Cupcake Top Ten

I keep a journal for Cupcake. I started it over the summer and have documented milestones in it, and have written a few notes to her. I figure, if she stays with us (who knows), she might be interested in reading it someday when she is much older. Here are a few snippets that are in that journal.

1) She calls granola bars "gorilla bars"

2) She repeats herself constantly until I think I may very well lose my mind.

3) The other day, 5 minutes before going to bed, she said to me "I have made a decision that I am going to do everything you say for the REST of the day. Isn't that GOOD??!?"

4) When something really makes her laugh, she giggles so hard she cannot breathe and her face turns 30 shades of red. And right before I am about to call 9-1-1 she sucks in a huuuuuge breath, just to laugh some more. And that makes me laugh until I have tears running down my face.

5) Seth's nickname for her is "Goober" - they make a great pair.

6) She has the sweetest disposition and the biggest heart of anyone I have ever met. Hands down.

7) On the flipside, she has a temper unlike anything I have ever seen - thankfully that only makes an appearance once in a while.

8) She loves singing songs about God. And to God. She walked in the sanctuary at church last Sunday, after church was over, and asked "What's this room for?" (It's not like she hasn't been in it before). I said "That's where we sing to the Lord." She replied "Oooooooh....can we?!!?"

9) I am helping her memorize Scripture. She pronounces it "DueteroMoNy" and "ProBIRDS"

10) Some of her favorites: Pink, purple, chocolate, Dora, Arthur, Veggie Tales, MarioKart, playing at the park, playing Uno....

She has blessed our lives in so many ways, and no matter where life may take her, or keep her ;) we will always be thankful we have had the chance to get to know her.

"Just" rip my heart out

Being foster parents, we have experienced so many joys, but so many heartbreaks, all at the same time.

Apparently Cupcake and the worker were having a conversation the other day, on the way to her supervised visit with her parents, when she stated, "I'm just a foster kid."

Excuse me while I go pick up the pieces of my heart and put it back inside my body.

Just the mere thought of her thinking she's "just" anything nearly kills me. I don't know where it's coming from. Seth and I love that girl silly, which makes me think that her "innocent" little classmates might be picking on her for it. Who knows. I'll have to do some investigating.

In the meantime, I'm going to go heap some more love on that child.

Life happens.

Hello dear blog friends! Yes, I am alive. "Buried alive" would be a better description. Because of a certain disease I have - the inability to say NO - I have been overwhelmed with life lately. Too much to do, too little time, not enough energy, resulting in me being sick (just the usual sinus crud) - which is just the icing on the cake.

Blah.

Blah blah blah blah.

I did dig out a little bit this past week and handed over a few projects to some very helpful and understanding friends without feeling too guilty about it, even. And am I ever so glad I did. Because the drama of being a foster parent has reared its head once again. Or is it still? I can't tell which is which anymore. And I can't elaborate - confidentiality/legal issues. But....if you could....would you pray for my sweet little Cupcake?

And....maybe for me, too? One of my good friends and I have been having some issues.

I've been knitting like crazy every chance I get, which isn't much. I've been working on a long cardigan for - myself! I'm so excited to be knitting myself something bigger than a scarf!! I'll post pics when I get a chance.

I also stopped by the library today and picked up a few books:
1. For One More Day, Mitch Albom
2. The Friday Night Knitting Club, Kate Jacobs
3. My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult

For now....I am headed to bed. I need to rest up and get well. I am going to see BETH MOORE in two days, after all!!! Wahoooo!!!

Everything I DIDN'T need to know, I learned in Kindergarten

In addition to learning to read, recognizing numbers, and learning the months of the year and days of the week, Cupcake has also had a little bit of "culture" during her first months of Kindergarten.

Things that Cupcake has learned from school that I wish she hadn't:

• The "B" word
• The "F" word
(both of these she heard from a boy in her class and told me that he got in trouble)
• The definition of bulemia - one morning at breakfast, said about the cats, "I know why Audrey pukes. Because she doesn't want to get fat like Sam."
• And apparently there is another little boy in her class that is going around saying that he is going to have sex with another little girl in her class. (That one earned an email to the teacher)

What next?

Happy Monday

Christmas is 10 weeks from Friday!

When life gets stupid

Don't pretend like you don't know what I'm talking about. You know, those days where you think to yourself (about a zillion times) "Are you KIDDING me??!" Those days where all you want to do is hide under the covers. Those days where you drink an entire pot of coffee because it is the ONLY thing (so you think) that is keeping you functional to some degree. Those days where you want to scream and yell and stomp your feet like a 2 year old.

