An Open Letter to the Parents of My Child's Classmates

This is a message sent out after school today in one of my children's classes. Before you read any further in this post, stop and think, "What would I think if this note came home from my child's class?" I know the me of five years ago probably would have wanted to know what in the world was happening in that class. How did a teacher get scratched? Why do you feel the need to assure me my child was safe? Are they really safe?

But today when I read it, I just cried....it was my child. My child put the scratch on the teacher. As I read what the school sent out, my heart broke. Let me stop here and say that we have worked hard to get where we are - but we now have an amazing team of educators working with us for our child. I understand why they had to send a message - well, my head understands it, but my heart really just wants to yell at somebody! If I could have followed that message sent out to the parents by the school with my own message, it would go something like this:

Dear Parents,

It was my child. My child put the scratch on our teacher's face. She is just as horrified as you are! I wish you could have seen how she cried when she realized she had hurt the teacher she dearly loves. I wish you could have seen how brave she was as she sat in a room with a mental health crisis worker, a behavioral specialist, her principal, her teacher, her teacher's aid, and the special programs director as she told her side of the story. I wish you could have felt her heart racing, seen the look in her eyes as she apologized to all she hurt in her meltdown. I wish you could have heard how detailed she spoke about what is happening in her mind and body when her body takes over and her mind shuts down because of fear, sadness, and anxiety! I wish you could hear her tell the mental health crisis worker how she wants to sing "What  Beautiful Name" when she starts getting anxious to calm herself down, but sometimes she doesn't remember to. She shared that she wants to sing on stage some day - I wish you could hear her BIG, BEAUTIFUL voice! Did any of you notice last week that she stood on the top row, the ENTIRE music program and sang, and did motions?! Did you know how hard she worked in the days leading up to that moment to convince herself she could in fact do that?! While you were snapping pictures with your child's friends to document all their cute Seuss hair, we were congratulating our daughter on staying on the stage! Celebrating big just how brave she is! Alone, no friends coming to take pictures with her, but BRAVE! Thank you to the mom who did ask at the end if she wanted to take a picture with her daughter. I don't know who you are, but you made this momma's night!

I wish you could get to know my child! I wish you could see the light that shines in her eyes when she feels safe! I wish you could see how she loves to give big hugs when she feels safe - even though your child has probably told you she hits, and screams, and bites when someone touches her. I wish you knew that only happens when her trauma kicks in and she has little to no control over her actions because her natural instinct to protect herself takes over. I wish you knew just how much she loves Jesus and wants to be like Him!

I have heard the whispers. I see the stares as we walk down the hall after an incident. I have had my friends tell me over coffee or lunch that their friend talked about the girl in their child's class who acts so badly - not knowing that their friend is my friend - the mom of that terrible child. I have heard my friends tell me how they have defended us as a family and assured their other friends that we are loving parents despite what so many assume about us based on our daughter's behaviors. I have even sat across tables from some of you as you made comments about my daughter  while looking me in the eye.

I wish you could walk in my shoes for just one day. I wish you could love a child with all your heart who struggles just to make it through daily life because of no fault of her own - or of yours! I wish you could sit as a mom beside your child as they realize the horrors they have caused and are heart broken because of it. I wish you could hold my child while she cries because she knows no one wants to come to her house for a sleep over because she scratched her teacher in a bodily response she couldn't control. I wish you understood.

My daughter is kind, brave, beautiful, compassionate, brilliant, artistic, musical, strong, loving - and a victim of early childhood trauma. Please look beyond the latter to see the real her. And please encourage your children to do the same.

Sincerely,
One Proud & Heart Broken Momma

Alive and Active

I had to smile as I pulled up my blog to write this post! The title of the last post was "still waiting".  You will see the irony in that in just a minute!

One of Ava's biggest struggles is memory.  Learning math facts, memorizing spelling words, things like that are a real struggle.  And she may have it down today, but then tomorrow it may be as if we never even talked about it.

So yesterday when I picked her up from her church service and she told me she got an extra treat because she already said her memory verse, I am sure I had a puzzled look on my face.  She danced around with that light that shines so brightly in her saying, "I already memorized it!  I did it during the service!  I know it already!"  Then she proceeds to say it....."Wait on the Lord, be strong and courageous. Wait on the Lord Psalm 27 dot, dot 14" (she really says "dot, dot"!!)  I was impressed.  But can I confess there was a thought that passed through my mind that went something like, "we'll see if she can still say it in the morning."

