Our Option is Adoption

Gone to Soon

2010-10-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

Shyla and Madisyn

On October 19th my nephew's and his girlfriend, who was 39 weeks pregnant got into a car accident. My nephew Josh was driving and they were T-boned on her side of the car. She and the baby died at the scene. My nephew had only cuts and bruises, and the 16 year-old-boy that hit them walked away with no injuries at all. They were planning to get married. She had just finished school for her CNA and the week before. They had so much to live for and it was all taken away in a moment. It just doesn't seem fair.

His life has been full of so much tragedy and loss. He's 24 now, but when he moved into our home he was 14. He and his brothers and sisters were taken away from their mom by the county and we and other aunts and uncles assumed the responsibility of raising them. When he lived with us he did well, but once he turned 18 he moved out and never finished high school. He's got learning disabilities and social problems do to his childhood, but Shyla saw past all that. She was able to see the caring, loving, great guy he is. We always said how great she was for him.

Today, Shyla and Madisyn were buried with family members in a small cemetery in Central Minnesota. I worry how Josh will ever heal from this devastating loss, but I know the pain will ebb eventually, and I am determined to do everything I can to help and I know my husband will to.

Gymnastics

2010-09-23T11:32:00.000-07:00

Our little girl starts gymnastics lessons tonight. She is extremely excited. I told her on Monday as we were getting into the car after I picked her up at school. She screamed so loud that everyone on the playground must have thought I was kidnapping her or something. It's a good thing I had gotten out of the car and talked to her teacher before we left, so at least they would know I wasn't doing anything illegal. In the car she couldn't hold still and was bouncing on the see. Then she said something a bit disturbing. "Hurry up and get home, I need to break something." -huh?
So, it seems that she has a problem redirecting good energy/emotions as well as the bad emotions. I helped her through it and offered her options to this excitement and need to break something. She jumped around in the yard until she fell down and had to rest .
A little bit of disappointment, because she's coming down with a cold, but I am hoping she can still enjoy herself and is not feeling too bad when I pick her up from school.

Sorry

2010-09-17T13:49:00.000-07:00

I want to apologize to everyone that I have been gone so long. I will make a more lengthy update later. All is alright with us. We have much news to report. Gigi was able to spend some time with her sister Hope a few weeks back. We have also been able to spend some time with our Duluth family and a bunch of our friends. School is going well so far. She's happy with her class and her teacher, but is having some problems with disrespectful behavior that bleeds into our home life as well. She just started back with Girl Scouts and was thrilled to catch up with all her friends. More to follow...

Osowski Family Picnic

2010-08-09T17:57:00.000-07:00

This past weekend weekend was very busy. On Saturday we had our second annual Osowski family picnic. Gigi was so excited, and so were we. We had a great time last year, but this year was even better. We had a better turn out and we were at a park that had a beach and a boat launch, so we were able to do water activities. My mother-in-law even had games and prizes for the kids to do. They had a wonderful time

We were all really tired after being outside for 12 hours in the sun, but we had Sunday to recuperate!

Update

2010-07-31T07:45:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update to say that all is well at our house. Gigi has been able to talk to her sister almost daily and we have plans to see her in August! Seems she now lives in a different state, so it's not so easy to get the girls together.

She's enjoying her summer program and they have been keeping her very busy. She's gotten to do a bunch of fun things, like water parks, and crafts, and things like that. It makes me feel a bit better about her not having the summer off like other kids do. I seem to remember being pretty bored during the summer when I was a kid, so maybe that's not such a bad thing.

Finally

2010-07-21T13:18:00.000-07:00

I finally tracked down Gifti's sister's daddy. I had a text conversation with him today and he promised that Hope would call Gifti tonight. I tried to pin down a time where we could get the girls together, however that was not confirmed. He did say that it would be fun, but didn't want to talk about it anymore. I hope that we can get a meeting together soon. It's been far to long since they have been together.

Jerry's Cousins

2010-07-14T10:32:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had a visit from Jerry's cousin Shannon and her husband Mike. We have awaited this visit for a while now, but our schedules have not made it possible until now. Shannon has a half sister, Kierra, that older then our Gigi, but had a bunch of stuff that she had saved and wanted her to have. We have been fortunate that they like the same things. Kierra gave Gigi about 50 books, some clothes, winter jackets, toys, and even a bike that is just like new. We are so blessed to have family that are so generous.

Tonight my sister will be spending some time with our little girl. She called last night to ask if she was busy. I think they will play bingo at her apartment complex, and maybe go swimming. I am glad that my family takes such an interest in my daughter. It gives me such a warm fuzzy.

Jerry's Birthday

2010-07-13T06:13:00.000-07:00

Jerry's birthday was on Sunday and we had a great day. We woke up around 9:00am and Jerry opened his presents. Gifti was so excited for him to open them. Although, I don't know why because there wasn't anything that she could play with him or anything. She didn't even help me pick them out, but I am glad she was into it.
Then, it was off to Famous Daves for have brunch with about 12 friends and family. It was delicious and the company was excellent. I know that he enjoyed himself as did I. I know that Gifti was happy because she got to visit with her one of her cousins.
After that we went to Best Buy for some odds and ends and to look for a strap for my camera. The one that came on it broke. We weren't able to find one, but I have an idea how to make one. We also picked up the last Heath Ledger movie and The Book of Eli, which was so good Jerry wanted to own it.
We then went back home and did a bit of relaxing. Then, Jerry went to softball as he does every Sunday during the summer, and after to OId Chicago.
It was a great day for my sweetheart. I know that he enjoyed himself, and that's the goal on one's birthday.

Vacation

2010-07-04T05:55:00.000-07:00

Some new "firsts" for my little girl over the past week.

First night in a hotel
Traveled over the Minnesota border
Saw Iowa
Saw Missouri
Saw the Arch in St Louis
Visited Busch Stadium for a Cardinals game
Met Auntie Angee, uncle Mike, Bryce, Michael
Caught a Roll at Lamberts(a famous restuarant)
Pet/fed several exotic animals, like Camels and emus
Spent over 3 hours in a car without a break

We all had a great time on our vacation to visit relatives in the Missouri Bootheel. Can't wait to do it again.

Today's the Day

2010-06-25T07:09:00.001-07:00

Feeding the ducks, originally uploaded by gemjlo.

Today's the day we head down South to spend some quality time with my SIL and her family. We will do things like feed the ducks, go to the water park, eat at Lamberts, and BBQ for the next week. I am so excited to finally be leaving.
I spent the whole night last night shopping, and running errands that needed to be done before we leave. I didn't even go home after work. When I finally did get home at almost 9pm we packed up little G, and that was all the energy that I had. This morning I packed most of my things and headed off to work.
Jerry is working from home today and will pack up the car and do other things that need to be done. Then, when I get home we all jump in the car and start our journey.
We will stop tonight somewhere in Iowa and sleep, then in the morning we will be up bright and early to complete the trip down. It takes about 11 hours to get from our door to theirs(depending on how many pitstops we make). Knowing Gigi we will be making quite a few. I will try to get some blogging in while we are gone, but I'm not gonna promise anything, because I don't want to let ya'll down.

Bon Voyage!

To Missouri we go

2010-06-23T06:02:00.000-07:00

On Friday we leave for Missouri! I am really excited to see my Sister-In-Law, her husband, and her kids. I haven't met the littlest one Bryce yet and he's already 1. I can't believe how fast time goes by. While we are down there I hope to go to Lamberts, the 'Home of the Thown Rolls'. It's a resturant that throws rolls at you when you raise your hand. I know it sounds weird, but it's pretty fun. We will stay there until Wednesday, then head back home. Gifti is really excited to meet her cousins and aunt Angee & uncle Mike. This will be her first road Trip, but definatly not her last.

Pet lover

2010-06-21T19:08:00.000-07:00

This is Cody and Gigi. They are great friends. I'm glad that my little girl likes our pets, because they are very important to Jerry and me. Gigi didn't grow up with animals. In fact her first time living with one was in the foster home that she was in right before she came to live with us and she was only there for a few weeks. She told us that she likes our dogs, which are both large, but when she grows up she's gonna have a little dog that can sit on her lap.

Happy First Father's Day Honey

2010-06-20T20:36:00.000-07:00

Toy Story 3

2010-06-19T04:31:00.000-07:00

We took Gigi to see Toy Story 3 last night. I thought it was really cute and well worth the 12 year wait. Jerry said he liked it as well. Gigi fell asleep. Silly girl, I think she was very tired from the night before. I am sure that she and my niece didn't get a lot of sleep, plus she was playing at the park all day. When we woke her up to go home, she was so out of it. I think she was sleeping soundly. She went right to bed when we got home.

Valley Fair

2010-06-18T04:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my SIL took Gigi to Valley Fair for the first time. She spent the night, so I haven't been able to see how she liked it, but I talked to my SIL and she thinks that she did. I am so glad. I think the best part was that she was with her cousins.
Sunni, my SIL said that they went on a ride called the Wild Thing. It's a roller coaster that has a steep first drop. On the way to the top I guess Gigi started to panic and began to chant, 'I want my mommy' over and over. Sunni reported this to me thinking that she was asking for me. I wonder...

Ayreonah

2010-06-16T04:25:00.000-07:00

Gifti has so many cousins I haven't tried to count them all, but one day I should. But, today I am going to introduce you to the one that stayed over last night. This is Ayreonah. Her mom is Jerry's step-sister Crystal. I was just thinking last night how I remember crawling around on the floor with her when she was barely old enough to walk. Now, look at her. She's a beautiful young lady. She's been through some terrible things, but is still a lovely girl.

Gigi is fortunate to have 2 cousins that are her age, and they are really the three amigos. They would do everything together if they could. I envy my little girl because she has so many cousins her age. I only have 6 cousins total and they are all considerably younger and all but 1 are boys/men. I hope that it helps reinforce how fun family can be, and give her a great support system as she grows up.

Brownie--------->Junior Girlscout!

2010-06-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

A few months ago Gigi joined Brownies. She loves it and I think it's helped her a lot to make new friends and to feel like part of a group. Last week was the end of the year party, and her troop is moving to Juniors, and they now wear green. She's so excited. She's really excited that he has a vest now, instead of a sash. We did that on purpose because she was only a brownie for a few months. Now, she will be a Junior for a few years and needed the room for all those patches she's going to get. Her troop leader is great, and is always giving the girls fun patches that are not merit based. So, even the girls that don't get the patches that you have to earn have something to put on their vest.

Did I mention that my little girl had grown over an inch in the past 2 months. Crazy...

