Sunday Snapshot: Austin

I don’t know why I keep thinking I can do these weekly blog linky things… (um whatta ya call em’s)?  But, I saw this one on Stefanie’s blog and decided I just had to try it. Maybe it will force me to blog more consistently and take pictures more often too. I am NOT a good photographer at all and really don’t think I have the will or the time to learn to be better, but I have been hit over the head lately with the realization that my kids are growing up a heck of a lot faster than I like. So, if I want to remember them as they are now I better do something to help preserve these memories. Sunday Snapshot seems like a nice way to do that.

Speaking of kids that are growing up, Austin is 13 and just recently graduated from Middle School. Meaning he will be going to HIGH SCHOOL (cue scary music) next school year. Lord help me!

But, at least I know he still loves his Mama. Well, he does – he just may not want the whole Middle School to know it. Can you see him trying to get away? tee hee. He’s still catchable for a little while longer, just another reason for me to keep running.

I can clearly remember standing outside his Kindergarten classroom peeking in to spy and see how he was doing. How he worked so hard to learn how to read and now he’s moving on to Honor’s English. How they kept telling me he was so smart, but almost every day he was being sent to the Principal’s office and I kept saying, “Smart kids aren’t supposed to be the troublemakers”.  Now, he’s been accepted into the Governor’s School. I am so proud of him.

He’s even got a hug for Dear Old Dad. This is the man that has pushed him to try harder, even when he didn't think he had any more to give. He doesn't always like it, but I think he's learned that hard work really does pay off in the end.

Look at that, Brotherly Love! I love it when I can catch them in moments like this. Especially since they don’t last long. 
      
See? It’s already going downhill.

Yep, that’s a little more like what I usually see. Honestly, most of the time I love the relationship that is developing between him and his younger brother.


I absolutely love this picture. It is one of my all-time favorite shots of him. I love how they are both looking at each other. This is my younger brother’s little boy, Jayvion. Austin’s three year old cousin. He is so good with him. Listens when Jay talks, helps him figure things out, encourages him.

Recently we were at a party and Jayvion didn’t know any of the other kids so he didn't want to leave Grandma’s (my Mom) side. Austin came over to Jay and asked him if he wanted to go play, held out his hand and Jayvion went happily – knowing that if Austin was with him he’d be ok. Does this mama’s heart good.


The Grandparent’s. They love him. And he loves them back.

Question For Ya

 

 

A friend of mine gifted us a really nice black Coach Purse to sell for Liza’s Adoption Fund and I was planning on putting it on Ebay but then the other day I had an epiphany, and I asked myself:

Me: “Self?”

Myself: “Yes?”

Me: “Why don’t we do a giveaway on the blog with that Coach Purse? Might be fun……!”

Myself: “Hey, that’s a great idea!  Hmmm, I wonder if anyone who may be reading would really want it?”

I: “Let’s find out, I’ll go ask them on the blog right now.”

 

So, Me, Myself, and I wanna know; would anyone really consider donating to Liza’s Adoption Fund to have their name thrown in for the Coach bag giveaway? And/Or, would you be wiling to put the word out about what we’re doing so anyone else who’s interested can take a look? Leave me a comment and let me know or shoot me an email – you can find my email addy on the sidebar.

 

Thanks!

P.S. Yes, I know the Me, Myself, and I thing is corny, but cut me some slack! It’s Summer and I’m spending all day every day with four dudes, three of whom are 20, 13, and 11. I have to do something to amuse myself :)

Renaissance Faire

Does anyone else love going to Renaissance Faires/Festivals? I was introduced to my first one, the Georgia Renaissance Festival, in 10th grade. I was in Mr. Horton's History class and we were taking a field trip there one Saturday. The only problem with that was I had just been hired as a Hostess at one of the local Waffle Houses in our VERY small town (yes I worked at Waffle House and yes there were more than one - less than five miles apart) and I had to work that Saturday, and my Mom wouldn't let me take the day off - teaching responsibility or some such nonsense (just kidding Mom!) So, to make it up to me, Mom arranged for Me, my best friend, BFF's mom, and Herself to go to the Ren Faire another weekend. That was it, I was hooked. Totally loved it and everything about it. Maybe it's goofy, maybe it's "nerdy", but I still love it and would go a couple times a year if I could.

A couple of weeks ago Rick and I took our kids to the Virginia Renaissance Faire during Pirate Week. It was H.O.T. that day but it was still a lot of fun. AND maybe the best part of the day - there was a guy dressed like Captain Jack Sparrow. He looked just like, him, walked like him, and even waved/smiled like him. He waved at me and smiled and I wanted to follow him like a little puppy dog. I felt like I had been warped into a pirate movie for a second. What is it about Jack Sparrow that makes ladies love him? I'm not the only one, right? I wish I had gotten a picture of him. Ah well....

