No updates yet

I have been following other people's blogs who are adopting from our creche, and they all seem to have gotten their updates and pictures, but not us. A lot of the families are excited because their updates have noted progress thru the system, especially for those of us stuck in 2nd legal. I am anxious to get out update to see if we have completed the third leg of second legal and are heading into the home stretch of MOI. I know we haven't been in second legal very long; only arrived there on August 13th, but am hoping that we have a speedy trip thru it, since we spent an exceptionally long time in IBESR.

So to occupy my time, I thought I would post a picture or two from today of the two new puppies, Gucci and Carlos. They are 9 weeks old and have been home 6 days now and are oh, so much fun. Gucci likes to chew on the baseboard molding and Carlos is a major food piggy. Pebbles, our Rottweiler is very gentle and patient with the puppies and poor old Chowder, just can't believe they are here to stay. He just gives them a quick sniff and motors on his way.

Pebbles and Chowder are at doggy day care today. Why you ask?? Well our second new roof since June is being put on and the dogs go crackers hearing the ripping and tearing on the roof. So to save my sanity and theirs, they are spending a couple days at the local dog day spa and living it up.

And just for laughs, I received my THIRD jury summons since June. Incredible and unbelievable. I have called the Clerk of the Court and explained that I have been called 3 times, not been deffered and had been excused from the last session. I would think this would be clear to a woman whose job entails putting together jury pools, but she could not understand why I was asking to be excused since I had not been seated on a jury. what a flippin' idiot. As I very patiently went over the reasons why....which are actually blatantly clear....she got so upset with me that SHE hung up on me. Yes, the Clerk of the Court, hung up on me. Mind you, I was calm, polite, perhaps a bit frustrated, but never raised my voice nor said anything demeaning. Heck, the kids were in the car with me when I phoned and can attest that I was pretty cool, given the idiot I was dealing with. Now I am composing a biting letter to her supervisor who is a judge that Marc just happens to know professionally. I sure hope this woman gets her hand slapped for being so unprofessional and just plain old rude.

I am now done complaining for at least the next 20 minutes. Well, maybe not. Seems the roofers did not return today as it is very windy and I guess that could cause possible bodily injury.....wimps! But they left tools, open sacks of shingles, extension cords, etc., on the roof, all of which have blown off in our little wind storm. The noise is charming as you hear things scutter across the roof, and then silence until it hits the driveway. Ah, my glorious life. Now the house looks officially trashy with debris lying everywhere. Hopefully it will all blow away to Minnesota!

Palin want a cracker??????

Is she for real? At this point I would be more likely to vote for Tina Fay than Sarah Palin. Give me a break! All I saw last night was a woman who has shown who she really is; in candid interviews with Katie Couric and last evenings obviously coached performance. She is no smarter than a parrot. She can remember key phrases and reguritate them, but not have any understanding of what she is saying. Scary for our country. I can't believe the U.S. population is so stupid to actually think that she has any fundamentally deep understanding of foreign policy, finance and terrorism. When I think of Sarah Palin, I think of a woman in the grocery store handing out samples and coupons for new products. She tells me how great the cookies taste, but can't tell me anything about what goes into them, how they are made, or where they came from.

So the next time my kids ask me a really tough question about our finances or maybe why Haiti is so geographically close to the USA and yet people are starving, I am going to pretend I am Sarah Palin and give them a wink, and tell them to ask "Joe Six-pack," to look up the answer. Palin want a cracker????

Margaritas!! and a political diatribe

What is better than meeting new women and finding out you have a lot in common???? Finding out that they like gossiping over Margaritas too!!

I can't complain about our North Dakota weather right now. It is beautifully sunny and 74 fantastic degrees. Yippee

I warn you now, if you are a McCain supporter, turn away from my blog now. I am a HUGE Obama mama fan and shudder to think what will happen to our country if the likes of McCain and Palin are elected. First, I would expect the person who is occupying the highest office in our country to know how to send an email. Secondly, I would expect that he would have the brains to choose a next-in-line running mate to be completely competent on world affairs, current events, historical facts and the ins-and -outs of our financial markets and current crisis situation. Her lack of knowledge on many fronts frightens me for the welfare of our country. In the global arena of international politics the United States is a laughing stock. We have been since Bush was elected and then re-elected and our lack of standing in the global arena is shocking. Third, the man does not think quickly or effectively on his feet. I am all too familiar with the early signs of Alzheimer's and dementia and he sure seems to have some of those early, easily dismissable signs.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, save your arguments for some place else. This is my blog and I get to be the sole expressor of opinions here. Marc walked with the kids in a Harvest parade last weekend with the Obama group and people heckled the Obama group. One nut job even followed the group, pushing a baby in a stroller yelling that if Obama is elected, her baby would be dead. What?? Are you saying Obama wants your baby dead? No, Obama does want it to be every woman's choice to choose when it involves her body. So yes, there it is I am pro choice.

Now I do not advocate for abortion, but I do recognize that it is still legally every woman's right to choose. Yes I have four adopted children and have been blessed by the choices their birthmother's chose, which gave me the ability to be a mother. But what really twists my cork, is when women say that abortion should be illegal. What do those women think will happen to those babies who are born unwanted and often resented. Yes, we will go back to the days of glory(cough) in our great country when orphanages were a dime a dozen here. Children will be raised in institutions and as all of us adopting from oversees knows, that is less than ideal. I wish all those angry women who loudly protest abortion, would pony up the money, time, effort, and unconditional love to these "unwanted' children. Not everyone is cut out to adopt and love that child as if born to you. So I would like to say, "Hey, if you want to abolish abortion, stand outside an abortion clinc and offer that woman your home phone number, cash and show a substantial savings account for college, etc., and then be there for the delivery and take that newborn home to love endlessly for at least the rest of your earthly life." If you can't do that, then just shut up and let everyone make those tough gut check decisions for themselves.

