Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Repurposed/Recycled Formula Cans

Wondering what to do with all those formula cans? Turn them into something else, of course!



First take off the labels, keeping one but recycling the rest.



Next get some craft paper or wrapping paper and trace around the label. Cut out the new label and glue or modpodge it onto the formula can.



Cut little circles for the lids and glue them on.



Then fill with homemade candy and cookies and give as Christmas gifts.




After the recipient eats the candy/cookies, they can then use the formula can as a bank (cut a slit in the top), a pencil holder (take the lid off), or a container for fresh cut flowers.

Wordless Wednesday - Christmas Ornaments

The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters

I was sitting at home yesterday (where else?) working on the fourth draft of my suicide note when I got the call. I resented the interruption and nearly didn't answer the phone. I was having a hard time getting the tone right and, as we've discussed, tone is everything in correspondence.

This weekend I read The True and Outstanding Adventures of the Hunt Sisters by Elisabeth Robinson. After I started reading it, I realized that I had already read it, but couldn't remember how it ended. A couple of times I would read something that sparked a memory of what was to come in the next few pages. It's a good book (has nothing to do with foster/adopt) and was nice to read again. Below is one of my favorite lines from the book:

"Finally, the stewardess brings me my godamned Bloody Mary. She actually said, Drink it slow because this is your last one. I've had three, big deal. Have I been unruly? I asked nicely. Her cat-ass lips puckered as she lurched away."

I almost titled this post "cat-ass lips" just to see who might land here via Google. Alternate titles were "the fourth draft of my suicide note" and "tone is everything". Figure the suicide thing would be a little too alarming as a title. Besides, I have to reserve that for when I finally get around to writting my next draft.

Playing Hooky

It snowed on Monday. Just a light dusting and it mostly didn't stick to the roads. Usually if it snows here or even gets really cold, school is canceled, but not on Monday. TheDaughter woke up complaining of a stomach ache and I thought it might be related to the snow so I told her she had to go to school anyway. She started to cry and didn't get out of bed so I thought maybe she really was sick, so I let her stay home. I started thinking she might just be upset with the stuff going on related to her dad (another work related trip). When I get upset my stomach is the first thing to rebel. Thirty minutes after school started, TheDaughter got up and wanted to play in the snow. I said no way. If you are too sick for school, you are too sick for snow. That afternoon as the snow began to melt, I let her go out and build a small snowperson. Probably teaching her she can manipulate me since I'm such a push over.

This morning she woke up saying she was too tired to go to school. Her bedtime is at 8 but she stalls and misses out on sleep. When I told her she was to get up and get herself dressed or she would have to go in her pajamas with her hair all a mess (today was pictures with santa) she started saying her stomach hurt. I thought, Oh I'm not falling for this again. Get up! Fifteen minutes later she was still in bed saying her stomach really did hurt. At that point we had about 20 minutes to get her dressed, hair combed, breakfast, teeth brushed, and drive her to school. I was supposed to go help decorate for the foster association christmas party, so I needed her to get with it. I half wanted to go back to sleep myself and half wanted to yank her out of the bed and make her go disheveled. But her stomach! So I let her stay home. I went to call the foster association president to let her know I couldn't come help this morning, and while I was on the phone with her N got up out of bed and began playing. Umm, NO. Go to bed or go to school. So she went to bed and read books.

I'm making her drink mirilax now because I think she has been holding her poop again and that might be why her stomach hurts. Or maybe she is just playing hooky. Either way, I've already had a talk with her about how mommy can go to jail if she misses too many days of school and also told her how if she lies and says she is sick when she is not, that when she really is sick I might not believe her. At first I didn't want to reward her with my attention, but now I'm beginning to think that is exactly what she is wanting - to be taken care of. So I'm off to cuddle with her, make chicken soup, and color. Next time though, she isn't staying home unless she has a fever or vomit.

Wordless Wednesday

Behind the name Mothering4Money

I pretty much knew when my hits more than doubled in one day that someone had linked to me. I figured they were either wildly popular or the post was controversial. It seems some people have been visiting from Legally Kidnapped. Hello. Welcome to my blog. Feel free to spew nasty hateful comments. Oh wait, you already have.

So once again I'm going to explain why I chose the blog name Mothering4Money.
1) I couldn't think of anything funny/clever
2) People ASSume foster parents do it for the money and this is so pervasive a stereotype that I couldn't help but to make fun
3) Anyone who actually fosters knows it's not lucrative
4) I simply could not think of a good name for a blog
5) I was TRYING to be funny

We've had 5 foster kids so far. The first foster kid we took every single penny of the board payments for the 6 months she lived with us and put it into a savings account so that we could buy her a vehicle upon her high school graduation. The deal was she would work and save her money and we would match whatever amount she saved. She had expenses that we paid for out of our own pocket. For example: shoes, hair cut and style, yearbook, senior pictures, class pictures, school pictures, cap and gown, school clothes, school supplies, art lessons, art supplies, doctor's co pays, medication co-pays, tampons, toothpaste, soap, shampoo & conditioner, makeup, food, etc. The 2nd and 3rd foster kids were only here for 6 days and the money for them didn't come until 2 months after they left. But we had to purchase for them clothes, books, toys, toothbrush, toothpaste, luggage, food, etc. The 4th kid came days before Christmas so we had to buy all her christmas gifts out of our pocket since it was too late for christmas charities. She lived with us for 2 months and her board payment came right after she left our home. We helped her furnish her apartment and walked her through the court process of being emancipated. We also had her on our vehicle insurance since she had her own car already. All paid out of our pocket. The 5th foster kid, the one we still have and will be adopting, has been with us since he was 2 days old. We've had to purchase everything for him. Any money that is left over goes into his savings account. We view it as a head start on his college fund.

We had 2 girls for weekend respite. They ate massive quantities of food. No joke - an entire pizza, apple and banana each, and 2 litter soda for dinner for just them (times 5 meals and 2 snacks they ate with us). We rented 4 movies and took them to our family gathering at a local restaurant and fed them there as well. Because we had them after school on Friday until after breakfast on Sunday, it was viewed by CPS as only one full day so we got paid $28 total which I can assure you went towards food and entertainment for them. Would you babysit for two nights and part of three separate days for $28 dollars?

Meanwhile, we take care of other people's children 24/7. Some of them are not easy to parent. We loose sleep at night either because we fear they will kill someone in our sleep, fear they will run away, or because they are up crying missing home. We go to court, often once per month per kid, and have to arrange childcare for that in addition to missing work (not me, but when my husband goes he has to miss work). We take them to the doctor, dentist, counselor, school, extracurricular activities, parental and/or sibling visits, etc. We try our damnedest to undo the effects of abuse and neglect the birth parents inflicted on the children. We attend training events to try and learn more; to be better foster parents. We jump through hoops, fill out paperwork, endure monthly homevisits and semiannual reviews, background checks, etc. We do all of this with no expectation of payment or appreciation. We do this because we care. We do it because we like to parent. We do this because we like to help. We do this because CPS had a need and we had the strength to fill that need.

We most certainly do NOT do this for the money.

Everyone Poops

We are real big on books in our family. We give them for gifts, ask for them as presents, loan them out to friends, check them out of the library each week, and just generally read as much as possible. One of TheDaughter's favorite books is Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi. One of my friends gave it to her (thanks Jessilee) and it was a HUGE help in getting TheDaughter to go poop in the potty. Oh, she would pee in the toilet, but the poop was a part of her and was not supposed to leave. Ever. Thank gosh for Mirilax and great books about defecating.



The animals didn't come with the book. You can find them here, here, here, here, here, and here.