Playing Catch Up

I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted!  Time flew by this November and our calendar is already filling up in December!  I also just realized that while I've been taking tons of pictures - always - that I have not downloaded them yet!  Alas tomorrow I return to work so picture downloads will have to wait.
As for the month of November.  It was busy as always.  My beautiful niece Ms. P turned 3!  I have been in love with this little girl since the moment I found out she was coming :)  She had a My Little Pony party at her house complete with "Pin the cutie mark on the pony" game and a Repunzel tower cake.  It was a pretty snazzy party for a three-year-old.
We've also taken up ice skating. Saturday nights from 7-9 is open ice at the Pelham Civic Complex.  It's great exercise and alot of fun.  Hubby and I went with friends the first time, but then with the kids and friends the next.  The boys LOVED it!  They even asked today when we'd go again!  Anything that keeps us moving during these cold months count me in!  I do not want to be sedentary.
Of course we had Thanksgiving and oh how I wish I had those pictures downloaded.  I made some incredible food!  An amazing stuffed pork loin with an apple and sage stuffing, 4 cheese mac n cheese that included gruyere, cheddar, parmesan, and feta; my great grandmother's should be famous corn casserole; roasted sweet potatoes; peanut butter pie; pumpkin roll; brownies.  I really had a BLAST cooking everything.  It is what I love.  Hubby's family and my parents and grandparents all came to feast with us.  Our boys even got to come much earlier than expected and made it to dinner with us!  It was a wonderful day of family time.
We saw Breaking Dawn part 1 Saturday evening.  Oh how I love the teen drama :)
Sunday we put up the Christmas Tree!!  I LOVE LOVE LOVE Christmas and Christmas decorating!  Putting up the tree has become a tradition that Hubby and I do alone.  The boys get to participate at their mom's house so I don't feel they're being deprived and I feel like it's special time Hubby and I share.  We go pick out the tree together, which mostly consists of him holding up various trees for my inspection :) Then we bring it home, test the lights, and sing Christmas carols while we decorate.  It's always a fun time. Our tree is purple and blue and coordinated with the house.  It's pretty :)
We still haven't received our first foster placement call.  I followed up with our social worker today to confirm we were licensed.  She responded "I'm sure you're licensed let me check on it and I'll get back to you asap".  That was early this morning and I haven't received another message today. It's frustrating.  While I don't wish for what creates a foster placement, I wish to help and I really want to have a small child in the house for Christmas.  There's something magical for small children at this time of year and I want to help create that magic for a child that needs and wants it.
Tomorrow marks the end of November and then the 25 days of Christmas begin! YAY!

Quick update - Foster license is coming

This is really just a blurb.  I had to run by the DHR office today and add some paperwork to our file.  I emailed our social worker preparing the licensing to tell her I'd dropped the papers by.  She responded that she received them AND that she's trying to get our report finished up.  She said she expects to have us licensed early next week!
That is both exciting and very scary!  After we get the license then we'll start getting the phone calls. I really hope I'm able to do and be everything that's needed of me and that I can give the best of me.

Halloween fun 2011

Halloween is kind of a big deal at our house.  It was never something big when I was growing up, but as an adult and particularly with the guidance of my Hubby, I have now embraced it completely.  It is the one holiday of the year that you can choose who you want to spend it with and not feel alot of pressure.  Besides, who doesn't like to play dress up on occasion! Here are some pics of our pumpkin carving.

We had some dear friends marry over the Halloween weekend.  I have known the groom for well over a decade and his bride came into our lives several years ago.  In keeping with the festivities, they had a pirate wedding!  It was so awesome and was quite tastefully done.  I particularly enjoyed seeing all our old friends that we don't get to see nearly as often as we'd like.  It seems life and children have slowed the number of gatherings we're able to all keep.  Here are a few of the pics, but I'll post more on facebook later.

Then there was the actual trick or treating.  C was a Zombie with homemade costume and realistic make-up done by my sis (who apparently has a gift for creating zombies...), M was a scary clown (as if clowns aren't scary enough), my niece P was exactly what you'd expect - a Princess.  Hubby and I went as Jack and Sally from Tim Burton's Nightmare before Christmas.

Nonna came to see everyone on Halloween!

Princesses like PB&J! 

upside down waiting on the keys to get inside!

scary cupcakes and other life stuff

this is my second go round with this post.  i'm not sure what happened with the first one - the interweb ate  it...

anyways, this week i finished a project for the boys.  i brought homemade halloween themed treats to school.  i know it's a little early yet, but the rest of the month is pretty busy and besides it was ready!  First I painted dancing skeletons on glasses filled with halloween treats (my favorite was the eyeball gumballs)!  Then I made scary bleeding cupcakes stabbed with broken glass.  everything was made from scratch! (chocolate espresso cupcakes, vanilla buttercream icing, hardened sugar glass, and cherry sauce blood)  It was terrifying :)

The boys were really impressed and really felt special so I was glad I was able to give that to them.  