Where was I? Oh yeah.... took the kids to Ren Faire. They learned the Medieval alphabet, apparently we added a few letters since then, and they learned that they would have probably had a job by age nine. I think they were glad they were born when they were. There were a couple of guys there doing an acrobat/comedy routine that was really funny and of course the “Queen and her Court”. Not to mention all the other pirates wondering around and the quest to decide who would be the Queen’s official “privateer” which is different than a pirate but still kinda the same… yeah…..

Some snapshots of what we did:
  

The boys got to throw sharp objects at targets. Let’s just say Noah will never be an axe murderer…. or a wood-cutter either, but it was fun to watch him throw that axe at the wall.

  

  They didn’t do too bad with the bow and arrow, but I think it felt a little awkward at first.

 
The Lovely Step-daughter and I decided to stick with something a little more lady-like, so she had her face painted and I got my hair braided.  Pops (AKA Rick/Dad) just hung out, drank a little wine, and somehow managed to not be in any of the pictures. It was a good day.

What’s the News?

Wellllllll…….. The I171-H finally came and the entire dossier was sent to Richmond to get the pretty little Apostille seals on each of my hard-worked for documents.

See aren’t they pretty?

All that money just for a an extra sheet with a gold seal on it? Yep.

Then I took the “Beast” (as it has been dubbed by a Reece’s Rainbow mom) to the local “Mail It Store” (Whadda you call those, BTW?), got it all packaged up in a safe looking box, and sent it via DHL to Eastern Europe.

Can you believe all my hard work is in that box?

Don’t they look just SO excited?! Yeah, I know…

I really was excited, but also a little nervous.

I don’t think it really hit me what I had just done until I was emailing an update to the Reece’s Rainbow group. Then all of a sudden I realized that I had just sent my dossier to Liza’s country. Actually, every time I type it out or actually say it, it hits me again. I FINALLY shipped our dossier to Liza’s country! I do still have to send a couple things that need updated, but at least I know that the bulk of it will be there soon – most likely tomorrow – and will be getting translated and ready to be submitted when the new pieces get there.

We are finally going to be on our way very soon! Yay! Please keep praying that the road from here on out will be smooth. No more delays, no more roadblocks, just smooth sailing from here till we bring her home. We are also praying for the last little bit of funds that we need to come in so that we know we will be covered with food, lodging, and any other miscellaneous expenses. Anytime in the next 4-8 weeks I will be posting pictures of myself  and Rick holding the cutest little blonde haired, blue eyed promise IN. OUR. ARMS! Wooooo!!!

**Updated before I could even get this posted – Dang leafed out trees crapping up my internet connection. Anywho…. I just checked and the Dossier has made it to Liza’s country and been processed for clearance. I think that means, we are just waiting for it to be delivered to our facilitator!! Ya-hoo!! I may just be a tad excited…..**

Weird Fact Wednesday: Splinters

I HATE splinters! I cannot stand to have even the smallest one in me. I will actually take a needle and do more damage to myself trying to get a little splinter out than the splinter itself has done. It's almost like an obsession, when I realize it's there I can't leave it alone, I have to do everything I can to get the darn thing out!

Maybe it's just something about having a foreign object embedded in my skin? the discomfort? Or maybe I'm just a weirdo...... I don't know :) I actually have one in one of my fingers right now and have looked at it about 20 times since I started typing this trying to figure out if it's closer to coming being able to get out than it was last night.

I171H

Got word a little while ago that our I171H is finally on it's way! I am so glad that it will finally be here and we can finish up the dossier and send it to her country.  We had to get our Congessman Cantor's office involed becasue the immigration officer kept asking me if we had gotten a fingerprint appointment every time I would inquire about our status. All she would have had to do was look us up and see that we had been fingerprinted already, but when I told her we had she insisted we could not have been. I ended up scanning the fingerprint appointment letters that had been stamped the day we WERE fingerprinted and emailing them to her. Once she got that she realized we had been FPed already, but then we had to submit more evidence. Ahh well, it's all over with now and we should have that coveted piece of paper in our hands within a few days. Praise Jesus!!

Like Liza's little pink and red outfit? Teehehe :) I can't wait to dress her in one of the little outfits I have hidden away in my closet.

Dealing With Bullies Part 1 or Assault = 1/2 Day ISS?!

Last week one of my boys came home and said he needed to tell me something and made me promise not to get mad at him. Dontcha just hate it when they do that? Well, I knew I needed to know what it was so I said I would try not to get upset depending on what it was. Here's what he told me:

That he got three people in trouble in his second block class. That they all got referrals and might be suspended or given ISS. 

