Our 20th Anniversary G-8 Respite Weekend

Thanks to some amazing friends/foster parents/coaches/and teammates, The Other Mother and I put together the G-8 Respite Summit this past weekend to squeeze in a weekend away to recharge our sorely depleted batteries and rekindle our relationship at the 20 year mark.  Yup. Twenty years together and I am still sooooo stinkin' in love. It is pitiful, really.

We stayed at a fabulous inn that was once a school run by nuns (coincidentally the same order of nuns that The Other Mother's much older cousin belongs to) All the rooms had chalkboards, tall windows, fireplaces couches, chairs, whirlpool tubs and four poster beds...breakfast brought to your door and served in a basket with the paper.  Bliss.  Absolute Bliss. 

We dined two nights in a row at a former train station-now restaurant that shares the last name of our adult bio-son.  We were the youngest folks there and dined to Big Band music, but our meals were so good we went back again.

I will not taint or spoil the memory of my fabulous weekend by recounting how we were two hours late for departure on Friday because James did not come home afterschool because he decided it would be "awkward" to go to the unfamiliar respite home we had to arrange at the last minute because both of our babysitters fell through and three other respite homes weren't viable options.   Of course james did not realize that I  had emergency CORI checks done on his coach's family so he could spend the weekend there.  Even when he found out, he still didn't want to speak to us. Nor will I steam and fume that after refusing to come home and delaying our departure and racheting up our stress level, (social worker on his way to our house 6 o'clock on a Friday and Coach annoyed in our kitchen cuz James is making him late too)  He then spent the weekend at Coaches enjoying the movie theater in the basement, dinner at a steakhouse, sleeping in a king size bed in his very own room and riding a golf cart around coaches yard, hanging at the fire-pit and going to the HS football game in additon to playing his own two games. Coaches son and James are good friends  and teammates..so I am glad they spent time together and glad he had a nice weekend -  but it still frosts my pumpkin that he walked all over us and walked away.  Argh!

I will however, gloat about the fantastic time Middle Little had at Miss Marla's (another foster family we know: one of the Mountain Top Moms).  Turns out Middle Little and Miss Marla's Husband share the same birthday!  Marla's daughter Cheyenne goes to head Start with Middle Little - so he had a built in best buddy to play with for the weekend. He asked if he could go back this week...too sweet! 

Older Little got to spend the weekend with his infant brother, 9 month old Not-So Little, aka Littlest Little (he is a tank!!!huge!)  They had a nice time together and he felt comfortable with his first foster family (where he stayed for a few days before coming to us in August.)

Bobby went to a teammate's house for the weekend - they had a soccer game this weekend.  Sat. nite they went with some other teammates to a famous haunted hayride at a nearby farm..where he had the bejesus scared out of him...Chainsaws, goblins, montsers, fog...etc.  At one point in the cornfield a ghoulish gal jumped up on the hayride and got in Bobby's face and shreiked in a creepy voice: "Hi Bobby--- where's your Moms, Bobby???? Tell them the babysitter says HI..mwahahahah"  He was so freaked out wondering who she was and how she knew his name and that we weren't home..... Turns out it was the brand new second babysitter that fell through last minute. In fairness to her, she cancelled because she got a part time job at the Haunted Hayride.... Anyhow - Bobby hadn't really met her before but she knew Bobby as she is a friend of our older foster children. 

Below are some pics of our room, one of the many humorous/romatic messages on the chalkboard in our room and a lovely quilted wallhanging of the inn hanging on a guest room door. We are already planning our next getaway.

The Cure will Kill You

I was really sick last week (immune system shot to hell due to stress...) and finally went to the Health Center on Thursday knowing we were going away for the weekend for a much needed respite break.  I was worried about getting sicker so far from home - so I took the first available apointment with whichever doctor...Well. Turns out she was about 12 years old...diagnosed me with both sinusitis and bronchitis, prescribed amoxycillin and warned me I'd probably get a yeast infection.


Are you kidding me???? A yeast infection? You want me to willingly consume something that will give me a yeast infection for my 20th anniversary? My first respite weekend away EVER since becoming a foster parent in 2005? My one time away for romance with The Other Mother without a kid in six years and you want me to have a yeast infection????  What are you nuts???? Nope. Twelve. Yeah. Same thing.