She proceeded to repeat it all throughout the evening last night.  Enough, that I now have it memorized! And my memory is mediocre at best! God in His ever humbling ways brought this exact verse to mind just this morning as I was becoming impatient with some circumstances in my life and wanted to just run away from them!  "Wait on the Lord! be strong (some translations then say) and don't lose hope. Wait on the Lord."  One of the things that Ava said when she told us she memorized it was that God said "Wait on the Lord" twice! John reminded her that when God repeats himself, He really wants us to listen!

Again, God has used my children to teach me a couple of valuable lessons!  First, the Word of God is alive and active!  It is sharper than a double edged sword and will divide bone and marrow.  No, Ava may not be able to remember that 4+6=10, but the Word of God being alive and active planted itself in the deepest recess of who she is and easily comes to her mind...even this morning after sleeping on it! And second, Miss Ava reminded me that waiting on God is important....after all, He said it twice!

Still waiting...

A friend text me and said she had been watching my blog for an update on Ava (thanks, Tracey! :) ).  I sometimes forget that my blog readers are not all on Facebook where I update with small things here and there.  So let me update on Ava's appointment that I talked about in the last post.

The appointment went well.  We really liked the doctor.  She listened to what we had to say and worked with us to talk through possible scenarios.  Overall, the appointment was good...except that the reality that we may never "know" what is happening with our sweet girl.  The doctor didn't really think that she has Fragile X, but there are enough symptoms that warrant testing for it.  There are a couple of other genetic disorders that she has symptoms of, so we are starting with testing for those things.  If they all come back negative, then we will move to whole exome testing.  And we can't start any testing until we get insurance approval, which is where we are right now....waiting on insurance!
One really great blessing is that we found out that the testing that runs $10K-$15K can be done for about $300 out of pocket with some funding that is available since this is all fairly new research and testing as things go in the medical world.

We appreciate all of the prayers and those following her story!  I have to say the whole experience has made me press in closer to our Maker and listen for what Ava is created for in order to equip her in the absolute best way possible for what God has for her!  Because no test results will change one thing that we already know, she is made exactly how she needs to be made in order to do what God has for her to do for His Kingdom and to bring Him the most possible glory!

Our Ava

Tomorrow is the day! We have waited two months for the appointment and Ava's lifetime for the answers. We haven't shared a ton about our miss Ava.  Mostly because we have never really known what there was to share.

At the park!

She was born at 37 weeks due to me having a potential for blood clots.  For those who don't know our family well, she is one of our biological children.  So her pregnancy had no drugs, no alcohol and no trauma.  Of our nine children, she is one of the least likely to have any "issues" based solely on her start in life.  Yet, from the beginning she has had a bit of a struggle.  She wasn't too interested in breathing those first few hours and was under an oxygen bubble for the first 36 hours of life.  Then a newborn screening came back abnormal. But the second one was normal.  There were no symptoms or signs of anything happening, so we continued on with our healthy baby girl.  Our pediatrician was always a bit concerned.  However, he was the glass half empty guy, and I was the one pointing out it was half full.  While I always appreciated his aggressive desire to ensure all was well, I also was quite certain from how my baby girl was doing that he was concerned for no reason.  It wasn't until the delay in her walking that I wondered if his concerns were valid.  Then there were the times that she played alone...too long.  I would talk to family about my concerns, but everyone dismissed them with simple explanations.  I would tuck them away and tell myself I was being paranoid.  Those who know me well know that I have zero memory!  It's why I really NEED to scrapbook!  But when I do have a memory, it is very vivid and usually significant.  It's like a snapshot that needed to be recorded for future reference.  I have one of those memories about my Ava.  When she was about 18 months old, I took all three kids to the park.  We were there about 30 minutes.  The entire time we were there, Ava would walk up the three steps on the jungle gym, walk halfway down the walk way, turn around, come back the way she came, down the stairs, then turn around and do it all again....for 30 minutes!  She never left to go swing, she never left to go to the slide, she never left to dig in the sand.  Just the same motion over and over.  Again, I expressed my concern to John and my parents.  I was most certain there were some signs of her possibly being on the Autism spectrum.  Although at that time is when Autism was just beginning to be a household name.  No one really felt my concerns were valid, so again, I tucked them away.  Then there was the way she rarely looked at a camera when we would take her picture.  She will make eye contact with you to talk to you, but as soon as you put up a camera, she will divert her eyes many times.  Maybe just a quirky thing she does? Maybe a sign of something more?  