Happy Birthday Grandma

2010-06-14T09:43:00.000-07:00

Grandma Betsey ~ Gigi

This weekend we spent part of Saturday celebrating my mom's Birthday with her and the family. I can tell that Gigi is getting more comforatable and is expressing herself more with my family, and I am greatful for that. She's fitting right in, and I can tell that she's blossoming because of it.

Auntie Melanie ~ Gigi ~ Mom

I try to take extra pictures of her with the family because there will be a time in her future that she will feel bad that she doesn't have photos of herself when she was a baby. Not that it will make up for that loss, but I hope that she will see how much we love her and glad that she's come into our lives.

Gigi and Daddy

I am also very glad that she's been playing and having more fun with Jerry. It appears that they are finally bonding and having playful moments. She shared the Father's Day card that she made for him with me the other day. It's so cute. She calls him Dad and says she loves him and that he's the best. I worry that she says those things because she thinks she's supposed to, but if that's the case then I hope that it will be one of those things that you do so much that it finally becomes true.

One Happy Family

2010-06-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

This photo was taken a few weekends back at my brother's graduation party up in Duluth. Gigi had a wonderful time hanging out with the Duluth family and so did I. The weather was nice and the food was good.

This week we had a bit of trouble. First, she was grounded from her bike for not wearing her helmet, then she was grounded to the house on Tuesday for giving her Dad attitude. Since then we have gotten along fairly well. I think she's still testing her boundries. But, I would expect nothing less from a 9 year old little girl.

Toothless

2010-06-04T15:49:00.000-07:00

In the past three weeks my little girl has lost 3 teeth. It's amazing to me that she could have 3 teeth loose at the same time and still be able to eat her food. She was really excited about the tooth fairy. Me, no so much. Jerry refused to be the one to sneak into her room and play TF, so it was up to me. I woke her up every time. I told her that I was really excited to see what he left her, and was trying to peek. She seemed to be alright with that, and graciously let dig under her pillow. Yesterday, I couldn't get in there in time, and when I did she was already looking, so we told her that since she had just lost a tooth the night before that he must have thought she was putting the same tooth under her pillow. She decided to write her a note, so she finally came last night and left her some quarters. I'm glad she trusts what I tell her and doesn't question my reasons about things very much unless it comes to something she wants to do that I won't let her.

Finally

2010-06-04T07:16:00.000-07:00

We are finally a legal family. I cannot believe how fast the actual court appearance was. It took a maximum of 20 minutes. We were asked some basic questions concerning personal information and our intentions as far as Gigi's future with our family, and that was it. We signed a document and paid for copies of her new birth certificate, and court order, and that was it. Amazing how fast the actual legal process was compared to the documentation, homestudy, matching, and classes.
We didn't do anything to exciting afterwards, just lunch at a small cafe in So Mpls with Jerry's mom. Because the date was sprung on us last week, there wasn't time for our parents to get the time off work, so it was just the 3 of us at court, but that was nice too.

Tomorrow!!!

2010-06-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is Finalization day. I am a bit nervous, but really excited at the same time. I officially become a mom and we officially become a family tomorrow morning. It seems weird because LG has been a part of our lives for half a year now. Weird in a good way. I can't wait to share more about her, and post pictures. Tomorrow...

Finalization Day

2010-05-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

20100522_9999_11, originally uploaded by gemjlo.

We finally have our day in court! I will legally be a mommy after next Thursday at 9:30am. I can't believe that we were schedule so quickly. Our worker just made the appointment yesterday, and prepared us that it could be a coulple of weeks yet, but it turned out they can get us in next week. Sweet...

We told LG yesterday, and she was very quiet. I let her know that although we are really excited an happy, that we know it means something totally different for her, and that it was alright if she isn't happy and excited. She later told us that she's a little nervous about the whole thing, but I already knew that she would be.

We have invited all her grandparents to come to court with us on Thursday. Since it's so soon, we didn't know if any of them could come. They all want to come, and are trying to find ways to make it work. I hope they can come.

Road Trippin'

2010-05-21T11:47:00.001-07:00

This weekend my family is celebrating a milestone in my little brother’s life. He’s graduating from high school. Next year he will be off to college and I will probably never see him. Not only does he live 3 hours away, but we have never really been close because he’s 16 years younger then me. I hope that as he gets older that we will get closer because we will have more in common being adults, like most siblings as they get older.

So, this means that we are off on another road trip up North! This time we are taking our new truck. Yep, you heard me right we got a new truck on Saturday of last week. It’s a brand spanking new Chevy Silverado. I shouldn’t have to mention how excited my husband is that he now has a new vehicle to drive to work, a remote starter, onStar, automatic windows, and heat for the winter. I am looking forward to the drive up North because I have barley ridden in it since we got it. I am excited to show it off to my family too.

LG is excited to go see her grandma and grandpa Mickelson. She loves to bake with Grandma Kathy and asked already if they would be making rice crispy treats this weekend. I’m glad that she has a good time with my parents and my brothers, because she can be a stinker when she’s bored. My brothers want to take her fishing this weekend too. She’s never been before, but grandma and grandpa gave her a pole for Christmas cause were a fishin’ family. It’s only fair that they take her for the first time. I wonder how she will be catching a fish. I’m prepared for squeals and yips.

Getting out the Door on Time

2010-05-13T08:36:00.000-07:00

It's my husband's job to get LG our the door each morning, but the hubs is having problems. He continues to be late because of her morning antics. If it's not that she decideds to paint her nails at the last minute spilling polish on the counter, or forgets to have her assignment notebook signed until it's time to walk out the door, then it's falling back to sleep after being awoken and taking her sweet time to get ready.

You see, Jerry loves his sleep and is often known to hit the snooze button for a whole hour trying to put off the inevitable. Unfortunatly, LG has the same attitude about sleep. I have begun to wake her up before I leave in the morning, but it doesn't seem to be helping. I guess I will have to be more diligent, and prepared. I think I will have to start having her lay out her clothes the night before, and get her backpack packed up before hitting the pillow. I know this is also going to be difficult, because it's hard to get her in bed on time everynight as well.

Mother's Day

2010-05-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

I had a very nice inaugural Mother's Day. My husband and daughter made me a breakfest of eggs and toast shaped into a heart. Then I opened my gift from LG and a card from both. LG made me a clay rose affixed to a bathroom tile that looks like marble. It's really sweet. I put it directly into my china hutch for safe keeping. The rest of the day was very relaxing. We spent the evening at my mom's house where we BBQ'd and played with her cats and dogs.

We got some news yesterday that we are only waiting on one piece of paperwork to come back from the state, and then we will get to setup our finalization. It will be on a Thursday morning, as all adoptions are finalized in hennepin county on that day. They say that we can invite whomever we want. I wonder how LG will feel about that. She doesn't particularly like the idea of being adopted because it means having a new last name.

Birthday Party etc.

2010-05-07T07:28:00.000-07:00

LG has been invited to a birthday party for a girl in her girl scout troop/class. She will be picked up from school and I won't see her until 8:00pm. I haven't had time to myself after school in such a long time. I am looking forward to it. I know that she is looking forward to it as well.

I am glad that she's able to have these normal "kid" experiences. I wish we could find a hobby for her. She does like to ride her bike, but that's it. She doesn't like to read, or color, or even play Wii anymore. It's weird.

Last night when we went to the store to buy a gift for her friend we stopped in the card section for a birthday card, and I also picked out a Mother's Day Card for my mom. I asked LG if she would like to pick out some cards for her grandma's for mother's day and she was so excited. She hand picked one for each of them. We then went home and signed them, and addressed the two that she will not see Sunday. I am glad to have the opportunity to let her express herself to her new family.

A Very Productive Evening

2010-05-06T07:34:00.000-07:00

Last night was a very productive night. LG didn’t have any math homework, which meant I could get to my chores right after we got home. First, I mowed the back yard and picked up the little brown gifts left in the grass from the dogs. After that, I clipped some lilacs from the bushes in my backyard and filled two vases. Then, I cleaned my kitchen (including throwing out the expired stuff in the fridge) and did dishes. After that I cleaned the dining room, where all kinds of things get piled on the table. Then, I swept the floors and made dinner. LG even picked up her room before heading out to play with a little girl from down the block. Jerry couldn’t believe how much I had gotten done after work. I was very proud of myself. I am going through a non clutter phase right now, and any little pile of stuff really bothers me. I dunno what causes this, but I am glad it does or our house would look like something off the show ‘Hoarders’.

Another achievement from last night happened when LG got mad at me and yelled under her breath as she was walking away. I told her she was NEVER to talk to me that way again. She walked outside, but then came back in and said she was sorry for yelling at me. WIN for MOM! I am glad that we are making some progress. She never says she's sorry. Now, to just get her to stop talking back and griping under her breath in the first place.

Bad News

2010-05-05T06:24:00.000-07:00

I got some bummer news yesterday. My job will be ending next Friday. It was only a temp job, but they were hoping that it was going to go permanent, and unfortunatly, things have slowed down and they no longer need to keep me on.

This means that I will have another summer looking for work. I guess we will save some money on daycare, and I will be able to spend lots of time with our little girl, but the income would be nice. We were just starting to be able to do projects around the house that we have been putting having extra money from me working. We are no means hurting for anything, but it just means that the extras that we are used to will be going away again.

I know that noone likes interviewing for jobs, but I just have to say that I HATE it and I am not looking forward to going through it again. We haven't told LG because I am not sure how much it will affect her and I don't want her to worry about anything.

How do you teach a 10 year old social skills?

2010-05-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

Evidently, the way I have been going about it is not sinking in because LG is having big problems. Case in point, over the weekend she had a friend overnight on Saturday. This is a friend that she has had since she moved into our home. They must have gotten in at least 5 tiffs. I classify these as times when LGs friend didn't do what LG wanted her to do, and LG skulked off in a huff and left this girl behind. Jerry and I both try and help walk her through how to deal with fights with friends. That's not the only thing that has come up concerning social skills.

She also doesn't know phone ettiquite, what's appropriate in public, and being a gracious host. This weekend I don't know how many times I had to tell her that something was not appropriate. She had a friend stop by, and she asked the friend in a snotty way, "Why are you here." I know that she's learning, but why doesn't she understand that if her friend came over she wants to play, or spend time with her. I feel like the things we are telling her are not sinking in. I guess time will tell, but I hope that she learns, because it gets a bit embarrassing sometimes.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated. We have gotten her into girl scouts, and try to let her interact with friends and family as much as possible, but it's almost like people don't hold her to the same standard because they know about her situation. I wish they would treat her like the would treat other children behaving the way she does, so that she would learn.

