Baby Mama Drama

Well, we found out that the home Zephan's mom has been living in was shut down. The tenants were given very little notice to move (like, 72 hours) and our baby's mama has been staying at the Salvation Army off and on.
I'm so torn on this mama. I worry for her and think about her a lot. But she's struggled so hard with substance abuse and I don't think it would be healthy to include her in Zephan's everyday life.
She's probably going to try to get visits with him negotiated in the adoption mediation. Micah will have no part of that, so it isn't even open for debate. I'm kind of glad he feels so strongly on the matter because it takes the responsibility off me. I see families like It Spews Forth and Together We Have It All and I get even more torn. These families have successfully incorporated birth family members into their extended families.
One of those Mommies was pleased to let her son (and her husband!) be in his birth dad's wedding. The other family's kiddos talk to/spend time with their birth families with great success. I hope both Micah and I will learn and grow in this area. It may not be the best thing for our child to be involved with relatives who are making bad choices, but I want my sons to lack nothing. I also don't want to hold them back from family who would be a good influence in their lives just because of my jealousy. And that is an issue for me. I would have a very hard time with Zephan calling his birth mom, "Mommy". I would be seeing red. I know it's immature, but there it is. God, help me grow.

My New Bumper Sticker

For my boys who adore Superman.
We have the best dressed mini-van on the block!

Because Simpsons has been pre-empted by Stupid Chick Flicks 3 Sundays in a Row,

....and I miss it. Here are some of my favorite chalkboard writing assignments that Bart has had through many years of detentions:
I will not waste chalk

I will not skateboard in the halls

I will not burp in class

I will not instigate revolution

I will not draw naked ladies in class

I did not see Elvis

I will not call my teacher "Hot Cakes"

Garlic gum is not funny

They are laughing at me, not with me

I will not yell "Fire" in a crowded classroom

I will not encourage others to fly

I will not fake my way through life

Tar is not a plaything

I will not Xerox my butt

It's potato, not potatoe (a reference to Dan Quayle)

I will not trade pants with others

I am not a 32 year old woman

I will not do that thing with my tongue

I will not drive the principal's car

I will not pledge allegiance to Bart

I will not sell school property

I will not cut corners (written only on top line, with hatch marks “ “ on subsequent lines)

I will not get very far with this attitude

I will not make flatulent noises in class

I will not belch the National Anthem

I will not sell land in Florida

I will not grease the monkey bars

I will not hide behind the Fifth Amendment

I will not do anything bad ever again

I will not show off (written in Olde English font)

I will not sleep through my education

I am not a dentist

Spitwads are not free speech

Nobody likes sunburn slappers

High explosives and school don't mix

I will not bribe Principal Skinner

I will not squeak chalk (squeaks the chalk while writing this)

I will finish what I sta (on one line; the rest is blank)

"Bart Bucks" are not legal tender

I will not fake rabies

Underwear should be worn on the inside

The Christmas Pageant does not stink

I will not torment the emotionally frail

I will not carve gods

I will not spank others

I will not aim for the head

I will not barf unless I'm sick

I will not expose the ignorance of the faculty

I saw nothing unusual in the teacher's lounge

I will not conduct my own fire drills

Funny noises are not funny

I will not spin the turtle

I will not snap bras

I will not fake seizures

This punishment is not boring and pointless

My name is not Dr. Death

I will not defame New Orleans (after the city of New Orleans complained about the opening song in "Oh, Streetcar!")

I will not prescribe medication

I will not bury the new kid

I will not teach others to fly

I will not bring sheep to class

A burp is not an answer

Teacher is not a leper

Coffee is not for kids (each line becomes less and less legible; the last line is a scrawl)

I will not eat things for money

I will not yell "She's Dead" during roll call

The principal's toupee is not a Frisbee

I will not call the principal "spud head"

Goldfish don't bounce

Mud is not one of the 4 food groups

No one is interested in my underpants

I will not sell miracle cures

I will return the seeing-eye dog

I do not have diplomatic immunity

I will not charge admission to the bathroom

I will never win an Emmy (Seen in the first episode after 1992-93 Emmy nominations were announced, the first time the show was eligible for "Best Comedy Series," but wasn't nominated. The show had won "Best Animated Series" Emmys in the past.)

