Is it Fair?

My grades posted today. I earned A's all around. To celebrate, Hubby is taking me on a date. One of my all-time favorite activities is eating. Knowing this, Hubby is planning on taking me out for dinner. Hooray! I like going out to eat. However, it gets expensive, so we don't do it often. Luckily, we have a gift card and the restaurant we're going to is having a cheap 2 entree deal.

The problem is, I still have eight kids that need to eat dinner since they are not invited on the date. I was wracking my brains this morning trying to think of a meal that would require the least amount of effort on my part, but that the kids would still like. After thinking and thinking, it dawned on me...

Ramen Noodle Soup!

My kids all love Ramen Noodle. They beg for it constantly. I usually refuse to make it for them. Personally, I dislike the flavor. And I don't want to make a dinner that I can't/won't eat.

This is their chance to have as much Ramen as they want! And they can even make it themselves, so I don't have to do any extra work at all! Hooray!

But then I started to think..Having my kids make their own dinner and subjecting them to (yucky) Ramen just didn't seem fair. I felt like I was being a lazy Mom going that route.

So then I decided, I better look at this from my kids perspective.

And do you know what my kids would say:

"We get to make our own dinner?  YESSSS!!!" (followed by cheers)

"We get to eat Ramen Noodle? Any flavor we want? YESSSS!!!" (followed by cheers)

They are going to be thrilled.

And me, well, I am going to order a dinner with mushrooms. Does that sound fair?? Again, I looked at it from my kids perspective. And my kids would say:

"Mom, are you sure you don't want some Ramen? We can save you a bowl! You don't have to eat mushrooms."

They'll think they are the ones getting the better deal.

Aaah. The joys of youth and undeveloped palates. ;)

ROCK! ON!

My first semester of graduate classes is officially over.

Final grades are starting to trickle in.

I have the final results from three classes

And guess what!

I ROCK!!!

I earned an "A" in two classes and a "P" in the third.

In the two "A" classes, I scored 100% on all assignments. Holy Smokes Batman! I think all my Mom's mean and ridiculously thorough editing of any paper I ever wrote as a kid has finally paid off! Hahaha!  Thanks Mom!

In the "P" class, that was a Pass or Fail only class. A pass only required a 76% or higher. I scored a 99.5%!  Mwhahaha!

I like college so much more than I ever liked high school!  My grades fare so much better when my grades on based on the actual work I produce and when I only have to attend classes once a week.

High school was tough!

I had to go to class everyday, ALL day!

That might not seem like a big thing, since everyone in America has the same requirement.

However, for this sicky asthmatic kid, getting to school everyday was not an easy thing.  And my grades suffered greatly.

So I am thrilled that in college, I am doing well.

Hooray for me!

And Hooray for classes that only meet once a week! :)

Whadda Ya Know!

Wow! A new post only one day later. Whadda ya know! My sister will be so pleased.

Our family attended one of the "fun" activities last night. It was put on by my licensing agency.

It was a rejuvenating experience.

I've been really debating the whole foster parent thing as of late. It is a hard job. It is time for our family to relicense. Relicensing is an involved and time-consuming process. And since I wasn't sure if I even wanted to be a foster parent anymore, I was considering just not filling out any of the paperwork. Just letting my license run out. (That's the avoidance technique in full swing.)

But after last night, I am recommitted to being a foster parent.

It was wonderful being surrounded by other foster parents, just talking, laughing, and enjoying life. They are such an amazing group of people. And I am grateful for their association.

So anyhoo, YES! I have a ton to do.

But I LOVE IT!

I just have to keep plugging along.

Avoidance

People ask me all the time how I do everything that I do. Usually, I just laugh about that, because it doesn't seem to me that I do anything at all.

But today, I am feeling it.

All the projects I took on...well, they are all being very demanding this month. This week and next are, in particular, going to be rough.

And how will I deal with it?

Avoidance.

Avoidance is my friend. You see, if I ignore a problem long enough, it magically disappears.

True story.

So today, when the world seems to be crashing down on me...I am ignoring it all and instead writing to YOU on this lovely little blog of mine.

Isn't it wonderful? :)

And just for my own sanity, that is the sanity that I hope to regain sometime soon, I need to list a few of the things I've got going so that I will remember better next time and hopefully, not take on so many projects at once.

Things I've got Going on:

1) Mom to five kids

2) Volunteering for Anne's field trip: something about making dinner for the entire third-grade class and their families...

3) Trying to keep Baby Jim from killing himself. He has learned how to walk and climb and open front doors and be super quiet as he moves faster than light. (I think he might be part weeping angel. Seriously people!! I blink and things get scary!!!)

4) Teaching piano to Rose, Anne, and Joe. Trying to get them to practice and doing my best not to cuss them out after hearing chopsticks and heart and soul for the millionth time. Again, seriously people! I almost cussed at my kids! :(

5) Supporting Hubby as he transitions to a new position while still working the old position.

