Make It Grand

I have been busy

2012-01-27T22:30:00.005-05:00

I have not updated in such a long time - but I HAVE been busy. Lots of crafting going on. have so many pics to share, but thought it I added all of them, you would be bored to death lol.

So, here are some things that I have been working on. Dresses, outfits, bags, aprons, etc

Crafting is kinda calming to me, so I guess I needed a lot of calming lately.

2011-12-11T09:58:00.002-05:00

We had our annual cookie baking marathon last night. Last year we made 136 dozen cookies. This year we had a goal of 150. I thought this was insane, it is really hard to add that many more cookies.

Well, not only did we meet that goal - we SHATTERED it.

This year, we made 2085 cookies. Um, that is over 173 dozen cookies. Now, a lot of those were the "spritz" cookies, which makes a lot. But, still - so many!

At the end of the day, we made 17 trays, 11 square boxes, 8 small plastic buckets, and 5 large buckets. Plus, of course just what each of us grabs to bring home to our own houses. And, and the end of the night - there were still tons of cookies that had not made it onto a plate or tray.

I will add the ingrediant list soon - just easier to have everything in one place. But, for now - here is what we made. No real order, just how they were made. We made a lot of varieties of chocolate chip. Each count may include several batches. Feel free to check my math :)

They get counted as they come out of the oven. So, things jump all over the place lol

Cherry Chocolate Chip - 88
Red Sugar Cookies - 30
Chocolate Cherry White Chip - 55
White Chip Peacan Chocolate Cookie - 26
Non-Pariel Sugar Cookie - 64
Peanut Butter Cup/ Peanut Butter Cookie - 53
Sugar Cookie - 30
Reeces Pieces Chocolate Cookie - 72
PB&J Cookie - 44
Thumbprint Cookie - 87
Peanut Butter Blossom - 39
Oatmeal Raisinette - 116
Peanut Butter Cookie - 48
Chocolate Chip - 75
Butterscotch Chocolate Chip - 63
Green Sugar Cookies - 39
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookie - 77
Chocolate Chip Rice Crispy - 170
M&M Chocolate Chip - 63
Spritz Cookie - 106
Andes Candies Cookies - 40
Chocolate Chip - 24
Green Sugar Cookie - 34
Green / Red Spirial - 30
Spritz - 108
Flower Spritz - 22
Chocolate Chip Raisinette - 24
Cranberry Shortbread - 12
Chocolate Chip - 47
Chocolate Peanut Butter - 7
Oatmeal - 60
Chocolate Chip - 63
Chocolate Chip - 9
Cranberry Shortbread - 36
Spritz - 67
Chocolate Peanute Butter Chip - 15
Sugar Cookie - 12
Oatmeal - 14
Thumbprint - 48
Cinnamon Spirial - 36
Cream Cheese Spirial - 32

Like I said - I will add the list of all the supplies soon - just waiting to get a full list from everyone.

And, here are just some notes for myself for reference:

~ I got there at 8am, the sisters were already there (arrived around 7:30)
~ The last batch of dough was made at 3:30 (LOTS in the fridge, lots of backup)
~ The last batch went in the oven at 7:00
~ I started making baskets at 5:00 - did not finish until almost 8

I want to share craftiness

2011-12-09T10:21:00.002-05:00

I want to share what I have been working on, but can't LOL

I wanted to make a bunch of gifts this year, in addition to any gifts that I purchase. I have been busy!

I still have lots to do, and it seems like I am running out of time.

Can't wait to share

Allergic to Peanuts

2011-12-02T22:39:00.002-05:00

Elsie has had reactions to eggs and to peanut butter. Obviously, after she had the first reaction, I didn't give it to her anymore. But, I really wanted to know for sure if she was actually allergic to them.

We changed insurance, and bla bla bla, but we finally went. I was actually surprised that they did not test for many things - ONLY what we already knew she had reactions to.

Anyway, this pic was taken about 1 minute after the start of the scratch test. She had a mild reaction to the egg, but a large reaction to the peanuts.

The reaction got much worse - but she would not sit still for a second for me to get a non-blurry pic.

We went and got additional blood work to check levels and were given an Rx for an epipen. Fun times.

gotta love the back rolls lol

Yo Yo Christmas Tree Ornament

2011-11-28T15:20:00.001-05:00

How cute is this - I made a Christmas Tree Ornament out of fabric Yo Yos. It was time consuming, but the end result came out really cute.

I will post a tutorial soon!

Getting a special visitor tonight

2011-11-21T09:02:00.002-05:00

Justin lost his first tooth. Guess the tooth fairy will be coming tonight. I hope she doesn't wake up the rest of the kids when she walks on the super creaky floor lol.

This tooth has been loose for a LONG time. I really thought for sure it would have been out weeks ago. I told him that if it was still there that I would have my dad pop it out.

Casual Christmas Outfits

2011-11-20T20:39:00.002-05:00

I made some casual outfits for the girls. They will wear them to see Santa, and then some of our christmas parties.

I will share a tutorial soon. The skirts are really easy and the shirts are just an applique, which I will also do a turorial soon.

i hope to see the jolly man this week. So, I will post action shots in the outfits soon :)

Measurements for Girls Skirts

2011-11-15T09:00:00.006-05:00

I have google the measurements for girls skirts so many times that I figured I would just add it here so it is easier for me to find.

These are the measurements that I found over and over. However, I tend to make them a tad bit longer. Maybe my girls just have really long legs or something. I might just add an inch.

I can tell you that the waist size is pretty accurate based on my girls.

6 m waist 18 waist to knee 6
12 m waist 18 waist to knee 8
18 m waist 19 waist to knee 9
2 t waist 20 waist to knee 10.75
3 t waist 20.5 waist to knee 12
4 t waist 21 waist to knee 13.25
5 waist 21.5 waist to knee 14.5
6 waist 22 waist to knee 15.5
7 waist 22.5 waist to knee 18
8 waist 23 waist to knee 19
10 waist 24 waist to knee 20
12 waist 25 waist to knee 21
14 waist 26 waist to knee 22
16 waist 27 waist to knee 23

This is another one that I found, which I think the lengths might be better. I made a skirt for a friend - using the first measurements, and the skirt was WAY too long.

These are the unstretched waist sizes (elastic waist):

6-12 months - 16 inch waist, 7 inch length
12-18 months - 16.5 inch waist, 8 inch length
18-24 months - 17 inch waist, 9 inch length
2T - 18 inch waist, 10 inch length
3T - 19 inch waist, 11 inch length
4T - 20 inch waist, 12 inch length
5T - 21 inch waist, 13 inch length
6 - 22 inch waist, 14 inch length

And, when making a tiered skirt - I like to use this calculator to figure out the measurements for each tier. But, you can also just use a multiplier of 1.5 for each row.

What a difference 2.5 years makes

2011-11-14T22:02:00.002-05:00

There is a small Zoo "near" our home. Justin didn't have school for a few days last week, so I figured we would take a drive to the zoo. Cora loved it. But, I am not sure if she loved the animals or just the fact that I let her walk instead of being in the stroller.

Anyway, we went in June 2009, and took the first pic. So, when I saw what I thought was the same wolf, I just HAD to take another picture. Turns out, not the same wolf. But, you get the idea. He is so much bigger than 2.5 years ago. Excuse the lack of a "hairdo" in the second pic. His hair is usually much cuter.

Family Pics

2011-10-26T21:04:00.003-04:00

We had family pictures taken on Sat. In fact, the WHOLE family. I gave photo sessions as birthday gifts to my niece and nephew. So, we had a session, my sisters each had a family session, and then we had a big group session with all my sisters, all the husbands, and all the kids. Oh, boy - it was CRAZY.

I was so excited that she got some really great shots, even if at the time I thought there was NO WAY that she got anything great.

I am so excited to be able to show Justin's face, and not have to blur him out. Yipee!!!

Great News - JUSTIN was adopted today!!!

2011-10-22T21:21:00.002-04:00

You read right. My son, Justin Clarence N was adopted today. We are so thrilled that the day is finally here. He was my son from day one, but it was so great to hear a judge declare him MINE!!!!!

Of course, I HAVE to share a picture.

Nothing new

2011-10-19T10:01:00.002-04:00

I feel like such a bad blogger. But, I guess when your life is pretty boring, then there is just not much to blog about.

I have been planning Lil J's adoption party - superhero style. Why? Because Superman, Batman, and Spiderman were all adopted.

He will be adopted sometime this month!!!!

Some B-Day Party Pics

2011-09-27T09:59:00.006-04:00

Here are some pics of the party. If you are looking for tutorials for any of the crafty items, I added them in one blog post HERE.

We hired someone to take pictures during the party. I really just wanted to enjoy the party, and not have to worry about trying to take pics as well. It seems like I either take lots of pics, but don't really "enjoy" the party like I should. OR, I really enjoy the party, and then realize that I have just have a handful of pics. And, those pics are usually not of the "important" stuff.

He was inexpensive, and I am very happy I did it. I am not saying that they are the most beautiful pics ever, or that every single one is frame worthy - but his candid shots are a million times better than what my camera could take, and to be honest, there are quite a few of really great pics.

I just love this first one! This post is very picture heavy :)

Party Tutorials

2011-09-27T01:00:00.002-04:00

I figured I would make one post and link to all the tutorials that I did for the birthday party. That way everything is on one spot.

Tissue Paper Pom Poms
Melted Crayons - Shaped like Butterflies
Decorated Cupcake Stand - DIY Cupcake Stand
Paint Chip Globe
Paint Chip Mobile
Buttercream Frosting
Super Sugar Cookies

I love my beautiful family

2011-09-25T20:44:00.003-04:00

We went apple picking today - we picked about 8 apples lol. It is not far from our house, so it is not like we drove for hours. The little kids were more interested in the playground than then apples, oh well :)

Was able to get a great family pic. Not too bad since it was a perfect stranger that took it.

Birthday Party Goodies

2011-09-24T22:27:00.002-04:00

We had the girls party today. It was supposed to be outside, but the weather reports were NOT looking good. As of 7:30 last night, we had a 70% chance of rain. So, we did plan B, and decided to have it inside. Not the best option, since my house is not really big enough for the amount of people we were having.

We decorated the house, and boy did it look so pretty and so girly!

Well, wouldn't you know if, not ONE drop of rain. Oh well. It worked out well though - some people inside, some out. I was so super excited that that weather held out, it was CROWDED for a bit in the house.

By the end of the day, most people were outside and the kids were having a blast.

The facepainter cancelled at the very last minute, but since no one even knew about that, it was not like people missed it.

