her. She also kept dropping pieces of pop tart on the floor and I would somehow always manage to step on it.
Of course, during all of this time, she is completely oblivious to the havoc she is causing. She is content to be her little old adorable self. Her personality and behavior is so much different than Bunny's when he was her age. She seems more aware of things, even if she cannot vocalize it.
Regarless of this little tornado, I am blessed to have her and can't wait to see what she does next!
TTFN

A slight miscalculation.......

So when I went to pick up the kids after work, I decided to stop by the carwash. I had finally gotten my fostermomma car magnets in and my van was too filthy to put them on. I figured I would get the car washed after I picked the kids up. They would think it was cool. Well, I was 2/3 right. Bunny kept yelling "It's raining". Sugars was too busy chewing on the window blind. Dab Dab however, was less than thrilled. He started crying and yelling "No rain! No Rain". Of course, by the time I realized he was terrified, I was stuck in the middle of the carwash with nowhere to go other than try to get to the back of the van and comfort him. He is screaming and Bunny keeps yelling, "It's okay! I'm here". Needless to say we probably will not be doing that for awhile.
TTFN

The Tale of Poo

Okay--so the kids are playing outside yesterday evening. There are two swings, a jungle gym and three slides for them to choose from. What toy do you think they chose? Yes! You guessed it. They headed straight to a small pile of dog poo. First Bunny bent down and said "Yuck!" Then Dab Dab kind of nudged it with his foot. Finally Sugars, who has a very sharp mind, saw that I was upset her brothers were playing with the Poo so she just went over and grabbed a big handful! Now I can watch all kinds of bloody movies and can change nasty diapers with the best of them but, I can honestly say that on this one, I wanted to yack! Not only was it poo but it was also "been out there all day and gotten rained on" poo. Gross just doesn't cover it. So Sugars came running toward me with her little chubby arms outstretched expecting a big poo infused hug. No, no sister girl. Not on your life! She was met instead with a wet washcloth and lots of antibacterial wipes.
I guess that will teach me to check the yard before I let them outside from now on. Lesson learned......
TTFN

Love at first sight?......Not really!

June 9, 2008

Love at first sight?......Not really!

The kids were cute. No doubt about that. They both had beautiful blue eyes and Sugars looked just like a Cabbage Patch doll. I was so excited to have these two new additions to our family. We got them on a Friday evening and then decided to take them to the pumpkin patch the next day. That is when reality set in. I did not have a double stroller at the time so we just put Sugars in the single stroller and let Dab Dab walk along with Bunny. It was a nightmare! Bunny went one way and Dab Dab went the other. Charles chased down one kid and I tried to chase down the other while dragging the stroller through dirt and gravel. Keeping up with three is a lot different than keeping up with one.

I soon realized that I will be 15 minutes late for everything! I went from having a laundry "day" to laundry "days". My car is covered in pop tart. My house looks like ToysRUs exploded. I have three big ride on toys that the kids love to drive around the island whenever I cook. There were days at the beginning where I wanted to rip my hair out.

One day, after I realized that I was going to be late for work for the 15th time that month, I finally decided that I just couldn't do it anymore. The boys were trying to see who could bite each other the hardest and Sugars had just dumped her bottle out on her lap. I decided that after work, I would call CPS and tell them that this was just too much for me. Then a strange thing happened. I went to get the kids out of the car and Dab Dab and Sugars were looking at me with their heads together when I opened the door. They were grinning and holding their arms out for me to pick them up. Something inside me just melted. Suddenly, I went from just being their full time caretaker to actually being their "mother". Yes, I know I am not their mother. I did not give birth to them. They actually have a mother who loves them very much. But I had finally made that connection.

I realized that it wasn't about me. It was about the kids. They needed me, and, I realized that I needed them too. Someday, they will go back to their other family. My heart will break. But I will comfort myself knowing that I helped them in a monumental way and hopefully, they will be better for it and remember me.

TTFN

Fostermomma blog--1st post-June 6, 2008

Web log June 6, 2008 First post!

Well, I finally got my website up and am starting to spread the word. I want to get as many people to at least think about fostering.

Most people know my story. I was laid off after 7 years with a company that I had put my heart and soul into. I didn't love my job anymore but I was comfortable there and basically "used to it". After I got laid off, I was at a loss as to what to do with myself. With the exception of maternity leave after I had Bunny, I had worked all of my adult life.

So, what to do? After a WHOLE lot of retail therapy, I started staying at home and watching lots of soaps and Ellen. No, not Oprah, Ellen. I am firmly convinced that Oprah is slowing trying to take over the world and I will certainly not help her do it! After I got bored with daytime TV, I started surfing the net. I came across the AdoptUSKids website. This basically had photo listings of children available for adoption. Something just hit me. Up until then, I had been struggling to figure out what do to with my life and what I would actually be good at. I consider myself a person of many talents and a master of none of them. I have wanted to be anything from a veterinarian to a truck driver to an event planner. I wasn't sure if I would actually be good at any of these things. But the one thing that I knew I was good at was being a mom. I had always said that if I couldn't ever have children, then I would foster or adopt. Well, I have had a biological child and I could still try for another one but I felt "called" to do this. I am fortunate enough to have a husband who is supportive and who loves kids as much as I do. So I became a fostermomma!

While we went through training, I left Bunny in childcare and started getting the house ready for our two girls ages 6 to 12. That was the age range and gender that we were prepared to foster. Bunny had his own room and I bought some bunk beds for the two girls to share a room. I had the house safety inspected and went, room by room cleaning as I went. The house was cleaner than it had ever been. The whole colony of dust bunnies that I evicted are considering a lawsuit.

We go licensed and I just knew that the phone would ring that very day. Days and weeks went by but no phone call for a placement. I kept bugging the intake director. "You are still on the list" she said. So I decided to open up the age range from 0-12. I figure that if we at least got a 5 year old she would be in kindergarten and I wouldn't have to worry about childcare. That day we got a call. They didn't have a 6-12 year old girl but they did have a 6 month old girl and her 17 month old brother. Would I be willing to take them?

Now understand, Bunny had just started a MDO where I was teaching as well. We were in school 4 days a week and the pay wasn't much. I didn't have alternative childcare set up for two little ones. I didn't have an extra bed to put in Bunny's room so that he and the new boy could share a room. I didn't have Bunny's old baby bed set up for a 6 month old and it would barely fit into the room with bunk beds.

So, what do you think my immediate answer was? HECK YES!

I called my mom and before you know it, we were on a journey of a lifetime!

Stay tuned for more.

Until then,

TTFN

up next....The first time, ever I saw there faces.........