About Me

I am a captive caretaker of three small terrorists and an exotic petting zoo. I try regularly to sneak college courses so one day I can leave this place.

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

The walk of shame for adoptive moms.

Every now and then I have to take my children to the dentist. Two thirds of my monster team have had extensive dental work in their early years. I am talking caps, fillings, extractions they have more silver in their mouths then a Florida souvenir shop. Jay had all of his front teeth removed when he was three and a half. Due to different insurances Jay and KT see the same dentist while Violet goes to the same dentist as JP and I do. So Jay and KT's dentist does not know me from Adam (whatever that means). So Jay is nervous about having a filling the other day and I'm asking him haven't you ever had a tooth filled before and he says, "I don't know." Well me either so when we get to the dentist and I tell the receptionist that he's nervous and he doesn't know if he ever had a tooth filled before, could you check? To which she looks up at me quite puzzled, and says she will check and get back to me. Well in the meantime I go in with KT because this is our second visit about tooth pain. The Dr. looks in her mouth (a different dr then she had last week) and I can see her eyebrows raise. I know what she is thinking, and I want to scream,

I didn't birth these kids, I didn't send them to bed with bottles of milk, I
didn't neglect their teeth, it wasn't me, really teeth are important to me, I
brushed Violet's teeth with a infant gum scrubber everynight since the day she was born, I am not a terrible mother, they are adopted, their birth mother did it, Jay had bottle rot from her putting him to bed with a bottle because she was lazy, she made him have to have his four front teeth pulled, I just recued them, they came like this!!!!
But I resist the urge. It doesn't really matter what she thinks does it? I am being so rediculous. I will not give into this urge... today.

Monday, June 29, 2009

Summer of Learning









Dragonflies
Below are some dragonflies mating, Violet impressed upon me how important it was to capture this image and share it with the world, 'in case they hadn't seen this before'.


My children probably hate the fact that everything has to do with learning. But when some of them are starting out 8 years behind I feel like we have so much catching up to do. Part of our learning tour in GA was visiting the Fernbank Science Center. Which in case you were wondering is FREE.
Fernbank Science Center is chock full of educational things like a planetarium, composting, vegetable gardens, butterfly gardens, bee keeping, acres of natural GA that you can explore.
Fernbank also shares property with Fernbank Elementary school. One of the best public schools in Atlanta according to Jay's speech teacher who used to work there.
Learning about Atlanta
While Atlanta is a racially diverse city I was disturbed by how racially divided it is. At each location we visited we saw camp groups full of happy little children bouncing around. Those camp groups were completely segregated. Campers were either all caucasian or all African American. Not being from Atlanta I imagine this has to do with where you live in Atlanta and which camp you choose. However being a mom of bi-racial children I was acutely aware of the divide and the perceived inadequacies. I also did not see many bi-racial children, which also intrigued me. In a city that is diverse, isn't it natural that you should see more?










Saturday, June 27, 2009

Cleopatra being patient

Cleo is a pretty patient cat. She puts up with a lot from her subjects. However I find this little video a real test of her self control.

Now seriously, how many would put of with their meal sharing a bed with them?

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Newest Addition to the family



We have another 4 legged creature that has joined our family. It's still a baby and the verdict is still out on names but it is a boy. JP is voting for ' Zoom' because the little bugger can run fast!!! It's actually hard to get a pic because he doesn't hold still.
He's been a great help at thinning out my garden though. He eats more than Penelope. He likes the marigold, the basil and the thyme. She won't eat any of that.
So this Lagomorph belongs to KT. It's her first pet. He lives in her room and she takes care of him. She earned him with her good grades and taking good care of Penelope.

Look at him covering his little face. What is he thinking? "Oh I just can't bear it"

You just have to see him wash up. It is the cutest thing ever. Of course every flipping thing a bunny does is cute!! If you think of a great name for a little gray bunny post a comment.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Gifted results.