Let me tell you - hiring that guy to take pics (at $25 an hour!!!!) was the BEST thing I did. I really got to enjoy the party! I have no idea what the pics look like yet though lol

So I guess my complaint letter to Mother Nature actually worked. I did take some of my own pics of all the decor,etc - so I figured I would share some of them :) I worked so hard on all my DIY crafts!

Tissue Paper Pom Pom Tutorial

2011-09-18T14:06:00.004-04:00

I am making tissue paper pom poms for the girls party - which is this coming weekend. I quickly wrote about it a few weeks ago. But, I figured I would do a step by step tutorial as well.

Officially Extended Rear Facing

2011-09-15T10:52:00.002-04:00

The AAP now recommends that you keep children rear facing (RF) in their carseats up until at least 2 years old. Here is their info on it. We made the choice to keep the girls RF as long as possible.

Cora turned 2 this week and we have not turned her seat forward. Her seat goes RF till 35 pounds, and she still has a few pounds before we hit that. The seat also has a high RF height max (one inch from the top of the seat) and as you can see - she is far from that.

And to answer some questions -

1. Yes, i do believe it is safest this way
2. No, it is not illegal to NOT have them RF until 2. The current law is 1 yr old AND 20 lbs to turn them. Your child MUST meet both.
3. No, her legs are not squished. She will just cross them, or put them higher on the back seat.
4. Her seat is a First Years True Fit - and I LOVE it.
5. She is not uncomfortable - she looks happy, right?

Doing another sew-along

2011-09-14T20:42:00.002-04:00

I am going to do another sew-along. I did the kcwc (Kids Clothing Weekly Challenge) in the spring and it really motivated me with my sewing.

This one starts the second week of Oct, which is great timing for me since it is after all the birthday parties.

Plus, I have some time to think of some ideas!

We could finalize NEXT MONTH

2011-09-14T13:27:00.000-04:00

OMG - we could finalize NEXT month!

Lil J's c/w came today to over over the final paperwork that we need for the adoption packet. Lots of stuff we had to read, understand, sign, etc.

I asked about the next steps, she advised that it get reviewed by the chain of command, everyone signs their part, and then it is sent to our attorney. And, the attorney will contact us. She said all of this takes about 3-4 weeks.

I was thinking, cool - looks like we are on target to finalize before the end of the year. I even expressed my excitement to the c/w. And then she said.....

Oh, no - in (no more than) 4 weeks you will already have your court date - so when the attorney calls you, he will be calling you to give you the date. Which she said is usually a short time away.

She also said that she did the exact same paperwork with another family on 8/25 and that family is finalizing this friday. That is only 3 weeks TOTAL.

I can't believe it, he could be legally ours NEXT MONTH!!!!! I will of course be sharing his name and picture - and I can't wait to do it!

2011-09-13T22:40:00.001-04:00

i took Pro pics of the girls the other day - outfits made by me (Giggle Worm). I did the skirts, shirts, hats, and bows. Enjoy the pics :)

Happy Birthday Cora

2011-09-13T13:29:00.003-04:00

I can't believe it - Cora is 2 years old today. Where did the time go? Since we are doing a big party next week - a joint party with Elsie - we are just doing cake today.

I will have to take some pics as she chows down on her cake :)

from a Singer Sewing Machine Manual, 1948:

2011-09-08T20:54:00.000-04:00

■Prepare yourself mentally for sewing. Think about what you are going to do... never approach sewing with a sigh or lackadaisically. Good results are difficult when indifference predominates.
■Never try to sew with a sink full of dirty dishes or beds unmade.
■When there are urgent housekeeping chores, do these first so your mind is free to enjoy your sewing...
■When you sew, make yourself as attractive as possible. Put on a clean dress.
■Have your hair in order, powder and lipstick put on...
■(If) you are constantly fearful that a visitor will drop in or your husband will come home and you will not look neatly put together, you will not enjoy your sewing as you should...

YES - this is how I do ALL of my sewing. OMG - so funny!

.

A Family

2011-09-03T20:55:00.002-04:00

I have found pinterest, and I really love it. You can find all sorts of stuff there. I really love the different quotes, etc that I have found.

I recently found this one:

"Being a family means you are a part of something very wonderful. It means you will love and be loved for the rest of your life. No matter what."

It might not have anything to do with adoption, and I have no idea who even wrote it. But, I love it and I think it describes us, and my family. Sounds so silly - but I cry every time I read it.

We are getting close, I know we will be done by the end of the year. We don't have an actual date yet. But, every step is a step forward.

Oh, and if you are wondering what pinterest is - here is a response I wrote on a crafty message board.

What is Pinterest, and how does it work?
It is kinda like all of your favorite links in one picture space.

I know for me, when I like something I find online, I save it to my favorites, or bookmarks.

But, when you do that (for me) when I am looking for something again, I sometimes have to click on many links because I can't remember which link corresponds to what items.

So, pinterest allows you to do that same thing, but in PICTURE form. So, just like your bookmarks, you can have folders. Each "pin" is a picture of something you like - but, the picture is actually a LINK to the original item.

So, instead of clicking on links in your favorites, you have an entire folder of pictures. Then you can see everything in one spot, and click on the pic for more info if needed.

But, what is also great about it is the search. Think about it this way - sometimes when I am searching for something on google, I will do an image search instead (I am a visual person). But - - sometimes I don't find what I am looking for pages!

Since people are only "pinning" things that they love, it is much easier to find great things. Not page after page of google images that have nothing to do with what I searched for.

Once you sign up, you install their "pin tool" which allows you to add items that YOU love to your boards. Things that you find on blogs, your favorite websites, etc.

It IS a sharing site, so once you pin it, it will be shared with your followers and everyone else on pinterest. You can connect with your facebook friends. This way you see their pins, they will see yours, etc.

You can have several boards...clothes, recipes, crafty items, quotes, party ideas, etc, etc.

Just a warning - once you get on it, it is so addicting LOL.

RIght now, it is an invite thing - you can post your e-mail and I can send you an invite.

I love it, I have gotten so many ideas for my girls' birthday party.

Birthday Pics :)

2011-08-31T14:19:00.001-04:00

I had a coupon that expired today, so I went and got B-day pics of the girls. Just 2 weeks early for Cora, and about 3 weeks early for Elsie. No biggie :).

Cora really did not want her pic taken at all - and so I only got very few of her, and only ONE of the two of them together. Oh, well - got some super cute ones of Elsie.

11 Months old - and an EARTHQUAKE!

2011-08-23T20:48:00.002-04:00

Elsie is 11 months old today. I can't believe that she will be ONE next mont. And, don't forget - Cora will be TWO next month!!

I will have to upload some recent pics of the kids. Everyone is getting so big.

----------------

On other news, there was an earthquake today in VA. However, my house TOTALLY shook in NJ. I was confused at first, then the whole house was swaying. It was pretty scary.

Lil J started screaming that his bed was shaking - he was napping.

I am sure I will always remember that the earthquake was on the day that Elsie turned 11 months :)

Paper Globe from Paint Chip Samples

2011-08-22T16:01:00.002-04:00

Again, crafting for the party. I made these paper globes out of paint chip samples. Everyone usually has these hanging around the house, right :)

I loved using the paint chips, since there are shades of the same color on one strip.

The strips I used were 2 inches wide and 9 inches long. I cut them into 2-one inch wide strips. Each globe used 12 full strips, so after I cut them - it was a total of 24-one inch strips.

Here is a quick tutorial for Paper Globes from Paint Chips.

Butterfly Crayons out of broken pieces

2011-08-18T15:04:00.003-04:00

I told ya, I am being super crafy for the birthday party. A lot of the ideas were suposed to done last year, but Cora's party was cancelled. So, I have been wanting to do the crayon craft for a LONG time.

I am claiming that these are made from broken crayon pieces, but truth be told, I bought them last year when the 24 packs were on sale for $0.25 a box. I probably broke up about 6 boxes, have 12 cut out already, and will still probably get another 10-12.

It is not hard to do, just kinda time consuming. Basically, you break and melt crayons, wait a bit to cool, then use a cookie cutter make shapes.

But, here are some "tips"

Peeling the wrappers off of crayons is a total PIA, I got the tip to use a knife and score down the side. The wrapper come right off. MUCH faster.

I separated the crayons in like colors. All the red, orange, pink, peach, etc in one batch, and then the blue, green, purple, yellow in another. Oh, and then the random colors in another (brown, black, white, grey). You don't have to do it this way, do it YOUR way :)

I used disposable trays, thought this was easier. I used the same one on round two, but must have had a small hole in the pan - it dripped all over my oven. oops. I then put the tray on a cookie sheet (you can see my mistake below)

I sprayed the pans with cooking spray, no real reason other than I figured, "why not"

After breaking the crayons, I put them in a sandwich size ziploc bag (until I could melt them), and it turned out that that was a great amount to fill my (probably) 9X13 pan. I just covered the bottom of the pan in a single layer. It does not have to be deep.

I put my oven on 300 degrees and then kept the light on to figure out how much time

It took longer than I thought - each batch took about 17 minutes to melt down

After taking the wax out of the oven, let it sit for about 5-7 minutes. Enough that it is still soft.

Take a METAL cookie cutter in whatever shape you want. Really press and wiggle a little to make sure to get a nice cut-out

Wait a few more minutes (maybe 2-3) and then push up on the bottom of the pan and pull out the shapes. I used a disposable pan, you obviously can not put on the bottom of a non-disposable pan lol

I had a lot of "waste" but I will use that for more crayons.

Over all, I think they came out really cute. They will go into goodie bags, but I was concerned that someone would eat them. So, I made up this little poem:

They look so cool
They look so neat
But, these are crayons
So, please DON'T eat!

And, here are some pictures for your enjoyment :)

Birthday Outfits for Elsie and Cora

2011-08-17T10:20:00.002-04:00

The girls' party is just around the corner. I have been busy with the craftiness for the party. But, of course, I just had to make their outfits. They are mostly the same - but with different color accents.

I think everything came out cute, and I think the tulle adds a bit of fancy to everything lol.

I have tried to put the crowns and the bows on the girls, but they quickly come off. I hope I can get them to wear them long enough to snap a picture.

Tissue Paper Pom Poms

2011-08-07T22:15:00.002-04:00

My niece is here for a few days this week, and then again at the end of the month. I figured it was a great way to start on the craftiness for the girls birthday party. Of course, it is a lot of DIY stuff.

The party is not until the end of Sept - but I have a bunch of stuff that I am making - so I figured I could start early.

So, tonight we started making the tissue paper pom poms. I think they look ok. Much better from "far away" than up close. Now, I only have to make a million more. :)

I can't wait to show all the decorations, etc that I have planned for the party.

