If we go any cheaper, Disney will have to start paying us to come!!! LAH LAH's PTR

[littlezar]

I completely agree that the director needs to get over herself. You would think she'd know Elsa can absolutely miss one practice without it making a difference. UGH!!! Hopefully it doesn't turn Elsa off to next year's production (assuming she'll be in the same school.) Was her track coach made aware of the situation?

My oldest has a teacher that has just made this school year a nightmare for him - I think I'm counting down the next 8 weeks as much as he is and hoping he doesn't end up with her again next year. She's one of two teachers for that particular class and I want him to have good memories of his senior year!

 

[LAH LAH]

Poor Elsa! What a horrible thing for her to experience.

That director REALLY needs to get over herself; it's a school production not a Hollywood movie! If she can so easily shattered a kids' heart like that then I'm not entirely sure she should be working with children. Such very petty behavior too, not something that the other kids in the production should be taught is acceptable.

Good for Elsa for following her heart. She can hold her head high despite her disappointment.

On a happier note... HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOAH! Looks like he had a ball knowing he was king of the gang for the day.

The biggest lesson I wanted Elsa to learn from this was no teacher or director or coach can make you do anything. They can suggest, but bullying in any form will not be tolerated. It's hard because I really push for my kids to honor and respect the adults in their life, but I want my kids to understand they can make mistakes as well.

I completely agree that the director needs to get over herself. You would think she'd know Elsa can absolutely miss one practice without it making a difference. UGH!!! Hopefully it doesn't turn Elsa off to next year's production (assuming she'll be in the same school.) Was her track coach made aware of the situation?

My oldest has a teacher that has just made this school year a nightmare for him - I think I'm counting down the next 8 weeks as much as he is and hoping he doesn't end up with her again next year. She's one of two teachers for that particular class and I want him to have good memories of his senior year!

Elsa has decided to skip the Middle School production next year, which is sad because she will be at the top of that age group and would most likely get a great role. She will try out for the High School play a year early, knowing she will get a little/background role...and she is ok with that!

I hate when teachers suck! I hope your oldest is able to enjoy the year despite the that teacher!

 

[brookelizabeth]

We started looking into it for the discount, but we are so excited to take part in the classes!! What class are your friends doing?

No clue... something in Epcot! I think it's marine related...he's really excited about the class too. I'm excited to hear about it!

That is crazy about the director! Good for Elsa for sticking to her decision though! I was heavily involved with plays and musicals in high school and this sort of thing often happend with various sports, our directors ALWAYS worked around it if the student had a good track record of attending practices aside from it overlapping with sports and other things like that. That's just awful that they couldn't have her understudy practice ONE time for her. Understudy's need that time anyway! but, like you said - it is a good life lesson, just a shame it had to be taught like that.

 

[onescgirl]

Love, love, love Noah's birthday party theme!
You did a great job with the Dr Suess theme
He looked so adorable eating his 1st cake!

 

[LAH LAH]

No clue... something in Epcot! I think it's marine related...he's really excited about the class too. I'm excited to hear about it!

That is crazy about the director! Good for Elsa for sticking to her decision though! I was heavily involved with plays and musicals in high school and this sort of thing often happend with various sports, our directors ALWAYS worked around it if the student had a good track record of attending practices aside from it overlapping with sports and other things like that. That's just awful that they couldn't have her understudy practice ONE time for her. Understudy's need that time anyway! but, like you said - it is a good life lesson, just a shame it had to be taught like that.

We are so excited about the EPCOT classes. I haven't seen much information about them around the boards...which kind of adds to the suspense

Love, love, love Noah's birthday party theme!
You did a great job with the Dr Suess theme
He looked so adorable eating his 1st cake!

Thank you! It was a great day. Can't believe he is one already!

 

[LAH LAH]

WHAT A WHIRLWIND!​

We have been super busy here (but who isn't busy these days? ) We have another foster child staying here with us for a while. K is fitting in well and is a good, good girl! She is 3 and it's been fun to finally pull out the pink stuff

Elsa attended the track meet that lost her her role in the play. Here is a picture of her crossing the finish line of her very first race in her very first track meet. Oh, and by the way, as she crossed that line she broke the school record by almost a full second!

But wait. That isn't all. She competed in the high jump and beat the school record on that as well. This really helped ease the pain of being chucked from the MS play.

It's been crazy busy here, but we love it. Only three months till we are back at the House of the Mouse!!!

 

[partyof2]

Melissa I really wish I had your endless energy, way to go on fostering another little one! Totally cracked me up when I read you guys had added another to your brood.

