doing the happy dance

i talked with sweetpea's attorney today and she said she is NOT going to be recommending that sweetpea move to gramas- she does not feel grama has made enough effort or has the ability to keep sweetpea safe from dad.
so, we still have to wait to see what happens in court, but the attorney is FOR her staying with us!!!!
:)

some news

so now they have a date for travel for my teen- next monday!
it's funny cause the case worker acted like as soon as she got the homestudy back they would fly the next day, so i have been sitting on eggshells waiting to see what happens and trying not to make any definate plans of any kind. so i ask her, why next monday if you got homestudy back? she says "well, i have to make travel plans (for herself) obviously" yes lady obviously you need a week to plan, but i should be prepared to jump at a days notice.

christmas is about sharing

your bed

the Christmas fairy exploded !

uhhuh. It's insane!
CPS has supplied over three garbage sacks full of presents for Sweetpea, and our agency got all the kids 1-2 garbage sacks full of presents (including sweetpea!)Then, of course i couldn't resist picking up a few things (really only a few!). this is what our tree looks like right now- this is without what santa will bring for the littles (bike for Lucca, Trike for Sebastian, Play table for Sweetpea, plus all the stocking stuffers and the few presents i was seriously too exhausted to wrap!Let me just say, my children will always remember this Christmas! They have never been spoiled like this (and never will again!).

big suprise-not

so the thirteen-year-old will NOT be going to the relatives for Christmas. the case worker swore up and down and backwards to me and and to her, and now it's not happening- i feel really bad for her :(
so now i have to go shopping today- in the MADNESS....
and when bubbles comes back into care we will not be able to take her (because of ratios). but i feel ok about this- i had a dream last night and I just knew we wouldn't be taking her.

we have fielded so many phone calls and appointments for this last placement , it is unbelievable! i am EXHAUSTED from talking to other grownups about every aspect of our lives. Doing foster care ls like being under a big fat microscope 24/7. It is so wearing... i am feeling bummed out from all this and the holiday rush and my kids are being pains in the - seriously! what is with them lately?

right now i am almost positive i don't want to take another placement again.

- and Sweepea had a visit with Grama and I talked with CW. she said she had no IDEA where the homestudy is .. mediation is the 6th, court the 12th. i know and she knows her head will roll if the homestudy is not completed by court. the judge EXPEDITED it for crying out loud!!

go mark twain!

i saw this quote today here, in the rocking article by MICHAEL CRICHTON on "global warming:
“Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
go Mark Twain- I 100% agree!

dogs

now our house has in it:
one

two

and one


welcome to our new foster dog Tootie!

sweetpea news

talked to sweetpea's SW today. she called to say that they still didn't have the homestudy back, and they might have to order another one. Mediation is schedualed forjan 6th and they have to have it done by then. -her words, not mine!
I had no idea this would take so long!!1

nutcracker , private showing

Last night we dragged our selves out into the fog and traffic to go to the ballet with Kiryn, Lucca, and the 13 year old .Our agency was given?/purchased? and exclusive showing of the Austin Children's Nutcracker. It was SOOOOOO awesome! all the kids there (who were all foster/adopt/bio kids of our agency's families) were saucer-eyed. many of the cast were children which was doubly cool for Lucca and Kiryn. After the show they allowed the kids to come onstage and meet all the dancers. The dancers were so friendly and polite. Now Kiryn and Lucca both want to be dancers :)
What a blessing this was for our family!

about nicknames

i forgot to add i also have an aunt Sissy. and that reminds me that so far two of my kiddos have given each other nicknames- kiryn was named Dayday by Lucca and sebastian calls him this now- and Lucca is Sissy (#2)

parenthood moment

so about 20 minutes ago i am hanging out at the computer and Lucca starts crying that her stomach hurts. so I say " come over here , show me where" and she comes over and proceeds to vomit profusely at my feet..and on my feet.
Nothing like a little vomit to add some holiday cheer.

secret santa found!

it was my Aunt Bitsy! and we got another Amazon gift, this one is for Tristan from Aunt Mouse- why do all my aunts have such funny names you ask? well in a family of seven children , apparently your siblings will be prone to giving you nicknames that WILL NEVER GO AWAY.... LOL
The Christmas wrapping is in full swing over here. And, with a helpful mobile baby to UNWRAP all the gifts it is very lively around here!

secret presents

today we got a package- a swing that was on my amazon wishlist- funny thing is I didn't order it, and i have no idea who did! there was no note and it was addressed to the Paparella Brood. how odd :)
so if you wish to expose your self, secret santa, that would satisfy my curiosity. If not, thank you so much for the swing! it will be well used by all the kiddos. :)

and

the dachshund rescue lady is coming tomorrow for a home visit...to be continued

Introducing>>>>>

puppies!!!


This is Shiloh, Kiryn's new BFF



and this is my newest little snuggle bug, Levi

They are purebred miniature Australian Shepherds. they are brothers, but you can't tell since mine is half the size of his piggie brother (who shoves him out of the way for his food!)
We are in puppy heaven!

everything is going swell

M (the 13 year old) is doing great. supposedly the agency is going to bring papers to make it an official placement. i had forgotten how talkative 13 year olds can be! LOL
seriously :)
she wants to have her best friend spend the night this weekend, so we are in for a world of giggles and squeals!
we STILL have no answer about sweetpea's grama's homestudy...

oh and we are going to adopt a Dachshund! Kiryn is ready for his first dog (to care for all on his own) . He has even been saving for and agreed to fully pay for all food expenses! So we applied to the Dachshund rescue and are waiting for our home visit (to make sure we don't eat dogs for dinner and all!)

she is here

after the case worker being extreamly late last night, resulting in the whole family being late to the AMAZING catered Christmas party we went to, she got here. BUT here is the weird par. i was told this was a "Real" placement, but when she got here they said, no it's just respite- but i have no idea for how long, and she wants to stay here. she goes to school in another town, and expects to go on monday, but they ahd told me NOT to enroll her in school. of course there is NOONE to talk to on the weekends..sigh

new placement today?

so today we will probably be getting a 14 year old female. they are closing down another home due to investigations and re-homing the kiddos.supposedly this one is waiting on ICPC to go through on a relative in another state, at which point she would go there. so she needs somewhere to go over the holidays... so now i need to figure out WHAT ON EARTH a 14 year old wants for Christmas??!!

Downs Syndrome

i loved this video. it dispells common myths about downs syndrome.




after watching this video, please roll around this in your mind:
in many countries such as serbia, russia and many EE countries children with downs are sent away to mental institutions at the ripe age of 4. At which point they are no longer adoptable, not given access to proper medical care or love care or attention. Thier lives are over at 4. Because they are different.