there is a message going around on facebook saying that we are the only country whose children go to bed hungry, homeless have no shelter, mentally ill get no treatment, elderly go without medications so why are we all flocking to help Haiti. someone else went on to say yeah no one wants to do anything about this here in their own backyard. I am really a little PO'd at this statement. First of all the people of Haiti know hunger, they know homelessness, they know no medication, they know mental illness. The people of haiti know suffering. And now even those who HAD houses food medication are homeless hungry and without medical care. and we are supposed to close our eyes and turn our heads? Where is your compassion!? these are real people! real children! real grandparents! you would have them starve? die on the streets? how can you put a market on suffering? You cant say well my people are suffereing so I cant help yours! You share what you have and try to make the best of a bad situation.
now are any of these people complaining actually DOING anything to help the problems they see? or are they just complaining and turning their head when they see someone in need? are they feeding the homeless? Bringing them blankets? inviting them into their own home if they are concerned about their lack of shelter? Are they feeding the children? are they taking in children without homes or families to care for them? Are they driving mentally ill folks to appointments? Calling to check on elderly to see if they are taking their medications or need help in any way? I generally find the answer is a resounding NO!
What are you doing to help those who are suffering? buy a big mac and give it away. drop off your blankets you no longer need. volunteer at the food shelf or soup kitchen. support the elderly and mentally ill. But dont think its nearly enough, and dont think that your little drop in the bucket is more important than all the other world's suffereing.
This blog is about our adventures as a large family. We have fourteen kids in our family. Not every one lives at home. Sometimes life is easy and sometimes its weary to the bone hard.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Plumbers r us
so I called a plumber beginning of the week about a problem we are having with our water heater. I explained its an off peak system. I also said there are two of them and asked how would he know which one had the problem?
Fast forward to today. 730 call to say he wouldnt be here until 1 instead of 830 like he had originally said. oooook. no problem.
230ish, Plumber arrives. I showed him where the water heaters are. He was surprised there were two of them and was expecting only one. oh and you mean its an off peak system? so it probably doesnt have any electricity to it right now, that can be a problem.
so who the hell did I talk to on the phone?
Fast forward to today. 730 call to say he wouldnt be here until 1 instead of 830 like he had originally said. oooook. no problem.
230ish, Plumber arrives. I showed him where the water heaters are. He was surprised there were two of them and was expecting only one. oh and you mean its an off peak system? so it probably doesnt have any electricity to it right now, that can be a problem.
so who the hell did I talk to on the phone?
another trip to the store
Each of the new kids have been to the grocery store with me alone here and there. and they both had that great adventure going to target in their double stroller and being amazed by the sights there. Today we went to Pamida. Just the 4 of us. Sophie Maia Ben and Mama. I wasnt sure how it was going to work. I needed dog food. and hand soap. and little step stools for the kids to sit on in the shower.
I usually buy BIG bag of dog food so I didnt want to put them in the double stroller and push a cart too. but I didnt want Ben to walk I wasnt sure how he would do. thankfully no one goes to Pamida at 9am. I put Sophie in the infant seat on the cart. she fits just right in there and I figure she is smaller than many american infants. and Ben walked along with Maia. Yes he touched darn near everything. BUT he put it back when I said to and he didnt ask to have anything, only marveled at the things in wonder. he toddled along very closely and didnt once get left behind. he is such a sweet boy. Sophie did fine. she was mostly quiet and observant but asked questions when necessary. so we got our shopping done and home in time for lunch and a nap and to wait for the plumber.
Sophie says WHAT? all the time and I dont know if she doesnt hear me or if she is playing with me. I will have to test her on that later after nap time. I have this very precise way of testing my kids hearing. I turn my back and whisper do you want ice cream? or Do you want candy? they almost ALWAYS start hopping up and down saying I want ice cream!! not once have I had a "suddenly hearing impaired" kid fail the test.
on another note, I am tired of winter. please make it go away.
I usually buy BIG bag of dog food so I didnt want to put them in the double stroller and push a cart too. but I didnt want Ben to walk I wasnt sure how he would do. thankfully no one goes to Pamida at 9am. I put Sophie in the infant seat on the cart. she fits just right in there and I figure she is smaller than many american infants. and Ben walked along with Maia. Yes he touched darn near everything. BUT he put it back when I said to and he didnt ask to have anything, only marveled at the things in wonder. he toddled along very closely and didnt once get left behind. he is such a sweet boy. Sophie did fine. she was mostly quiet and observant but asked questions when necessary. so we got our shopping done and home in time for lunch and a nap and to wait for the plumber.
Sophie says WHAT? all the time and I dont know if she doesnt hear me or if she is playing with me. I will have to test her on that later after nap time. I have this very precise way of testing my kids hearing. I turn my back and whisper do you want ice cream? or Do you want candy? they almost ALWAYS start hopping up and down saying I want ice cream!! not once have I had a "suddenly hearing impaired" kid fail the test.
on another note, I am tired of winter. please make it go away.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
dirty words
our beautiful precious princessa has been calling other kids suka. ok so what. until I found out what suka means! Ben was very upset because she said it to him. and she gloated about it. the more he cried about it the more she said it. so I looked it up online. ahem. my daughter, my lovely beautiful daughter is calling her siblings bi*ch. oh lord. what other words is she saying?