Well, my friends, I've had a lot of days like that lately. Come, sit with me a minute, and let me explain what I'm talking about. You will surely empathize.

• Our health insurance company is an assemblage of crooks. They lied to me several times this past week or so, and refused to admit it. Because that's what they do. So now I have to submit a formal appeal, which is really just a huuuuuge time suck out of my day. But I will do it. Because I have no other choice.

• One of my very good friends and I are not on speaking terms right now. I'm not going to go into details, but it has been a very painful week. I have allowed myself to just step back from it for the time being.

• Seth and I attended a court date involving Cupcake's parents last week (or was it the week before?). It was at the courthouse. So....we arrive at the courthouse just in time for the hearing to start only to realize we were at the wrong courthouse. Yep. It was the next county over. Seriously stupid.

• I dropped my crackberry, I mean blackberry, in the toilet. As you can imagine, it is not working. And that makes me sad.

• I received a call from an irate parent of one of my former students. It was over a small mistake that I had made, but a mistake nonetheless. I took responsibility for it and apologized repeatedly, to which she responded by calling me a liar and a thief.

• My child lies to me about the silliest things and then throws a huuuuuuuge hissy fit when she has to sit on a chair.

• Seth had a health scare this week. Thought that the TB had come back. If you don't remember that whole period of crazy, click here. But, thankfully, it had not. He just has the crud that everyone else has.

As a result of all of this disgusting stupidity that is my life lately, I ended up last night with some anxiety issues and went to bed at 9:00. I'm feeling a bit better this morning, but still feeling........

........stupid.

Thank goodness that I have the Lord, who is bigger than all of this. And who can handle all of my stupid.

No-bake cupcakes, and other fun stuff

This is what I've been cooking up this week...

Cupcake pincushions, crocheted

This Saturday begins my venture into the craft fair business. I'll be joining my friend, Carrie (no really, it's another one), every Saturday morning in October at the riverfront market. If you're local, come and see me! Heck, come on over even if you have to drive a bit.

I also have been busy making:

• knitted kitty toys
• crocheted and beaded elastic hair bands
• cards, cards, and more cards
• fabric checkbook covers

Could the list be any more random? I think I'm close to being ready for this weekend. I printed up my business cards/price tags last night and jammed up my printer. I'll have more as soon as I find the patience to un-jam it.

Family Fun Day

Every Saturday we have Family Fun Day. We just spend time together and find something FUN to do.

On today's agenda...

River Market to visit a friend at her craft booth, who I will be joining every Saturday morning in October to try to sell some things.

Quilt Show! Cupcake and I saw a little ad for it yesterday on tv and she nearly had a stroke because she wanted to go see "all the pretty blankets". Am I training her the right way, or what?

Of course, Cupcake and I will be doing those 2 things without Seth. He's still in bed. And wouldn't want to go anyway.

Then when we get back and pick up Mr-Sleepy-Head, we are headed to the apple orchard to have some apple cider and apple donuts and pick some apples!! I'm hoping the solid sheet of fog that is outside right now will burn off before then.

Have a great Saturday!

The weekend

How does the weekend always go by so quickly? Wasn't it JUST Friday?

Yesterday, as I mentioned before, Jeanette (who hasn't posted to her blog in FOREVER) and I headed over to the Pumpkin Festival. We checked out the craft booths (there weren't many there this year) and ate the mandatory fair food. I searched that place high and low for one of those fried twinkies I had a couple years ago. Hey - once a year, or once every TWO years in this case is not that bad. I mean, come on, if I'm going to the trouble of going then I am going to do it RIGHT. But, sadly, there were none to be found. So Jeanette and I split a funnel cake AND an elephant ear (we're messed up). Oh yeah, baby. We ate about 25% total of each, decided we were going to be sick, and threw the rest out.

So we gave up on the craft booth section, after buying a few things, and headed over to the next town to an amazing little quilt shop and some primitive/country stores. I found the cutest pattern for some cupcake oven mits. I'll post some pics later, after I actually make one. Please don't hold your breath. I will feel guilty if you die.

This morning was spent at church, teaching the 3-year-olds about Isaac. We had some great fun. Home, lunch, then a two hour nap in the afternoon while it poured down rain. That's the best time to take a nap, don't you think? Bible study with my girlfriends and Cupcake had choir practice (today was the first day - she's been looking forward to it for days).

I love weekends.

One of the reasons I like Fall

The Pumpkin Festival is today!!! And I can barely contain myself. Jeanette and I are going - WITHOUT the children!!!

Craft booths
Food vendors
Parade
Carnival (We might go on a ride. Or two.)
Pumpkin themed everything

Have I mentioned I like Fall?