Oh - pom poms are really easy to make. I used 10 sheets, but probably could have used more. Just fold it accordian style, tie it in the middle, cut the ends in a point or curve, then pull apart each layer. Easy Peasy.

Totally Random

2011-08-05T14:40:00.002-04:00

On this season of P.roject Runw.ay there is a guy that is asian with blonde hair. And, I can't help but wonder if this is what Lil J will look like as he gets older. Lil J has blue eyes though.

Obviously, no one is cyber land knows what Lil J looks like (soon, I hope) - and really the only thing "asian" about Lil J is the shape of his eyes, the (lack of) bridge of his nose, and the texture of his hair.

So, I wonder what he will look like in 15, 20, etc years.

Here is the guy - kinda cute ;) OK - if you actually know me, you would know that (for me) he is more than kinda cute

Bad Blogger

2011-07-27T14:34:00.002-04:00

I know, I am such a bad blogger - have not had a post in quite a while. I guess my life is pretty boring right now.

Let's see some "exciting" stuff

1 - I got the windows in my van tinted
2 - I got my sewing machine back after being out of commission for 2 months
3 - I have been having tons of fun planning the birthday party for the girls
4 - We went on vacation down to the beach, the girls HATED it.
5 - The kids are getting so big, Lil J starts kindergarten in the fall
6 - looks like we will finalize adoption before the end of the year
7 - Colin has some medical things going on - but in the end he will be fine

See - really boring stuff. But, I will leave you with some family pics :)

Big Feet Run in the Family!

2011-07-16T21:06:00.000-04:00

DIY Cupcake Tower / Stand

2011-06-30T20:37:00.003-04:00

With the girls' birthday coming up, I knew I wanted to do a cupcake stand/tower as the cake. I really like cupcakes since there is no cutting, and I know that I will have enough. Plus, you can get "fancy" with the decorations.

Plus, even with plain cupcakes, the tower makes it look so much more fancy. I am all about fancy lol.

I started googling and found these links, they are all the same concept, but have slightly different instructions. I thought I would just share the links instead of doing my own tutorial lol

Cupcake Tower #1 - Cupcake Tower #2 - Cupcake Tower #3

Basically you use cardboard circles, cover with pretty paper, use ribbon or strips of paper around the circles to make it look like a wide platform. Then you use full cans in between the layers.

I wanted to make one for a BBQ that we had as a practice run. I did it in about an hour, so it is not the best...but overall I think it looked OK. The colors did not photograph well, but I also had bad lighting.

Next time, I will make the bases the same color, and the outer colors different.

But, here is what it looks like uncovered, and then after. Doesn't it look like it is thick platforms, nope, it is thin cardboard with a wide strip of paper.

It was really easy, I used mod podge for the main part, and then hot glue for the outer "ribbon" parts. Took about an hour. I can't wait to make more for the girls' party.

How Much Food Do I Need for a BBQ?

2011-06-27T11:05:00.006-04:00

Every year I have a BBQ for my cousins, and every year I never know how much food to buy. It is a pot luck BBQ, so every family brings something like salads, desserts, etc. I do the burgers, sodas, you know the basics.

So, this year, I made a list of what I bought and what we used.

We had 46 people - but there was about 25 missing, so next year I will have to obviously adjust.

46 people - 25 Adults, 13 age 0-7, 1 age 7-12, 7 age 13+

Here is what I used (bought)

36 Hamburgers (bought 72) - bought similar amounts of buns
16 Hotdogs (probably needed 24) - bought similar amounts of buns
3.5 Lbs Chicken
1 Pound of American Cheese (bought 1.5 pounds)
24 Cans of Coke
24 Cans of Diet Coke
24 Cans of Sprite
12 Cans of Orange
24 Bottles of Water (Bought 36)
20 Juice Boxes
24 Beers - it is BYOB, but a bunch of people did not bring, so this was good that we got more
8 8-lb bags of ice
2 tomatos, 1 onion, 1 head of lettuce for "fixens"
1 Small Watermelon
100 Plates
100 "Solo" cups - but since we used cans, we have tons left over
70 Jello Shots :) - note: one box of regular jello made 35 jello shots
3 Large bags of Chips + one onion dip
24 ice pops

People brought different pasta salads, potato salad, fruit trays, veggie trays, pickle trays, bean dish, chips & salsa, desserts, etc

If I was doing all the side dishes, I would not have had as many sides - we had lots left over; but it worked out great - a good variety.

Now, I know what you are thinking - that seems like an awful amount of waste. I mean, we had 36 extra hamburgers. Well, I knew I could return anything that was not opened. We kept one bag (of 18) in the freezer, and one bag in the fridge. We figured that we would take them out as needed. Plus, my sister is hosting a BBQ next weekend and we knew that I could just give her anything that we had left-over. Next BBQ, I will be able to use this list and (hopefully) plan well and not have too much left over.

Plus, we drink soda and bottled water - so that will never go to waste.

So, there you have it - I have now answered the question, "How many hamburgers do I need for a BBQ?"

Yada Yada Yada

2011-06-17T13:34:00.002-04:00

I could not think of a catchy title, so yada yada yada it is. For those that don't know, it is kinda like bla bla bla. Used as a placeholder of sorts. We went to the beach and yada yada yada we had a great time.

Whatever

Anyway, I feel like I am a bad blogger - it has been almost 2 weeks since I wrote a post. And it seems like this is becoming a trend. I guess my life is just pretty boring.

I keep seeing people post on facebook, or a message board, or where ever saying that their kid is saying this or that, and it really makes me realize how LITTLE Cora actually says. We had her evaluated at 15 months old for speech delays. At that time she said nothing - how she didn't qualify is totally beyond me. They told us to have her re-eval at 18 months if there was not a marked improvement.

18 Months came and went, and she is still not talking. Yes, 18 months old was 3 months ago. And, yes - I really need to make the call. But, as each day goes by, I think to myself - this will be the day that she has the word explosion that everyone talks about. Today will be the day that I can understand what she wants. Today will be the day.

But, the day comes and goes. By 21 months, a (AVERAGE) should be starting 2 word sentences. Yeah, right. Not for Cora. I really think Elsie will talk before her. I have been keeping a running list of her "words" on a piece of paper. Let's see - she says ball, dog, mama, dada, baba, more, out, meow, and the sound of a monkey. yup - that is it. Oh, and she kinda says please.

She can sign a few words as well.

But, that is 10 words, if you count the animal sounds. Seriously? Not even close to making sentences.

I guess just accepting that there might be an issue is well, my issue. I am going to call today.

Major Update

2011-06-07T20:53:00.001-04:00

We have court today. The whole bio father thing is getting on my nerves. It keeps getting pushed back, postponed, etc.

But, today is the day. He is flying up today and has told my CW, and his attorney, that he will be doing a surrender today. This has been said before though. He was actually suposed to do a surrender back in March at mediation.

UPDATE

This turned out really long. Short Story - Lil J is LEGALLY FREE!!!!!

Long Story:

Sorry I could not update sooner. We had a follow up dr appointment for Elsie, so basically I walked in the door, and had to leave again. Then the doc went over schedule, then we had to dinner, baths, etc, etc.

Bio Dad, was being flown from out of state, and then being taken directly to the court house. This alone was annoying since we can not control the airlines, etc.

We were scheduled for 11am, and the judge knew about the case and knew about the circumstances, etc, etc, and was basically "holding up session" to wait and hear us. His caseload is very light since he is retiring at the end of the month. At this point, he is just wrapping things up.

Anyway, he did not get to the courthouse until almost 11:30. Then he had to meet with his attorney.

We went into the courtroom and he did in fact do the full surrender! I didn't think it would be emotional for me, since he has had no relationship at all. But, it was! the attorney went over all the questions on the surrender forms, making sure he understood everything, and made sure he was there on his free well, bla bla bla. All very legal wording, etc.

But, then the judge asked him very similar questions, but in a converstation tone. The judge asked why he was surrendering. His answer really just broke my heart. He admitted that he was irresponsible in his life, selfish, and immature. He also said he wanted to do what was best for Lil J, that he LOVES that he is with a great family, and that he loves him so much, even though he has never met him.

He also went on and on about how he is not in a position emotionally, mentally, physically to raise a child - let alone as a single father. He wanted Lil J to grow up with people who loved him, and not (someone like him) who essentially didn't care enough to step up to the plate (his word, not mine).

The judge them made it clear that this is not reversible at all, and those words really sunk in for him. I was sitting directly behind him, but I could hear his voice cracking as he spoke. It was very emotional.

When the judge said, "I accept your surrender, and since bio mom has already been terminated, said minor is legally free to be adopted" - I was in tears.

After court, just me and the bio dad went for coffee. We chatted for over 2 hours, just taking. It was weird that it was not weird. He was easy to talk to. We talked about his life (current and past), we talked about his relationship with Lil J's mother, we talked about my family, we talked about Lil J, we talked about everything in between.

The funny, totally non-expected thing that happened today was that I paid his cell phone bill - kinda. When he arrived at court, he told the CW that his phone would be turned off any mintute for non-payment. Having a hard time right now would only barely describe his life right now.

Well, during the time we were in session, he phone was indeed turned off. He was flying back today (in and out same day) - and everyone knows how bad it is not to have a phone, especially when traveling. He flat out asked me if I could pay the bill if he gave me the cash. He gave me the cash and I paid the bill. I can say that this was never in my head as something I would be doing today. It is not like he had my card #, it was done all on the phone, it was only a one time charge, and he did give me the cash. Totally random, I know.

Like I said, we talked about everything. Then he dropped a bombshell on me. He was told about 6 months ago that he has several spots on his lungs, this was in the ER, and he was given the name and number of several specialists. He has done nothing since then, since he has no insurance and has been denied state care. How the hell he was denied, is beyond me. I mean - you have not job, no savings, and have a heath issues.

It was a lot to take in.

After our chat, he hugged. And, again - not weird.

He had to go back to the office to fill out some additional paperwork - his medical info, a letter to Lil J, take a pic for his life book, etc All of these things were requested previously

My CW is coming tomorrow and we will officially start the adoption process. I told my husband that I will buy extra pens just so that we can fill out everything on our end tomorrow night. lol I mean, I know it will still be several months before we finalize. But, might as well do our part as soon as possible.

If you got this far, wow - you were committed lol. Thanks for reading. It is a good day for our family.

Humpty Dumpty

2011-06-04T20:57:00.002-04:00

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall....Humpty Dumpty had a great fall :(

We went to a local park to have some family pics taken. We were heading back to where our stroller was and the decided to have a few pics on a small wall that was in front of a small pond. Sound really nice, right.

Yeah, all was well until Elsie lunged forward and fell FACE FIRST on to the ground below. And, by ground, I mean gravel, slate, rocks, etc.

