Back to the Choir

With the start of the school year, it also means the start of my choir rehearsal schedule.  I'm very excited to see everyone again (although I saw a few over the summer).  It is hard to believe that we are going to start singing Christmas songs!

I had debated giving up the choir to be home another night with the girls.  However, I decided that keeping a non-child commitment was important, and I really get a lot of enjoyment out of the choir.  My hope is that it will be a good break for all of us.  If it gets to be too much, I can always take the spring off.

Plus, with the Little One going to bed between 7:30 and 8, it wouldn't be much time with her that I miss.  The pre-teen is just as likely to be in her room listening to music or watching TV in the living room as doing something with me.  Perhaps it will give her time to do some 7th grade homework!

Deal Breakers

Since I've added a couple kiddos to the household, I'm quickly learning what my deal-breakers are.  By deal breaker, I mean quirks that drive me crazy!

First, I hate doing laundry.  So, I'm imposing limits on how many towels/underwear/socks can be used each day.  Otherwise, I have one child who thinks 2 towels a day is great, plus 3 pair of underwear and 2 pair socks.  The other has 1 towel, but 2 undies and 3 socks.  At this rate, they are out of undies and socks before noon every other day!

Another deal breaker is the pets.  Little One thinks the dog deserves half of every meal eaten.  Blaze is great with this.  In fact, he parks beneath the chair waiting for his cut.  However, his tummy is not as gracious, and I'm having to clean up messes from an overfull dog.  So, I'm limiting the amount of treats and food he gets.  Both kids are trying to sneak the cats into their beds at night.  This doesn't bother me except that the cats do not stay put, and end up running wild at night instead.  So, Hatteras, the kitten, is locked up in the basement and Indy, the older one, is locked out of some of the rooms.

Neither kid likes "spicy" food.  I love spicy food.  So, I'm trying to figure out how to sneak the spices in, as it appears once they try things, they like them.  We'll see if the Mexican food ban sticks or not.  We also have the typical ages issues: the teen wants to eat to lose weight (although not a pound overweight) so won't eat some "too fattening" things (like celery!), usually saying this as bags of M&M's are eaten, while the toddler doesn't want to eat anything and has to have minimum bites eaten set for each food.

I'm sure other things will crop up, but for now, I'm trying to avoid too many issues and just let the kids be kids.

Wrapping Up Another Quarter

I'm just about done with another seminary quarter.  This quarter featured the diverse classes of Genesis through Ruth and a class on Self in Community. 

By adding two foster care kids this quarter, I feel like this has lasted for a year, not just a few months.  To say I am looking forward to a few weeks break from classes is an understatement.  I need to find a new routine with the kiddos and find some time to clean up a few projects (like say, train for a 1/2 marathon, actually write an in-depth blog post, sleep).  I also have a few old things starting like children's ministries and choir.

But I know that I soon will be looking forward to a new set of classes, even though I am also longing to complete this degree.

9/11 Rememberances

The 10th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack is in 3 weeks.  I understand that we want to take time to remember the people who were killed on that date and since in our fight against terrorists.

However, I am already tired of seeing a constant stream of stories about that date.  I suspect that every family who lost someone that date will be interviewed several times about their thoughts and how it feels to be 10 years on.  My guess is that the wound is still fresh and the holes left by the victims have not healed.

I don't need a story a day to remember.  A week's worth of stories would be more than enough and would hit the highlights.

This is akin to finding candy corn in the store at the end of July.  Candy corn is a Halloween treat, and I will be sick of seeing it by the time the leaves turn in another 30 days.

A little of something leaves you wanting more, too much leaves a stomach ache.  I suspect both the 9/11 coverage and the candy corn will leave us all a little sick to the stomach.

Calling me "Mommy"?

Within hours of the start of our first overnight/ weekend visit, the foster kids are calling me "Mommy" and telling me they love me.  I was surprised at how conflicted I was by this.

It isn't that I don't like or want them to call me "Mommy," but I didn't envision this happening until well into our relationship.  I hate it, but I wonder how many other women have been "Mommy" in their lives.  And what expectations they have for me in that role.  I wonder what expectations I have for myself in the role as well. 

As for "I love you," it's like trying to figure out whether to say it back to someone you've been dating for a short time.  It feels false, but does have some element of the truth in it.  So do you answer back the same way or let it go?  I decided to respond but wonder if that is the right thing to do.

After I dropped the kids back at their current home, they called me "Mommy" as I left.  The other "mom" smiled and was excited that they were calling me it.  Fortunately, this is the way things are developing with hopes of a permanent placement.

In the short term, I'm learning to answer to "Mom" and "Mommy" when called.

Back to School: It costs how much?

I spent today buying my foster kids back to school stuff. I'm surprised at how much the schools want them to have.  For example, we needed 2 boxes of kleenex, 3 packages of ruled 3x5 cards, a calculator, graph paper and multiple pencils, notebooks and folders.

Naturally, the kids need clothes too, so we shopped for gym shoes, jeans, and shirts.  For girls, I am always surprised at how sexualized the young girls clothing is: do we really need to see their tummies at age 6?

All totaled, I think I ended up with a couple hundred dollars of stuff.  Let's hope they don't use all the paper, pens and clothing before Christmas!

Foster Parenting: A New Challenge

I've been visiting with a couple foster kids that the state is considering placing at my house.  So far, it has been interesting to get to know kids that I know nothing about.

I've discovered that figuring out what to eat or where and when to run errands takes on a whole new set of questions and issues.  Additionally, the kids are working to figure out the boundaries I have, so we've had a few "testing" episodes.

The benefit is watching them learn to relax and enjoy life.  Their excitement at having a room and toys to play with combined with the idea of a new adventure.  Since school starts soon, everyone is hoping to have the kids moved in within the next couple weeks.  I'm sure a set schedule will help both me and the kids settle into a routine.

Meanwhile, I've been busy wrapping up my seminary quarter, which ends after the time the kids move in, and trying to figure out what to buy for meals.  Arranging day care, school, transportation, and school supplies is taking a lot of time right now; but once done will be done for quite a while.

Today I finally got my foster car license in the mail.  It's funny to think that I will soon have kids in the home!

I Love Lucy

Today is the 100th birthday of Lucille Ball.  I think it is amazing to think that she started her successful TV show at the age of 40.  I still love watching I Love Lucy reruns.

She was one of the first female television executives.  With her husband Desi, she pioneered the 3 camera set up that still dominates most television production.

Yet, despite her TV success, Ball first tried to concur movies.  She never quite hit the young ingenue, but it kept her career afloat until she met Desi Arnaz and found success in TV.

Kiva: A good place to lend money

I lended $25 to an international project last week.  I know it sounds a little shady, but I did it through Kiva.org.

At the website, you can select the country, project and group/person who will get the money.  The money is loaned, sometimes guaranteed for repayment.  More often, the repayment is not guaranteed.

The money is gradually paid back as the business or project succeeds.

I figure I am not out much if I don't see the money back, but it is a neat way to help out others.