Congrats to Elsa on her amazing track meet. She is such a busy girl, clearly gets that from you! It makes me tired just thinking about her schedule. I really admire her endurance.

It blows me away how much the boys look like Michael and Elsa, you were so destined to be their forever family.

 

[brookelizabeth]

GO ELSA!!!

 

[LAH LAH]

It blows me away how much the boys look like Michael and Elsa, you were so destined to be their forever family.

We get that a lot! Especially Noah. From day one people have stopped me to tell me how much we look alike. It makes me smile, because I truly believe they were meant for us!

GO ELSA!!!

She broke a total of 4 school records this track season. She had a blast!!!

 

[LAH LAH]

You Live, You Learn​

Little K stayed at our house for 3 weeks, but has now been placed into hopefully a forever home for her. We were happy we could provide a place for her these past weeks, but it's also been so nice to get back to our regularly scheduled chaos! It also gave me a deeper understanding that we alone can not save the world and that every placement might not be the best for our family unit. I think until our little ones a in school we might need to limit our foster help to infants and babies.

My computer pooped out on me twice in the past week, thankfully it pooped back in and I am up and running again! Sometimes it feels like my laptop is my only link to the outside world, so when it's not functioning I tend to get a little cranky.

DISNEY STUFF​

Soooooo...it's official! Meema and Peepa are joining us!!! The kids and I will be at Disney from Monday to Monday and the Meems and Peeps will join us from Thursday to Monday! It's always fun when they come! Meema had surgery on her foot last month and had her other foot done a couple of days ago. This isn't run of the mill surgery...they broke things and shaved things and pinned things and she even has a little pin with a ball on the end sticking out of one of her toes. Ugggghhh She sends me pictures and I beg her not to! She is really hoping this is going to set her free from the horrid foot pain she has had for a while.

With only 2.5 months to go we are getting pretty excited!

 

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

Glad that Meema and Peepa will be joining you! That's great!

 

[littlezar]

We have been super busy here (but who isn't busy these days? ) We have another foster child staying here with us for a while. K is fitting in well and is a good, good girl! She is 3 and it's been fun to finally pull out the pink stuff

Elsa attended the track meet that lost her her role in the play. Here is a picture of her crossing the finish line of her very first race in her very first track meet. Oh, and by the way, as she crossed that line she broke the school record by almost a full second!

But wait. That isn't all. She competed in the high jump and beat the school record on that as well. This really helped ease the pain of being chucked from the MS play.

It's been crazy busy here, but we love it. Only three months till we are back at the House of the Mouse!!!

A little girl! Bet that was fun for Elsa!! I know I'm REALLY late, but tell her congrats on breaking 2 records at her first meet!!

Little K stayed at our house for 3 weeks, but has now been placed into hopefully a forever home for her. We were happy we could provide a place for her these past weeks, but it's also been so nice to get back to our regularly scheduled chaos! It also gave me a deeper understanding that we alone can not save the world and that every placement might not be the best for our family unit. I think until our little ones a in school we might need to limit our foster help to infants and babies.

My computer pooped out on me twice in the past week, thankfully it pooped back in and I am up and running again! Sometimes it feels like my laptop is my only link to the outside world, so when it's not functioning I tend to get a little cranky.

DISNEY STUFF​

Soooooo...it's official! Meema and Peepa are joining us!!! The kids and I will be at Disney from Monday to Monday and the Meems and Peeps will join us from Thursday to Monday! It's always fun when they come! Meema had surgery on her foot last month and had her other foot done a couple of days ago. This isn't run of the mill surgery...they broke things and shaved things and pinned things and she even has a little pin with a ball on the end sticking out of one of her toes. Ugggghhh She sends me pictures and I beg her not to! She is really hoping this is going to set her free from the horrid foot pain she has had for a while.

With only 2.5 months to go we are getting pretty excited!

Hope K is in her forever home and being loved to pieces!

Hooray for Meema & Peepa joining you! Hope Meema is healing nicely! My Mom just had foot surgery and is thrilled to be wearing a walking boot at this point. No hardware sticking out of her (and no pictures being shared!) thankfully!!

Finally getting back on track here ~ we had to move to a new house and the month of May was just pure chaos between that and my 14 yr old being in local soccer tournaments the weekend of the 9th and 23rd and a tournament 2 hours away this weekend. Hope all is well with you and all the kids!