She was screaming!!! Of course there was lots of blood as well. She cut inside of her nose, and blood mixed with snot looks like tons more blood.

In a few minutes she was falling asleep. This made me really nervous. We were not in our local area, so I did not know if there was a hospital near us. Turned out the hospital that I knew of (and never been to) was the closest - at about 25 minutes away.

I sat in the 3rd row behind Elsie and had to wake her up every few minutes. Seriously, I don't think Frank ever drove so fast in his life. We almost pulled over and called 911, but figured we would be at the hospital before help arrived. I did not know if she was just tired, or if she was passing out. So scary!

We got to the hospital and they took us right in. The dr examined her and thought she might have broken her nose. Since it is a head injury, they did a CT Scan. Everything came back clear - nothing wrong except tons of scrapes and bruises.

Frank was so upset - he really thought is was his fault. Accidents happen. And, I am sure it will not the last time we are in the ER. I feel bad that he was so upset.

On the plus side

1) at least it was the last pic and not the first
2) my goodness, Elsie's eyes are so blue
3) I got to see the inside of a local hospital

Here is my pretty girl

I am a slacker

2011-05-29T14:27:00.004-04:00

I have written a blog post in a while. Nothing has really been going on, but life keeps us busy. I am still sewing as much as I can - but my machine really hates me right now. There is something wrong with the bobbin, I almost threw the machine across the room yesterday.

I made an entire outfit as a gift. Of course I waited until Friday to make it for a Sat party. It was not hard stuff, or anything that is time consuming. But, when your machine is crazy, breaks 5 needles, jams every 10 stitches, it was getting me really pissed off. I almost had to hand sew the entire skirt. At least I was smart and did the shirt first - it the skirt was never made, it would not have been too big a deal.

But, in the end - I was able to finish the whole outfit. I have another party next week - this time for Lil J. I was planning on making a super hero cape for one of his friends. If my machine does not cooperate, I will be in trouble. This time I won't wait until Friday to make it.

But, here is the finished outfit :)

I wish it was just over already

2011-05-19T14:39:00.003-04:00

Without going into too many specifics, it is getting annoying with the bio father. He said he would surrender, then said wanted an attorney, then said he could only do it in person, then said he couldn't make it on a certain day, then needed to postpone again, bla bla bla

Rights on mom were terminated about 2 months ago. This guy has never seen Lil J, but it is not like he did not know about him. They were together until she was about 6 months pregnant. He was contacted 2+ years ago when Lil J was placed in care. He has ignored court orders for DNA tests.

UGH - at this point it really is just a formality. But, we really wanted to start the process of the adoption paperwork. We wanted to finalize before the girls' birthday party (Sept). We still hope to finalize before the end of the year.

It is just getting old.

Kids Clothing Weekly Challenge - Day 6&7

2011-05-15T20:41:00.002-04:00

I have to say - day 6 & 7 of the KCWC are really boring. I love making these skirts, and I LOVE this print (same as the bonnet). I actually *mostly* made both of these skirts a few weeks ago. All except the the elastic was done.

So, my day 6&7 sewing was adding the elastic and doing some minor hand sewing.

I seriously love this print, I will have to go back and see if I can get some more. I would love to make some shorts or something else super cute. Might work out well since the girls' b-day party theme will be butterflies. And, NO - I am not thinking that far in advance. We had to cancel Cora's party since I was on bedrest - so we are having a combined party with the same theme as we planned for Cora.

I have lots of new ideas for the party - guess you will just have to wait until Sept :)

So, until I can get Cora to wear these (and better weather) - here is a pic of the two skirts.

Kids Clothing Weekly Challenge - Day 4 & 5

2011-05-13T14:50:00.003-04:00

I DID blog about this yesterday, but I guess blogger is having issues. Anyway - I will just blog about day 4 & 5 in one post.

Yesterday I made a shirred top and quick shorts. I sewed MUCH longer than an hour. Had tons of issues with my machine, but - in the end I like the result for the most part.

I did the sleeves 3 times and I am still not satified. But, good enough for a pic. Her shorts are too small, but again - good enough for the pic. This is the first time that I shirred, and I really like the result. It was really easy - and there are tutorials all over the web.

I actually made Lil J's cape on day one. I had a school trip today, so I saved it until today to post about.

I bought the "fabric" not too long ago. It was actually a body pillow case. I just loved the print, and I got it on clearance for only $1 SCORE. I still have a bit left; so I will make a skirt out of that.

It was hard to find boyish stuff in my stash. A floral super hero cape is not too cool. lol.

So, here you go. Day 4 and 5.

Kids Clothing Weekly Challenge - Day 4

2011-05-12T14:05:00.000-04:00

Today is day 4 of the Kids Clothing Challenge. I spent WAY more than an hour sewing today. I had issues with my bobbin, had issues with the sleeves, bla bla bla.

Anyway - today I made a shirred top and a set of quick shorts. This is my first time doing shirring. And, it was really easy and the results are really cute. Basically - you hand thread a bobbin with elastic thread, use the highest tension, and highest stitch, and sew in lines on the RIGHT side of the fabric. There are TONS of tutorials on the web about shirring, but here is one. I don't think she uses the highest tension, but I did and thought it came out great.

I used colored thread for the shirring, two different colors. I intended to do that - to match the shorts. But, it kinda looks like I ran out of the blue and just had to switch to the pink. Oh, well - no biggie.

I used ric-rac on the hem, because who doesn't LOVE ric rac. I know I do :)

I attached (and took off) the sleeves 3 times. I am STILL not happy with them. I like how they "ruffle" out, and that was on purpose. But, the seem too close to the edge of the shirt, and are falling down. For now, they are fine. I really wanted to get a few pics.

The shorts are too small, but OK for some quick pics. Since these are really fast, I will just make again.

The shirt is made without a pattern. Just a rectangle of fabric, shirred on the top, and then sewn. Same with the sleeves. I left a lot un-shirred to make the ruffle.

Kids Clothing Weekly Challenge (KCWC) - Day 3

2011-05-11T12:48:00.003-04:00

Today is day 3 of the Clothing Challenge. So far, I am going strong. Like I said yesterday, I am actually a day ahead. I will share that extra project soon.

Today I made a peasant style dress. I used a tutorial from Prudent Baby found HERE. It is a really sweet pattern, and I am sure I will use it again. Since I am committed to ONLY making things that I have not made before, everything comes with a learning curve. So, even today, I made some mistakes. Nothing major, but things that I would not do the next time.

I bought this fabric just because I loved it. It's a problem. I can't go into the fabric store without falling in LOVE with something. I have so much fabric in my house - it is insane.

I think the dress, overall, came out cute. Like I said - I will probably make it again. Hopefully not making the same mistakes that I did this time.

Lucky for us the weather has been great around here, perfect for outdoor pics :)

Kids Clothing Week Challenge (KCWC) - Day 2

2011-05-10T10:31:00.003-04:00

Today is day 2 of the KCWC. I actually made day two yesterday, but I will save that post for tomorrow.

Today I made new capris for Cora with a matching appliqued top. I bought this fabric not too long ago and LOVE it. It is so bright and cheery (is that a word?). I made a skirt for my niece and really wanted to keep it for Cora. No worries, I bought TONS of it. I will probably make a dress for Elsie with the same fabric.

I am really loving this challenge - it is helping me stick to my goal of doing more around the house and less PC time. Yes, I know - I am ON the PC lol. But, I am trying to spend less time - not NO time lol.

Anyway - I think they came out cute. But, I made some MAJOR mistakes on the pants. So major that I would have to start from scratch. So, I figured most people are not going to notice, and it is not like I am selling them. So, Cora will be wearing an oops pair of pants. Oh well.

Kids Clothing Week Challenge (KCWC) - Day 1

2011-05-09T13:29:00.004-04:00

I found out about the Kids Clothing Week Challenge through a message board that I frequent. Basically - you have to sew for one hour each day for a week. Sewing all kids clothes. What is great about it is that it is not a strict play only by the rules type of thing. Sew for more than an hour, fine. Sewing less, A-OK. Sew "kinda" clothes, no problemo.

My goal this week is to make something new each day, and to make something for Lil J - he always get slighted lol.

Today, I decided to make a Ruffled Bonnet based on The Ruffled Bonnet Tutorial from The Cottage Home. She has lots of tutorials on her site, in fact - I used her Party Dress pattern for the Easter Dresses. The bonnet was super easy (and FAST) to make, I love it so much - I think I am going to make some for gifts!

So - here is my Day One Project

Ruffled Bonnet for Elsie

Mother's Day Craft

2011-05-04T13:26:00.002-04:00

I knew I wanted to make something for my mom from the kids for mother's day. Someone on a message board shared an idea about a handprint craft. It got my wheels spinning, and I searched the web looking for some ideas.

The first pic was the pic that served as my inspiration; and then the second is how I did mine. Turns out, 4 hands, with one being HUGE does not really fit on a tote bag lol. I got some tips here and there, and while it is far from my best work, it is just fine. My mom will like it - well, I think so.

I used fabric for the leaves and stems.

Curl or Cowlick?

2011-05-01T20:28:00.002-04:00

Cora basically has no hair. Except on the very top of her head in the back. She has always had this longer piece of hair, so it does not surprise me that it is short everywhere else.

But, her hair is wierd. She has a spiral in the back of her head. And, I can't figure out if it is a curl, or a giant cowlick (sp). All of the hair on the back of her head grows totally sideways. After a bath, the hair is sideways, but after an hour or so - it is this giant spiral on the top of her head. It goes around twice. Yup, not once - but twice.

Her hair is really long back there, everywhere else is only about 1/2 inch long. I guess this is why everyone thinks she is a boy LOL

I know it will look totally different when her hair is longer. And, of course the spiral will not just keep going round and round - my goodness, I HOPE not. But, I also hope she does not have this gigantic cowlick back there. yikes!

My MIL says her name wrong :(

2011-04-27T10:34:00.000-04:00

My Mother in Law (MIL) says Elsie's name wrong. I mean, could you get an easier name? Sounds like L.C.

Nope, she says it like Eltz - EE Yeah, I know close enough, right. But, it is annoying. She almost stresses the 2 different syllables. So, she kinda pauses between Eltz and EE. To me it sounds totally different.

I am not gonna flat tell her she is saying it wrong. But I always say it correctly right after she says it - in converstation

Gma - Eltz EE, give Gma a kiss
Me: Yes, ELSIE (LC) give Gma a kiss

Just a random vent

Happy Easter

2011-04-26T09:22:00.002-04:00

The weather was great here on Easter - perfect for pictures. The girls were rocking their new dresses that I made, and I even got some smiles from Colin.