Yesterday was D-day. Violet had her knock down drag out with the petite, young, blonde school psychologist. Violet was actually a little nervous, which surprised me. I gave her the Omega 3 fatty acids that morning, told her it was good for her brain. I heard the usual complaints about fishy burps and how terrible they are but she sent them down the hatch anyway. The smarty pants test consistsed of verbal, odd picture out, and missing item from the picture. She scored the highest on the verbal...shocking isn't it. And the lowest on the missing item, which doesn't surprise me because she is terrible with deciphering drawings. Must be all that fine art she is exposed to, give her a pencil drawing and she is clueless. Anyway I didn't use the word 'gifted' with her, all children are gifted. I explained that this was so she didn't have to waste her time with tedious and repetive seat work. The surprising thing was that she actually got the score she needed to...on the money. My little Violet is now labeled for life. I can't believe it!! Not that I didn't know that she was smart, I just didn't believe that she could be defined by the scholastic definition of gifted...I thought she was more off beat. So we had baskin robbins for lunch to reward her for agreeing to take the test in the first place. Sometimes Violet is not that agreeable....shocking isn't it.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

First FAMILY Vacation























So we took the plunge and went on a vacation with the whole family. My children are 8,9 and 10 but we have only been together as a family for two years. Before some behaviors were too difficult to deal with on the road. But my kids have come so far that I thought they were ready, and I was right. Thank goodness. We had a short trip to Atlanta, in case it didn't work out I didn't want to be stuck too long. I also didn't want to give them enough time to self destruct.







I learned something about my kids, 2/3 can't climb trees. So we will be having some trips to the playground and the forest for climbing as soon as it gets cool.












Friday, June 5, 2009

Some Bunny moments


Now Penelope is cute, but not half as cute as the three silly kids talking in the background.



So if you can concentrate on the bunnage. She is having a good time doing an impersonation of a toddler: pick something off the ground and put it in your mouth, go inside, then back outside, run up to people then runaway...ok well maybe that sounds more like a puppy, and she does have the ears right.



Penelope is very therapeutic for my kids. She actually likes the kids, unlike Cleopatra who is very hesitant to get involved with small people with moving feet.

Ps I have to thank my friend Steph for the idea of putting this on you tube because I could NOT get this video to load on blogger. She is such a little smarty pants.



Thursday, June 4, 2009

So, we do influence our children.


Some days I am just sure my children have never listened to a thing I have said or been influenced by me at all. I guess I think I don't have that much of an impact. Dr. Phil is always going on about how kids are influenced by their parents...and I think oh sure, they are influenced by their friends and TV. Well I was sitting watching Oprah, and Violet has been attached to me like a flea on a warm dog, probably because she is home sick. Anyway, Nate is on Oprah decorating houses and Violet sees this piece of furniture and she went nuts!! She wants it in her bedroom. Now, for those of you who have been to my house you will know exactly what I am talking about!!! And for the rest of you, I have a huge library in my living room. Books are arranged by catagory: science, art, history etc.
Well, dear daughter has found her love of books and she does not want to share her books by putting them in the library. OH NO she wants her own personal library in her room....Grandpa Larry can you build one of these?

Monday, June 1, 2009

Rabbit Babbit




Here's my little gal. This one is sooooo unbelievably spoiled. See you can spoil a rabbit and they will not ruin your life when they become teenagers. Children on the other hand, the more you spoil them the less anyone wants to be around them. So BONAGE as we sometimes refer to her is loving summer green grass and clovers and the neighbors front planter for which she mistakes for her personal jungle.
Imagine having someone in your front yard with a broom digging up your front plants...oh uh that's just me trying to get my bun to come home. so sorry go back to eating your dinner


Birthday girl

Doesn't she look harmless? If you only knew!!!

Anyway here's that birthday girl...ok ok her birthday was in April, but I just got the images off my digital camera yesterday.
Anyway as you can tell it was a pool party, and I would like to show you the other kids that were there but some of them are in foster care so I can't.
God made this little one cute, so you could forgive her when she got all over your last blessed nerve.