 

[Darragh]

Thanks for the information about the YES program. I'd always been curious about it but was too lazy to look it up. So now I know! Your kids are darling and I LOVE (LOVE LOVE LOVE) the Dr. Seuss party!!! Too cute for words.

 

[partyof2]

Not much longer until your trip!!

I thought of you guys today; I was in the supermarket with my mum and she bumped into a family she knows. They have two tween daughters and currently foster an adorable baby boy; the mum said they'd had him since he was a newborn and would have him until around Christmas when he'd hopefully be placed with his forever family.

It broke my heart thinking of them (including the girls) having to say goodbye to him after so many months, and I thought about you and how awful it would have been if the boys' adoptions hadn't gone so smoothly. And even how sad it would have been to say goodbye to K after even a short while.

You guys who foster/adopt are my heroes, you are so, so strong.

 

[LAH LAH]

Glad that Meema and Peepa will be joining you! That's great!

We are all getting so excited! We've only done one vacation with just Michael, Elsa, and I and although we can do it, it's always fun to have them join us!!

A little girl! Bet that was fun for Elsa!! I know I'm REALLY late, but tell her congrats on breaking 2 records at her first meet!!

Hope K is in her forever home and being loved to pieces!

Hooray for Meema & Peepa joining you! Hope Meema is healing nicely! My Mom just had foot surgery and is thrilled to be wearing a walking boot at this point. No hardware sticking out of her (and no pictures being shared!) thankfully!!

Finally getting back on track here ~ we had to move to a new house and the month of May was just pure chaos between that and my 14 yr old being in local soccer tournaments the weekend of the 9th and 23rd and a tournament 2 hours away this weekend. Hope all is well with you and all the kids!

I hope your move went smoothly. Sports take up so much time, but it's so fun to watch!!!

Thanks for the information about the YES program. I'd always been curious about it but was too lazy to look it up. So now I know! Your kids are darling and I LOVE (LOVE LOVE LOVE) the Dr. Seuss party!!! Too cute for words.

Thank you! I can't wait to do the YES program and give my honest opinion on it!!

Not much longer until your trip!!

I thought of you guys today; I was in the supermarket with my mum and she bumped into a family she knows. They have two tween daughters and currently foster an adorable baby boy; the mum said they'd had him since he was a newborn and would have him until around Christmas when he'd hopefully be placed with his forever family.

It broke my heart thinking of them (including the girls) having to say goodbye to him after so many months, and I thought about you and how awful it would have been if the boys' adoptions hadn't gone so smoothly. And even how sad it would have been to say goodbye to K after even a short while.

You guys who foster/adopt are my heroes, you are so, so strong.

I'm not sure how I would have emotionally handled the boys not staying here forever. Thankfully God knew this was their home, and I'm happy it is!

 

[LAH LAH]

Adoption Day 2012​

Noah is ours forever! June 27th was the big day and it was just lovely! I can't believe I have adopted three separate boys. I tend to think of them as a group, but recently the reality of it all has sunk in...and I couldn't be happier!

Walking over to the Court House:

The man of the hour!

We snuck in early to get a photo in the court room before all the hoopla got under way:

All of us waiting at the counsel table:

Judge Brown makes it official:

Easton was so proud and knew what this day meant for Noah:

At the Party!

The look of a boy who's been told he can't have anymore cupcakes:

Oh how I love this little man:

Now that track, school, and the adoption are all behind us, I feel like I can start focusing on our vacation. After K left I ended up in a bit of a funk. I have really been struggling with the fact that not just anyone can fit in with our crew. I think I am over it now, and that frees me up a lot more to celebrate the fact that we only have 36 more days till we return to the House of the Mouse! My mom stayed after the adoption and won't be leaving until tomorrow morning, and she gave me the greatest gift I could have asked for; sleeping in. The night of the adoption I put on extra fans to block out all noise in my bedroom and although I went to bed at 10pm I didn't wake up until 12pm the next afternoon. I am so thankful for the generosity of my mom and my older kids in letting me have that time to start getting my feet back underneath me!



WDW in 36 days? Bring it on!!!

 

[Curiouser&curiouser!]

Congrats on the Adoption! That is wonderful!

I can't wait for you to finally get to WDW!

 

[littlezar]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! <--- Look, it's your family!!

Loved reading that your family is "court official" now!! YAY!!!

 

[brookelizabeth]

Easton was so proud and knew what this day meant for Noah:

This picture brings tears to my eyes. Congratulations!!!!!!!

 

[partyof2]

We snuck in early to get a photo in the court room before all the hoopla got under way:

I adore this picture!

Congratulations, your family is now truly complete .