Cora is a great age right now. She really got a kick out of all egg hunt, and really plays now. so cute :)

Elise's Taggie Crinkle Toy

2011-04-19T14:54:00.004-04:00

Elsie is always sucking on the tags of anything she can get her hands on. So, I figured I would make her a quick taggie toy.

I used whatever ribbon I had I had in the house, and used a potato chip bag for the "crinkle". I did not use a pattern/tutorial since it is just a square with ribbon attached. But - if you are looking for one - I just googled "crinkle tag blanket" and got tons of hits.

I did add a plastic ring to one on the ribbons. To be honest - I just cut it off a toy that we don't use anymore. I figured she could either chew on it, or we can use the ring to attach it other (open) rings and then to the stroller, etc.

And, the best thing is it took about 5 minutes. yay.

Finished the Easter Dresses

2011-04-17T15:01:00.002-04:00

I decided a while ago that I would make the Easter Dresses for the girls, I blogged about it in my last post. Well, I finished Elsie's dress today (did Cora's last week). I like that they are different, but still have the same trim fabric. It was not a hard pattern - came from The Cottage Home I can't wait to see them on the girls :)

Sew Sew Sew

2011-04-13T21:37:00.003-04:00

I have done tons of sewing the past few days. The 30 minute skirt got me really motivated :) The following day I made 5 more skirts. Some for my girls, some for my niece, and some for a friend. I can't wait for the weather to be super spring just so Cora could wear her new stuff. I am probably going to pair them with basic tees, make it easy.

Then today, I finally started Cora's Easter dress. I am making the dresses for both girls and bought the fabric a while ago, and knew I was going to us "The Party Dress" tutorial from The Cottage Home The tutorial was really easy to follow. I did make some mistakes - mostly with the sash. But, in the end - I think it looks just fine.

The tutorial used "fancier" fabric, and I just used a cotton - so I think her dress looks more dressy, and mine looks more casual. But, I am totally fine with that. It is not like I am using it as a flower girl dress or anything.

I will be making one for Elsie as well. Her main fabric is different, but the bottom/sash are the same as Cora's. I will share Elise's as soon as it is finished.

A cute 30 minute skirt

2011-04-11T18:06:00.004-04:00

I have seen a couple of simple skirts, and since the weather is getting warmer; and because Cora really have no spring/summer clothes, I figured I would whip up on of these cute skirts. I knew I could just use "scraps" since the length of of the skirt is only about 12 inches.

From start to finish, it was less than 30 minutes. And, that is everything - picking fabric, cutting, pressing, sewing, etc. I really think I am going to make several of these for her spring wardrobe. I just added 2 yo-yo flowers to the shirt. But, I really did not attach them too well to the shirt, since it was not going to be "the" shirt. I realized that I have not one short sleeve shirt, so long just had to do for now lol

It really is just a gathered tube...I will try to do a pic tutorial for the next one that I make. But, it might be a while, since I have not even started their Easter dresses.

So, I learned 3 things today:
1 - Cora NEEDS new clothes for spring
2 - She also needs some spring shoes
3 - We REALLY need to seed our lawn

Mastocytosis

2011-04-09T22:50:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago, Elsie had a giant welt on her chest. We went to the docs, and he said it was *probably* a giant hive. Yes, just one. But, when it did not go away and kept getting irratated, the ped said he is pretty sure it is a mastocytoma. But, to go to a derm to be sure.

We went to the derm, and it is in fact mastocytoma. She actually has 3 spots. He said it is not "rare" but is uncommon. And, then followed that by saying, "thanks for bringing her in, kinda neat to see something like that - we never get something like that"

What is MASTOCYTOSIS????

Mastocytosis (pronounced "mass-toe-sigh-toe-sis") is the abnormal growth of mast cells in the body (usually the skin). Mast cells are part of the immune system. The most common form of mastocytosis is when mast cells accumulate on the skin, causing reddish brown spots or bumps. In rare cases, mastocytosis can affect other parts of the body, such as the stomach, the intestines and the bone marrow. This disease is considered an 'orphan disease' because it's causes are unknown and it's believed to effect less than 200,000 individuals. It is typically pretty harmless, and in kids it is almost always completely gone by the time they hit puberty. Symptoms can include spots like a rash or hives, diarrhea, and stomach pains. Taken from another blogger, Muffin Cake - she is a great writer, her son also has Mastocytosis.

And, here is a link about Mastocytosis

I am getting different opinions based on who you ask. Both my Ped and the Derm both say things like "not really a big deal. Just be careful with her. Will go away on its own". etc. But, then I read about real people, and get VERY different opinions.

Currently, she has one giant spot on her chest, and then a few smaller ones. At this time, the spot get a reaction when touched. And, when I say touched I mean just that. Not rubbed hard, not scratched, not bumped. Touched. And, it is in such a spot that when you pick her up, you are almost guaranteed to touch it. It swells up and get a yellowish raised thing. It is like many many teeny tiny blisters forming one hive like welt. Lucky for us, it has not broken the skin at all and does go down after a couple of hours.

I have included some pictures. The first two are when a reaction is happening. You should have seen my face when I saw it the first time, and yes it was that big the very first time is showed up. The last pic is what is looks like without a reaction. You can see that it is a brownish pinkish. I guess I would say it looks like a birthmark. Strangely, she did not have it at all at birth or at all until her first reaction.

I am hoping to learn more about this, which is hard since it is not too common (from what I have read). But, I will of course blog about things I learn about

Terminated Parental Rights

2011-03-30T17:06:00.000-04:00

Term trial started last week. Mom was a no-show, which placed her in detault. Because of this - the defense attorney is no longer able to provide a defense for his client. This basically cuts at least 4 weeks off of the timeline.

Well, the second part of the trial was today, she was still a no-show. Her attorney requested to be released from his service since he has had no contact with her in months.

Judge heard the case (hours and hours worth) and then took a recess. Came back and TERMINATED HER RIGHTS!!!

We thought it would take weeks, since I was given info about the standard timeline. But, that timeline would include a defense and then a rebuttal.

When my caseworker called me today, I was NOT expecting that kind of news. I was seriously speechless.

My C/W comes in about 2 weeks for a visit and we will start the adoption paperwork on that day.

The father is not terminated, as he still did not have an attorney. But he was notified of her termination, and we are pretty postive that he will do an id surrender. But, he either needs an attorney for that, or declare that he is representing himself.

A trial date was set for him for next month.

OMG - one day closer to calling him our SON.

It was a mixed emotional day for me. Yes, we want to adopt him. But, his mother lost her rights to him today. As a mom, that has got to suck big time - although she does not know it yet. I have met her, and I can almost picture her face when she finds out. I think it would kill me.

My Etsy Shop

2011-03-28T13:22:00.005-04:00

I have launched my etsy shop, where I will be selling ruffled bloomers and fabric hair clips.

I have also created a "fan page" on facebook that will list contests, new products, etc

Giggle Worm Etsy Shop

Giggle Worm Facebook Fan Page

I hope you check me out :)

Colin's Junior Prom

2011-03-26T21:01:00.002-04:00

Colin's Junior Prom was tonight. We actually picked up his suit the other day, so I took some pics then. Glad I did, we got a storm the next day and still have some snow on the ground.

He looks so tall in some of these pics.

Happy St Patrick's Day

2011-03-20T14:17:00.002-04:00

Colin is not wearing green, but what can you do. Two kids out of four with smiles = success lol

Mediation Today

2011-03-17T20:17:00.001-04:00

Mom was a no-show, which did not surprise anyone, not even her attorney was surprised.

Dad was there, they flew him up from out of state. He did not surrender, which is also no surprise. But, he was able to get some info from us, was able to get some understanding of the legal process, was able to GIVE us some info about him and the situation.

It was very emotional - for everyone. The CW was in tears, Lil J's attorney was in tears, we were in tears, dad was in tears - you get the idea.

Learned some very personal things about dad, and also some random things that will allow us to talk more casually to Lil J about him (where he grew up, what his favorite sports team is, what he likes to do, etc)

We are pretty confident that dad will do an identified surrender, maybe even in the next week or so. It is a lot for him.

He takes a DNA test, proves to be the father, gets a 20 page medical form to fill out, advised about TPR trial and / or surrender, gets hit with thousands of child support bills, etc, all within about a month. It's a lot to take in.

Since mom was a no show, we just talked with dad. We told him we would keep him updated with photos and he said he would write a letter that maybe would say a little more about himself, and that wehn Lil J is old enough, he could read it himself.

I think we had really good communicaiton with dad. So, I guess we made SOME progress today.

Picture Post :)

2011-03-15T10:01:00.002-04:00

Just a picture post.

1 - "St Pat's" pics (yes, a little early lol)

2 - Proof that Cora does actually have some hair. Taken right after her bath. It does not stay like that though (as seen in the first pic)

3 - We switched Elsie into the convertible carseat. Actually did a big carseat switch-a-roo. Got a new seat for Lil J, so Cora got his seat, and then Elsie got Cora's seat.

Today is J DAY

2011-03-11T12:39:00.002-05:00

Today marks 2 years that Lil J has been with us. He has been in care for about 2 weeks more, he stayed with a friend of a friend for a few days, then was with another foster family.

That foster family could not "deal" with him. Basically - they had a bio child the same age as Lil J and the two kids did not get along at all. He was her first foster child that was not family.

She decided to disrupt.

I am actually on another message board and she was on the same board (it had a board just for NJ foster care). After in her car for only a few days, she started writing about how she can to "get rid" of him. The problems she was having, etc

At first, I did not want to get involved. Why would I want to take the kid with huge problems (yeah, I know - there is no perfect child)? But, I kinda read through the lines and figured out that it was probably HER kid that was the problem, and not so much with Lil J.

We talked, I talked to his caseworker, spoke to my caseworker, and then I decided to meet Lil J.
Seriously, the day we met (yesterday 2 yrs ago), I knew that we wanted him in our home. After meeting him, and playing with him for about 2 hours, I KNEW that he was not this horrible child that she was describing. Just a 3 yr old boy that was just ripped from his mother.

I talked with the caseworker again and agreed that we would like to place him in our home. There was some paperwork to be done and she would let me know if he was coming. It was less than 24 hours later that he arrived.

I was so nervous waiting for THE CALL. In fact, the call came when I was driving my friend to the airport (1+ hour away). I probably drove faster than I should have lol. I get the call that he is coming, and a few hours later - there he was.

He showed up with the clothes on his back, a pair of PJs, 5 diapers and ONE matchbox car. He shoes were too sizes too small, his hair/scalp were in rough shape due to lack of proper care, and he was under weight

How could I not love this child? Of course the next few days are a blur - he cried out for his mommy, tore my heart apart. But, he quickly settled in to our family, and our house became his HOME.