Ava at about three years old

 Her language didn't seem to develop quite as quickly as it should have.  Then there was the broken arm just before she turned two that happened from a simple fall from the couch.  All of it along with a larger head circumference and extremely long fingers and toes always made our pediatrician a bit concerned.  Around age 4, it became more evident that there were some physical limitations.  I found myself constantly reaching out for her as she often lost her balance resulting in a fall.  She was unable to stand on one foot and balance.  Yet therapy was not making much progress. We had an MRI that came back normal.  Dr. Nabulsi said he wanted us to go see a neurologist.  So off to Fort Worth we go.  We would learn of a disorder that seemed to fit her symptoms.  We scheduled a spinal tap and returned for the procedure a few weeks later.  The results came in as inconclusive.  However that did not rule out the diagnosis, and the doctor along with John and I felt it was more likely than not that she had Depo Responsive Dystonia.  She began taking medicine that is given to Parkinson's disease patience.  We saw a decrease in her stumbling and falling.  It appeared that she her speech was a bit easier to understand and came more readily for her.  And that was the "real test" we were told of whether or not she had the dystonia.  If the medicine worked, then it was for sure the case.  We were so thankful we had found it.  Many children are misdiagnosed with cerebral palsy and ended up in wheelchairs until the correct diagnosis was found.  Then with the medicine, they were back to normal function.  We thought we had our answer and proceeded with life normally.

 It was evident from the beginning that Ava marched to her own drum! She was an extremely happy and compliant child!  She rarely ever, and still to this day, rarely does get in trouble.  She has an incredible connection with God!  I am jealous at times at the way she believes and the faith that she talks about.  She accepted Jesus as her savior on her own...I asked her if she had thought about it one day, and she laughed and told me she had done that weeks ago at church during worship when God had spoken to her! Got to love a testimony like that!  Just a few months ago, she was walking down the stairs and got about  halfway down before turning around and running back up to me in the playroom with an excitement that was exuding from every part of her being yelling, "He touched me!  I was walking down the stairs and God touched me on the shoulder!" While reading that, you might doubt the validity, seeing the glow in her eyes when she said it left no room for doubt that in fact, she had been in the presence of God!

After moving to Fort Worth, her second grade teachers revealed that she had absolutely zero ability to comprehend math.  Its a long story that I really should share some time, but I am so thankful for these teachers!  It was with this information that we began again searching.  I always felt in the back of my mind that there was something else! There was something we were missing...call is mother's intuition or  God's prompting, but I knew we needed to keep digging.  But our neurologist was a bit dismissive.  Diagnosis were thrown around here and there, but nothing that we could nail down.

Then one day one of my perspective adoptive moms called me to talk about a file she was reading for a potential placement.  In the file was a genetic disorder that I had never heard of.  Normally, I do not stop to look up those types of things on the cases unless I am pretty certain that placement will happen. That did not seem to be the case this time but for some reason that can only be explained as the hand of God, I stopped and googled "Fragile X Syndrome".  As I read through the symptoms, it was as if someone had been in our home for the past few years keeping a journal on Ava.  Tears began to fall uncontrollably.  The first emotion was joy and satisfaction!  We might FINALLY have a definite answer to what is going on with our daughter.  But those emotions quickly turned to dread and fear as the reality of what that diagnosis means.  I guess as long as you don't know, there is hope that it's just late development.  There is hope that it's all just coincidental and in the end, it's all going to go away and she will be "normal".  But with a diagnosis, those hopes fade quickly.