It doesn't help that I was brought up to have excellent manners by my grandmother and all other adults. Now, I have no patience for bad manners.

Cramped Fingers

2010-04-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Last night LG wanted me to put a weave in her hair. I had the stuff to do it, but I didn't know if I was up for it. I decided that I would do it, but half way through her head my fingers started to cramp up. I hate having arthritis. I am too young to be struggling with these types of things. I feel jipped. Anyway, her hair turned out great, and I am pretty sure that she liked it.

This weekend her friend Ashlynn will be staying over. Her family is going to their cabin, but they wanted to be together, so we said that she could come stay with us. Our plan is to take our boat out for a spin and maybe sealcoat our driveway. The first will be fun for the girls, but the latter will be boring. We will have to find something fun to do after that. I was thinking we might go to the pool at the community center. They have a water slide and other fun stuff. I might even get in the pool this time.

Sleepover with Best Friends

2010-04-29T07:31:00.001-07:00

After over a week without playing, LG and her best friend, Ashlynn finally had a chance to play together last night. They were so happy! They have already planned out what they will do for the next few days since they are both free to play. There’s no school on Friday and we already paid for Kidstop, but the girls have planned that LG will spend the night at Ashlynn’s house. It surprised me that Jerry said that was alright, because he already paid for Kidstop for Friday.

There’s only one hiccup, Ashlynn’s family might be going out of town for the weekend, leaving on Friday, and we won’t be home to get LG until after 4:30. Ashlynn’s mom is going to let us know today what their plans are. I hope it works out for her. This will be her first sleepover at a friend’s house. I’m excited for her.

Normal Kid Behavior?

2010-04-28T12:40:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was picture day at LG’s school. On Monday night she didn’t want to get her hair done. Really it wasn’t like I had to take it all out and redo it. I just had to fix a few twists that came undone. I told her that I wouldn’t pay for pictures if she didn’t let me fix her hair. In the end, I was able to fix the messy twists on her head. So, in the morning, I filled out the picture forms, and put my check in the envelope, sealed it, then placed it on top of her book bag, so she would know that it was there.

When I picked her up from school I asked her how pictures went, and double checked that she brought her envelope in. She lied and said that she didn’t see it. I know that she lied because Jerry told me he saw it, and that he saw her holding it. So, we won’t be getting school pictures. I am really upset about this, mostly because she lied to me.

After Jerry got home for work we tried to talk to her about it, and she said that she didn’t remember seeing it. We tried to talk to her about lying, and she shouted and walked off to the bathroom muttering something. She tends to run away when we try and talk to her. I went into the bathroom, and she was already getting ready for her bath. I tied to explain to her that she is not allowed to walk away from us when we are talking to her. She shouted again, “I don’t care.” I told her she’s not allowed to talk like that to me or any adult in the house. Again, she shouted, “I don’t care.”

This time she got a time out…I am told this is normal kid behavior!?

Catching up

2010-04-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been so long since my last post, but so it goes. So, I will get you all up to speed.
Two weekends ago we went up North. It was little girls first road trip. She did really well. She watched movies all the way. We did stop on the way for lunch so she could walk around and go to the little girls room, and that helped break up the three hour car ride. The reason we took the trip was to celebrate my brother's 18th birthday. It was great weather, and we all had a really good time and little girl didn't want to leave.

This past weekend Jerry and I took a trip to Kansas City with 19 friends. We camped out in tents and went to the Kansas City baseball games vs our home team. It's too bad it rained the whole time we were gone with the exception of 12 hours on Friday. It's a good thing we have a great tent that doesn't leak. Our team won both games that we went to, and one of our friends even caught a foul ball. We also did a tour of Boulevard Brewery and had lunch at Arthur Bryant's. Little girl stayed with my mom and had a good time, my mom agreed although I got a text message from my mom one day that read, "You didn't tell me that your daughter has a hollow leg." That was my mom's way of telling me she eats alot. It's true she does. You would think that she eats. I haven't figured it out yet if she is really hungry, or if it has to do with not having much food in her previous homes?

No Hanging with the Parents

2010-04-14T08:12:00.001-07:00

Jerry asked LG last night what she wanted to do today after school, and she said she didn’t know. He asked if she might want to go for a boat ride. She promptly said that she didn’t think she liked boat rides, and that she might want to ride her bike. Jerry then asked her if she could think of something that we could all do together, and she walked away in a huff. Evidently, it’s not cool to hang out with ones parents. We followed her to her room and suggested that we could all go on a bike ride together and she snapped, “I don’t care.” Then she rolled over to go to sleep.

She’s gotten so used to riding around the neighborhood all night with her friends Ashlynn, Abbey, and Briana. It feels as if she’s got her own life these days separate from us after school. I know that it’s my fault because I just let her go play because it’s easier, but I feel like I need to reign it in a bit, or soon we won’t know her at all separate from her friends. Jerry suggested that we have family night one night a week. It’s a good idea, and I hope that we can make it work.

A Boom Boom Day for LG

2010-04-12T10:35:00.001-07:00

When my brother Jamison was a toddler he would cry when he was frustrated or upset, and it would sound like he was saying “boom-boom”. Our family eventually named any day that was frustrating or upsetting a ‘Boom Boom Day’. Well, yesterday our little girl had a ‘Boom Boom Day’.

It all started when she got up to get ready for church. She had spent the night with her cousins. I sent her an outfit that I guess has tricky buttons, so instead of undoing the buttons she pulled the shirt over her head and ripped the seam of the shirt. Auntie Sunni put a white t-shirt on her under the shirt, and all was well.

Then, at lunch LG spilled her drink all over grandma’s table. Although, grandma didn’t say anything to us about it, it seemed to have been a big deal for LG.

When she got home from grandma’s I had her clean her room, which is something she was not thrilled about, but she did it. Then, she was allowed to call her friend Ashlynn to play. Well, Ashlynn wasn’t home and she couldn’t find anyone else to play with. This was just too much for her to take I guess. The next thing I knew she was sitting on the couch with tears rolling down her cheeks. It was a Boom Boom Day…

She was so upset, but at least she was able to communicate what was wrong, and quickly overcame her grief. Then, she went on a bike ride to the park. After that, we went to dinner with Jerry’s softball team, had sherbet, and then off to bed. She was all smiles when I tucked her in.

Update

2010-04-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

First, I want to apologize that it’s been such a long time since my last post. I have been struggling with a cold that has wiped out my energy and leaves me wanting to nap in all my free time, but I decided today I owed all 14 of you an update.

Things around the Osowski house have been moving along quite well. With each passing day things have been falling into a comfortable routine. It’s not to say that we don’t have our moments, but they are resolving themselves more easily.

Easter was a success. LG got 4 Easter baskets, and each was a little bit different and she seemed to enjoy each of them. One was sent from my family in Duluth and came in the mail. LG was thrilled to receive a large package in the mail. It’s was her first. She made a comment to me over the weekend about how sad it was that she missed out on doing things that normal kids get to do. It makes me wonder if she heard someone say that or if she came to that conclusion on her own. Anyway, it is sad, but at least going forward it will be easily remedied.

Some other firsts that we have done since my last post:
>Flew a kite
>Had a water balloon fight
>Met the Easter Bunny
>Dyed Easter

It's been a busy few days

2010-03-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

Monday - Girl Scouts and homework, by the time we were done with all that it was time for bed
Tuesday - Girl Scout Bowling Event and homework, by the time we were done with that it was WAY past bedtime
Wednesday - Homework, sewing for LG puppet for school, dinner, and a few minutes of TV, and then bed
Thursday - Nothing planned. Hopefully homework will be light today and no new projects come up.

I am looking forward to this weekend. LG has a therapist appointment on Saturday morning, but that's it. We are thinking of setting up our new tent in the livingroom. LG has never slept in a tent and she has a new sleeping bag to try out, so it will be a fun little adventure for all of us.

Headphones

2010-03-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

We keep a pair of headphones in the car for my daughter to use to watch movies when we go on long car rides. Several times over the past month or so Jerry has commented that he should put a cheaper pair in the car, since they always seem to be on the floor. Honestly, I don’t know why he would let her use an expensive pair, but he did and he never did switch them out for a cheaper pair. Well, this morning I got a call from Jerry after he dropped LG off at Kidstop. I guess when he got there he noticed a cord hanging out of the door. Turns out the headphones were hanging out the door and were dragging on the ground and broke off in the block that it takes to get to the school. Figures. I think this is why kids are so expensive. It's because of all the stuff you have to replace that they accidently break.

Court Filing #

2010-03-18T11:35:00.000-07:00

We got our paperwork back from the courts with our filing number of our petition for adoption of LG. I opened it while she was doing her homework. She asked what it was, so I told her, and said something like,"isn't this exciting?" She said, "not for me." I forget that she doesn't have the same feelings about being adopted that we have about adopting her.
Another thing that happened yesterday, she asked if she could eat outside because a friend was waiting for her to get done so they could ride bikes. I said, "no". She asked what the reason was and I told her that I don't have to have a reason. I could have told her that I didn't think it was polite to eat in front of her friend that wasn't eating and I was also afraid of losing my silverware, or the dishes breaking. She's a very clumsy girl. I want her to understand that she needs to do things because I tell her to. She needs to respect me, and I feel like I get very little, especially when she has friends around.
Needless to say she still had the attitude when it was time to come in for the night, and she gave that attitude to Jerry, who promply took her bike away for a week. It wasn't only the attitude, it also had to do with some other factors, but I wish she could learn without losing out on things she enjoys, but maybe that's what it will take.

South Beach Diet

2010-03-17T13:12:00.000-07:00

I stepped on the scale yesterday and I couldn't believe what it said. Needless to say I am going to have to do something. The only thing that has worked for me in the past few years has been the South Beach Diet, so I signed up again today for the website. I feel horrible these days and I know that if affects my relationship with my active daughter. She loves to run and play and because of my weight I have problems keeping up. When I was helping her learn to ride her bike I got tired really fast. I know this will be good for me and for her. I don't know why I let my weight get so out of control. Wish me luck.