I am not going to lie, it was HARD in the begining. We had to deal with really bad food issues, and behaviour issues. But, in the end - he is awesome. We still struggle with things, and are working through them. But, he has come so far. Physically, Emotionally, Pychologically.

I seriously can not wait to show his face - even that has changed so much. One day soon, he will be OUR son.

Craigsli.st Score and creative stitching (Pics at the bottom)

2011-03-03T21:03:00.004-05:00

I seriously don't think there is a perfect double stroller. Side by Sides (SBS) have advantanges, and tandem have advantages as well.

I bought a tandem while still pregnant, and while it works for now since Elsie is still in the carseat carrier, which kinda snaps in the back of the tandem. But, after using this stroller (which I bought at a consignment shop), I realized that I wanted a SBS.

I am not a snob by any means. But, I really had my eye on a specific stroller. This stroller purchased new costs about $500. I wanted it for several reasons. I mean it is not the most beautiful stroller, but function outweighs fashion. There are plenty of more expensive doubles out there....but also other for far less.

Well, being a $500 stroller, we can't afford it. I have been looking on crai.gslist every day, in several areas, looking for this stroller. And, since I live in boonie land - I was willing to travel upto 2 hours for this stroller if I was getting a good deal. Yes, that says 2 hours! for a stroller. That is how bad I wanted this stroller.

I contacted several people, but since this is a very popular stroller, many other people contacted sellers as well. Last week, I finally thought my luck turned around. I was going to buy a used one for $200, which is STILL a lot of money for us. It was 1 hr 45 minutes away. I was willing to make the drive. the guy told me he was only available on sunday - so I rearranged my plans and we were going to make the drive. Well, I am glad I checked my e-mail before we left. He sold it to someone the day before. It got me annoyed since he "promised" to sell it to me and he was the one that said he was only available on the sunday. Whatever.

So, today I see one listed, and listed for a STEAL. The ad said the it was is "good used condition" But also had "wear and tear because it was used by 3 yr old boys" They said that the wheels should be replaced. But, the cost of the stroller + the cost of the new wheels would still make it a good bargain.

So, I committed to buying it and was selected to purchase it. It was 1 hr 20 minutes from my house. Well, I get there and the stroller is in FAR worse condition than what was dipicted. there were very large tears, big rips, areas that where the fabric was shredded. I had to make a split decision and bought it. The second I left, I knew it was a mistake. I was so upset that I was so stupid, and did not tell the women - "you are crazy if you think this is good used condition. BUt, I figured that maybe I could just resell it as soon as I got home. The price I paid is still a great price for the condition, but it is not the condition that I wanted.

I actually called my friend all upset....yes, about a stroller. I got home and took tons of pictures with the thought that I would create my own ad. But, then I brought the stroller inside. And, then I looked at it. And, then I tried to figure out if I should try to salvalage it, and keep it. I even called the company to see if I could get a new seat covering (at almost $150 - yikes)

Well, it took tons of creative stitching, folding fabric, stitching every which way. But, I think I got it to a place where it looks "OK" It does not look as bad, not great, not brand new, but OK. Even with the stitching, it still looks like it has lots of wear and tear. But, I think I can live with it. Even if it is not the color I wanted lol.

So, here are my before and after pics. Note that the before pics were taken outside and the afters were inside - so all the colors don't match - but you get the idea. The pics really do not do it justice, since the befores looked much worse in person. the pics are small, so click on each one to see as a larger pic.

Termination Trial Date has be scheduled

2011-02-28T21:09:00.003-05:00

First a disclaimer - yes, we all know that the best situation would be for Lil J's mom (and any foster child) to be able to parent their own children, that they would not be in a situation that required the state removing their child. Or, after removal - the mom would prove herself fit and be reunified with her child. yada yada yada.

BUT - when that does not happen, then of course what is best for the child is adoption

End of disclaimer

__________________________

We had court last week- and the judge scheduled a termination trial date for NEXT MONTH! There are a few teeny stipulations that might delay the trial by about a month - but, I don't think there will be a delay and the trial should start as planned.

It is a multi-day trial and each day can be a week apart. So, it is not like the termination of rights will happen on the first day. I also found out that I am not allowed to attend the termination trial. I have attended every trial since Lil J moved into our home. But, the termination trial deals with TONS of "confidential" information that technically I am not entitled to. Most of the info I DO have is kinda on the side - I am sure I am not supposed to know most of what I do. As much as I would love to hear all the details of the case - it is hard to get sitters or have my husband take off of work. And, since it is a multi-day trial, it would be a lot of time off.

There will be mediation a few days before the trial - where bio mom would have the opportunity to do a voluntary surrender. This is something that we are invited to. They do this so they could possibly cancel the trial and save the state some $$. But, if mom does not show up to mediation (VERY possible) then we go to trial. Bio-dad will also be invited to this mediation. In fact, the state is flying him up from down south so that he can attend the mediation.

At this point - there is no way the judge should not terminate her rights. She has done nothing on her court ordered plan, has not seen Lil J in over 4 months, and has gotten herself in "trouble" since he has been in care. Today is actually 2 years in care. Time is up.

We are pretty excited that it is next month. And, even if it gets delayed, it will only be delayed by about a month. After termination - it will still be several months before his adoption is final.
So - disclaimer aside - we are EXCITED

_________________________

And - an update on Bio-Dad
They finally found the bio father - he kinda "fell off the earth" for 1.5 years. He has said time and time again that he WILL surrender, that he is in no place to raise a child. We sent pictures and pages of his lifebook to him through the caseworker, and he was overcome with emotion. He was so happy to see that we actually do stuff with him - you know ---- treat him like he is part of our family.

BUT - he said he will not surrender unless he is certain that Lil J will not go back to his mom. He is scheduled to attend mediation, which is a few days before the TPR trial. They are going to fly him up from FL to attend mediation - he will be able to hear all the details of the case. It would not take a genius to figure out the they will terminate. So, he will either surrender at mediation, or right after the termination trial.

Just a tiny glitch - but I don't think it will be too much of an issue. He has the same issues as the mother, so it is not like he CAN parent.

Elsie is 5 months!

2011-02-23T09:10:00.002-05:00

I few months ago, I blogged about taking the girls "monthly" pics using the same outfits. Elsie wears all the same clothes that Cora did, so I didn't think it would be too hard. I did not do it the first month - turned out I gave my sister that outfit. The second month I did not have the correct color pants. But, overall - same outfits.

It is funny how they really are about the same exact size for the same age. And - I don't think they look alike at all anymore.

So - here is 2 months through 5 months (today)

Cora is 17 months!

2011-02-14T13:22:00.002-05:00

Cora is 17 months old. Every month, I have taken a picture in the same spot. I am also doing it with Elsie. It is amazing to see the difference in size in just a few short months. I did not add all of them, just 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 1 yr, 17 months.

And, yes - it is the same chair LOL

Happy Birthday to Lil J!

2011-02-14T08:12:00.002-05:00

Today is Lil J's 5th Birthday! Wow - that went FAST. We are just having pizza and cake with just us and the girls from next door. We took him to monster jam a few weeks ago as well.

He is going to be so surprised when he comes home and the whole house is decorated. Nothing like last year - but streamers, balloons, etc. But, to a 5 year old - balloons = party. So, I am set.

Since they are doing their Valentine's Party at school today, and not having his school party until Thurday, I wanted him to wear a special outfit today for his birthday. So, I very quickly whipped up a birthday shirt and crown for him. Yeah, I could have made it nicer - but I think it will do it's job.

Pro Pics

2011-02-13T20:06:00.002-05:00

We went today to get some pro pics taken. I love this backdrop. This pic came out so cute, if I say so myself. It is funny because Elsie was really crying when they took this picture. And, no - she can not sit up yet. I am just off camera holding her left hand, trying really hard to keep her balance. She toppled over several times.

We got a few great ones of Lil J, and tried to get some of the 3 little kids - but that was a disaster. Cora was running all over the place - Elsie kept falling over, and Lil J was just done.

One year ago

2011-02-10T20:48:00.003-05:00

One year ago I found out I was pregnant again - I just wrote this long post about it and somehow after I added the pictures, poof------gone.

I am not retyping it, but it said something like "wow, I can't believe that I was pregnant again, bla bla bla"

So, here are some cuties. :)

They finally identified Lil J's bio father

2011-02-09T14:57:00.001-05:00

This guy was scheduled to be tested in 2009.. He missed 3 different court ordered appointments.

The plan was that the court would just terminate all unknown fathers at the same time as they terminate his mother's rights.

After the 3rd no-show, it was said that they would not search him out again. Well, I guess since the case is leading to termination, they wanted to get 100% certainty that he is or is not the father.

Well, it came back that this 3rd guy is the father. This guy left bio mom when she was 6 months pregnant and was never seen again. He has the same issues that his bio mom has - so it is not like he can parent at this time.

The caseworker spoke to this guy before the test results and he said he *might* surrender his rights before a trial. But wants pictures, and maybe a phone call before he would decide.

I know they would not just *give* Lil J to him if he wanted to parent...that they would do background checks, and he would still have to follow some sort of plan.....but being totally selfish, I am hoping he just does a surrender.

This guy was with her from the begining of her pegnancy (and according to him about a year before), and then was with her until 6 months pregnant. So, it is not like he didn't know he had a (possible) kid. Even if there was the possibility of someone else, he left knowing it could very well be his. Never sought her out for the next 3-5 years either.

My caseworker is going to speaking to him shortly, I have already given her some pics to send him. So, I guess we wait.

On another note, Lil J's mom is still MIA. There was a brief message to my CWs supervisor in Dec. But, there has been no visits since Oct 27th.

I have the cutest "Model"

2011-02-07T14:00:00.004-05:00

I am having a great time making these Ruffled Bloomers. Might be starting a little business - maybe a etsy shop, and selling at craft fairs as well. I have gotten some interest in these, so maybe I could make a little extra cash. Heck, every little bit helps being that I am a SAHM.

EDIT - I have started an Etsy Shop - called Giggle Worm

Of course, since I think the perfect age for these things are babies around Elsie's age, it makes perfect sense to use her to model them LOL. I am working on making a teeny tiny pattern just for newborns, since these might be a little too big for them.

I live in the boonies, but went to a fabric store about an hour away (the closest one outside of Walm.art) and it was like I walked into heaven. wow! It was fun to try to find coordinating patterns, colors, and prints.

Working on these are also helping me with one of my New Year's Resolutions - to get of the PC more (I know, as I blog haha). So, I have been crafting, cleaning, organizing, etc. I have found so many videos on fabric flowers, man they are addicting. I will have to post pics of just those.