Seriously. I smiled, thanked her and stopped at the pharmacy and filled the scrip to keep in my medicine chest for another time...

I am still hacking up a lung and sniffling - but I am smiling and very, very relaxed.

Hey - Wanna Build A Hospital?

Hey - do you want to help build a hospital? Seriously. In Haiti. No, silly. Not go there and swing a hammer. But help others to build one. They need it. Awful. Pregnant women need a safe place to give birth. Pregnant teens need prenatal care and someone to help them through birth.  Childbirth isn't easy in Haiti: drive forever to the one hospital in the area and have to wait in line for a c-section when there are labor complications. Seriously. Read about it here

They need a hospital and I don't need a lot of the cr*p I buy.

Seriously. 

I could help build a hospital with the unecessary cr*p I buy at Wal-M*rt every week, and I hope, so can you.

Here's how I'm doing it: I do have to go downtown today - but I don't need that Dunk*n Don*ts Medium Strawbery Coolata with whipped cream at $3.59 while I'm driving to Wal-M*rt.  Nor do I need that cute little T-shirt at Wal-M*rt for $5.00. Yeah, even if it is on sale.  One package of Cashew Pecan Sand*es is more than enough. I don't need another one at $3.29. I especially do not need that Quilting magazine for $5.95 when I have at least twenty quilting magazines stacked on the coffee table. And my kids could probably do with out two packs of  mystery flavor sugar-free gum this week  at $1.28 times two.  Hmmm.  I think I just saved some serious money for Haiti doin my usual weekly shopping routine at Wal-M*rt.

$3.59 + $5.00 + $3.29 + $5. 95 + $1.08 + $1.08 = $19.99.  Wow. I just redirected Twenty dollars of my money that would have gone to a mega corporation, and I am building a hospital instead. Yeah. I'd much rather have my $20 go to the hospital.

Never mind  Wal-M*rt's ad campaign "Save money - Live better".   Save money and help others LIVE.

You can read about the everyday goings-on at Heartline Ministries- school sponsorship, hospitals, womens employment programs here... or you can checkout John McHoul's blog here. or the Livesay's blog here.  

Either way - think about where you'd like to send this guy:

I'd rather my twenty go here Wouldn't you?

Kale Krisps

A mega serving of freshly baked Kale Krisps and Moodchart.org have helped me get through the latest agida in my house.  Truly.  Kale Crisps - I am in love!!!  Before I tell you about the agida- let me wax poetic about my Kale Krisps...I can't remember which blog I found the recipe on...Christine's maybe? Anyhow - it has been my undoing. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Here's a pic of my two favorite things: Kale Krisps and Moodchart.org.  Kale for the obvious reasons, and moodchart to objectively chart the daily behavior of one of the kids, diagnosed with bi-polar.   Trying to sort it all out has been a challenge made much easier by this charting/note system. 

KALE KRISPS
Bunch of Kale
Rinse
Shake water off
Tear greens from woody stem
Discard woody stem (or boil with other veggies to make some delish soup stock)
Drizzle with olive oil
Spread on a baking sheet in single layer (may need to make several batches)
Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt
pop in the oven
bake on low till they are transluscent  bright green and crispy - but not brown (brown means burnt).
Let cool
Inhale

I ate the entire batch, except for a few fistfuls the Littles grabbed before I could shoo them away.

So - back to the agida..the Pediatric Neurologist we have waited a month to see for follow up on one of the kids seizures called Bio-Mom on Friday and said we didn't really need to keep our Monday appointment- but should instead make an appointment  to see his associate - who will be happy to see us in another month. Great. Meanwhile - what do I do about the seizures?

One of the kids ran out of their long acting ADD med which is just as essential to their non-nuclear functioning as caffeine and mascara are to mine. I thought we had enough pills.  We do have enough of the short acting ADD meds- but the long acting bottle was empty.  Crap.  We noticed this Sat am as we were heading out the door to soccer. No biggie - he'll be outdoors running around while we watch the game and will be fine. I'll just call when we get home later. I thought the office had late hours on Saturdays.  Wrong.  I call Monday morning 8 am first thing to refill and learn it takes 48 hours to get a prescription refilled at the Pediatrician I use.  Which means the earliest I can go to the office to physically get the scrip is Wed after he has gone to school.  Then I still need to take it to the pharmacy which will then take a few hours to fill it....Great.  Because five days without ADD medicine is just what this poor little guy needs....