I asked him how did he figure that it was his fault that these students got in trouble. HE told me this story:

A girl in his class said she wanted to put make-up on him and he told her no. She proceeded to try to apply the make-up anyway and he got up to walk away from her. She came after him with the make-up still trying to put it on him and he put his hands up in front of his face. A boy who is quite a bit bigger than him grabbed his hands and held him while this girl and another girl put the make-up on him. (Their goal didn't seem to be to be to make him "pretty" just to get the make-up on his face even though he had repeatedly said he did not want this to happen.)

Did you notice that he indicated these kids being in trouble was "his fault"? Yeah, that's because the girl who started all this told everyone that he said, it was"OK". And whether  A.) they believe her for some reason or B.) she's one of the "cool kids" or C.) they don't want her to decide she has a problem with them, my son is now the one who is looked on as the "problem" in all this. That is a problem to me! I am really angry that this happened in the first place, even more angry that it took place in the classroom and especially angry that the problem is being perpetuated by this child's obvious lack of remorse and placing the blame on my son!

The school's response? This I hope makes EVERYONE angry. I don't think I have to tell anyone that this is a case of assault. I have been told that it is definitely assault by the Principal, the School Resource Officer (AKA - Sergeant for the Sheriff's office who patrols the school), and everyone who I've told this story to. So, the school's official word on how they handled it is, "It was taken care of" and they can't tell me what that really means because it's confidential. In other words I am not allowed to know what disciplinary actions were taken against the other students because they are minors. I have since begun to believe that is a load of horsecrap created to protect the school system.

What I do know is that these same three kids were back in the classroom, second block (so about 10:30), with my son the very next day. This tells me that three children ,the Principals and the resident Police officer of the school agree, assaulted my child received 1/2 day of either In-School Suspension or Out-of School Suspension.

Does this seem right to ANYONE?! Because it certainly does not seem right to me. I am on a mission to get some  things changed and to get justice for my son. Right now he still sees himself as less than worthy of being treated with respect. The first red flag was when he told me that "he got some people in trouble". No! They got themselves in trouble! I refuse to bow down and just accept that the discipline that was given is enough. It's obvious to me that it's not enough by the fact that this girl is able to place the blame for her actions on my son and he is accepting it and just hoping this will all go away. Kids are still going around saying "Well, _____ said it was OK!", basically excusing the behaviour of the kids involved.

So, what are we doing about it?

• The first thing that I did was to call the Principal, the Assistant Principal was the one who actually "took care of it", but when I couldn't get her I spoke to the Head Principal. She basically said she would look into it, pretty much blamed it on the Substitute, and refused to tell me the discipline that was given. Oh, and strongly suggested that maybe my son would want to stay home the next day because he "was probably embarrassed". Um yeah, I think we all know now why she thought it might be a good idea for him not to be there the next day. She knew he would tell us that those kids were in class.
• The day after the incident Rick and I both went in and requested to speak to her, the assistant who handled it, and the resource officer (who happened to not be in). Nothing really was changed, we were told once again that they were looking into it, they couldn't tell us what discipline was given, and that yes, the same sub was back again that day but they expected the regular teacher back the next day. Head Principal also tried to excuse the other children's behavior by saying that _______ had allowed them to put his hair in ponytails in the past and that he also had allowed makeup (he denies the past makeup and says the girls play with all the boys' hair, and different girls - not the one involved here). Rick made sure to make the point that no matter what was allowed in the past that when he told them no this time he should have been left alone. They could not deny this. They both also admitted that, yes, it was a case of assault and we can press charges and we can also sue the school if we don't feel they handled it correctly. (As of May 3 I have not heard back regarding their "investigation")
• I also called the Sheriff's office and talked to the Resource Officer who also confirmed that it is assault and let me know that, contrary to school policy, she was not notified when the incident happened but the next day, I believe after we met with the two principals. She said that she would be talking to the parents of the students involved and would let me know how that went. She also re-confirmed that we could press charges and that we have a year in which to decide to do so.
• I was given the name of a lady at the County Schools Central Office who is the contact if you feel that the school did not handle a situation like this correctly. Well, we certainly don't feel it was handled correctly! I spoke with her this morning and am waiting to hear back from her after she contacts the school and speaks with the principals. I get the feeling that she has never had to deal with something like this and doesn't know how to proceed.

Our school district has a supposed "Anti-Bullying Policy" that no one in the school system seems to know what it is. When you ask them what it is they direct you to the County's Schools website. Then you can't find it there. We had to call and speak to the receptionist only to be told she needed to find it herself and then call us back and direct us how to find it. So much for their strict stance against bullying, when we did find it we learned that it basically leaves the decision on how to handle things up to the individual schools. That is not a strict bullying policy, that is a cop-out, and kids are the ones who are suffering because of the school systems inability to take a stand. Not just the kids who are being bullied but the ones who are doing the bullying. I do believe "kids will be kids", but I also STRONGLY believe that it's our job as the adults in their lives to teach them what actions are wrong. I believe that some wrong actions have been committed and no one is stepping up to teach these kids the lesson they need to learn.