Rough Night last night for LG

2010-03-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

After school last night LG road around the neighborhood on her bike with her friends. She had a blast, then asked if she could go to a fashion show with one of them. At the senior high they had a prom fashion show and her friend's sister had something to do with it. Anyway, all went well except she came home pretty late. This would have been fine except for the major attitude little miss had upon entering the house. I asked her questions about the show and what she had seen, I got no replys to anything. She even walked away from me. Ok. I decided to ignore it and ask her to get ready for bed knowing that she would eventually tell me what was bothering her. She said that she was hungry and wanted something to eat. I felt manipulated at that point, so I told her that it was to late and that she should get ready for bed. She burst into tears. I have never seen her cry loudly before. I have seen the frustrated quiet tears, but nothing like how she was crying then. OMG. She fled to her room, but still wouldn't talk. I turned off her light and said goodnight. I was going to do some laundry, but as soon as I turned my back she started to cry louder. She wanted my attention. I walked back into her room, and told her that I couldn't help her if she wouldn't use her words so that I could understand what was going on. Finally, she said, she didn't want to come home because she was having to much fun with her friend. I praised her and hugged her for telling me what was bothering her. Her crying slowed down enough to eat a bowl of cereal, and by the time she was done, all was back to normal. All of that because of a little disappointment. We certainly have work to do... At least we are making progress.

2010-03-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend our little girl turned 9-years-old. It was a very busy two days. I am pretty sure that she enjoyed most of it and she got a lot of really great gifts. I think that some of her favorites were her bike, some new DS games, sleeping bag, and clothes.

On Saturday we took 8 kids including LG to Chuck E Cheese for a fun filled time with pizza, cake, presents, and games. I am very appreciative to the other adults that were there to help keep track of kids, tokens, tickets, and valuables. As I expected the place was a ZOO of wild children. It was incredibly hard to walk around, but I did manage to get some great pictures, as well as tickets to help LG get what she wanted from the prize counter. I think she had a few problems balancing her time and attention with all her friends, and I had to remind her several times to say thank you when opening gifts. I know that she likes to be the center of attention, but she’s not very gracious, but I suppose she will need to learn that.

On Sunday we had 30ish people to our house for. OMG. I was afraid that we wouldn’t have enough food, but that wasn’t a problem, I always worry for nothing. While she was opening her gifts she would read the card, and then ask who the gift was from even though she had just read the card. It really annoyed me, because it came across as not appreciative. I know that she was probably nervous and everyone probably understands, but it still felt bad.

After all the presents were opened all LG wanted to do was ride her new bike. She had never ridden a bike before, so my brothers took her to the park on her bike. She was still having trouble when she got back, so I got out there and helped her out. After that everyone took turns running behind her, but we didn’t have to do it too long, because she got the hang of it pretty fast. After everyone left I sat outside watching her ride up and down the block until the sun went down. It amazes me how fast she learns to do something. She defiantly has the determination to learn something once she decides she wants to.

Sweet

2010-03-12T11:07:00.001-08:00

033 - kittens, originally uploaded by cassiemarie.

I found this photo on flickr today and it just speaks to me. Wouldn't it be a perfect life to be that content and happy?

Darling Daughter turns 9

2010-03-12T09:39:00.000-08:00

Our Darling Daughter turns 9-years-old this weekend. I am really excited to celebrate her first birthday with us. We are having 2 parties. One is going to be at Chuck E Cheese on Saturday with her friends from school and a couple of her cousins that she's close to, and that are around her age. Then on Sunday we are having a party with the family. I wrote down the guest list this weekend and it turns out we are expecting almost 30 people. I guess this is to be expected because we are combining our families together as it doesn't make sense to split up her party by family.
This will be her first big birthday celebration and I am excited for her. I just hope I don't lose my patience with her squirrly behavior. She always seems to get that way when she's the center of attention.
I am also excited for my Duluth family to come and spend time with her and us. This will only be the second time that they have spent time with our DD and I know that they can't wait. It's just too bad that there will be so many other people around. We haven't been able to get up there for one on one time.
Wish me luck.

Mama

2010-03-11T06:11:00.000-08:00

Last night I was on the phone and LG was trying to ask me a question and called me "mama". I know that she knew it would get my attention and that's why she said it, but it still felt good to hear her say mama when referring to me.

Meeting with the Adoption Worker

2010-03-10T05:38:00.000-08:00

Last night we had a meeting with our adoption worker to fill out some subsidy paperwork as well as the petition for adoption of LG. We paid the $397.00 to submit the petition, and soon we will get more paperwork back. Then, the court date will be set to make the adoption final.
We learned last night that LG will qualify for a monthly subsidy because of her needs that go beyond "normal". I am glad that we will have this money to do extra nice things for her, like trips, activities, etc.
Things have been going really well with our little girl these past few days. Her mood has been great, and she's had no major melt downs. She's even started to play with Jerry more, and I really enjoy watching it.

A good night

2010-03-09T06:22:00.000-08:00

We had a very good night last night. It started at 5:00pm, we attended LG's girl scout meeting/award ceremony. She recieved her sash, and 4 patches. She was so happy and smiling from ear to ear. She didn't want to leave when it was time to go. She seems to get along really well with all the other girls, and I am glad that she's meeting new people and doing new things. When we got home we all made dinner together and ate. Then we watched a movie and I sewed her patches on her sash. She wore it the rest of the night. She also pulled out her binder and recited the girl scout oath. She even gave the oath to Jerry and me. It was really cute.

Tonight the adoption worker comes over and we sign some paperwork. The process in moving along. Can't wait until it's complete!

Melt Down

2010-03-04T06:43:00.000-08:00

Last night LG had a melt down and I physically had to pick her up and put her in timeout. It all started with homework. She was sharpening her pencil and the sharpener opened up because she was turning it instead of the pencil; and all the pencil shaving showered over her lap.
She looked at me and said,"It's not my fault, the sharpener just opened up." I calmly said, " It was an accident, but it was your fault. All you need to do is say your are sorry and clean it up." She didn't look at me, just kept sharpening all the pencils she had in her bag.
I calmly said, "Let's pick it up, I will help you." Still no response.
I took the pencil out of her hand and began to count. 1, 2... As I got to two she put her self in timeout. I set the timer, and went upstairs to retrieve something from the livingroom. I heard her getup and when I came back she was slyly walking from her room.
At this point I was fuming, but held it together, and said that the time would start over. Her response, "I don't care, I can stay in timeout all night." I didn't want that, I was already mentally drained from the day and crossed my fingers that wouldn't happen.
So, again she was in timeout on the chair. I moved to the kitchen to do the dishes where I could see her in her chair. She reached for her reading book. We were told by her therapist that she shouldn't have any distractions in time out. I went over and took the book, but then she started to grab other things on the table. I was shaking inside because she was being so defiant. I had never seen her act that way before. So, I picked her up from the chair and put her in the corner like a toddler. At this point she punched that wall and I told her I was going to add 5 minutes for the offense, which I did.
Sitting in the corner, she began to tear at the cuff of her sleeve. Her therapist said that we should give her consequences for ruining her things when she's mad. So, I told her I would take 5.00 from her bank if she ruined the shirt. To my surprise this stopped the assault on her shirt.
Then she said she had to go to the bathroom. This I knew was not true because she had gone only 10 minutes before. I told her that she had to hold it until she was done in timeout. I knew it was only a few minutes until the timer rang, and if she really had to go she would be able to hold it until then. The rest of timeout was uneventful.
After the timer sounded, I told her several times she could get up, but she didn't want to. I told her it was her choice to stay in the corner. Once she came out of the corner I calmly asked her if she wanted to talk about what happened and how she was feeling. She didn't of course, but went to her room and came back a few moments later with a piece of paper where she had drawn a sad face and written the words "Sad" and "Frustrated". I gave her a hug and cleaned up the chair of the shavings. Then we began her homework and everything was back to normal. I don't think I will ever get used to these blowouts with LG, but I am glad we can easily recover from them.

Yummy Corn Bread

2010-03-03T05:33:00.000-08:00

Making Liberian Corn Bread is so easy and it's really yummy too. The recipe said that it would be really sweet and it's

traditionally eaten as dessert, but we made it as a side to our

main course, and it was perfect. It's not really that sweet.

First we creamed the butter with the sugar. LG just loves to use the mixer. It made it easy for me, almost like having a stand mixer. I could add ingredients while she kept mixing.

Then we made the dry mixture and mixed it all
togehter. Notice the sleeves. LG has a way of getting every ingredient on her clothing, in her hair, and on her face. That's one thing we have in common for sure.
Then we poured it into a greased 9x13 pan, and baked it for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Side note: it smells delicious when it's baking. I noticed that it really doesn't rise that much until half way through the baking process.

And here's the finished product. It was really yummy. You can definatly taste the nutmeg, but it's not overpowering by any means. Besides I love nutmeg, it reminds me of Egg Nog and Christmas.

We will surely be making this again. Maybe next time I will make it when we have Chili. It would compliment it very well.

Next up Jollaf Rice which LG said is her favorite because it's delicious.

Cooking

2010-03-02T13:27:00.000-08:00

My little girl loves to cook with me, so yesterday I looked up a traditional Liberian recipe. We are planning on cooking it together tonight. I am really excited to try something that comes from her native foods. She was really excited when I suggested that we try it. Her favorite is Jollof rice. I do intend to make that another day, as the recipe would serve quite a few people. I could reduce the recipe, and I might when I have some more time. One thing at a time. I will try and post some pictures of our culinary adventure tomorrow and let you know how it tastes. My husband love cornbread of any kind as do I, so I am sure we will all enjoy it.
Wish us luck.

LIBERIAN CORN BREAD
Liberian cornbread is much sweeter than ours and is eaten as a dessert.
1 c. butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 c. flour, sifted
2 c. corn meal
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. orange or lemon flavoring
1 1/2 c. milk
3 tsp. baking powder
Cream butter and sugar well. Add flavorings. Add eggs and beat well. Mix flour, corn meal, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, alternately with milk. Bake in greased 9 x 13 inch pan at 350 degrees about 40 minutes.

I'm not your daughter

2010-03-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Well, it came up again. I thought we were doing really great and that we were finally moving forward, but I was told by LG again this weekend that she is not my daughter, and that she will never call me her mom. I gave her the my standard response,"I consider you my daughter, and I love you like you are my daughter." She never has a response.
I wracked my brain to figure out what brought on this comment, but I can't think what it could have been, other then her cousin was over, and she also told her that they really weren't cousins. I know how much that must have hurt my niece because my niece doesn't understand LGs reasons for saying that. I don't expect her to understand at 8, but I feel bad that she said it to her at all. LG can be really mean sometimes, and it's scary.
The funny thing is that after her cousin went home and everything got back to normal she cuddled with me on the couch for an hour while we watched tv. That's the first time we have done that, and she seemed to really like it.
I guess it's right what they say, 2 steps forward 1 step back.

