Since I just posted that I was VERY glad 2006 is coming to a close, I thought I’d post my Top Twenty favorite things of this year.

20. I got to be kindergarten room mom two years in a row, for the most awesome kindergarten teacher ever. 19. I was blessed to attend many births this year - the only thing better than being a midwife is being a mom. 18. I’ve also been blessed to be able to slow down and just enjoy being a mom. 17. I got to be the “adoption doula” or... more

Despite everything that LuLu is not, she IS decisive. This is an interesting trait, given that our older children can be less so. But whether it’s a personality trait or her OCD, when she locks on something, she locks on something. LuLu wanted a Baby Alive doll for Christmas. That’s ALL she wanted. She started asking for it before her birthday and we declined for two reasons. First because she was kinda pricey and she really poops – what a mess! And second because of LuLu’s strange trauma bond with diapers that has never really healed and her doll... more

I then look at Baby Boo’s CPS caseworker (sitting beside the DA) in a complete panic and raised my eyes along with a horrible look on my face (at least that’s what I was told) at him. He grabbed is case notebook. He and the DA started flipping through it. The caseworker looks up at me and raises one finger from the desk and continues reading the book. I am thinking does that mean wait, see you later, or WHAT? I then start believing this rambling attorney, and I too start rambling on. My agency caseworker is mouthing,” It’s okay!”. Lady, the ship is going down, and I am tied up to it. “Your Honor, the state objects.”. (Oh, thank God!!) There is not a CASA worker, and CASA has never been... more

Yes, I had contact during the visits and discussed their daughter (What she is eating, is she crawling, teething, doctor appointments, etc). I had contact with them as often as they showed up for the visits.

At this point I start thinking I’m in the wrong courtroom. Personally I think they just try and trip you up, unnerve you. I was questioned repeatedly and in different ways, if I knew, seen or had be involved with bio Dad (I still have no idea where this was going). I stated for visits only. After a few more times being asked the same question. I stated , “To my knowledge the only contact I had was at the visits. (The guy could have seen me at Wal-mart I do not have a clue... more

Is anyone else experiencing this??

During the holidays we get so caught up in shopping, family gatherings, and parties that we don’t have a lot of time to think about our problems. Once the tree is down, reality hits. The “holiday blues” are pretty common.

I’ve been feeling the “holiday blues” myself lately. There is so much excitement and build up to Christmas. There are count downs in the stores, shopping, gift making and gift giving, baking, holiday parties, etc. to take your mind off of things. But then poof – in one day it’s all over!... more

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4. All the kids currently at home will be potty-trained - woohoo! Salome is starting to want to use the potty and is asking to go, all by herself. I’m a “lazy” potty-trainer - I wait until they REALLY want it, then we’re done training in a day or two. She is ready (or almost ready) right now, almost a year before my other girls have been. 3. I will get to work on developing... more

10. 2006 will be relegated to the history books and I won’t have to live another minute in this miserable year.

9. We’ll have the chance to go camping as a family. It’s one of my favorite family activities. Seriously. We rent out a couple of “family” camping spots, set up at least 3 tents and have a blast. Dh does dutch oven cooking, we have fun in the quiet (out of cell phone and Internet range), play Frisbee and catch and chase and lay around in the sun. The kids love to stand in the river (melted... more

With the brightly colored wrapping paper all in bags in the garage, and the boxes all torn with the contents scooped out and swept away to be played with, Christmas begins to wind down, and life slowly begins to get back to normal, that is of course until we celebrate the new year!

Christmas went well this year, in fact I could say that this has been the best Christmas that we have ever had. At first I was worried that my adopted stepson would not be satisfied with his gifts, he wanted very expensive things this year, and it simply was... more

My earlier blog this morning left me feeling sad/mad. So I went searching for a happy story..

And I found a sweet story about a single Dad. He adopted his son, Michael, from Ukraine in 2001 at 6 years of age.

When Michael was 9 years old he started ballet class. And it seems he is a natural dancer. He is 11 years old now.

In... more

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Of course, that won't take care of the pain and heartache ... only a good pair of pruning shears will help there ... but knowing that there's a secure financial future, no matter what, will make everything easier. May I also add that fathers should more often be custodial parents in cases of divorce? Women need to get around their guilt and understand that dads are parents, too, and that parent is also a verb. Aside... more