Oh, and for the record Marc and I have no problem with gay marriage and think it is everyone's constitutional right to marry another human being that they happen to love. So if some of my conservative readers stop reading my blog, so be it, for this is tiny, itsy-bitsy bit of who I am. I love my kids, my husband, and yes, I love the God who made all of us in his image. So why if we are made in his image and likeness are some of you McCain supporters and other assorted politicos so damn condeming of others?

pumpkin patch pictures

Well, the field trip to the pumpkin patch wasn't as horrible as I had expected. So I will never be mother of the year because I loathe field trips and all that goody goody crappola that goes with annual school events. Who would have thought that even homeschool kids and mom's still have the "fun" of field trips with a gazillion other kids. But I must say it wasn't as bad as I anticipated.

Yes, it was hot and the wasps were out, but the kids had a lot of fun and the other moms are as crazed as I am. We compared the joys(cough) and the struggles of homeschooling and it is always good to know that others are sharing in your trials and tribulations. They are a diverse group of moms and I really like a lot of them. You know when I went into this, I really thought I would be the only normal one and everyone else would have "compound hair" and long skirts. Boy have I been pleasantly suprised. Not one long skirt, freakish hairdo in the group. Yes, some are a little religious, but most are just like me.....moms trying to give their kids the best they can.

in memory of Java the bunny

Today we had a burial. Our dwarf bunny, Java, passed away last night. We got him from our horsetrainer terri's daughter Paige, 5 years ago and we have no idea how old he was when we got him or even when Paige bought him at an auction. For about a week now, I noticed the bunny was not as active and seemed to by lying down a lot sleeping. His appetite was alright and he even ate dinner last night, but seemed to have a problem staying awake to eat.

When we got home from taking Madison to Church last night, he was doing agonal breathing. The only reason I know this is that when my dad passed away, that is the type of breathing he was doing shortly before death. Oh my God, I cried like a baby last night. I know he was just a bunny, but he was awfully cute and super fun to play with. Anyhow, he passed away quickly and for that I am thankful.

Marc went out this morning and buried Java in our tree rows next to the horse pasture. The kids and I will make a grave marker and give the other 3 bunnies extra love now. God, I sound like a whack job talking about this bunny dying. It's funny that it always seems like when there is a death there is always a new life too and perhaps that it our new puppy Gucci. We will pick him up on October 6th and I can't wait!!

Today after homeschool gym, all the homeschoolers are going on a field trip to the pumpkin patch. I should have some great pics to post later as the weather is going to be outstanding today. Record highs of near 90. I will also pack some bug spray and anti-itch medicine as the wasps are REALLY out this week. Madi got stung last week at gym the moment she got out of the car and it is still itching her. Thursday the kids had just started playing soccer and the skies openend up and it poured and then the lightening and thunder came. Needless to say, I had to soaking wet kids to drag to the grocery store with me then. Thomas' shoes squeaked from the inside all the way thru the store. When we got home, he actually took off his shoes and held his shoes upside down so the water could drain out. Do other people have this kind of fun in their everyday lives??

I'm getting a Sheltie

Woohoo, I am mailing my check to the breeder today in South Dakota for a super cute little male puppy named Gucci. He is 6 weeks old and we will drive down to South Dakota October 6th to pick him up. I can't wait to smell his little puppy breath and have him lick my face. I think I need to go shopping for puppy things now.

Yesterday we got an update photo of Jerome. He is so handsome and he is growing up without me there to take care of him. He looks so much more 'boylike' now instead of preschooler. I just wish I could make time fly and get those boys home NOW.

The things kids say

The other day, I had to take the kids into town for school pictures. All the homeschool kids were meeting at a photographers studio for this and we expected to see some of our new friends. The kids and I were one of the first people there and as I was filling out the form and choosing which package to buy, when another homeschool family walked in behind us.

What was said next mortified me. The other family happens to be of maybe east Indian or African descent. Anyhow, that is beside the point. They happen to have skin the color of Thomas and three beautiful kids. So Thomas blurts out loudly, "Hey Mom, look at what just walked in." As I turned around and saw this family I wanted to crawl under a rock and drink some arsenic, I was so embarrased. I mean at that point what could I say that would make it look like we aren't biggots. I guess it was a little helpful that my kids are black but it showed a tremendous amount of, shall we say, insensitivity. I acknowledged Thomas by saying "Yes, those are our new friends." Thomas then went on to talk to the kids and play with them. The mom is very nice and said nothing of the comment....Thank God.

But what would make my black son, say something like that? I asked him why he had said that when we had left and he told me he was happy to see other kids with the same color skin as his. WHEW, good to know, but I tried to explain how that comment maybe hurt by calling attention to them and by saying "what" just walked in instead of saying, "who." These are the times I want to put a sign on Thomas that reads, " I have a language processing disorder." It would be nice if everyone knew he interprets things differently and explains them unusually.

The joys of having minority children in a predominately white community!! Excitement at seeing "familiar" faces makes them giddy and the stupid stuff that comes out of their mouths' will surely make me want to run and hide. For all my dear friends about to embark on this new trans-racial adoption journey; get prepared, hang on and be prepared to be mortified by the things that our open and accepting children may say. EGADS!!