March: 2023

So, in March '22, we were living the dream. We were doing whatever we wanted to. I was looking for a different job, and trying to find a way to fit in at church, but life was easy--except for the unending illnesses we kept contracting from sick preschoolers. In the eight months I worked there, I had Covid twice, Bronchitis three times, flu, colds, pink eye... It would have been laughable had laughing not triggered breathless coughing fits.

If we fast forward to March '23, the list of changes in our lives was long! My daughter moved into her first apartment, oof! I earned a Master of Science degree in Learning Experience Design and Educational Technology. I got a new job (called The Best Job in The World--outside raising kids) working at a preschool a mile from my home as a 3s teacher two mornings a week, a 4s Assistant one morning a week, and a PreK teacher every afternoon. 

I need to pause to say how serious I am about it being the Best Job Ever. That PreK class was phenomenal! My boss was the most supportive and encouraging boss I'd ever had. And my coworkers? I've never met an entire crew of people so wholly dedicated to loving and teaching children. The board (fewer accolades there, tbh) had just approved opening a Kindergarten class for the following year, so my boss and I were dreaming and brainstorming curriculum, advertising, and schedules. So fun!

Oh, and I need to add another little change to the list of happenings from '22 to '23. We got licensed for foster care and were adjusting to doubling our household with three—THREE—little girls! What?!? How did that happen? We were done. Foster care had shredded our hearts. We were in retirement and nearly empty nesters. We were going to travel. I got a cool degree that I could use to do anything. We were dancing.

Well, I will tell you. Roe v Wade was overturned. The church we were attending had a guest speaker who said there was a difference between being pro-birth and pro-life. Being pro-birth was not enough.  To be pro-life, we needed to meet people as they were living through difficult times, "from womb to tomb." 

There could possibly be an uptick in unwanted babies born. It is an awful thing to be unwanted. My husband was deeply moved and announced that afternoon that if God allowed it, we were going to adopt so we could be a home where kids would know they were wanted. Wow! 

So here we were in March, planning a massive uptick in my commitment to work while fostering three little girls we desperately wanted to adopt. In March, we had gotten word that perhaps they would go back to their first parents. I was an emotional wreck. We never intended to actually foster again.  We wanted only adoptable kids. The girls themselves had heavy burdens of trauma, delays, and needs. Caring for one was more than a full-time job. Three? Fugedaboutit.

What a March!

I'm a Tired Girl

Today I worked hard. It is the second day after Thanksgiving break, so the kids need extra encouragement to get back to life. (Does anyone else break into the Into The Woods song?  “Who can live in the woooods?”)  Yesterday, the first day back, was the type of day that got my nose bitten. I’m serious.  One of my sweet darlings bit my nose in fury.

Highly motivated, I was diligent today with preemptive ten-second snuggles, our go-to method for calming things down.  I broke up lessons with snacks, cuddles, changed locations, and exercises.  And still, I yelled.  *sigh* I’m disappointed in myself.

My goal is to never, ever, ever, ever, ever yell again.  I have NOT yet reached that goal.

I knew that letting the girls play unsupervised would lead to trouble. So after school, I brought two sets of toys into the kitchen for the girls to play with while I made lunch and dinner.  I enjoyed hearing their chatter and imagination as I haphazardly switched between meal prepping.  I made my killer chili with a new ingredient.  The other day, my friend served us soup with pureed veggies, so I copied her!

Once the kids had eaten; veggies were chopped, sauteed, and pureed; and chili in the crock pot, the girls went to play in the remnants of yesterday’s snow. I threw some biscuits together (that same friend made some and it reminded me that I know how to make them).

I needed to fold some laundry.  I was a tired girl and excited to sit down to it with something cool to drink. We are out of milk and the blender was in the dishwasher (so no smoothie).  Inspiration struck and I started to sing:

              I’m gonna have a lemonade

              That’s what I’m gonna have

              I’m gonna make a lemonade

              Cuz it makes me so glad!

I can’t tell you how proud I was of my composition. I sang it again and was suddenly confused.  This is how tired I am, folks.  I thought my limerick rhymed.