So - now I just have to practice my photo skills, and you know, get much better lighting in my house. This way my sample pics will look better. I am actually going to get Lil J's pics taken for his birthday...maybe I will just slip Elsie in her bloomers for a few shots.

So, here are a few shots of some of my recent stuff. And, I will post a link to an etsy shop when I start one.

Is Expecting.......

2011-02-02T19:23:00.002-05:00

I just put this as my facebook status:

Amy is: EXPECTING!! I know, I know it's crazy isn't it? I can't believe it myself. I wasn't going to put it on here because it's obvious but wanted to make it official. I mean who would have guessed that we are expecting!! Yup it's official. My family and Friends in New Jersey are expecting *sNoW* AGAIN today and tomorrow!!

OMG - could you imagine!?!?!?!?

I conceived Elsie when Cora was (around) Elsie's current age. NO WAY would I do it for another. That would be 2 under 2....Again, NO WAY.

Besides - that shop is closed. But, it totally totally totally freaked lots of people out LOL

More Ruffle Bloomers

2011-01-26T13:53:00.003-05:00

We have yet another snow day here in NJ, so I made another ruffle bloomer. The two bloomers are totally different. I used wider ruffles this time and made a different hair thing. I am not sure which width I like the best, but I can tell you that I really do not like this hair flower thing. I think it is because the width is just too wide.

Plus, I get to show off pics of my cutie as well :)

Ruffle Bloomers

2011-01-24T20:11:00.002-05:00

I have seen a few places that have ruffle bloomers for babies. In my head, I thought - "hey, that would be cute for a 1st b-day shoot" Yes, totally thinking ahead for Elsie. LOL

But, I thought maybe I could have their Valentine's Photos in these ruffle bloomers. BUT - I knew that if I played around with a pattern, that I could probably make them myself. It is just a bloomer and ruffles.

So, I bought some fabric in coordinating patterns and played around a bit. I made my own bloomer pattern based on a pair that Cora had. Then, figured out where I wanted to put the ruffles, and tada....ruffled bloomers.

I took the left over ruffles and just made a quick hair flower and attached it to a headband.

So so super cute!!! I think they both look super cute, in totally differnt ways lol

It is Jammie Time

2011-01-21T20:14:00.001-05:00

Elsie is really starting to become a person. LOL But seriously. She is really starting to have some personality and really starting to giggle.

Here is our rendition of "Hammertime" If I need to explain that, then you are too young LOL. She also likes "I like big burps and I can not like"

Court Update

2011-01-20T21:08:00.002-05:00

Don't get excited, this will be short. The update on our court date yesterday is that there was no court.

Our hearing was adjorned with no new date set. And, it was not adjorned for any good reason, just to lessen the caseload of the judge.

The thing that annoyed me the most is that I did not find out until I was at the courthouse for over an hour just waiting to be called. AND - it was cancelled the day before. My caseworker was not notified until the day of court, and was IN court all day. So, she really did not find out until she got back to the office during lunch.

Lil J's attorney did not know either. So, we were going to try to get "squeezed" in since everyone was there. Well, not everyone - since his mom was not there (no surprise there). So, I sat there for over an hour just waited to see if we would get called in. The answer: NO WAY

But, I did find out that we ARE on the calendar for mediation in Feb. Although that just means that we should have it in feb, but not that we have an actual date. I guess this was part of the previous court order - you know the ONLY court date that I missed. It was 2 days after Elsie was born.

So - if bio mom agrees to the mediation, then that will be in Feb. The fact that this case was adjorned has no bearing on the mediation, which is good.

So - I just wanted to give yet another non update

50's Themed Birthday Party for my mom

2011-01-16T10:17:00.002-05:00

We had a surprise birthday party for my mom yesterday. She was born in the 50's, so we had a 50's themed party. It was so much planning it and and was even more fun seeing the look on her face when we all yelled surprise!

Lil J had a stomache bug and had to stay home with my husband. But, other than that - it was a great party. And, we totally pulled off the surprise - she had no idea at all. Here are just a few pics from the party.

A non-update on Lil J

2011-01-13T21:08:00.003-05:00

This post was supposed to be from the other day, but I forgot to publish it. Sooo.....here it is 2 days later. lol

I realized that today was the 11th of the month, which means that Lil J has been with us for exactly 22 months now. That is almost 2 years! Wow, life goes by so fast.

I uploaded a bunch of pics to a digital frame I got recently, and I can not believe how much he has grown since March '09. He looks so much more mature, is so much taller, and his hair is FINALLY decent. (*for those that don't remember, he had super thick, super gross 'cradle cap' type of dead skin on about 50+% of his head. And because of that, his hair was very patchy. AND, he was treated for lice when he was first put into care, and the little hair that he had was either cut badly or clipped badly. So, to say he had bad hair was an understatement!)

His mom was missing for a while (posted about it here) and while she did resurface (with a message to my caseworker's supervisor), no one really knows where she was or what she was doing those 2 months.

Lil J has not seen her since Oct 27, which was the last visit. She has missed every visit since then. Tomorrow is a scheduled visit - but our area is set to get hit with a big storm.

So either:
1) it is considered a "State of Emergency" and therefore the CPS office is closed; or
2) mom does not call to confirm the visit; or
3) mom does call, but cancels due to the impending storm.

So, I really don't see the visit happening. UPDATE - since this post is 2 days late. She never called to confirm or cancel the visit. So, the visit never happened.

We have a "Case Management Review" court hearing next week. Basically, they go over the details of the case, talk about what his mom has NOT been doing, what she HAS been doing (like bad things), and talks about Lil J's home life.

We finally have our original judge back, and she is a very no nonsense judge. There is a possibility that she will schedule a termination trial as the next court date. I heard a *rumor* that it could be around March/April. I am not holding my breath. But, since Mom has done NOTHING towards her plan, keeps getting in trouble, and misses tons of visits - it might be a good chance.

So - I just wanted to give a non-update update :) I will update again next week after court

Some pics

2011-01-13T14:31:00.004-05:00

Lil J is ready to rock!
A little girl in a big chair, and a big girl in a (getting) small chair LOL

Pics of the girls - FAIL!

2011-01-06T20:49:00.001-05:00

We don't have many of the same outfits for the girls. So, since they were wearing the same outfit today, I figured I would try to take some pictures.

Yeah, well - that is easier said than done LOL

yay for facebook sigh

2011-01-04T20:55:00.002-05:00

I have been trying to reconnect with a friend of mine from way back when. He is actually one of Colin's God-Fathers and we just lost touch over the years. Yeah, I KNOW - horrible.

In the past few years, I have sent mail to his last known address, sent messages to his brother who I found on facebook (3 actually, thanks dude), found a myspace page (looked like he never even used it) and even found a possible employer who had a facebook page - who I posted a message on their FB fan page.

I looked for siblings, etc on facebook as well.

Well, his mom just joined facebook and sent me a friend request/message. I was thrilled!!! She has been divorced/remarried/divorced, etc so I never knew her name to search for her. I sent her back a message asking her to forward my contact info to my friend. Also updated her on what has been going on with us, etc (she asked).

After 2 messages, she no longer wants to e-mail - but would rather call me. I guess she would rather talk. Well, 2 messages was about all I had to say to her. You know, how are you, what are you up to, I have more kids, I live in NJ, tell your son to e-mail me, etc. I mean, really - what would we really have to talk about? She also contacted me directly through e-mail because she said she was uncomfortable with the "safety" of FB messages. (??)

So, now since I gave her my phone number to give to her son, she has it. And, is planning on using it to call me soon. Great. Yay. Sensing the sarcasm?? I don't want to be rude or anything. But, I really did not know her then, and I only accepted her friend request to have a contact to her son.

I guess I will be screening my calls. I would rather contact through e-mail, and if we really had stuff to chat about other than the standard small talk stuff, then maybe phone calls.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE facebook. Just would like to keep some people strictly facebook friends (lol)

Her Name is Elsie - she is not a cow

2011-01-04T09:38:00.002-05:00

Bessie = cow
Elsie = beautiful baby girl

Geez. I go on a name message board to see what people are naming their kids. I went on there before my girls were born to get ideas, etc. I still go on there to check out names.

In the last 2 weeks, at least 4 people have asked about the name Elsie - which I find super weird since it is NOT a popular name at all.

Almost every response is "Yuck, I totally think COW" Well, guess what - she is not a cow, but a beautiful baby girl.

I guess I never really researched her name too much - yes, I know now that Elsie is the B.orden Cow. But, I really don't care.

Some new pictures

2011-01-03T21:20:00.002-05:00

I even threw one of Colin in there lol

2 years later

2010-12-25T22:38:00.004-05:00

It is amazing how much my family has changed in 2 short years. Colin is so much bigger and we doubled our family size! You can see that my mom did some improvements to her living room as well lol

Two years ago, I would NEVER have dreamed my life would be how it is today - and I would not change a thing. Our family is complete :)

The first picture is from 2008, the second is from today (Christmas 2010).

I should have worn flats - I know I was wearing flats in 2008. And, for the FIRST time, I am glad I had to blur out Lil J's face. He was being a total sour puss in every picture. He wanted to get up, get down, lay on the floor, etc, etc.

Christmas Eve Eve

2010-12-23T21:00:00.002-05:00

Christmas is just a few days away, and I feel like I am so unprepared. I don't know what it is - but, I guess I am just having the Christmas Blahs.

I still have wrapping to do, still have stocking stuff to buy, still have to ...........

I got started early on shopping, and now here it is two days away and I am not done.

Maybe because it is harder (but not impossible) to get out of the house, maybe it is because Frank has worked later EVERY day for months - getting home after the kids are in bed, I don't know.

Please - someone kick me in the head with some Christmas Spirit.

15 Month Stats

2010-12-20T14:20:00.002-05:00

Cora had her 15 month appointment last week. I just have not had a second to post about it.

People keep saying that she looks like a 2 yr old. Never really thought that much about it. Yeah, she is a big girl, but she still looks like a baby. maybe it is the lack of hair.

So her stats:

Weight: 27.5 pounds
Height: 32.5 inches tall

That finally puts her on the chart! 95% for both.

My Life in Pictures

2010-12-17T13:26:00.001-05:00

I found this application on facebook and think it is the coolest thing. It basically takes all your pictures from facebook and makes a (super fast) slide show. I can't stop watching it :)

"When are the girls gonna leave?"

2010-12-17T10:29:00.005-05:00

That is what Lil J keeps asking me. "when are the girls gonna leave"

We talk about his mom. We tell him that he lived with his mom when he was a baby. This is usually in response to something that the girls do. He might say something like "remember when I was a baby......"

He knows that he has two moms, he knows that he came to live with us at about 3 years old, he knows that he mom loves him, bla bla bla.