The cafeteria deep fryer is not a toy

All work and no play makes Bart a dull boy

I will not say "Springfield" just to get applause

I am not authorized to fire substitute teachers

My homework was not stolen by a one-armed man

I will not go near the kindergarten turtle

I am not delightfully saucy

Organ transplants are best left to the professionals

I will not celebrate meaningless milestones (in the 100th episode)

There are plenty of businesses like show business

I will not re-transmit without the express permission of Major League Baseball

Five days is not too long to wait for a gun

Beans are neither fruit nor musical

I will not use abbrev.

I am not the reincarnation of Sammy Davis Jr.

I will not send lard through the mail

I will not dissect things unless instructed

I will not whittle hall passes out of soap

Ralph won't "morph" if you squeeze him hard enough

Adding "just kidding" doesn't make it okay to insult the Principal

"Bagman" is not a legitimate career choice

Cursive writing does not mean what I think it does

Next time it could be me on the scaffolding

I will not hang donuts on my person

I will remember to take my medication

I will not strut around like I own the place

The Good Humor man can only be pushed so far

I do not have power of attorney over first graders

Nerve gas is not a toy

I will not mock Mrs. Dumbface

The First Amendment does not cover burping

This is not a clue...or is it? (in the episode rumored to contain clues to the identity of Mr. Burns' shooter)

I will not complain about the solution when I hear it (in the episode where Mr. Burns’ shooter is revealed)

"Bewitched" does not promote Satanism

No one wants to hear from my armpits

I am not a lean mean spitting machine

The boys room is not a water park

Indian burns are not our cultural heritage

Wedgies are unhealthy for children and other living things

I will only do this once a year

I will stop talking about the twelve inch pianist

I am not certified to remove asbestos

I did not learn everything I need to know in kindergarten

I am not my long-lost twin

The truth is not out there

I am not licensed to do anything

I will not hide the teacher's Prozac

A fire drill does not demand a fire

I no longer want my MTV

Everyone is tired of that Richard Gere story

I did not invent Irish dancing

I will not tease Fatty

There was no Roman god named "Fartacus"

Rudolph's red nose is not alcohol-related

Shooting paintballs is not an art form

Pain is not the cleanser

Silly String is not a nasal spray

I was not told to do this

My butt does not deserve a website

I will not demand what I'm worth (a reference to the holdout of the cast for more money)

I will not mess with the opening credits (in place of the couch opening; the rest of the family runs into the classroom)

I am not the new Dalai Lama

I was not the inspiration for "Kramer" (in the episode after the series finale of "Seinfeld")

I will not file frivolous lawsuits

No one cares what my definition of "is" is

I will not scream for ice cream

I am not a licensed hairstylist

"The President did it" is not an excuse (shown the day after President Clinton was impeached)

My mom is not dating Jerry Seinfeld

Sherri does not "got back"

I will not do the Dirty Bird

No one wants to hear about my sciatica

Hillbillies are people too

Grammar is not a time of waste

It does not suck to be you

I cannot absolve sins

A trained ape could not teach gym

Loose teeth don't need my help

I have neither been there nor done that

I'm so very tired

Fridays are not "pants optional"

Pork is not a verb

I am not the last Don

I did not win the Nobel Fart Prize

I won't not use no double negatives

I can't see dead people

I will not sell my kidney on eBay

I will not create art from dung

I will stop phoning it in

Class clown is not a paid position

Substitute teachers are not scabs

My suspension was not "mutual"

A belch is not an oral report

Dodgeball stops at the gym door

"Non-Flammable" is not a challenge

I am not here on a fartball scholarship

I will not dance on anyone's grave

I cannot hire a substitute student

I will not obey the voices in my head

I will not plant subliminal messages

I will not surprise the incontinent

I am not the acting President (a reference to the 2000 Presidential election, whose winner had still not been determined when this episode aired)

I was not the sixth Beatle

I will only provide a urine sample when asked

The nurse is not dealing

Science class should not end in tragedy

Network TV is not dead

I will not "let the dogs out"