Father/Daughter Date Night

2010-02-26T06:23:00.001-08:00

We have been working with LGs therapist to get her more comfortable with Jerry. She’s never had a man in her life and is really uncomfortable interacting with him. It’s been hard since Jerry gets home later then me from work, and that means he spends less time with her then I do making bonding harder. So, her therapist suggested that they have father/daughter date night. Last night was the first of their “dates”. They went to the batting cages and hit some softballs, LG had never swung a bat before, but Jerry said she did really well hitting almost all the balls. Then they went to LGs favorite place, Coldstone Creamery for ice cream. She had Cotton Candy ice cream with caramel and gummy bears. That’s her usual, and to me it sounds utterly disgusting, but she loves it.
They came home pretty cheerful and in good spirits although it took a while to get her calmed down for bed, but from my point of view it seemed to have been a complete success. I hope they can continue with “date” nights for more bonding time.

Happy Birthday GG

2010-02-25T06:31:00.000-08:00

Jerry's grandma's birthday is today. She is the most amazing woman. She is a brilliant crafter. She can make anything from hats, scarves, cross stitch, painting, to making things with clay. She's got a green thumb and can cook anything you could imagine.
She's also got an ornery side, and says everything that comes to her mind. This can be a good thing or a bad thing, but one thing is for sure, she has an opinion about everything.
We have alot in common and when I visit her we can talk for hours. So, I would like to say Happy Birthday Neva! Hope your day is bright and cheerful, and that you are around to spend many more with our family. Love you.

Play Date

2010-02-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

Our Darling Daughter, LG, had her first playdate at someone elses house. She was so excited that she had a tummy ache before she left and wouldn't eat dinner. Never mind that she came home famished.
So, I picked her up from school like usual, except when I walked in the door she lept into my arms, and squeeled, "I can't wait for my playdate!" On the block home drive she couldn't stop talking. Once we walked into the house we sat down to do her homework. Surprisingly we made it though with no melt downs. Then, she called her friend. They ate early so LG could spend more time there. I tried to get her to eat, but she said she was too tired. I tried again, but was rebuffed. She wouldn't even take a beloved granola bar to fend off the hunger I knew she was going to have.
We drove the few blocks to her friends house. I went to the door with her and chatted with the mom for 10ish minutes. I didn't want to bail on her before she felt comfortable. I explained to the mom about us being in the process of adoption her and how she had a few social interaction issues when it comes to sharing and playing with friends. She was cool with it and had my phone number in case she had any problems.
It was the first time I have ever left her at a home of someone I hadn't known since birth, so I had a few butterflies for myself and her, but all was for naught. She had a wonderful time and asked to go back as soon as she can.
I am so glad that she is getting friend in our neighborhood as well as at school. I know I had tons of friend in my neighborhood as a child and I would love for her to have the same experience.

On another fun note, we are meeting tonight with the Girl Scout Leader for the troop that LG is thinking of joining. I have never been in the scouts, so this will be fun for both of us. It turns out that she can't join the troop with her other friend because she's a year older because of being held back a year. A bit of a bummer, but some of the other girls in the troop she already knows, so I think she will make it fun too.

Long/Busy Weekend

2010-02-22T09:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a busy one. On Friday it was decided that we would have our niece and nephew over to play with LG. So, we packed up in the car and were off to pick up the kids. By the time we got home it was almost time for bed. I was glad about that because I was tired from the long day at work.
My dog kept waking me up during the night with her whining. I think she was mad that our other dog Cody, who usually sleeps with LG, was in our bed and that left little room for her. So at 3:30 I was tired and just wanted to sleep, so I took Tullah upstairs. I figured if I slept on the couch she could sleep next to me on the floor and be happy. No such luck, but at least she didn’t keep my nephew and Jerry up anymore.
So, needless to say I was up quite early. It gave me a bit of time to check my email and browse on Facebook a bit. Then, when everyone got up I made French toast. It was super yummy. Then we were off for the day.
LG had a counseling appointment at 11:00, so we all went to that reading books in the waiting room, then to lunch at Pizza Hut. After we filled our tummies I took the kids to the indoor park at our community center. They spent 3 hours running and sliding and crawling around. It was a zoo; there were so many kids and parents there. The good news is that I got some reading in while they played. Jerry stayed home and took a nap. I wish I could have napped too.
On Saturday night we spent the night playing Wii and other visiting with our other niece Elisabeth who stopped by because she was in the neighborhood. The nephew and I fell asleep a bit early while Jerry watched the girls. I was awoken in the middle of the night hearing a thud. I quickly work up and found dear nephew had fallen out of the bed. Poor little guy. I don’t know how he did it though; he had tons of room because Jerry had slept on the couch with the dog. He wasn’t hurt, however and went right back to sleep.
Sunday we spent time baking and playing in the snow and running around the living room like maniacs. Around dinner time we gathered up all Niece’s and Nephew’s stuff and went to Perkins for dinner, then off to bring them home. We didn’t get home until 9:00 pm. LG slept all the way home. I felt so back that she was out so late. We hadn’t planned to be gone so long, but Jerry missed a turn while looking for the Olympic hockey game on the radio on our way and that added a good ½ hour to the drive.
So, needless to say, our weekend was a long and busy one.

School

2010-02-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

Pick up time at school is always a hard part of my day. I never know what mood LG is going to be in. Like the past few days she has been really obstinate and rude, and some days she comes running to me with a smile and huge hug.

On the days when she's moody and rude I cannot get any straight answers from her. The really weird thing is that once we get home and she's had her snack she will talk about her day while we do her homework and everything is fine. It's really frustrating. I know that she get's embarrassed about having a white mama even though that is what she requested from her worker before placement. I don't think that's the issue though because a lot of times shes just fine.

Her therapist said that she's just testing us and that when she acts rude that we are supposed to tell her how we feel. I don't think that helps because isn't that affect that she wants us to feel. It's reafirming that she's doing what she wants to do, but that assumes that she knows she's trying to test us. I dunno what to think about that.

We'll see how things go today at pickup...

Cody

2010-02-11T13:55:00.001-08:00

Cody, originally uploaded by gemjlo.

I long for the summer days on the boat with my puppies and my family.

Valentines Party

2010-02-11T07:39:00.001-08:00

Today is the Valentines Party at LG's school. I am excited for her. She's got all her valentines written out. Last night we made some chocolate suckers for her best friends. That was a lot of fun. I think she had a good time. The other day we bought her a valentines t-shirt and socks, and she's all set with her matching hair do-dads. I can't wait to hear about it when I pick her up from school. Her teacher sent home a request to write a special note to our kid and address it to the teacher and send it back to the school. I hope LG likes what we wrote to her.

I am excited about tonight because Jerry is finally going to be home after work. The past couple of nights he's been gone with Vendor Dinners and things for work. I miss him.

Reader...or not

2010-02-02T10:30:00.001-08:00

When we were told by all the social workers, teachers, and therapists about little girl everyone said how much she likes to read. To date, the only time she has ever come close to reading is when we read a story from her princess book before bed. We don’t even do that very often anymore.
It seems that now that she has a DS, Wii, and tons of other things to play with that she doesn’t care to read anymore. It makes me sad because she has so many great books that our family and friends have bought her because we were told she was an avid reader. There have been several times in the past month that she’s come to me whining about being board and I let her know that she’s got tons of books in her room to read, but that’s the last thing she wants to do. Ugh. It’s a bit disheartening, but I guess when you’re not used to having things and books are something special it’s a wonderful way to pass the time. And now, when you have so much, books aren’t that great. Bummer.

Name Change ???

2010-01-26T09:31:00.000-08:00

We got a call from the adoption worker who is working on the final paperwork. She asked us what we want LG's name to be on her new birth certificate. We wanted her to have our last name, but we wanted to talk with her about it because she has told us in the past that she doesn't like our last name.
The conversation did not go well. I didn't expect that it would. She wants to keep her last name and says that if we change it or hyphenate her last name and ours that she will not use it. I figured that she would feel that way, but I really don't know what to do. It's important to me that she share our last name and I worry that she might change her mind in the future. So, that leaves us unsure what to do.

Any suggestions?

2010-01-25T16:44:00.000-08:00

My sisters and I have all blown out our birthday candles. That's how I know that January is coming to a close. It's fun having all our birthdays come within weeks of eachother. My littlest sister's is on Jan 2nd. Then comes Melanie on January 14, and mine on the 22nd. None of my brothers were born in January. Isn't it weird that all of us girls were born in the same month?

My birthday was good this year. It was fun that LG was here to share it with me. Jerry's mom, my sister, and our old roommate came over to celebrate too. We had lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and ice cream cake. I opened my presents and we played the Wii Trivia game that I got. It was pretty fun. LG had a friend from school overnight and they were good. So, all in all I had a good time.

Yesterday we had a birthday to celebrate for one of our nephew's kids Ana. She turned 3 this year. It's amazing to think that Josh, our nephew, has a child that is 3 already. After that we came home and had people over to watch the Vikings lose a heartbreaker.

Employed

2010-01-20T07:10:00.000-08:00

I am so excitedd to be employed. I have been without a job for over a year now, and finaly I have a job. It's going to start out as temporary, but they fully expect it to become permanent. The pay is great and I couldn't be happier. We are also in the process of refinancing our morgage to consolidate a home equity loan, and won't have to make those payments for 2 months. That will give us time to bang out some credit card bills that racked up around the holidays.

I am a little nervous because now that I will be working we will need to put LG into Kidstop after school. She was in a similar program at her old school, so hopefully it won't be a big adjustment for her. I am glad that the option exists otherwise I would need to find daycare for her after school.

Tuesday

2010-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:00

Tuesday is here and I got a good call this morning. Turns out that even though I was over qualified for a job that I interviewed for a few weeks ago, they liked me and called me back today with another position that they think I will be good at. It's a temp to permanent position that will pay nearly what I was making at my previous job. I am a bit nervous about it because it's a temp to perm position, but I am still hoping that my discussion with them this afternoon goes well and I could be back to work soon. I need some mental stimulation although, I am thankful that I got to be home during the time that LG was getting settled in our home.

Speaking of Little Girl...I finally got her out of the house on time this morning. She's usually running a bit late every day. She's never late for the bell, but I want her to have a few minutes before the bell to mentally prepare for the day. I know that it helps me.

This week I will turn 34. Is that considered mid-thirties. I couldn't be that old yet? Boy time has gone by so fast. LG thinks that I am too old and that she would like to have young parents like her mom who is 28. I explained to her that age is not a good determination about what a good parent will be and that 34 is still pretty young. Kids...

This morning LG and I were talking over cereal and she asked me why I didn't have my own children. I told her that Jerry and I can't have our own kids. She pondered that a bit and asked, "so you wanted me?". I said yes, but then she said,"so you took me away from my family." I had to explain to her that I didn't take her away from her family, that someone else did because she wasn't being treated very good and that we wanted to give her a permanent home and love her. It make me wonder how she comes to some ideas and what misconceptions that she has about what has happened to her during her fostercare journey.