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
more kids
yesterday sophie was dragging on lunch and ben wanted to eat her fruit. She gave it to him. I put on my saddest voice and said ohhh I am soo sad. Sophie isnt going to grow big and strong because she isnt eating her fruits and vegetables. She burst into tears and told ben he wanted her fruit and she ate it too.
today ben had a car that sophie wanted. she was still in her chair eating breakfast and it wasnt like he had taken it from her. she just WANTED it. no need for reason. and I said Oh SOPHIE!(all happy and excited) YOu wonderful beautiful child! you are sharing with BEN! soooo nice of you! WHAT A GOOD GIRL YOU ARE!!!" Then she was smiling and happy and saying I bootiful. I share. Mama! I share!
they really are funny loving little kids. Maia just found a picture from several years ago of herself shortly after her chopjob. wow what a differencce a year or three makes. she is such a different child! She is my Maia love. I tell her I love her more than any other Maia in the whole world. she is the very best Maia I know (and oddly enough I know a lot fo Maia's....never met one before she was born) I love her so much. she loves for me to lay with her at night and we talk about stuff. I tell her stories about rophie and len and tody and trista treefan. she wants to talk about lillyanna and shashasha.
and best of all she lets me pinch her cheeks. she wont say it but she loves it.
Ethan is trying sometimes. I dont mean like hard to deal with trying(but he is that too) but trying to get over himself. sometimes I even like him. Always I love him but its very hard to like him a lot of the time. and then there are the days when the old Ethan peeks through.
Ben is currently playing me some very calming jazz on the piano. I often marvel at these kids in wonder that they are mine. he loves his new shoes and newfound stability in them. he loves his mama and his family and the kids must kiss him goodbye before heading to the busstop. he is upset if they dont!
Mocha puppy is taking to tracking. the other day when Eric left I waited until he was out of sight to let her out and she put her nose to the ground and followed it to the end of the driveway and from there I know she could see Eric as it is a long straight shot to work. he was walking as he always does. She stood there looking at him watching from the end of the driveway. I thought she might run after him but never did. (good dog!) more than once he had to bring home Ole because he followed Eric to work. then this morning she really REALLY wanted to go out when the kids went to the bus and rang the bell to go out even. but I knew the bus would be here any minute. So I kept her close so she wouldnt run off and go pee somewhere else. when the bus was long gone I let her out and she started tracking again. sniffing and following Ethan's trail. circling around and back and to the end of the driveway looking for him. She could smell him. She knew he was here but now he was gone! where could he be? it was so funny to watch. I dont know if she will be a good hunter because I am afraid she will be scared of the sharp report of a gunshot. She has been a little skittish but has come a long way in a month. Time for some basic obediencce school probably.
Cody is trying so hard at school. its a struggle. I know it is. but he has brought his grades uP and UP since the beginning of the term. He gets so worried because he tries so hard but sometimes he just cant get it done or do it well enough. I hope he knows I am proud of him.
Chrysta is blossoming into a young lady. and holy cow what a crazy ride that is! I love her dearly. I do. but she is having a hard time maintaining lately. riding the hormone rollercoaster. the puberty train. yikes. she has a family that she babysits for and they just LOVE her and she loves their boys. its so nice for her to have that opportunity for money as she always wants SOEMTHING! she is a teenaged girl after all!
today ben had a car that sophie wanted. she was still in her chair eating breakfast and it wasnt like he had taken it from her. she just WANTED it. no need for reason. and I said Oh SOPHIE!(all happy and excited) YOu wonderful beautiful child! you are sharing with BEN! soooo nice of you! WHAT A GOOD GIRL YOU ARE!!!" Then she was smiling and happy and saying I bootiful. I share. Mama! I share!
they really are funny loving little kids. Maia just found a picture from several years ago of herself shortly after her chopjob. wow what a differencce a year or three makes. she is such a different child! She is my Maia love. I tell her I love her more than any other Maia in the whole world. she is the very best Maia I know (and oddly enough I know a lot fo Maia's....never met one before she was born) I love her so much. she loves for me to lay with her at night and we talk about stuff. I tell her stories about rophie and len and tody and trista treefan. she wants to talk about lillyanna and shashasha.
and best of all she lets me pinch her cheeks. she wont say it but she loves it.
Ethan is trying sometimes. I dont mean like hard to deal with trying(but he is that too) but trying to get over himself. sometimes I even like him. Always I love him but its very hard to like him a lot of the time. and then there are the days when the old Ethan peeks through.
Ben is currently playing me some very calming jazz on the piano. I often marvel at these kids in wonder that they are mine. he loves his new shoes and newfound stability in them. he loves his mama and his family and the kids must kiss him goodbye before heading to the busstop. he is upset if they dont!