I will not hide the teacher's medication

I will not publish the Principal's credit report

The hamster did not have "a full life"

I will not buy a Presidential pardon (a reference to President Clinton granting Presidential pardons to people who made donations to his campaign)

I will not scare the Vice President (reference to Dick Cheney's hospitalization with a heart condition)

I will not flush evidence

Fire is not the cleanser

Genetics is not an excuse

Today is not Mothra's day (aired on Mother's Day, 2001)

I should not be twenty-one by now (Bart would be 21 in the 12th season if he was 10 in the first season, which ended in 1990, and he aged normally)

Nobody reads these anymore

A burp in a jar is not a science project

Fun does not have a size

I am not Charlie Brown on acid

I do not have a cereal named after me (when this episode aired, he did - Bart Simpson Peanut Butter Chocolate Crunch)

I will not bite the hand that feeds me Butterfingers

The giving tree is not a chump

Making Milhouse cry is not a science project

Vampire is not a career choice

I will never lie about being cancelled again (a reference to Matt Groening commenting in an interview that the show was "closer to winding it up." Groening later claimed he was "misquoted")

Fish do not like coffee

Milhouse did not test cootie positive

This school does not need a "regime change"

I will not (Bart then chops up the blackboard with an axe)

My pen is not a booger launcher

Sandwiches should not contain sand

Over forty & single is not funny

I will not speculate on how hot teacher used to be

Poking a dead raccoon is not research

Beer in a milk carton is not milk

A booger is not a bookmark

Does any kid still do this anymore?

I am not smarter than the President

Teacher was not dumped -- it was mutual

I will not laminate dog doo

I will not flip the classroom upside down (classroom is upside-down while Bart writes)

I will not leak the plot of the movie

Je ne parle pas Français

Have a great summer, everyone

Frankincense is not a monster

Global warming did not eat my homework

I will not look up what teacher makes

Pearls are not oyster barf

I will not wait 20 years to make another movie

The Wall Street Journal is better than ever

I am not an FDIC-insured bank

There is no such thing as an iPoddy

The Pilgrims were not illegal aliens

The capital of Montana is not "Hannah"

Teacher did not pay too much for her condo

The art teacher is pregnant, not fat

A person's a person no matter how Ralph

This punishment is not medieval.

The Boys LOVED this!

Mill Creek

We went to Mill Creek today. It was beautiful! My favorite photographer (link to her in my side bar) actually took on the project of photographing all our co-op kiddos for the SHE year book. Every child got a head shot for free and if we like how they came out, we can purchase a CD so Grandparents can have one for their wallet. Neat-o!
And while we were there, I took some candid shots with my camera. We had a beautiful time, except, Zephan has absolutely NO fear of water, quickly moving and cold or not. He was getting so frustrated that I wouldn't let him jump in!

Mud Pit

Well, there's 4 little boys excavating the mud pit this year - we need more trowels! I remember when there was only 1 little one out there, playing quietly all by himself.

Makes my heart happy. But not my washing machine. :)

Done 2

This is a quote from Owlhaven's (there's a link to her on my sidebar) new book (YAY, Mary!!), and I love it. This lady is a mom to many and was so caring and supportive of our family when we went through Rayna's situation. The pain of losing that girl was horrendous. This lady encouraged me to keep on keeping on. That my next baby was surly on their way to my arms. And he was.



I know I'm not solely responsible for the world's
children. Each time we have adopted, we have not done it out of some
misguided savior complex but because we wanted another person to hug at night,
another face at our table, another little one to teach to talk and walk and ride
a bike, another person to rejoice over as she or he grows and
learns.

And yet, when and if my husband declare that finally we're
done...whether we care to face it or not, we are also closing a door in the face
of a real living child waiting somewhere in the world who could be
ours.

Call me nuts if you will, but I'm not ready to close that
door. Not just yet.--Mary Ostyn, A Sane Woman's Guide to
Raising a Large Family

Here are a couple of pics of kiddos that are waiting for a family in Oregon:

Are all your kiddos home today?