I made it back within a week

2010-01-18T19:11:00.000-08:00

I made it back and it's not even Tuesday yet. This weekend was really great. Friday night we had dinner at my sisters for her birthday. She lives in an apartment with and indoor pool and sauna and we all went swimming. It's the first time I saw LG swim. She does pretty well, but she's afraid to float. My mom had her floating for a bit with her arms underneath her, but she didn't want to do it herself.

Then, on Saturday we picked up Naz and Tekaija. It's the first time they have been over since before Christmas. It was fun having them over. On Sunday after the Vikings game we took the kids to the Snow Tubing Hill over by our house. We had a great time. There is an escalator that brings you back to the top of the hill from the bottom. It made for a more relaxing adventure.

Today we all woke up and had breakfast, played Wii, and went to the park. Then we brought the kids home and LG and I made popcorn and watched Happy Feet. That's the first movie that she has wanted to watch with me or Jerry. She watches alot in the car, but never wants to watch at home.

Tuesday

2010-01-12T07:52:00.001-08:00

This morning I woke up at 1:00am with a horrible cough. I have been struggling with this darn cough since Christmas. I thought it was getting better, but I guess I still have a few hurdles to jump before it's all gone.

This morning I had a terrible time getting LG out of bed. I went into her room when she didn't get up right away to shut off her alarm clock. She pretended to still be sleeping. I knew that she was awake, so I went over to tickle her out of bed. I told her that I was going to count to 10 when that didn't work. If she didn't get herself out of bed, I would pick her up and bring her to the table to eat. She wasn't up, so I picked her up. Finally, she woke up and ate. I realized last night that if I stay with her when she's doing something it takes 10X longer to complete. So, as an experiment this morning I left the room when she got dressed, and it worked. It's a good feeling to figure out what a child needs to progress.

Still, this morning she didn't want to go to school. She worries that she won't be liked at school because of her color. I had assumed that the school was more diverse then I think it really is. She is the only African American in her class. I told her that it makes her special, but I know she just wants to fit in. I wish there were more black children in her class, but I know that she's a brave little girl and she will be just fine.

Today she brought her ice skates to school. The kids get to skate at recess. I know she is excited about that. I remember when I was in elementary school and got to skate at recess. It was so much fun. I hope she has fun too.

Back to Normal

2010-01-11T09:23:00.000-08:00

This morning I got my little girl all ready for school and she walked all by herself today. I stood in the doorway of the garage as she walked bravely down the street. Every 20 feet or so she turn to see me still there and waved to me. It was a bit nerve racking to see her go off all alone, but I know that she's one smart little cookie and she can handle it. She doesn't have to remember any directions to the school, since it's strait down the block, and that was a bit of a comfort.

We are starting to see her real personality come out these past few days. Shes a very intense little girl. She seems to feel embaressed when she doesn't know something that she thinks that she should. She's also very independent and wants to do everything herself. That includes her hair, her nails, picking out clothes, cooking, and other things. It seems that she's a very parentified little girl. She really likes to have control. I like to give her options because it makes her feel a bit better, but I am trying to only do that when it doesn't cause extra work or expense to me.

It's great that she finally warming up to Jerry and playing with him. It makes me feel really good that they are finally doing things together and creating their own relationship. Little girl told me yesterday that she likes having me around. The feeling is mutual.

First Day at her New School

2010-01-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

After a long wait, nearly 4 days, little girl has finally started class at her new school. We bundled up and walked together to the school this morning and on the way she confided that she didn't want other kids to think that she has a white mom. She requested a white family because they are "nice" in her words. Even though she got what she wanted, she's a bit embaressed not to be like other African American kids with black parents. I don't know if that will ever change for her. I hope so, because I want to show her support in all her activities like school and sports. I don't want her to always be worried I might embarass her. I told her to tell the kids that I am her 'foster mom' until she's more comfortable with them knowing she's being adopted. I have mixed feelings about that, but it calmed her and made her relax a bit. We are technically foster parents for the next few months anyway. I just want her know that she's a part of this family forever.
She's been displaying a new behavior. When things are going really great she says something about how she only has one mom and that she just wants to be a foster kid forever. I think this is just some guilt that she's feeling like she's betraying her birth mom by getting close to us. I talked with her therapist yesterday about this, and she knows that there's some work to be done about this. Kids only remember the good things and not the bad, she said. I know that LG remembers the bad too though because she's told me about some things. Anyway, I hope that she can come to terms with her mom's behavior and feel like part of our family too.
I keep telling myself that it's only been 2 weeks since she moved in and that it's a long process. On a lighter note, she has been showing some physical affection for us. She sits on my lap and wraps her arms around my neck. She's also been playful with Jerry as well as myself and loves to be tickled.
So, things are going alright here at our home. We are begining to work out some little kinks and I am relieved about that.
Tonight we have dinner at her old foster mom's house. Should go well, she's a great lady. She makes us feel pretty comfortable when we are there and I love her dog Olive and her cat Chu Chu.

Little Miss Thang

2010-01-04T14:50:00.000-08:00

You could say that LG is getting comfortable here at our house and we are becoming aquinted with the sassy attitude she's brought with her. I am having an easier time keeping it in check then Jerry, but with this cold that I have been fighting my patience is running a bit low.
I am also having trouble getting her into school. It seems that this district has an enrollment center that we have enroll her at. They had to close early because of a plumbing issue, now we have to go tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to get her into school by Wednesday. Poor kid was excited to go today, but her social worker was our of town and unable to enroll her earlier, and since I have to do it she has to wait.

Ice Skating

2009-12-31T06:37:00.001-08:00

LG got her first pair of ice skates from Grandma and Grandpa Mickelson and we tried them out yesterday. At first she kept trying to walk on the ice with them, but we showed her how to glide and she was off like a pro. It amazes me how many things she can do well the first time she tries. I was a lot more causious and clumsy as a kid. It might have had something to do with my height. LG is just a little peanut and doesn't have a height issue to compensate for. Anyway, we had to coax off the ice with hot cocoa and dinner and a promise to go back tomorrow.

Little Girl's first overnight was a success

2009-12-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

We had little girl overnight for the first time Friday. It was a success.
When I picked her up at Foster mom's house I didn't know if it would be. She seemed a bit nervous. When we got into the car I asked her if she was. She told me that 'yes' she was nervous. We were able to talk about it and I was thankful for that. She has been having a few problems talking about her feelings with her foster mom and with her therapist, so I wondered how that would go with me. We had a good talk about it, and thankfully that's all she needed.
Once we got back to the house, we were met by her therapist and LG showed off her room and all the great things that she had in it. After she left we played paper dolls, crazy 8s and Old maid. Then Jerry came home and played with LG so that I could cook dinner.
We ate and LG talked nonstop about all kinds of things. I must say that she's a good eatter. The nieces and nephews are the opposite, so it's nice to cook for a kiddo that will eat anything. After dinner she and Jerry went down to the studio and played drums and recorded a song. LG sang, but didn't want anyone in the room while she did. Silly girl. After that we watched 'Elf' and then it was time for bed.
Once we told her it was bedtime she was ready to go to sleep. I turned on her nightlight and gave her the glass of water she asked for, tucked her in and gave her a good night kiss, and she went to sleep. She didn't seem at all nervous. I think our little talk worked out.
In the morning I got us an hour before anyone else and had a chance to have my coffee and do my crossword. The dogs got noisy and woke Jerry and LG up. I asked her how her night went and she said that it went well. She heard a lot of noised, and a shadow on the ceiling scared her a bit. I listened and assured her that she would get used to it. Then we were off to the kitchen to make waffles. Again, she ate like a champ.
She really wanted me to do her hair, so I spent the next few hours braiding it up. It looked really cute and she was happy to have it done. After that Jerry took her out Christmas shopping. He told me when he got back that she grabbed his hand and held it for quite a while. So cute, I wish I could have seen it. That must have made him feel really great since they were having some trouble bonding on the last few visits.
I have notice that she's a bit clumsy. It's just like she's my biological daughter. I happen to be VERY clumsy myself.

Wednesday

2009-12-18T07:47:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday we took LG over to Grandma Cris's house for dinner. Grandma also invited Cousin Ayreonah over to meet LG. We ordered pizza and made a gingerbread house and the girls played together. I think they had a good time. I know that I did. It seemed alot more relaxing then the other night when we met Tekaija and Naz and Izy.

Here's LG's beautiful and sweet gingerbread house. I think she really had fun making her house and eating her candy.

Today I pick her up at 3:00 and we will have our first overnight. I can't wait, I think that it will go well. We are going to try and keep it low key so we can get to know eachother better.

Baking cookies/visiting the cousins

2009-12-15T08:16:00.001-08:00

We had a really great day baking cookies on Sunday. I think LG had a great time too. She decorated her heart out with sprinkles and red hots. My sister Kirstin even helped her bake some cookies in her Easy Bake oven. She was so proud. She ate 2, and gave one to me and one to grandma Betsey(my mom).

When she wasn't baking she was colloring with Jerry, playing barbies with Kirstin, or listing to Kids Bop on her radio in her room. We had an old boom box with a CD player in it that we put in her room. I think she likes that a lot. Her foster mom said she had a hard time falling asleep that night. I hope it was just because of all the commotion from the day and not nerves.

Yesterday, I picked LG up from school. I didn't know how that was going to go because I know she doesn't like her foster mom to pick her up or drop her off at school. Well it didn't go that great. As we were walking out a boy from her class asked if I was her mom. She got a bit mad at him and said, "No." I figured that she would say that. I'm not going to lie and say that it didn't hurt my feelings a bit, but I can understand it.

After we got into the car things got better. We drove over to The Railstation to wait for Jerry to get off work. When we got there LG was introduced to Grandma Cris who welcomed her with a big hug and chicken fingers and fries. She only had pretzels for lunch because she didn't like the other things that her foster mom packed for her, so she was a bit hungry. So, we visited with Grandma and played a bit of tic-tac-toe until Jerry got there.

Then we were off to visit Jerry's sister and her kids for dinner. It's a good thing that we have a DVD player in the car, because it was a 45 minute drive and it kept her occupied and happy. Once we got there she was a bit nervous, but Tekaija, our niece was so excited to meet her, that she instantly warmed up and had a great time and didn't want to leave. She even had fun playing with Izy, our 9 month old nephew. I am happy that they got along so well.

