Tackle It Tuesday

I haven't been home all day so mine is going to be a "Tackle It Tuesday Night". I have several completed projects that I must get sent out in tomorrow's mail. Let's just say it's been over a month or so since I've been "sending them".

In addition to getting those mailed, I have some things that need to be sent to another friend for her daughters and some stuff for my nephews. Yep...I've got about 5 boxes at least that gotta go.

I'm aiming for Thursday at the latest being that tomorrow is SS's birthday, Girl Scouts and Catechism. I'm thinking they may not be going to Girl Scouts. I don't know yet. But that is my tackle.

Oh and I keep forgetting I need to make two dozen cupcakes for SS tomorrow for her birthday celebration and school. Who knew homemade cupcakes were better than store bought?

Wish me luck! lol

For other great tackles visit 5 Minutes For Mom!

Menu Plan Monday

It's Monday Tuesday already? The weekend sure flew by fast!

This week's Menu...

Monday: Cashew Chicken and Steamed White Rice.
Tuesday: Corn Dogs and Chips for the Kids.
Wednesday: Beef Chili and Beans *Strawberry Shortcake's 9th Birthday*
Thursday: Lasagna , Salad and Dinner Rolls
Friday: Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
Saturday: BBQ Chicken Wings and Mozzarella Sticks with Marinara Sauce
Sunday: Beef Tacos and Spanish Rice

I will be soooo glad when this week is over. It will be the end of the three week back to back birthday madness that has been going on here. Phew!

For great menu ideas and recipes, please visit Laura.

LEAP!

Friday was CDQ's 8th Birthday. I have two 8 year olds until Wednesday!


CDQ is the child that I worry about the most. They just started her on meds two weeks ago but I'm almost positive we will be getting a bipolar diagnosis on her. My little sister is bipolar and what she was describing to me is CDQ exactly.


For her birthday, I tried to get her something that would be useful that she couldn't break. Originally, I bought her this Dora vanity but she is not mature enough for it despite what the age says on it, she will destroy it.

Oh and remember how I said to stay tuned for the third installment of She Can See Clearly Now? Well...she could see clearly for about 8 hours.

I've since had them fixed but will her destructive side ever end? At any rate, I came up with getting her a library card for her birthday. At our library kid's are allowed to have their own card at the age of 8. She's an advanced reader and she can never get enough books. This would be the gift that would keep on giving for years to come. So off we went...

At first, she was confused. But when we told her what she was getting she went crazy. I have to admit, I was relieved, I really didn't know how it was going to go over. I allowed her to check out three books, chapter books, she read them all overnight.

We had to keep her from school for the morning because the library would be closed by the time school was out. But in her mind that was even better. Why? I had baked her 4 dozen lemon cupcakes with sprinkles to take to school and all eyes were going to be on her when she came through the door.

She loved every minute of it. Because she is ALLLLL about attention. When she got home, she had to boast that EVERYONE loved the cupcakes and was asking where she got them from and she relished telling them they couldn't get them because I had made them for her.


For dinner, we had pizza and then we were off to Build-a-Bear where she built herself the cutest Koala. (more on that later)

Then we stopped at the Disney Store where I bought all the kid's (except for the oldest) their adoption outfits. (Hoping to post pics later).


She wanted a strawberry cake and she got it.


This post is very disjointed and much different from her older sister's birthday post.

It's not a case of favoritism, I can't stand love them all very much. It is a very hard one to write. Every time I look at this child, I see her mother's issues. It's so unfair that this innocent child carries such burdens. I begin to feel sorry for her but then those issues manifest and I see her manipulations, lies and coldness.

She has pushed us away and I have given her the space that she seemed to need. Slowly she is coming around and we are starting to learn about who she truly is under all the armor.

I'm very proud of her and I know that she tries. But when I see her like she is pictured below. It breaks my heart to see her sadness, her depression, her brokenness and not be able to take it all away for her.

I wonder what it is she wishes for?

Happy Birthday CDQ!

Tackle It Tuesday-- Another Late Edition

I haven't been home all day and finally I had a chance to finish up the last of the-- are you ready?

ADOPTION PAPERS!

These three little envelopes are going to permanently change our lives forever. Well, not necessarily the envelopes but definitely the adoption will finalize it all, of course.

