Now A Family of *gulp* Six.

I am sitting at our dining room table, looking out upon our street and front yard, typing happily away online. Yes, I'm that cool. Installed the wireless "thingy" today so I can now go anywhere in the house and get on the Internet. Things this would be cool for: In bed. Sick, or whatever. You never know! Outside, when Roman is playing and I have things to do. Grad class work, anywhere in the house. Kitchen, to look stuff up. This happens to me more than you think. Bathroom! Hee, hee. So, nothing else new and exciting. Except, did I mention I upgraded to a laptop? Doug found an excellent deal at a store in Garden City that was advertising on craigslist.com. I can scrap on Photoshop Elements so much faster now. When I save something, it doesn't take 5 minutes. Really, that's how long it was taking sometimes. Plus, I found that being on a cart, or as next year will be, far away from the printer, I can just type stuff up on this, bring it home, and print it. Won'...

Had a meeting with Tom tonight, who heads the SIL portion of Growth Works. This would be basically 16-17 year olds who need a stable environment and guidance in life skills. Basically, in this scenario, at the least, we would be "house providers," which would be our official name. Doug calls it a "hotel with rules." We would not be guardians, we would not be foster parents, we would just be providing a place to stay, meals, and support as much as we want. Tom said the purpose of SIL is to be as little impact on the adults as possible. This was not what we were prepared for, so we asked if we could be more involved. As much as we want to be, was the reply. Growth Works has 3 people who would coordinate an SIL kid's life. It is a requirement that the kid be working, going to school, or both if they can handle it. They have a person who helps plan the kid's education (selections of classes at school, trade school/community college/college, etc). They have a per...

Roman and I had a fabulous day at home today. Lazy morning, one trip to a store, he actually fell asleep at naptime, and played in the pool in the backyard for awhile too. I got a lot of things crossed off my "to do" list and was pretty happy. So there we were, me doing some little things and Roman screwing around, kicking up his feet while his hands were on the footstool, sliding up and off it... the usual boy stuff. And then... disaster! "Mom, look at me!" He went up on the footstool with his hands, and came down with his right knee directly on top of his plastic water gun on the floor. The thing shattered, cutting his knee in 2 places and giving him a lot of scratches. He fell apart, half upset over the loss of his water gun, half because it hurt so bad and there was BLOOD. I don't believe he has ever really bled before. I tried hard not to laugh, but he was such a drama king about it all. So we were playing doctor in the bathroom when Daddy got home. Roman c...

Mackinac Island. Went there yesterday with Roman. We're pretty sure he liked the ferry trip the best... "A really fast boat! That goes this fast !" (as he moves his hands and arms as fast as he can). He was a doll all weekend, just such fun to be around. Only had one real disciplinary action to take and that was Saturday night, when all his following-direction patience was gone. Otherwise he played with new friends at the campground, stayed up until 10pm eating marshmallows, and got a new bike. Yes, got a new bike. We got him on the Tigger 12" frame and couldn't stop laughing, it was like he was on a midget-bike. He has grown so much! Since the Big K (formerly known as K-Mart) was just 5 min. up the road, and we had to go there anyway (forgot a pillow!), we went ahead and bought him a 16" Hot Wheels bike. Mackinac was the same through Doug's and my eyes, but having Roman experience it was no end of fun. The horses, the bikes, the whole atmosphere he fou...

Taking a break currently from my newest cleaning-out job - the cupboards and filing cabinet of my desk area in the basement. I haven't opened a file drawer, except to dump my paystubs, in about 18 months. I haven't cleaned out the cupboards - just added to them - since I moved my stuff into them in the Fall of 2003. Yes, 2003. I was thinking it's only been a couple years, until you actually put that year down in print. I have filled a big black garbage bag already; well, not filled, but made it almost too heavy to carry. Pounds of paper are amazing. And old magazines, and just... crap. I have completed my 2 filing cabinet drawers, and my two upper cupboards. Now the real work begins; my scrapbooking corner cupboard (which is deep and holds a LOT), and 2 more regular-sized cupboards. But oh, the accomplishments. And I have found 3 things I had thought were lost forever, so that's exciting. ROMAN REPORT: He is off to his Baba & Grandpa's today through Wed. morning...

My favorite things to do, and that's what's left at work now. I got the happy news 2 days ago that I would have a room - the same room - for the 3 hours I teach next year. Even better, I don't have a homeroom OR sixth hour so I will never have to collect money, pass out permission slips, or be responsible for report cards. Ah, the glories. Seniority has finally worked in my favor, too, because I am sharing my room with another teacher - a full-timer - but I was told that as/if my schedule increases, I will remain in the same room and she will be bumped somewhere else. Again, the beauty. I don't think anyone can possibly imagine the frustrations and limitations of working from a 3-shelf cart for three years. Not having anywhere to store projects, or colored pencils, or any other supplies. Forgetting things in your office and having to run back, sometimes in the middle of class, to get it. Writing yourself notes to do things, and losing them amongst your files. It...

The birthday boy had a wonderful day. He didn't realize it was his birthday - we deliberately neglected to mention it last night. When we told him this morning, his eyes widened with surprise and he breathed, "it is ?!" We gave him one gift this morning (a book about pirates that he liked in a store) but he had to wait for the rest until after preschool. He exclaimed over the decorated dining room (streamers in the window, balloons from the chandelier, the works) and said "I love it!" At preschool we brought brownies, and since Miss Marcie had already planned ice cream as their special treat today, they had a wonderful celebration. Roman reported to me that they sang for him, but then told my mom that they didn't, so who knows. Anyway, as we came home Roman clearly understood the importance of "all about me." He requested to watch Sleeping Beauty & to eat dinner downstairs "because it is my birthday." Daddy got home about 10 min....

We asked Roman today what he would like for his birthday dinner. It took some coaxing, but we finally got the following menu: Chicken nuggets. Popcorn. Cherries. Cake & ice cream. That's all. We laughed, but it's actually pretty well-balanced so we'll go ahead and do it. I'll be a baking fool this weekend, between birthday cake and brownies for his treat at preschool. Plus wrap his presents! I'm getting almost as excited as he is! As for the next addition, we'll call "the teen," things have hit a snag called Wayne County bureaucracy. Our clearance was going to be ready last Friday. Doug arrived to pick it up - the lady had called in sick. It will be ready Monday. So Doug returned Monday (note no phone call - apparently there is no phone number, because when he hit "0" to speak with the operator it disconnected him). Our clearances still weren't ready, and after 20 min. of arguing Doug finally convinced them to do both of our clearanc...

I didn't mention in the last post that while the adults were relaxing, Roman had thrown up twice at my in-laws'. He wasn't real hungry on Sunday but by Monday was fully recovered. Well... we thought it was maybe heat exhaustion, or not enough liquids, but it was something worse! We got it Monday night. Both Doug and I, taking turns in the bathroom while Roman slept soundly. Turns out my MIL was sick that night too. Roman apparently got a NOROVirus, aka "the cruise ship disease." Vomiting and often diarrhea, comes and goes quickly. Well, in everyone's case but mine. Here's the "too much information" details: by 12:30am I couldn't get off the toilet, and had to use a wastebasket for the upper end. It wouldn't stop. I couldn't control either end. Anything that went into my stomach (including PeptoBismol, water, anything) came right back up. By about 1:15am I told Doug to call an ambulance. That was about my last coherent thought. I did...

...parents need to: Drop the kid off at a set of grandparents', head over to a friends' house, and do this: And then join some more friends, to do this: And then go back to the original friends' house, to do this. Ahhh. What a great weekend.