Learning to Come at them Like a Spider Monkey:

Just some shots of the boys at their Ninjitsu class, getting their ninja on.
Because they love it. And thus I love it.

Done

Daddy and I were sitting at the kitchen table, a bowl of fruit between us. Zephan was playing on the floor and, even though millions of babies were playing at that moment all over the world, ours was definitely the cutest. We were smiling smitten little grins, just watching him and snacking on our fruit.
Daddy (referring to the fruit): "Are you done?"
Mommy (not referring to the fruit) "Nope. I think I'd like more. You done?"
Daddy (glancing at the fruit, then the baby) "Nope."
We smile and eat more fruit.

Apryl? Is that you in the second row?

The Haircut

Last week:

Yesterday:

8 inches cut off. Wow. We're all getting used to it, but I think when we do, we'll like it. How did this come about? Well, one of the last straws was certainly at Little League as Solomon hit the ball and a (well-meaning) spectator yelled out, "GO!! GO, SWEETHEART!! 'ATTA GIRL!!"

Insert Diobolical Laugh

Before:

After:
His opinion:

Oh, my sides! My poor dog! We take such joy in our animals - for days to come, everyone in the household will laugh every time he enters the room.
And, since he's constantly cold now (stifling a chuckle), he's ultra cuddly. Poor Alexxander. I'm pretty sure even the rabbit is laughing at him!

Cutting Class

One of the best aspects of homeschooling is that, when the first warm day of the season comes, you can bite your thumb at your schoolwork mid-way through and head for the beach. I'm torn on what it teaches my sons; either it's the "Family and togetherness is priority, if you have the chance, seize the day!" or, heaven forbid, "It's OK to renege on responsibilities if it's sunny and you'd rather play".
Hopefully, since we made arrangements to re-schedule schoolwork and got the green light from their teacher to have an "enrichment" day, they learned to only ditch your work if you're able to make arrangements with those to whom you're accountable.
Whatever lesson we taught or didn't, boy, was it a good day!

Now, it's off to wash 8 loads of sandy laundry and vacuum out the van and carseats...

Little League

So, this is the first year we've done Little League. Both the eldests were allowed to be on the same team, so that's a big plus. Each team has 2 practices and 1 game per week, so I don't think I would have been able to cope with each boy on a different team (4 practices and 2 games per week - yikes!) .
Plus they have Ninjitsu 2 nights per week, so we've been going. A lot.
I now remember how much I like to be home.
HOMEschooling..... HOUSEwife...... these are things that require a person to actually spend some time at HOME :)
The funny thing is, I thought it would be a struggle to "wrangle" the littles while the bigs were practicing. But, with some careful trunk packing, I've managed to have some good one-on-one time with Levi and Zephaniah. I bought a huge jug of bubbles, a big ball, and packed their tricycles. Luckily, practice is at an elementary school with a playground covered area for when it's rainy. The babies actually have a good time, and, with all 4 boys happily playing, it's worth it!

They both saw the same ladybug at the same time :)

The Story of the Broken Elbow...

...is a simple one for those of us with several small boys living in one house: playing is to blame. Actually, Zephan was playing with Daddy when it happened, so it just goes to show that accidents can happen even if you're watching them closely. He fell back and tried to brace himself with his arm out in back of him and turned it funny.
The scary thing was that we almost didn't bring him in! He settled down quickly after the fall and was even giving us the high-5's we were asking for (to see if the arm was bothering him). But, when he reached for his Baba with his left hand....we figured we should get him checked out, just in case.
And, low and belhold, there was a fracture on his elbow. Now, we as foster parents, promptly FREAKED. OUT.
"Oh, what will the State say?" This child was just in Dornbecher Children's Hospital in December for swallowing a stinkin' nickle! And now, this.
But, after visiting the orthapedist today, it seems the fracture is little and the healing should take only 3 weeks. He won't even require the permenent cast we were dreading. And his caseworker seems understanding. Our caseworker, we love and know fairly well - so that's a blessing. Thank the Lord. Seriously.
Now the question this prompts is: Are we sure we want another boy next? :)

Sigh.

9:00am:

9:00pm:

I'll fill you in more later....