Especially in light of recent news stories about kids who were bullied, I can not "just let this go". I have other children who will be going through this school in years to come, one who is already there and one with special needs who will attend there in a few years. I hate to imagine what things may be like if something isn't done NOW. What might it be like for Liza if things at that school only get worse? This is a fight I refuse to give up on.

If you are just as incensed over this as I am please share this post with everyone you know. There has been a miscarriage of justice and I intend to see it made right if I have to make more noise than I have ever made in my life. 1/2 day of ISS or OSS is NOT enough for an assault on another student. A serious message needs to be sent to the entire student body to ensure that something like this (or worse) does not happen again! No, I have not shared the name of the school but if you know how to use Google you can probably figure it out. I want my entire county to know about this and if needed the rest of the USA.

Knuckleheadedness: Soccer Woes

I pray over my boys every night before they go to bed. Maybe they're technically too old for that but it's a nice time for us to spend and they get to hear my heart for them when I talk to our Father about the wishes I have for them. So, if they're 21 and still need my night time prayers I think I'll be ok with that.

Well, even though it's such a nice moment it's also usually got a laugh or two thrown in because those two just are not capable of being serious for very long. I think that's ok though. God made them that way so He understands, right?

Here's what happened: (That was totally said in my most Monkish voice)

I'm praying for them and I said something like, "Help them to hide your Word in their hearst so that when they go through rough times they will have your Promises to help get them through."

When I finish Austins says, "So, Mom, does that mean you're expecting us to go through hard times?"

I say, "Well, as long as we're alive there will be times we hit a rough patch, but God has promised to always be with us no matter what."

Austin replies with, "Yeah, even when you get your head stuck in the goal."*

First I look at him like, 'Huh?!' Then I say, "yeah even then....", flick him in the nose, and of course laugh hysterically.

They both crack me up every day. I can never be sure what's going to come out of their mouths and I LOVE it!

*apparently this really happened to one of his little buddies on his soccer team. I can only imagine....... and probably don't wanna ask..............

My Mother's Day Gift

See that pretty necklace above? That's what I'm asking for as my gift on Mother's day. The day after I wrote this post featuring the faces of some beautiful young ladies aging out of orphanages soon. I saw this neckalce posted on HopeChest's Facebook group, and when I read that proceeds from the sale of these necklaces go to programs like HC's Young Mothers Program, I knew that it was what I wanted to receive this year.

So, can someone tell Rick to read my blog?  Thanks ;o)

Weird Fact Wednesday: "Turn Left..... No... You're Other Left"

Did you really learn your left from your right in Kindergarten? Cause I didn't, and I have finally come to the conclusion it wasn't for lack of poor Mrs. Moorehead trying to teach me. Sorry Mrs. M, it was ALL me! Actually, I'm just carryin' on; I never blamed any one for my lack of directional skills, but I bet I drove my poor teachers crazy.

I am now, 26 years out of Kindergarten and I still do not know my Right from my Left. When someone says raise your Right hand there is a 50/50 chance I will actually raise the right one (yes, pun totally intended there). I always have to take a moment, look down at my hands, and remind myself which one I write with before I can proceed. This is usually not a problem so much. Where it can get tricky is when I'm driving and the passenger is telling me where I need to turn. If it goes like this we'll be fine:

Passenger: "Ok, keep going straight and about 50 feet ahead you need to turn left."

Me (thinking): 'Ok, left..... left.....' (wiggle my left hand on the wheel a little bit) 'Oh, that way.'

Then we turn and all is well with our World's.


Below is the incident that prompted me to put this as my Facebook status the other day: "If  you're like me and don't know your right from your left, please raise your right hand....... I'll wait......" I thought that was pretty clever and was so glad to find out that a few of my friends are the same way. Halleluia, I'm not alone!

The problem comes in when Rick is the passenger. He is pretty sure I can read his mind and I am equally sure that I can not. Here's what I mean:

Me: "Um, I don't remember how to get to this Doctor's office from here."

Rick: "Go straight through this light and then turn left."

Light turns green as he is speaking and I proceed to go. I hear left but my brain is thinking right. I don't turn.

Rick: "Turn LEFT! HERE!"

Me: "Right here?! Already?!"

Rick: "I said left....."

Me: "Well, you didn't give me enough time to think about which way was Left. You should know by now, you need to point which way you want to go and say, 'that way'. I don't know my Right from my Left."

He just shakes his head. Poor man, he didn't know what he was getting himself into when he married me. But, that's ok he loves me, even if I am Directionally Challenged.