When we got back, she told her foster mom that she met some cousins, her grandma, and her grandpa Charlie. It warms my heart when she talks about our family as hers. I do feel like we haven't had that much one on one time with her though. I think this weekend we are going to try and just keep it us, so we can bond a bit.

First/Second meeting with my daughter

2009-12-13T06:04:00.000-08:00

On Friday at 4:00pm we drove up to a cute little house in the city. I was really nervous. It's not everyday that you meet your daughter for the first time. As Jerry and I walked up to the door we saw her through the window sitting at the dining room table. She saw us and jumped up from her chair. She didn't come to the door to greet us. She was nervous as well.

We were greeted by her foster mom and the family dog Olive, a boxer. I could see LG from the corner of my eye as we took off our coat and shoes. She was intently trying to figure us out. As we made our way to the table she dropped some coins on the floor and headed under the table to pick them up. She would not return to her seat for 10 minutes. Her therapist told us that she was very nervous and excited. The photo album I made for her lay on the table with a few questions for us on a sheet of notebook paper.

We didn't push her to come up from under the table to meet us, but eventually she did. Once she was out she was bouncing all over the place with nervous energy. Finally, we got her to sit down and read us the life book that she made when she was 7. We learned all about her likes and dislikes, her favorite foods, colors, and songs.

Her therapist left once everything calmed down and her foster mom served us hot cider and crackers and cheese. She then excused herself too, so that we could have a moment together alone. I asked her if I could take her picture, and she beemed. We got a group photo of the 3 of us that I will charish always. Then she showed us her room, and every other room in the house.

The family had plans that night to see a play, so we gathered up our things to leave our little girl. She kept asking her foster mom why we couldn't go to the play too. That was a relief to hear, because at least she liked us and wanted to spend some more time together.

As we left I wanted to give her a hug, but was nervous how she would react to that, so I didn't. I wish I would have.

Then yesterday Jerry and I got up at 7:00am and cleaned the house up a bit and then set off to pick up our little girl. This would be the first time she would see her new home, pets, and room. It was exciting. As we pulled up in front of the house she was ready and waiting. She waved to us through the window. She gathered up her things, put on her coat and boots, and we were off for a day at our house.

On the ride home we asked her questions and she asked questions of us. It was a good trip. There was no stress, and I hope she wasn't too nervous. I think she was feeling more at ease because she wasn't as bouncy as the first time we met. Once we got to the house she voiced her concerns about the dogs. She hasn't had much exposure to pets. We let her know that it would be alright and gave her some tips about how to get rid of the dogs if they were bothering her.

She loves our house and especially her room. She kept asking if she could move in right away. I wish she could, but I know that she can't. She has a whole week of school left before Christmas break, and it's just better that she can finish out her time at her old school and make a clean break and a fresh start at her new one. We did let her take a couple of books with her and the santa hat and reindeer antlers that she wore all day.

While she was here we put up our Christmas tree and it looks perfect. She kept saying how beautiful and colorful it was. Every ornament she touched she was thrilled with. It was a great feeling having the 3 of us together put up the tree.

When we took her to her foster home, I made sure to give her a hug this time. I can't wait to give her a million more!
I wish I could post pictures from our day so that my relatives and friends could share in our meeting, but unfortunatly I can't yet, but as soon as the adoption is final, I will post them.

Today she will spend the whole day with us. We are baking christmas cookies! I will let you know how it goes tomorrow.

Adoption Milestone Timeline

2009-12-10T19:01:00.000-08:00

I decided to take this off the side and stick it into a post since it's so long, but I wanted it to be out there for history. It helps me too...

4/24/2007 - Adoption Orientation
9/22/2007 - Adoption Classes Started
10/6/2007 - Adoption Classes Completed
10/9/2007 - Initial Paperwork Submitted
10/23/2007 - Fingerprinted1
2/12/2007 - Approved for Homestudy
2/29/2008 - First Homestudy Visit
3/11/2008 - Individual Homestudy Interview - Dad
3/20/2008 - Individual Homestudy Interview - Mom
3/28/2008 - Adoption Physical - Mom
5/9/2008 - Final Homestudy Done
5/24/2008 - Mailed the last of our paperwork today!
10/28/2008 - Additional Homestudy Interview - Both of us
4/16/2009 - Homestudy Approved - Transferred to our new SW
5/8/2009 - Matching Meeting
10/15/2009 - Matching Meeting
11/05/2009 - Meeting with LG's workers
11/12/2009 - Chosen to be LG's parents
12/22/2009 - Move in Date

Yeah! We have a transition plan!

2009-12-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

Here it goes...
Tomorrow we meet her after school
Saturday we will get her for half the day
Sunday we will get her all day
Monday after school
Wednesday after school
All the next weekend and then she moves in on the 22nd!!!

I am nervous and excited all at the same time. It's a good thing that I washed all her bedding and put them on her bed this morning. On Sunday we have planned for my mom and sisters to come over to bake cookies. LG had plans to do cookies this weekend at her foster home, so it works out great that we will be doing them this weekend as well. That way she won't be missing out.
I am so glad that I decided to make a second call to the adoption worker today. I got the transition right from the maker!!!

Little Girl's Room is done

2009-12-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

I worked really hard last week after Andy moved out to get Little Girl's room all done and furnished with all the goodies that we have received from the showers we have had thus far.

We were supposed to see LG this weekend, but of course we didn't hear from our social workers this weekend, and therefore our visit didn't happen. I hope to hear from them today. I really hope that we will meet her this week. They told us that they were going to tell her on Friday and give the photo album I made for her of our family. I hope that went well.

Happy Turkey Day

2009-11-26T04:43:00.000-08:00

I am thankful for all the wonderful and supportive people I have in my life. Since we started our adoption journey they have seemed to multiply and I cannot say enough how appreciative I am for them.

My hopes for the day:
That my Turkey is yummy
That my family has a great time
That my dogs are good while we have company
That LG has a Happy Thanksgiving whatever she does today and that she feels loved by whomever she spends it with.

This week

2009-11-23T06:55:00.000-08:00

Hopefully we will meet LG this week. We are waiting on some paperwork to move forward, but we hope to have that in the next couple of days. LG's therapist is on vacation this week and they wanted her to help break the news to her, but her social worker can also do that. Don't know what they've decided yet. I also have to get our photo album to our Social Worker. She will then get it to whomever will be breaking the news to LG.

So, they kept telling us we would have her for Thanksgiving, but I am doubting that will actually happen. At least we will get to meet LG, and she will know that she will be a part of a family for Christmas.

I am so excited to meet her, I am about to burst out of my skin. I hope that doesn't actually happen, however, because it could get a bit messy. Just kidding...

Ready for Santa

2009-11-16T08:34:00.001-08:00

LG is all set for Santa to fill her stocking on Christmas morning. I made her a stocking this weekend. I knew that if I didn't get it done before Thanksgiving there would be a posibility that I would have to buy one of those cheepies and puff paint it. Jerry and I have handmade ones that I made a year ago and I didn't want her to feel left out.

Also, I have put the first coat of paint on her dresser, nightstand, and vanity.

Here's the before picture :

I have also found the bedding for her bed, but I won't be buying it until Wednesday. Our renter is going to be moving out by the end of the month, so that means that we should have her home with us for good around the first of the month!

Tomorrow we are meeting with her therapist to get a feel for what she's like and what her emotional needs will be. I cannot wait to meet her and find out what makes her tick. We have been asked by several people what we need for her, and I want to wait until we meet her to make sure what we know so far is on track.

On another note, some family and friends are throwing us a shower. They want us to experience having that special day. LG won't be coming to the showers because we don't want to overwhelm her, plus I don't want to put her in any awkward situations like that. We will be registering at Target for things she will need in her room like sheets, pillows, lamps, alarm clock, and probably some books and a few toys. She doesn't have many of her own things from what we here, and we don't want her to be bored out of her mind when she gets here. We do have a few things that I have collected for our neices and nephews when we have them over, but they are more geared to the younger ages. Anyway, I/we are so blessed to have such supportive people in our lives that will do these kinds of things for us. I thought I would have to go without the baby shower experience, but it turns out life has other plans for us.

Chosen

2009-11-12T08:57:00.000-08:00

We've been chosen to be LGs parents! I just got the news and I am very excited. I felt in my heart that it would end up this way, but with so much disappointment in the past I didn't want to get my hopes up. Now I can. Yesterday I went and got a dresser and nightstand because I thought we would need them eventually, but now I know that we will be using them very soon! We are going to have a child in the house this holiday season and I am so thrilled. I know my family will be too!

Happy Birthday Jamison

2009-11-06T06:06:00.000-08:00

This is me and my brother on Halloween. Today he turns 21. I cannot believe that he is really that old. I remember the day that he was born. My mother woke me up in the middle of the night to tie her shoes and get ready to go to the hospital because she was in labor. I was 13-years-old and so excited that I would finally have a little brother. I was by my mom's side through her whole labor, and with the doctor when my brother came into the world.
Now he's taller then me and too big to put my arms all the way around. Time really flys.
Happy Birthday Baby Brother!

Picture

2009-11-05T13:24:00.000-08:00

Today we got to see a picture of LG at our meeting with her workers. It was only a cell phone picture, but you could tell she was a cutie. She has dimples. I have always wanted dimples!
Everything went well, and I am confident that we will have the go ahead on Monday.
The worker that meets with her every month had nothing but good things to say about her except that she can get sassy with people she's close to. What kid doesn't?
I feel like I have a lot in common with this LG and I am excited to meet her. She's artisitic and loves to read. She hasn't had alot of opportunity to do many things or go many places. I know that Jerry and I can facilitate those kinds of things for her. She will fit into our family really well and I know that her cousins will love to have her around.
Her workers want to get her moved fairly quickly to her new home. We could have her here by the end of the month. Can you believe it?

Meeting Scheduled

2009-10-28T12:10:00.001-07:00

Our meeting with all the social workers is scheduled for next Thursday at 1:00pm. I am really excited!

Appointment

2009-10-27T20:02:00.000-07:00

For the sake of keeping the child that we are matched with anonomous I will going forward call her LG, short for little girl.

We are in the process of setting up a meeting with our worker and LG's workers. In this meeting I get the impression that they will get a chance to ask us questions that were not answered in our homestudy. We will also get a chance to ask some questions. Then, after this meeting we will get the final decision whether her workers think we are still a good fit. If so, and we still want to go forward then we get to start meeting with the important people in her life like, teachers, doctors, workers, her foster mom etc.

I wonder how long this will take and when we will be able to meet her. I keep telling myself that we are on our way, and hopefully if all goes well, we will be parents very soon.