I think I had better pick up another bunch of kale. Maybe two.

Didn't I Just Feed You Kids Yesterday? #1 In A Series

Didn't I just feed you kids yesterday? is a question I have been known to mumble, not so quietly, under my breath at least twice a week.  We aren't a mega family by any means: two by two we go: 2 cats, 2 dogs 2 adults, 2 tweens and 2 littles make up our home.  Yet I am still surprised in slack-jaw wonder late in the afternoon when it occurs to me I have to feed them all again.  Again?  Didn't I just feed them yesterday???? Geesh.
So this, hopefully recurring, little post is for all y'all (I've always wanted to say that...) who, like me, hate to cook on cue and can think of other things you'd rather be doing 21 times a week. Like getting a root canal or oil change...

So first off: Buy a family size tray or two of boneless chicken breast tenders (or boneless breasts and slice them into tenders)
Marinate those bad boys in a whole bottle of Italian salad dressing (or whatever dressing you have in the fridge) for at least an hour or two
grill em up
set em aside to cool
package in meal size portions for your family

freeze the rest

Dinner #1:

INGREDIENTS
Package of Egg noodles
Two cans of Rotel
Jar of Ragu Alfredo Sauce
Chicken tenders

RECIPE
Cook up Egg Noodles
Drain
Add Rotel
Add Alfredo Sauce
Add a little water to jar to shake out every last yummy drop of sauce
Stir
Microwave chicken tenders
Arrange on top of noodle mixture
serve
Yummmmmmmmmm


Dinner #2

INGREDIENTS
Rice A Roni Spanish Rice
Can of Diced Tomatoes with Jalepenos
Can of Trader Joes Cuban Style Black Beans
Cooked Chicken Tenders

RECIPE
Cook Rice according to Directions (which says to add a can of diced tomatoes)
Add can of Black Beans
Stir
Last 10 minutes add cooked chicken tenders to rice mixture
Serve with grated cheese on the side
Yummmmmmmmmmm.

Can You Send A Grandmother To Time Out?

I think I have a sitter lined up for next weekend so The Other Mother and I can have at least 24 hours of respite. Our long term plans to travel to Texas were foiled by the needs and configuration of our current family: 13, 11, 4 and 5.  Still sad about not being able to go to Texas/Women of Faith/San Antonio/hang out with Annie and Jeri and Dia and Mary The Mom and hopefully Christine and Laney - and all you cool Moms I was hoping to meet and Moms I haven't met yet and worship with a bazillion other women and recharge my spiritual and emotional batteries and not hear my name every 30 seconds and not have to use my calm therapeutic voice and have a real margarita maybe even two and yummy mexican food and start and finish a sentence to The Other Mother without one of our needy kids interrupting and deflecting and......

You get the picture. 

My Inner Child is having a lay down on the floor, kicking and screaming, crying tantrum as we speak.

If she doesn't stop soon I'm going to have to send her to time out. 

In Orlando.

Next March.

That's OK. 

I can wait.

PS I'm a Grandma! Welcome to the world Andrew Taylor - 8 pounds 4 ounces, 19 inches long - arrived last nite at 9:08 pm. I don't yet have pictures of Amber and baby - but with her permssion will share them as soon as I can.

I'm Too Young To Be A Grandmother!

My first and eldest foster daughter, the one who started us on this road to ruin, will soon make her Mommas Grand Mommas...and I'm not so sure how I feel about it.  I've had several years getting used to the idea she is a very capable adult - for more than two years she has held the same great job in the ER of a hospital and has an apartment and fiance: an EMT ambulance driver who makes her very happy.  So even though I have had many months to get used the idea of her having a baby- I'm not sure I am ready to be a grandma.

She is already in the hospital, dialated and effaced and waiting for the little guy (baby Andrew) to make his appearance.  Her last text said maybe tonight - Friday is a scheduled c-section, so we are all hoping she'll go before then. I can't wait!

Amber, Alex and Erin Christmas 2007