As I sealed the last envelope I asked Hubs if he still wanted to do this because he needed to speak now or forever hold his peace. He said he still wanted to but it wasn't the naive Hubs that practically bubbled over in the beginning. It was more of a cautious Hubs who has been worn down and beat up by 5 children. lol

I guess what it boils down to, is despite how much they torment us and treat us so badly, we can still see a dim light at the end of the tunnel. Even if it's a tiny little tip of a needle dot of light. It's still something and for now, that's good enough for us.

So that is my tackle, small and yet soooo big. For more tackles or if you are tackling something yourself and want to join, click here.

Sometimes you just gotta laugh

Ok, some of you might be looking at that and thinking..."huh?, why would she post that and more importantly why is her child writing such a thing?"

This is CDQ writing to her best friend. CDQ will be 8 on Friday. Yep, she's a leap year baby. Anyway, she was writing to her friend and like a good friend she was boasting about their eternal "friendship". You know-- "FRIENDSHIP FOREVER!"

Well, except that's not quite what she wrote, now is it? As I sat at my desk laughing near tears, I had to wonder what her friend's expression would be when SHE read it. Because her reading skills are probably A LOT more better than my daughter's writing skills. lol

This one, my friends is for the books. I am going to keep it and when I get around to scrapbooking I am going to scrap it in along with pictures of her and her friends because that is where it belongs--FOREVER!

A Meme

NOW I HAVE BEEN TAGGED BY... A Life Uncommon (Donetta)


Once you are tagged, link back to the person who tagged you.
Post “The Rules” on your blog.
Post seven weird or random facts about yourself on your blog.
Tag seven people and link to them.
Comment on their blogs to let them know they’ve been tagged.

*****************************************************************************

Wow, seven weird or random facts... Hmmm...

1. I have three degrees that I don't even use. I have a BS in Information Technology, an AA in Letters, Arts and Sciences and an AS in Computer Programming.

2. I met Hubs online while finishing up my BS.

3. I am the first and only person to earn a degree in my family. It took me 10 years but I did it all by myself.

4. I love to eat dill pickles. I go through a jar of 24 jumbo pickles a month. I'm craving a pickle right now.

5. I've been raising* kids between the ages of newborn and 12 years old since I was 8 years old myself. I raised 7 kids before the 5 I have now came along. My duties expanded as I got older. It is possible...siblings raising siblings, etc...

*by raising, I did everything for them but provide financially. Bottles, diapers, assemblies, conferences, laundry, cooking, cleaning, showers, teaching, etc...

6. I am a former (most of the time) perfectionist who has morphed into a procrastinator who is afraid of both success and failure and therefore do not get things done until the last minute which frustrates me to no end.

7. I have a weakness for rescuing Betta fish from W@l-M@rt. They are so poorly cared for and if I walk by and see a Betta practically trying to break through the plastic to get my attention, I take him or her home. Which is why I now have 14. (I just lost one this morning to dropsy). I haven't gone by lately because it breaks my heart when they die and it breaks my heart to know that there are desperate Bettas out there who need help. If that makes sense.

I know I am supposed to tag 7 people but I don't know who has done this already or not and I'm not even sure if I know 7 people. lol

So, I tag you...the one who hasn't done this and feels like sharing 7 random and/or weird things about yourself. Come back and let me know that you've done this so I can come back and see all the weirdness and randomness that you possess. lol

Keeping the Toothfairy Busy

The past few nights have been filled with nightly tooth fairy pillow stuffing. We've had 4 teeth lost by the masses and tonight is the final night (unless another tooth falls out today). It's funny how driven they are to see that shiny quarter in the palm of their hand...yep...our tooth fairy only pays a quarter.

IF it's a pristine tooth, no cavities, the tooth fairy leaves a whole dollar.

They witnessed that sweet little miracle when their cousin was staying and lost his tooth.

In this round of losses. The Boy lost his very first tooth.

Oh The Plans! They were laid while the tooth was still wiggling in his mouth. There was popcorn and pickle at school to be bought! The possibilities of this mini fortune were endless.
He kept telling me "OH! I can buy this and OH! I can buy that!" He seemed at such a loss with all the decisions that were popping into his head.

I told him I had a wonderful idea. Seeing as he hasn't turned in any of the donation envelopes that he received from Catechism, maybe he should tuck that little gem in one and donate it to the Church.

It's funny because that "wonderful idea" was met with total silence and then I heard no more of his brilliant ideas and the struggles he was having making a decision.

Clearly, I was not to be included in the plans any longer because I'm out of my mind. lol