Mocha puppy is taking to tracking. the other day when Eric left I waited until he was out of sight to let her out and she put her nose to the ground and followed it to the end of the driveway and from there I know she could see Eric as it is a long straight shot to work. he was walking as he always does. She stood there looking at him watching from the end of the driveway. I thought she might run after him but never did. (good dog!) more than once he had to bring home Ole because he followed Eric to work. then this morning she really REALLY wanted to go out when the kids went to the bus and rang the bell to go out even. but I knew the bus would be here any minute. So I kept her close so she wouldnt run off and go pee somewhere else. when the bus was long gone I let her out and she started tracking again. sniffing and following Ethan's trail. circling around and back and to the end of the driveway looking for him. She could smell him. She knew he was here but now he was gone! where could he be? it was so funny to watch. I dont know if she will be a good hunter because I am afraid she will be scared of the sharp report of a gunshot. She has been a little skittish but has come a long way in a month. Time for some basic obediencce school probably.
Cody is trying so hard at school. its a struggle. I know it is. but he has brought his grades uP and UP since the beginning of the term. He gets so worried because he tries so hard but sometimes he just cant get it done or do it well enough. I hope he knows I am proud of him.
Chrysta is blossoming into a young lady. and holy cow what a crazy ride that is! I love her dearly. I do. but she is having a hard time maintaining lately. riding the hormone rollercoaster. the puberty train. yikes. she has a family that she babysits for and they just LOVE her and she loves their boys. its so nice for her to have that opportunity for money as she always wants SOEMTHING! she is a teenaged girl after all!
Monday, January 25, 2010
monday monday cant help that day
yesterday was not a nice day. nor was saturday night a nice night. bad sick. feeling better today thank goodness. but still exhausted and a trip across the room leaves me needing to sit down and take a break. The little kids have preschool today and its cold and windy and I dont know if I have the energy to put them all in the shower(which will be cold because everyone else has already showered and gone for the day)and haul everyone to the car and then to the school only to come back two hours later and haul them all home again. At least on the way home I would have cody to help me. it exhausts me just to think about it. I need a nap already and its only
8am. Havent eaten except a little chicken noodle soup last night. Afraid to eat. I dont usually eat breakfast this early anyways. Eric was on call last night so he will be home shortly to grab a shower and go to work. which means my shower will be doubly cold I guess. That is if I can manage the energy to get evreyone undressed and in there.
It is very quiet here without Ethan. I could almost pull a snooze on the couch....maybe a little sesame street.....
8am. Havent eaten except a little chicken noodle soup last night. Afraid to eat. I dont usually eat breakfast this early anyways. Eric was on call last night so he will be home shortly to grab a shower and go to work. which means my shower will be doubly cold I guess. That is if I can manage the energy to get evreyone undressed and in there.
It is very quiet here without Ethan. I could almost pull a snooze on the couch....maybe a little sesame street.....
Saturday, January 23, 2010
frustrated
lest you should think life is all hearts and flowers at the house of mouse I need to take a moment to complain, vent, growl whatever you want to call it. I sure do love these new kids. I cant imagine life without their sweetness. BUT somedays it is VERY frustrating that they cant do so many simple things like pull up their pants after a bathroom trip or even get themselves on and off the toilet. They cant fight off the puppy who keeps trying to dominate them. Mostly she is overzealous affectionate, she is a springer after all. but she really likes ben the most and knocks him down with her affections. It was my heart to bring them here and care for them and teach them. and while they HAVE learned a lot of stuff like feeding themselves there is still so much they cant do. Ben falls like ten times a day at least. sometimes a stray shoe trips him up sometimes its nothing. the tile on the floor is very slippery and if its at all wet he slides on that. It just seems like its always someone needing something. and I am tired. I have not had a full solid nights sleep since before we went to Ukraine in October. Last night Eric was up sick and also yesterday I was up starting my day at 330am when sophie had to pee. So I am tired and that doesnt help anything. the darn weather wont cooperate for me to get out of the house. I wanted to go on Thurs to have some time off. nope sleet. wanted to go today. nope. freezing rain and then snow and Eric and Cody sick. I think I can understand caregiver burn out. Sophie and I did have a good time tonight doing her stretches. singing and laughing and kissing. and I sure do love those moments. but I do tire of constantly dragging someone to the bathroom or dragging my own tired ass to the bathroom to take care of someone who is already there. I would rather change diapers.
I am greatly affected by the sun, or lack thereof. and this time of year always gets to me. it doesnt help to think my mom has been in the hospital/rehab 23 days and I havent been able to see her but once. She is home now but still I cant go to see her. the kids would be too much for her. and lets face it I always have the kids. so lets see, no sun, no mom visits, no breaks, no sleep. yep no wonder I am crabby about life for the moment.
I am greatly affected by the sun, or lack thereof. and this time of year always gets to me. it doesnt help to think my mom has been in the hospital/rehab 23 days and I havent been able to see her but once. She is home now but still I cant go to see her. the kids would be too much for her. and lets face it I always have the kids. so lets see, no sun, no mom visits, no breaks, no sleep. yep no wonder I am crabby about life for the moment.
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