Got her social history on Saturday

2009-10-26T11:42:00.000-07:00

We got the packet of social history information on Saturday and we have decided that there's nothing in there that would cause us to turn back, so we are looking forward to the next step. It turns out that this child is not the 10 year old, but she is an 8 year old little girl. From the report that we got she seems to be small for her age, but we have still not seen a picture of her.
Since this isn't a done deal, I would like to keep other information about her private until we get further along in the process.
Since finding out more information and deciding that we would like to move forward, I keep decorating her room in my head, coming up with special mom and daughter activities, and other things. It couldn't be happier where we are now. I hope we hear from our social worker today to find out what's next. I will continue to keep you posted.

Got some News

2009-10-23T10:42:00.000-07:00

I just got an email from our social worker that a worker for a child that we submitted our homestudy for contacted her to say that she thinks we will be a good match. Unfortunatly, I don't know which child this is. I left a message with our worker, but haven't heard back yet. I should be getting information in the mail, but I can't wait. I am thinking it's probably the little girl, 10-years-old, that we were interested in. I will let you know when I know more. It's exciting to see process happening!

A Beautiful Fall Weekend

2009-10-19T12:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend we picked out our pumpkins.Ate apple goodies like donuts, turnovers, brats.And drank apple cider and tested wine.

We also picked apples directly from the trees.

All in all we had a great weekend. On Sunday we had a visit from our nephew Josh with his little girl Savannah. She's adorable, 3, and looks just like her daddy. Also on Sunday, my sister Melanie came over to watch football with us.

On Thursday we had our second matching meeting. It went well. We have migrated a bit higher in age. we have requested information on a could of sibling groups where the children are over 10. Although our niece will enjoy having some cousins here own age. There are several youngersters that are in sibling groups of 3, but we still need to discuss those. Jerry is very nervous about having 3 new little ones in our house all of a sudden. I think it might be a bit overwhelming.

2009-10-08T13:12:00.001-07:00

Today I had my Remicade infusion and now I feel blah. I have a bit of good news though. I have a phone interview tomorrow morning. Wish me luck.

Loaves

2009-10-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made 6 loaves of bread. Three of them were pumpkin (my favorite) and 3 were zuccini bread from the 3 ton zuccini that my mother in law gave us a week ago. I have been cutting off hunks to make for dinner and now for the bread and there's still a 3rd more left. I don't know what I am going to do with it. Hopefully, by the time I get home next Wednesday from up north Jerry will have eatten the rest of it and I won't have to worry about it.

We also brewed a new batch of fall beer last night. We have an annual Halloween party at our house each year and we wanted a few varieties for our guests to enjoy. So, this year they will have a choice between a pumpkin ale and an apple ale, and of course the normal Michelob Lite from the keg. Boy, it sounds like we are lushes, but really we have so much because we are expecting about 100ish people. Last year we topped out at 69, but we invited a few more this year, so it's gonna be a full house, literally.

This morning I got up really early. I couldn't sleep with anticipation of my adventure this weekend. In a few short hours I will off on my 3 hour drive. This will be the first time I have driven up north alone. It should be alright though. At least I don't have to fight over the radio with the hubs.

It's Me and that's Just Fine

2009-10-01T14:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been going through a mini crisis the past few days. I can't stand being at home anymore and I feel less then productive. Why doesn't anyone want to hire me. I have a great resume and a good personality if I do say so myself, but still I haven't had any good employment prospects for months. Maybe it's because I have been unemployed for 10 months and I am getting out of "practice". I am willing to take a paycut and everything, but still nothing. I know that this is not a reflection on myself and that the job marked just sucks right now, but it's getting more difficult to accept that as the reason. Again and again I have to reason with myself that it's not a personal refection on me.

In other news, we have another flyer meeting scheduled with our social worker on the 15th to go over all the flyers of the waiting kids in the system. I am excited for this meeting, but I don't expect anything to come of it, since we came out of the last one with high hopes and nothing to show for it at this point.

This weekend I will be heading up north to spend about 6 days with my younger brothers. My dad and stepmom are going to a lodge up north for their 20th Anniversary. It seems like not so long ago that they were married . Can you believe that I actually loved that polka-dot dress. My stepmom Kathy sewed if for me as well as my sisters pink one. Flashback to the eighties... I know that you are jealous of those bangs too. I had that down pat that I didn't even need a mirror to make them do that. Just a little hairspray and a blowdryer. I hope that fashion never comes back into style.

Little Disappointments

2009-09-23T08:59:00.000-07:00

Well, today we got a call from our social worker with disappointing news. All the children that we submitted our homestudy for have been placed with relatives or tribe members. She did have news of another little girl that we are definatly interested in. She's 2 years old, soon to be 3 in October. Some other good news is that we have scheduled another flyer meeting where we will meet with our social worker and go through all the waiting children in the state.
It's disappointing that we weren't a match for any of the children we were interested in. It just wasn't ment to be I guess.

In other news I am fighting a cold that has been hanging on for a week now. It just gets slightly worse every day. I just wish it would go away already. I am supposed to have my next infusion soon and I can't be sick for that or I will have to reschedule. ugh.

Over the past few weekends, here's what I've been up to

2009-09-17T15:16:00.000-07:00

A family friend got married and I took the photos. It was a really lovely wedding held on a beach with the reception on a boat. It couldn't have been more beautiful.

Labor Day weekend we spent relaxing at a friend's cabin. We had a really great time and I hope we will be able to make it next year if they have it.

I went up to my Dads to take my brother Patrick's senior pictures. He's getting so grown up, I remember when he was a little guy toddling around.

Now, this weekend we are having our niece and nephew over. We are going to try and take them fishing. That should be fun. I hope that we can find the fish.

Recap of the Last Few Days

2009-08-28T06:15:00.000-07:00

Jerry and I had a lovely time out for our anniversary. We both ate so much that you could have rolled us out of there. Anyway, when we got home I was playing with the dogs on my bed and Cody got a little wiggly and rolled his big noggin into my nose. Well I heard a big crack and it instantly started to bleed. I haven't had a nose bleed since I was a kid, but I knew what to do and within a few minutes I had it stopped. I was afraid that I had broken my nose, so I applied an ice pack and inspected the damage. Everything appeared okay so I went to sleep.
Well, the next morning I woke up feeling groggy, dizzy and a bit nausous. I figured it would wear off in a few hours. I did my usual morning things, but it the feelings wouldn't go away, so I decided to take a shower and eat lunch. Still the same. So, I decided to take a nap. When I got up from my 2 hour nap, I felt horrible. I was worried that something could be wrong with me that might be more serious, so off to the ER I went. After a CAT scan it turns out I just had a concussion. The doctor advised me to rest and get lots of fluids. She said it could take as long as a week to feel better. OK, so I went home and slept most of the evening and night.
When I got up on Thursday morning I felt even worse, and really emotional. I called the on call doctor and he said it was normal. Ugh. I called my mom and she came over to sit with me and take care of the dogs and me. By 5:00pm I was finally able to get dressed and make dinner. What an experience. I never though a little bump on the head could make a person feel so bad. Thank goodness I am feeling better today because we have plans to go camping with my moms family.

2009-08-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Today Jerry and I celebrate our 8th Wedding Anniversary. It's really hard to believe that it's been 8 years since we got married. It seems to have flown by so fast. There are so many things that have changed, but we are still together and that hasn't changed. My husband is my best friend and I am glad to have him. I would marry him all over again, and that's a wonderful thing to admit.
The plan is to spend a relaxing time at Pittsburgh Blue Steakhouse eating dinner and enjoying eachothers company. I can't wait.

A new development

2009-08-21T07:16:00.000-07:00

Seems that we were referred for this little girl back in July. We should here somehthing at the end of the month or early next month. We have also had our homestudy submitted for 2 sibling groups. Both of them are 1 boy and 1 girl. The first group is a 1 and 8 year old and the second is a 3 and 5 year old. So excited, but not holding my breathe.
This weekend we are up to the north to visit my dad and my family up there. Next weekend it's camping with my mom and the family down here. It's going to be a family fun fest for the next couple of weeks. I am looking forward to visiting my dad and my up north family as I only get to see them a couple of times each year. I just hope the weather gets a bit nicer tomorrow and the Sunday.

Softball Tournament

2009-08-18T07:10:00.001-07:00

This past weekend Jerry had a softball tournament. They won thier normal league, so they were invited to the state tournament. They placed 8th in the state, which is their best yet. I was very proud of them. I normally don't go to the tournaments but I felt like I should at least go to the state tournament. Guess it was a great time to go since they did so well. We stayed all day on Sunday after they played their last game to watch the semi-finals and final games. I ended up with a good sunburn on my face. I am still feeling the effects today.

Here's the Scoop

2009-08-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

We finally heard from our worker today. She's still waiting to hear back from 2 workers on 2 sibling groups, but has refered us for a 1 year old little girl and is waiting to hear back from that worker. She asked to schedule a time for us to talk, about what I am not sure, but I am happy to get some news. Wouldn't it be so much fun to have a 1 year old little girl? I'm excited for the possibility!

It's been a while

2009-08-12T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while, but still I have nothing to report. Today I went to my Remicade appointment where they doubled my dosage leaving me a bit fatigued. When I got home the hubs decided not to go to work after going to the hospital for his back pain. They gave him muscle relaxers and pain meds. They knew that's all they would do, but he couldn't sleep last night because of the pain and needed the relief. He's been seeing a chiropractor for a few weeks because of this issue. Anyway, when I got home all I wanted to do was take a nap, but alas, the dogs wouldn't leave us alone, so I just gave up and took them outside to play while I finished up my book. The hubs is still resting. I wish...
This weekend will be interesting because he has a softball tournament that he's supposed to play in, but won't be able to. Since, he's the manager, he will have to go anyway. Don't know if I'll be going though since he's not playing.
Tomorrow night I am having dinner with my sister, grandma, and aunts. I am looking forward to it since it's been a while since we last had dinner together. It's my grandma's birthday coming up, so I think I will bring her a little something tomorrow. She doesn't like gifts, but I hope she will like the necklace I plan to make her, since it will be homemade. Fingers crossed.

Still Waiting

2009-08-03T06:58:00.000-07:00

We are still waiting to be matched with children. I guess it's good that we haven't been matched yet, only because I am still unemployed and our funds are still a bit tight these days. Other then that my heart is aching for kiddos. I don't know how the state can advertise to get sympathy for all the kids in foster care, when they take so long in placing them. Or is it just us? Who knows, it just adds to the frustration of the whole process. It's hard to image that this should take almost 3 years. When we first started they said it could take a few months to a few years. I never imagined we would be on the long end of the timeline. ugh.