Tomorrow is the day that we go to talk to the geneticist about Fragile X.  We will have the testing done and wait for the results.  Can I be honest? I don't even know how to pray! Of course, I want the results to be negative because NO ONE wants their child to have an illness...most definitely not a genetic disorder that could mean a much different future than you had dreamed for your child before you knew of the words that now hold so much weight: Fragile X Syndrome.  But a negative test result will not automatically erase all of the symptoms that have us searching for answers! And we need answers! Ava is an amazing little girl who brings joy to anyone who knows her!  She says good morning by name to everyone she passes in the school, and they smile back with a "Good morning, Ava!" But she is starting to notice that she doesn't exactly work like the other kids.  She is beginning to notice that she is a little different.  We champion different in our house! But my words of encouragement as a mom, I know all too well, will only carry so much weight the older she gets and the more defined the differences may become. We need an answer to give her! We need to be able to tell her "this is why" you work this way!

So if we come to mind, pray for us! Most days, it doesn't even cross my mind.  But then there are moments like the other day when I came across this picture.

And looking into that sweet face sitting in front of me, I was overcome with emotions and a desire to go back to this day!  We didn't know anything was wrong here! We had no idea that we would one day be wondering what the future held for our baby girl.  We had no idea of the struggles she would be facing even as an 8 year old.  I just wanted to go back to the innocence and to some extent ignorance.  

But despite what the test results say, this I know. Ava Claire is fearfully and wonderfully made by God Almighty!  He knit her together in my womb for His purposes! He has a plan and a future for her that is good and prosperous! It may not look like how we thought it would look, but it is full of His purpose and potential for His glory all the same!  And when He knit her together, He put a determination in her like none that I have ever known and certainly never seen in a child of her age! It has served her well....and makes her an inspiration to just about anyone who knows her! And He had held her closely, for what I have no doubt will be a lifetime of her using whatever challenges she has to bring her Creator even more glory! 

Love Notes from God for my Girls

For my daily quiet times, God has me in Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. If you have not read this or seen it, GET IT! It is amazing! It speaks to me in my hard season every morning. It is truly like a breath of fresh air.

There is no secret this is a hard season for me, but not just for me, for everyone in my home. The other day as I was thanking God for giving me this devotion that literally breaths fresh breath into me so I can go another day, He reminded me that my girls need this too! This world bombards them with SO many lies so many times a day! They both have the ability to hear God, they come up with some extremely profound ideas from time to time. We require everyone to have at least 15 minutes with God every morning, so I know they are in the Word at least once a day. But I have so enjoyed the "personal" messages in Jesus Calling. They are all based on scripture, but they are written in first person...as if Jesus is literally sending a personal letter to me that morning!

So God asked me to be still now and then during my time and listen for a Word for my girls and be obedient to write that note to them for Him. He wants them to know that He is personal. He needs them to hear His truths in a way that will drown out the lies of this world so their foundation is strong enough to handle whatever comes at them in the days, weeks, months and years to come.

This is our first morning of love notes from God! I don't know how often He will give me a Word for them, but I am committed to asking for one, listening for an answer and writing it out so they will find it on their mirror when they get up in the morning! Excited to see their reaction!

A Night to Remember....

A night to remember...ha! John and I had a good laugh as we reflected on our date tonight! So what do parents of 6 with one due in a month do on a date night? Let's see...one of our mission teams from our church had an amazing fund raising idea to keep kids for a parents' night out and of course we took full advantage of it! Dropped the kids off at the church and we were ready for a HOT date!

First stop, Sam's! We needed toilet paper! While we were there, we had our romantic dinner over chili dogs at the Sam's Deli. Where do you go from a great start to a date like that? Well, how about to Best Buy to replace your computer that crashed earlier in the week! Wait, just in case you are jealous, it gets better! We headed to the mall. We needed a couple of gifts for this weekend, and I got my eyebrows waxed! :) Now you are really jealous, aren't you?!

We topped off the evening by taking a trip to Lowe's to look at concrete stain.

And that my friends was a fabulous evening! Because when you are mom and dad to 6-almost 7 kids, any evening without a diaper or quarrel is F-A-B-U-L-O-U-S!

Now, I'm putting my tired mommy body to bed! Good Night!

Chores and More!

I posted on my facebook page that my new system was really working! At 4:00, my kids had not watched TV at all and 3 of the 5 were sitting on the couch looking at "I Spy" books TOGETHER! It was Noah and Callie were 2 of the 3...they are the worst fighters, so this truly was amazing!