The room for our future foster children is finally complete.  My friend Courtney painted a picture for the wall and my friend Rebecca helped me sew the curtains for the windows.  Here are the pics.

Here are some other pics from our life this October.  It's been fun thus far and is only getting better!

Mom's birthday!

Phoenix helping decorate for Halloween

Phoenix and Bear

Bear and I

Brio date night with my Love

Final home visit - DONE!

Our final home visit was completed today.  The social worker came out, verified we'd done all the little things DHR requires, asked us to expound on some points in our personal background questionaires, and then she left.  She said we're good!  She said she still has to type up the home study report, a 15-20 page report, and then submit it to her supervisor for final licensing.  It could be as early as this month, but it's more likely to happen sometime next month.

M tested for his first Karate belt tonight.  He did great.  His moves were sharp and clean.  I was very proud of him.  His mom, dad, brother and I were all there to watch.  He's a great kid and I'm really happy for him.  I also really like the program they're part of and am glad we were able to get them both involved in it.  C wasn't feeling up to par tonight; they're offering a make-up test in a few weeks and he may be able to catch up then if he wants to.

a week

it's one week until our final home visit.  I'm nervous, but I know it's not necessary.  I know she's going to come visit and see and approve us.  I'm nervous about our first placement.  I'm nervous about "doing it right."  I'm nervous about how it will change things with the kids, with Chris and I, with our families, with everything from here out.  I'm also very excited.  I love children.  I have had a heart for child advocacy for a long time.  I have enjoyed very much putting together a room for small children to enjoy and call home.

M's teacher stopped me after school today to talk briefly.  She said he's been talking about us adopting at school.  He's still not really happy with it.  I explained that we are fostering to adopt.  She and I talked and she agrees that he's just acting like most children; he's concerned with two households and separate children where he'll fit and what will change.  She also said that though she doesn't know us, she's happy for us and is doing everything she can to reassure him.  Then she told me - her oldest daughter was adopted!  It's a small world and we've found support in places we didn't know we had.  Thank God for the people he puts in place.

It's also a week until the boys, or more likely just M, tests for a first Karate belt.  It's very exciting times around here :)  He's very excited about testing.  He's doing very well in class; they are both doing well.  I'm very proud of them.  I can't wait to see them show off their skills.  I can't believe how big my boys have gotten.  I miss their tiny faces.

My Boys C & M 10/9/2007

13 Days and Counting, plus a promotion!

I am very excited!  I got a promotion at work!  I've now been working at the restaurant for about a year and I really love the place.  I love the boss, I love my co-workers, and I love our customers!  Oh, and have I mentioned I love food and I love the food at the restaurant!!  Well I guess all those loves brought about a change that I didn't ask for nor would've thought I wanted, but I do - I got a promotion to "Manager".  Now I still have a ton of stuff to learn, but that I'm getting the opportunity is very exciting.  I am also getting a new schedule with this new title.  I am also very excited about my new schedule!  I'm still going to have the flexibility I need for our family, but I'm going to work more days and less nights - which means time home with my family!!  This is such a blessing!  I am so happy :)

I got all the trim painted in the back bedroom this week on my time off.  The only thing lacking is finishing the closet and painting the bedroom door.  Unfortunately the rain held up the door painting or we'd now be finished.  The toddler half of the room is done.  The infant side is still a wreck since all the stuff from the closet is stacked over there.  It will be finished one way or another next week!  Only 13 days until our social worker comes back to approve us!

I've spent the morning reading articles and blogs on adoption.  A friend led me to This Little Light of Mine and from there I jumped to other pages of people adopting from Haiti.  I spent time reading and praying for these families today - families separated by oceans that desperately want to bring their children home.  May God bless them with peace and perseverance.  I also read some articles on foster parenting and fost/adoption.  One particularly about a lady who had 2 infant placements for short periods and how she still loves and misses those children, how her heart hurt to give them up, but knew it was as it should be and how her son came to her as the third child.  I pray for the strength to give any and all children in our home what they need at the time they're here. I pray for our child that we don't know yet that God will bring them to us so that we may be the family He intends. As the time draws near, I pray - wisdom, peace, and longevity.  The ability to nurture and to teach. To be the support and steadfastness needed.  I pray that none of us will ever be the same for the better. I pray for our boys because there will be many changes for them too, but I also pray that they will learn things about life and love that they would have never known otherwise.  I pray that God guide us every step of the way. I pray.

13 days and counting.  Maybe we'll have a new family member here for Halloween! I love playing dress-up!