6) Dealing with a professor who does not know how to properly put together an assignment.

7) Finals week!!!  With two finals from the prof. who doesn't know how to give a proper assignment.

By the way, a proper assignment clearly outlines what the teacher wants to see and is perfectly aligned with the way it will be graded. And it should be based on something that was actually covered in YOUR class!

8) Foster appointments out the wazoo. Can I just tell you that NO ONE should get into foster care unless they are ready to commit to it as a full-time job. I am on the phone for hours a day, trying to arrange appointments, contacting this person or that. There are medical appointments, dental appointments, counseling appointments, independent living appointments, CFT meetings, DDD meetings, IEP meetings, and then there are the "fun" activities we are supposed to attend to show our foster kids a good time, except that my foster kids are teenagers and think most of these activities are completely lame, but we still have to go.

9) Dealing with Foster kids, who are lovely girls, but still teenagers. And teenagers, at their best, are still teenagers. And I don't feel that needs any further explanation. ;)

10) Rose has band concerts and competitions, and a class field trip coming up.

11) Driving to Phoenix next week for Foster medical appointment.  Drove to Tucson last week. That was a killer day.

There is more going on, except I think I have avoided my homework long enough.

I had better get back to it...before the Babe wakes up from his mid-day nap.

Wish me luck.

I will try to get back to posting regularly at some point.

Key word there: Try.

Church Happenings

I just got home from church five minutes ago. I had a wonderful time at church. The services were uplifting, the music beautiful. I spoke to many people that I haven't had a chance to talk to in several months. I led the music in Primary and spoke to the children and the leaders there. When the meetings ended, I took my time exiting, stopping to talk with a few more people.

This is all wonderful because an hour before church began, my head was KILLING! Allergies had attacked Hubby and I. Our sinuses ached, our heads throbbed. So we both took a couple Excedrin an hour before church, praying that the medicine would kick in soon. Hubby's started working after only thirty minutes. Mine took a little longer. In the meantime, I could feel my blood sugar dropping. Not wanting to add that mess of symptoms to my already pounding head, I grabbed a cookie...a Pecan Sandie to be exact. To be safe, I ate a second. My blood sugar stabilized just as the Excedrin kicked in. I felt great all through the block of church. I had been blessed and I was grateful.

And then I got home. And I went to the bathroom. Then I washed my hands. And as I washed my hands, I happened to look up into the mirror. And do you know what I saw??? A little piece of pecan stuck at the gum line in between my two top front teeth. Do you hear what I am saying?!?!?!  There was a piece of food in my teeth during the entire church block. A dark brown piece of food. A very OBVIOUS piece of food. And no one said anything to me!!!

Aaaaah!!  I am so ticked. I am so embarrassed!

I don't know if people just didn't see it? But I don't see how they couldn't! So did they see it and just felt too embarrassed themselves to say anything to me? Or maybe they just didn't really look at me when we were talking? I just don't know.

Aaack!

All I do know is that it is a good thing I am not a teenager anymore. If I was, I would probably die right now from embarrassment and never attend church again.

As it is, I am mature enough to not die AND to still go to church again next week. I'm even mature enough to keep talking to the people who didn't tell me that there was gunk in my teeth without wishing them bodily harm. Haha!  I am so glad I'm not a teenager anymore.

Lesson from today, Triple-check your teeth before leaving the safety of your home. ;)

February in Review

For such a little month, February was sure jam-packed with adventures, projects, and excitement! From start to finish, all 28 days, our family was busy, busy, busy. So what did we do?? Too much to record here!

But here are some of the highlights:

• Hubby and I became the proud pseudo-parents to three gorgeous sisters. Miss L is 17, Miss J is 15, and Miss A is 13. This is a long-term placement. I couldn't have asked for nicer girls to join my family. I think I'll call them the "Sisters Three".
• Elementary School Pictures for Joe, Anne, and Rose.
• Doctor appointments, counselling appointments, court hearings, etc. for the Sisters Three.
• Awards Banquet for Miss A. Hubby took her. They both got all dressed up and Hubby treated it like a Daddy-Daughter Date. Miss A beamed the whole time. She was so happy.
• 4-H Meetings and Projects. Fair is just around the corner!
• Favorite Foods Contest for Joe, Anne, and Rose.
• Hubby completed the TV Bookcase that I designed.
• Trimming trees, digging water holes, planting a garden.
• 5K Fun Walk! All Blue family members participated.
• New church calling for Hubby.
• My Masters of Education program hits full swing. I've spent countless hours reading about methods, techniques, theories. And countless hours writing up lesson plans according to this instructor's criteria or that instructor's. It will be nice when I only have to use one format.
• Teaching loads of songs to the Primary kids. I'm still loving this calling.
• New Glasses for Rose, Miss A, and Miss J.
• Dentist appointments for all Blue family members. Rose and Joe both earned $10 for having no cavities. Poor Anne and Cakes were tortured as punishment for having cavities. Hopefully, everyone involved has learned their lessons and will respond to the negative/positive reinforcers in the future.
• Rose attends Masters Class for Trombone. Very informative class.
• More court hearings for the Sisters Three.
• Hubby, Rose, Anne, and Joe got to Disneyland and California Adventure! Remember back in September that I won a four-pack of 2-day passes? Well, they have officially been put to good use. Hubby thought we all should go. I absolutely did not want to though! Fortunately, I had common sense and frugality on my side and got to stay home. Just so we're clear on this, I am not a ride kind of person. I am a great person to take to Disneyland with you if you are planning on taking your kids. I will be happy to stay by the strollers or hold babies while you go on crazy, vomit-inducing rides. I will wave and smile. It really made more sense for me to just stay home. And I had a lovely time. :)  Cakes, Jim, and I took the Sisters Three out for dinner and then to see "I am Number Four". FUN!!
• Allergy Shots begun and Caveman Diet concluded. The results of the Diet:
• I am not allergic to Oats. Hooray!
• I am not allergic to Eggs.
• I am allergic to Milk in large quantities. One glass is alright. Or one bowl of creamy soup. But no more.
• I am allergic to Cheese. My allergist thinks it's the mold of the cheese that is the problem. I'm okay with a teeny, weeny, little bit.
• I am not allergic to Corn. But am allergic to Popcorn. How does that even work???
• I am not allergic to Wheat...kind of. I'm alright in low quantities, but my body doesn't like to process to much at a time. Weird!
• I am allergic to Yeast. A lot. So I'm pretty much avoiding that. Except that I love bread.  :(
• I am not allergic to Soy.
• I am allergic to Walnuts and Pecans. But I already knew that. Still, it was nice to test those out again. I haven't eaten either of those in years! My kids were excited to watch me test the nuts...Until my throat started itching and my eyes started watering, then it wasn't so fun to watch me.
• I am allergic to Apples, but only certain kinds. I can pretty much tell just by sniffing them if I'll be alright eating them.
• I am allergic to Carrots. But I already knew that too! Carrots are one of those weird things that I am allergic to in Raw form, but can eat when cooked.

And that's about it. Factor in parental visits for the Sisters Three, chauffeuring kiddos to and from various appointments & school activities, and rocking the Baby Jim to sleep in the afternoons and you can see why I haven't posted in a while. :)

I'm not Lazy, I'm just Messed Up!

For many  years now, I have thought myself a lazy person. I needed a solid nine hours of sleep each night and often still needed an hour long nap in the afternoon. Even with all this sleep, I would get tired easily. I couldn't do too much labor intensive work or I would be wiped out. It was no big deal to me. I figured it was just because of my asthma. I have been precluded from many activities due to asthma. I came to terms (mostly) with that when I was a teenager.

I thought I was just made to be a lazy person. We are all given some ucky things to deal with in this life. I decided that asthma and laziness where mine. I came up with ways to cope with this, to work around the weaknesses.

I've done pretty well.

However, I've come to learn in the last four weeks that I AM NOT LAZY!!

I've been taking some Thyroid meds for a couple years now. They have not done a thing for me. I've learned with my asthma that no change is often a good thing. So I just kept taking them.

Except, over the holidays, I talked to my sister in law Kay. She and my sister have the same Thyroid diagnosis problems, which are opposite of mine. Anyhoo, Kay and I were talking and she was telling me how the Doctors were trying to figure out which dosage of X medicine was the right dosage for her, but in the meantime she was SO TIRED and felt SO LAZY. After talking with her I wondered if maybe my dosage wasn't the right one.

So, after all the ENT appointments dealing with my Sinuses, my Doctor started playing with my thyroid dosage.

HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!

The change in me is AMAZING!

I can sleep for SEVEN hours and feel great!

I don't need naps in the afternoon!

I don't get ginormous headaches in the afternoon!

I have energy to get my work done and to play with my kids!

And after I have worked hard, I don't just want to lie down and die anymore!!!

My doctor adjusted the dosage about three months ago, but it took a while to get all through my system and for the changes in my body to take place. What a difference!

It really hit home about four weeks ago. My new dosage had run out and I was waiting for a refill in the mail. I had about two weeks between the two. I had still had some of the old dosage and thought, well, I better just take the old dosage so that I at least have a little of the drug in my body. It only took a week on the old dosage for all the good changes to go away. I'm actually quite grateful for that backslide!! It proved unequivacally to me that...

I AM NOT LAZY! My body is just a bit Messed Up!

I have my refill now and the changes kicked back in. It is so, so nice to know that I'm not lazy. It is so nice to know that a small adjustment in medicine can make such a huge difference.

Thank Heavens for Modern Medicine! It is truly one of the best blessings in my life. :)