I had several ask on facebook what the new system was, so I decided I would blog it...easier to put pictures and description than on facebook.

I can't take credit for it, though. My friend Emmy was the one who came up with it and inspired me to do it...I just tweeked it a bit. Those of you who know me well know that systems and organization do not come naturally for me! I am a come say come saw kind of person. To have a set routine or system is not natural. So the fact that this is up and running a whole week before school starts is nothing short of a miracle! I am so pumped and so proud of myself! :) And anyone reading this should know that if I can do this, anyone can do this!

The basics are that the kids need to be spending more time moving and working on making things in their life better (ie: reading The Word, working on their basket ball shots, tossing the football, kicking the soccer ball, reading a book themselves, or reading to a younger brother or sister) rather than sitting and vegging in front of the tv. We all sat down and discussed things they could do besides watch TV. They get 30 minutes of free tv/technology time a day. If they want more, they have to earn more. These are the things we came up with for more tv or technology time. This is posted by their ticket holders.

(all chores must be checked and work approved by Mom or Dad before tickets will be issued, remember “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23)
 Read (minute for minute)
 Stay Outside past the required 30 minutes (minute for minute)
 Babysit, play with Baby Girl, Ava, etc (minute for minute)
 Put up Mom and Dad’s laundry (10 minutes per load)
 Pick up dog in backyard (1 hour)
 Clean mini-blinds (15 minutes)
 Clean baseboards (15 minutes per room)
 Sweep off front or back porch (15 minutes per porch)
 Read to a younger brother or sister (minute for minute)
 Clean out a closet (30 minutes)
 Exercise (minute for minute)
 Any activity pre-approved by Mom or Dad to earn time

I also have these ground rules up by the tickets:

TV and Technology rules
 You may only watch/play 30 minutes per day unless you have earned time tickets.
 All chores for that part of the day must be done before you can watch/play tv or any technology.
 You may only watch/play for a total of 2 hours a day unless a special movie or event is happening and Mom or Dad has approved the extra time.
 Tickets can be accumulated and used for longer movies or events.
 It is your responsibility to look at the guide or plan ahead and earn time needed to watch shows or movies that are longer than 30 minutes.
 Family movie time does not take away from you tv/technology time

When one of the kids earns tv/technology time, I give them a ticket (the ones you can get a big role of that people use for door prizes at carnivals, etc) with their name and how much time they earned on it. They then put it in their ticket holders which are the little colored boxes hanging on the wall in the laundry room. They are just index card holders that I got at Wal-Mart for $1 and put velcro on the back and on the wall. I put them in order from youngest to oldest so that everyone can get to their own box and put their tickets in it.

The files will be for their school work and notes. They will have to put anything I am supposed to sign in the folder, then I will sign it and put it back for them to get and put back in their backpack the next day. I hate kids following me around in the morning when I am trying to get kids out the door wanting me to sign their papers or notes. I tried to do this last year, but we didn't really have a good place to do this. I found this hanging file holder at Mardel's a local teacher supply store. It is great! And even has enough spaces for all our kids with room to grow...and John has his own file so I can put his mail there. Right now it goes in a holder by the door and it overflows often and looks tacky. So I am excited about his folder too! ;0)

Trying to apply Love and Logic also so that my responsibility in whether or not they get papers or notes signed is minimal and their responsibility is heightened. Plus as we grow as a family, the more necessary this becomes. But I believe this is a good thing! If I just had two kids, I would probably do it all for them....I would have totally immature, co-dependent children! That is probably one reason God has blessed me with 5 kids! He knows I can't do it all, so I actually teach them what I should be teaching them!

Dreams Do Come True!

Haven't blogged in awhile...been in quite a fog and haven't had lucid enough thoughts to put them down! Hope this means the end of blogger's block! :)

We have a tradition on my birthday that we take a picture of me with the kiddos! It is about the only pictures I am in since I am usually taking the pictures. So this tradition will help the kids know they had a mom when they look through albums in years to come!

I was posting the one from today (b-day is tomorrow, but we celebrated with my parents today) on facebook, and I was just overcome with emotions...one being gratitude! As I looked at those 4 faces stacked one on top of the other, I realize that so many of my childhood dreams have come true! I wanted a multi-racial family before multi-racial families were much of a reality around me! As I look at the faces of my children, I see God's love for us! He doesn't care about skin color or how we got where we are, He loves us all the same! Just like I do my kids!