Well, apparently, he thinks that his life is what happens to everyone. That you live with one mom as a baby, and then live with another when you get older. He keeps saying that when the girls get older, they are going to live with their other mom. It totally breaks my heart that he thinks this is the norm.

I have tried to explain to him that the girls are here to stay, and that HE is also here as part of our family. And, that the other mom was not able to take good care of him, which is why he is part of our family now. And, while he does not live with the other mom now, that she loves him very much.

He really doesn't have many memories from before he came to us, or at least he does not talk about anything. He came to us a month after his 3rd birthday, and really how many kids have memories from when they are 2 yrs old?

Ugh, heart crushing.

We are actually VERY concerned about his mother right now. There has been a strange twist in his case.

His mother is currently MISSING. Yup, she is missing. Because one reason or another, the visit schedule had changed back and forth between every week and every other week. On October 27, she had her last visit. At that time, the visits were to be every other week.

Well, since then, she has not contacted our caseworker at all. She is supposed to call 24 hours before a visit to confirm that she will be there. But, not only has she not called to confirm the visits (which were obviously cancelled), but her phone goes right to voicemail, she does not return phone calls, and 2 certified letters were never picked up from the post office.

So, short of driving out to her house, she is officially missing. It has been almost 2 months of no contact. And to be honest, I am concerned for her. Very concerned. Other than when he was first here, and she had no contact with the CW for 3-4 months, she has not just disappeared. Yes, she missed plenty of visits, didn't call to confirm a visit, etc. But, it has never been this long without contact of any kind.

Most of her missed visits were either because of no confirmation, or she would call and give a lame excuse.

My CW has been advised by her supervisor that they need to do an official "search" for her, which means sending more certified letters, more phone calls, checking hospitals, jails, etc.

In our state, one reason for termination of rights is abandonment. Since we are heading towards termination anyway, this will just be another item on the list which shows that termination is the proper and correct thing to do.

But, I was hoping that she would surrender her rights, I was hoping that she would care enough to want contact with him, that I would not have to explain to Lil J one day that I don't know where she is or what happened to her :(

So, it is a huge change in the case, not one that I ever saw coming.

Sisters

2010-12-14T21:43:00.000-05:00

One day, I might get them both to look at the camera LOL

Annual Cookie Baking

2010-12-12T10:50:00.004-05:00

Every year we have a cookie baking marathon with my sisters. We bake all day and then make baskets for so many people - work, parties that we go to, the doorman, pre-school teachers, etc, etc

Each year, we keep track of the # of cookies that we made. This year it was 136 dozen plus a few. That is over 1632 cookies!! I really should have counted the number of baskets that I made, but they were all different sizes, and all had different amounts.

But, I did count the number of cookies when I was preparing one of the plates/baskets. There was 75 cookies on that plate. I could have added more, but they were starting to topple lol. And, that was one of the "small" plates.

At the end of the night I was exhusted!

Brownie Covered Oreos

2010-12-06T21:59:00.004-05:00

I got this idea from Picky Palate, and knew I just had to make them. Now, they are no where near as pretty as the examples, but they are yummy!

You can click on the first picture to see kinda step-by-step instructions. The only thing that is not written is that the pans must be well sprayed with cooking spray

My kids, the clones

2010-12-06T21:22:00.003-05:00

OK, I think they look TOTALLY different in these pics, but when I asked my husband - he could not tell at all. I even showed him several pics and he could figure it out.

I think it is prett cool that I have all of Cora's clothes, and that I can *try* to take similar pics. This one however, was totally on accident. I was taking pics of Elsie and when I saw them I realized that I had pics of Cora in the same outfit. When I looked up the pics of Cora, most were in the same exact position. But, at this age, almost EVERY pic in in the same pose. She is just wedged in a corner lol.

Happy Anniversary

2010-12-03T08:43:00.002-05:00

Frank and I got married 5 years ago today. Man, my life has changed so much in those 5 years!

I look at these pics and can't believe how little Colin is - he is now 6 feet tall!

It was so bitter cold that day, but we were DETERMINED to have outdoor pics. So glad we did, because they are some of my favorite pics. Sorry they are so big lol

A Trip to see Santa

2010-11-29T17:53:00.003-05:00

We had a photoshoot this morning, which I will blog about under it's own post. But, I figured we would try to go see the Jolly Man after. We got a great pic with NO crying from anyone.

Cora would not smile, I guess after a morning of smiling and being cute, she was slightly grumpy LOL. Lil J is cropped out, but he LOVED Santa. There was no line, so he just chatted with Santa for a while. So cute!

And, my goodness - I apparently have Ghost Children lol

Ordered our Christmas Cards

2010-11-25T21:09:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I received 50 free holiday cards from shutterfly. Seriously, they have so many designs that it took forever (read: 2 days) to decide on one. I narrowed it down to 8, and then let Frank pick from those. That is kinda the way every decision works in my house....I make the options, and he just picks from there. Was this way for baby names too.

I really wanted to have a group shot, and then an individual pics of each kid. But, when we got our pro shots done - there was not a indiv shot of just Elsie. So, I would have to take one myself. I knew I would not get the same quality as the studio did...so, I decided to skip it.

Thank goodness that I did, since it would have taken me even longer to pick a card. I really made the mistake of falling in love with a square one. But, I know from experience that square ones need more postage. And, well - I am cheap like that LOL.

I really love the one we finally picked out. I think the bright colors really go well with the colors in the pictures, and liked that there was enough room to put all our names (and our super long last name) on the card. Plus, it covered everyone with the "Happy Holidays" saying.

I am hoping to get them out as soon as we receive the order in the mail, even bought my stamps already.

Here is what we decided on:

SAMPLE CARD

DIY Hand-Print Turkey Shirt

2010-11-23T22:50:00.003-05:00

I had seen this idea on several blogs that I follow - so I thought it would be cute to make for the 3 little kids. It really was super easy. I was afraid that they would look like a peacock, instead of a turkey...but, I think they came our super cute. You can scroll down for the final product.

Basically, there is a product that makes any fabric an iron-on. I use this product all the time for crafts. It really allows you to make something unique as there are so many fabrics to choose from. I am not sure of what brand I used - but this is one brand out there

I just used whatever fabric I had around the house. But, you can get fabric for real cheap, especially since you don't need a lot. I used this product on every aspect of this project (except the eyes).

Some things like the legs and beak could be done with tacky glue or something called liquid stitch. I can't wait to show pics of the kids in their outfits :)

I added step by step directions, with pictures :)

Elsie's Baptism

2010-11-22T21:45:00.002-05:00

We baptised Elsie yesterday. She hardly cried at all! The dress is an heirloom, first worn 37 years ago. I think it is really cool that all of my kids have worn the same dress that I (and all of my sister) wore on our Baptism day.

We took some shots in her dress when we got our holiday pics taken. But, it was at the end and she was DONE. So, pacifer in the mouth - whatever works, right?

Free Holiday Cards from Shutterfly

2010-11-20T22:37:00.002-05:00

Shutterfly is offering 50 free Photo Holiday Cards for bloggers. Each year, I search high and low for the perfect holiday card, along with the perfect picture. Shutterfly has great designs. But, they have so many great ones, that it is hard to pick just one

In the past, it was easy - just put Colin in front of the tree and snap. Not so easy this year. LOL I remember a few years ago when we went to the Holiday Section of Walmart to take our holiday pics. To be honest, it really was the best idea. It was festive, many different scenes to choose from, and um,,,,,it was free. Gotta love free.

I remember the year that I tried so hard to get the perfect picture in front of the tree. I thought I got a great one, uploaded them to shutterfly, picked the perfect card design and ordered them. It was not until after all of the cards were addressed and mailed that a small detail about the picture it was brought to my attention. Turns out, my “perfect” picture was a picture of Colin with his fly down. Oh well.

Over the years, he has gotten used to the Christmas pics that I require him to take. He knows that a few minutes of pictures will make his mother oh so happy.

Last year, the pictures were a disaster. So, I had to do three separate pictures. And, I had to photoshop Colin’s picture to match the other two. This year, I got really lucky. Colin was a great help, and actually got some great pictures of all four children.

Four children. I still can’t believe that - I have FOUR children!

Shutterfly has so many awesome designs this year. So unique. I can’t wait to hear all the ohhs and ahhs from my family when the get this year’s holiday card. Sure, some because my kids are so damn cute. But, I am sure some will be from the great design of the cards.

Check out all the new designs for this year here: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery It is gonna be a hard choice again this year.

Chocolate Covered Pretzles - Baptism Favors

2010-11-18T22:19:00.003-05:00

Elsie is being baptised this weekend. I wanted to do a simple favor. Last year, I did the cupcake bites. They were a big hit. But, I wanted to do something different. And, let's be honest....something simple.

I love edible favors, and figured the easiest thing would be chocolate covered pretzels. I made dark choc and milk choc with a white choc drizzle. I used the "defrost" setting on the microwave. I think it actually melts the chocolate better than the full power. In the past, I have use the regular power and feel like the chocolate got "burnt". I let it go for about 60 seconds, stirred it and then let it go for another 30 (ish) seconds. It was the perfect consistency at that point

One tip that I found on-line was to pour the choc onto wax paper and then just roll the pretzel (1st pic). This worked out really well and gave a nice even coating for the pretzel. I have seen some pics and they seems very thick and chunky. I think those were "dunked" in some kind of cup or a deep bowl.

I think the wax paper method worked really well. The only tip with that is not to put too much on the paper at one time. It cools really fast when in thin amounts. After the first time, I just put a smaller amount on the paper and rolled it. I did "tap" it a bit before putting it on the cooling rack. The rack worked better than just waxed paper. The rack allowed less surface area touching the pretzel - so no flat spot like if I just put it on the waxed paper.

After the chocolate was "set" I melted the white and then took a fork to drizzle. I am sure it would have been fine if the choc was not set. But, I did not want to take any chances since I did not have more time. to make more if these were ruined somehow.

I made 60 total - 30 milk and 30 dark. Each favor has one of each. I just made a simple tag. I had wanted to use the extra paper from the invite kit...but my printer was totally not cooperating. So, simple tag it is. No worries :)

Oh, and I gave Cora a small piece of pretzel with chocolate on it. She loved it.

Holiday Pics of the kids

2010-11-18T14:14:00.003-05:00

We went yesterday to TRY to get Christmas Pics of all 4 kids. We did get some good ones. But, boy - it was NOT fun.

Colin is so handsome, if I do say so myself :) He actually asked to have a few of just him.

I hate that Lil J is cropped out of these. But, I did blur his face in the first one. It is just too sweet not to share. Too bad Elsie looks like the forgotten child in the back there LOL