I have been attracted to African American children all my life! I have always thought there was no cuter baby on earth than a little African American baby...and now, there is a sweet little face just like that in the faces of my children!

I used to say I wanted 12 kids. Everyone told me I would change my mind after I had my first. I did for about 6 months. But then I was ready to talk about more kids. By the time I got to adulthood, I had said I wanted 4 kids: two boys and two girls! And that is exactly what I have!

Dreams really do come true!!!

Thank you, God, for my precious children! I don't deserve any of them, but You have trusted Them to me for this short time to train them in Your ways! I pray You can repair the damage I do and reclaim the ground I lose with them! Make me the mommy I need to be to teach and train each of them to be the warriors you need them to be for Your Kingdom!

Fighting for what is right...

I receive the daily devotions from Proverbs 31 Ministry...they are wonderful! I would encourage you to subscribe! Today, the title was, "Raising Children with Moral Courage". I have been accused more than once of being too bold or too outspoken. I'm sure you find that astonishing! ha! But the older I get and the more I work in different circles, the more I am amazed at the lack of backbone I see in people. Few are willing to stick out their necks for what is right, especially if it means that they may receive ridicule for their stand.

The devotion said it this way and points to our children:

Although Jesus calls us to a life of forgiveness and compassion, even He didn't tolerate those who dishonored God's holy temple. With righteous indignation, Jesus turned over tables, and drove out money changers and those who were selling doves within the walls of the temple, accusing them of turning His father's house into "a den of robbers" (Mark 11:17). The Bible records many stories of men and women with moral courage. These individuals knew what was right, and were willing to take a stand in spite of their own fear. They weren't perfect, but the heroes of our faith saw injustice as more than a personal offense, they saw it as an offense against God.As it becomes easier to settle into a life of ambiguity, our children are finding it harder to summon moral outrage. Today a challenge is set before us as parents to raise, and to be, men and women who will stand for what is right. We live in a world that needs the touch of God through the hand of His people. We can't be bystanders and make a difference.As parents we can instill moral courage into our children by stepping out in faith to help someone else, in spite of inherent risks. You see, we can't learn moral courage from a book. We can only learn it by being brave once. Then doing it again.

Let's be brave today! Look for ways today that Christ is asking you to take a stand for the less fortunate or the bullied...as I saw the news story this morning of the 15 year old who was set on fire by his classmates, I realize that the world our children are growing up in is nothing like the world I grew up in, and they are going to need so much more courage than even we do to take a stand! So let's now wait another day to model this courage before our children!

Heck of a week!

So after Ava's MRI on Monday, we went to Crane to be with family because John's Aunt Linda passed away. While we were there, Noah tripped over Toben and broke his right arm...two bones, totally bowed....went to the Crane ER..made John promise me to NEVER take me there if I am really sick!

Friday we put our second child under anesthesia in one week...doc was able to set it without cutting it open. Thank You, Jesus! So now we are in a cast and have to go have it checked next week.

In case you are counting that is three broken arms in the P-tree family in about 8 months..Ava, Callie and now Noah. I'm pretty well done with broken arms! The orthopedic doctor should NOT be programmed into your phone!

They say the darndest things..

John's parents were so gracious to come watch our kids so we could go to dinner and a movie. We don't remember the last movie we saw together! It was a wonderful evening!

When we were leaving, telling the kids bye, threatening the boys with in an inch of their life to behave, Ava asked where we were going. John responded, "We are going to go kiss." Then Callie says, "Go make a baby!" Well, isn't that lovely in front of the in-laws! Needless to say, I was speechless!

Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month

April 2009 is Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month

State Of TexasOffice of the Governor
Children are the embodiment of innocence and hope for the future, and every child deserves to grow up in a nurturing environment, free from harm and fear. Sadly, however, child abuse is a reality, a problem we must relentlessly combat through awareness and action.
Every responsible person will agree that even one abused child is too many. Yet our state's child protection caseloads are evidence of the shameful fact that child abuse is a widespread issue in Texas. All responsible Texans must do what they can to resolve this pervasive issue.
There are ways we can make a difference. Children's advocacy groups and social workers across the state work to create safe, happy and healthy environments for Texas' children, and, through education and awareness, to discourage child abuse. When abuse or neglect does occur, individual citizens have a duty to report it to the appropriate authorities.
Once again, the month of April has been designated for an educational campaign. At this time, I encourage all Texans to join me in renewing our commitment to preventing child abuse and learning what we each can do to promote the safety and well-being of children. Their success is Texas' success.
Therefore, I, Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, do hereby proclaim April 2009,
Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness Month
in Texas, and urge the appropriate recognition whereof.
In official recognition whereof, I hereby affix my signature this the 18"' day of February, 2009


That's great, Mr. Perry! Now can we change some laws to keep kids in the system from being abused in their foster homes?? Or make a system where this is less likely to occur than if we leave them in their abusive home?

I think I'm ready!

Three dozen eggs, three pounds of sausage, 30 hot dogs (aka Liberian 'sausage') 6 pounds of hamburger meat, a large brisket, box of mini corn dogs, large jar of mixed nuts, some cereal and I think I am ready for 7 kids! Bring them on!

Really, we are excited to get to host these little guys during this time! I get to love on them and tell them God has a perfect plan even though we humans are all a little confused right now! We are going to have a blast these next few weeks! Not sure how much work will get done around here, but it will wait! Right now I get to love on three kids for a brief time who need love...then I get to send them on to a loving family! It doesn't get any better than that!

The smell of bacon....

is torcher on a Daniel fast! Oh my goodness! I am starving, but fruit just doesn't sound good! I need to find something to make that John and I can eat that is different from what we have been eating. We are almost half way through! I haven't cheated one time! It was only by God's strength that a piece of bacon didn't go in my mouth this morning! We fix big breakfasts on Saturday mornings, so I fixed, bacon, eggs and waffles for the kids. I will go choke down my oatmeal! :)

Really, though, it is good. It is good to rely on God for something silly like not putting a piece of bacon in my mouth! Then when something big, ummmm like parenting 7 children for a limited time, comes, I know I can trust Him there too!

Yes, you read that right, John and I will have 7 children for a little while...just a few weeks. We have a situation (can't share details for confidentiality reasons) where we need to take in three kids until legal documents can be finished for them to go to their home in Colorado! God has a great sense of humor, huh?! I don't even have a car that will hold just me and all the kids! Our van and Suburban only hold 7 (7+1=8) ha!ha!

But let me just say how proud I am of my hubby! Everyone knows when a child is in need, I will jump on it before I even think! That is just how I am wired! But John was the first one to say, "they can come here"! Thank you, John!

I am sure the next few weeks are not going to be easy, three new kids that will be going through a huge emotional crisis, my four that are always in emotional crisis (at least in their minds!), running the ministry which is about to explode (all good things right now!) and do life as usual! I just try not to think about it! God knew this was what tomorrow held for me, so as long as I am on my face, trusting Him, it will all work out! Crazy thing is that we already had beds for all three...not in the right rooms, but we have beds! We will have four boys and three girls, for the first time in this house, the boys will out number the girls! Oh my!

So say a prayer for us if you think of it! I may not be blogging much for the next few weeks...if I am absent you will know why! We will pick the kids up on Monday night!

Toben funnies!

Toben and Ava were playing play dough when he says, "I share!" I look over and he has taken Ava's play dough from her! That is his definition of sharing!

A little bit later he got the Bob the Builder Leap Frog book out and started singing the song. Only this is Toben's version: "Bob the Builder! Can we broke it? Yes we can!" Truer words were never sung! :)

First Day of School

Here we have it...the first day pictures! They both did great today and had a wonderful day! I did good, too! ;) I only teared up once when Noah kissed me goodbye. I wouldn't have done that, but I wasn't sure if he would kiss me in front of his friends, but he did! I waited for him to kiss me, and then I thought that there will not be many more years where he will probably do that! So here are pictures of my first grader and third grader!

....and my preschooler that just knew he was going to his class today too! This is us headed back home...back pack still on! He starts Children's Day Out next week!

As I prayed for my kids today, I couldn't help but think of all the kids in this world that would give anything to go to school! We take so much for granted in this country, and our education system is one of them. It is not perfect, but it is free, it is available to ALL children! That is more than so many countries offer their children!