What Are You Here For?

I'm about to give up on this blogging thing, unless I get your input. The only thing that has kept me going today is a comment on a very old post. So, tell me what you want to see.

Do you want to know about our natural diet,
what kind of exercises I like to do,
what it's like living with a child that has Autism or ADHD,
how we cured our bedwetter and saved thousands of dollars,
what a housewife does outside that is "manly" and includes rocks, a rake, tractor, trailer, truck and my big toe,
what it is like being a foster parent,
how to cook,
our adoption stories,
my inspirational writings,
why my Mother's Day was so terrible, (Another reason I haven't blogged, I felt negative.)
how to change the oil on a vehicle?

I could go on, but you get the point. Do you want to see more giveaways? Because those are a pain in the rear to me. Would it bother you to see advertising on the sides of my blog.

I will add that one of the main reasons I don't blog more often is because of my internet. However, I am willing to put in more time and have things prepared so that when I am at a place with a good signal I can schedule some posts.

Or, would you rather I just throw in the towel. (No, I'm not getting Facebook so I can share my life there. Been there. Done that.)

Let's hear it!

Red-Handed

I caught him red-handed. Almost literally. He had snuck onto the front porch and grabbed one of the momma cats out of the box of kittens and headed for the back yard. When questioned about his actions he said he just wanted to pet her.

The truth...He had shot a bird he wasn't supposed to and wanted the cat to get rid of the evidence before he was found out. Busted! It happened to be a Scarlet Tanager, which is very rare in this area and as far as I understand only migrates through our area. It was a beautiful bright red with bold black wings. I had never seen one, until this dead one.

The complete truth...He remembered his first bird kill with his pellet gun. A dove. We shamed him and broke his heart by telling him they mate for life and now a dove will be lonely for the rest of its life. This certain bird, the Tanager was driving him crazy with the noise it was making. Seemed to be following him around outside. Once he shot the first Tanager, he realized its mate would be lonely so he had to kill it too. It all made perfect sense.

Two Totally Unrelated Reviews and Giveaways!

First up is Combat Ant & Roach Killing Bait Strips. Now, I normally have ant problems about once a year, but I guess with the crazy weather we've had, Monday being 85 degrees and today snow and 32 degrees, I guess the ants have decided to stay outside. With that being said, I haven't had a chance to try out the ant killing strips.

I really don't want to talk about roaches, but I guess I will. If I was ever on Fear Factor and had to do anything that involved roaches, I would just have to walk away a loser, because fear is definitely a factor for me when it comes to roaches. It's not that I'm afraid of them though, it's just that they gross me out! Snakes, yes, I've held literally hundreds, roaches, no, can't stand them.

So you would think I would be excited to review the roach killing strips. Nope! Haven't reviewed them either because about the time I got them, my husband had just sprayed for all kinds of bugs, including roaches, like he does every few months. However, since these are made by Combat, I would bet they would work. Do I have roaches to try them on? Unfortunately, yes. My excuse? I live in the woods and we have the wood eating type, not the food eating type. (Not really sure there is a difference, but that's my story and I'm sticking to it.) Actually we have lived in two different homes before the one we're in now that were old and roach infested, so I'm sure we packed up and moved some with us.

If you have roaches and/or ants, you have the opportunity to try this out for yourself by winning one of the products of your choosing that Combat will send to you. Just leave me a comment below and I will choose one blessed winner to receive the product of their choice. (Make sure you leave me your e-mail address so I can contact you if you win, and as always, you can leave that in a separate comment that I won't post if you would like.)
　

Review and Giveaway number two is of a product I was very pleased to have the privilege to review. It is Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash detergent. As you know, I don’t typically use detergents that are scented, but I did feel comfortable using this since I researched each ingredient and they seemed to be more natural than any other detergent ingredients I have found, including in my trusty old Tide, that doesn’t even list ingredients on their bottle anymore!  I have been using Purex exclusively since my first review for them, and was pleasantly surprised with the new naturals line. Not only is it scented with a lovely scent, it is a very slight scent that is hardly noticeable. As soon as I ran out of the sample bottle, I made sure I bought more of the same thing, only a different scent.

If you would like to win a free bottle of Purex Natural Elements Tropical Splash detergent so you can try out the great cleaning power (including grass and blood stains like it got out of my husband’s play pants) just leave me a comment below with your e-mail address.

I will hold two separate drawings, one for the roach or ant killer and 3 more for the Purex. All drawings will close midnight May 5.

Congratulations to Tiffany who won both drawings!

Combat and Purex provided me with samples of their product to review, however all opinions expressed her are obviously my own.

A Day In The Life

This is what I did the first day of our official summer break:


5:20 am

Woke

Fixed breakfast and lunch for Scott

Woke up 2 kids, picking out their clothes and feeding them breakfast

Sent Scott off to work

Brushed hair and teeth of said 2 kids


6:00 am

Walked the kids to the school bus

Read my Bible

Caught up on e-mails and the daily news


7:00 am

Made sure the other 3 kids were up and getting ready

Made sure I was ready


7:30 am

Out the door and off to the chiropractor for one of the kids


8:25 am

Pulled in my sister's driveway with a huge load of items for our garage sale

Talked to my sister and brother-in-law


9:15 am

Back home

Started a batch of hamburger buns

Baked peanut butter cookies

Baked Chewy Fudge bars (Yum!)

Baked bread

Loaded the dishwasher


All the rest is a blur, but it went something like this:


Received a very irritating e-mail that really ticked me off

Ate lunch

Talked to someone on the phone for 20 minutes about the e-mail

Started the Insanity workout

Fed chickens

Went to get the mail

Cleaned the nesting boxes in my henhouse

Picked up rocks in the front yard

Played with kittens and took pictures of them

Took a shower

Cleaned the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher, again

Swept the floor

Fixed supper for 11 people, including fried potatoes and corn on the cob but minus the grilling, as Scott did that

Enjoyed a dinner with 9 of our kids

Put 4 kids to bed

Sat by the fire and wrote this


Whew! Can't wait to do it again tomorrow, and if this is any indication of the summer ahead, bring it on! It was in the 80's!

　

What's In Store?

My husband had been nagging me to go look at some land with him that he was describing as "beautiful, and a great place to build our next house on." Although I have no desire to build another house in the near future, let alone have the money, I finally gave in to take a look.


He was right, it was beautiful! While there wasn't much grass, the scenery was gorgeous! Picture steep hills, perfect for another in-ground home with vivid lines of differing colored rocks. It just happened to be nearing sunset while we were there also, which made it even more picturesque. I had to admit, it would be the perfect spot for our next home, if we ever did decide to build. I also couldn't believe how close it was to our current home, which is in an area we love, and yet I had never seen this.


While we were driving down the back road which wound around and up and down the hills and curves we had noticed a truck just sitting in the road ahead. We stopped and observed from across the valley. In it appeared to be two little boys, alone. We curiously watched, waiting for their parents to show up from just out of sight. But they never came. It was nearing dark and we could tell the boys of around the ages of 5 and 7 were getting cold and starting to shiver.


We cautiously approached the vehicle to question them. It appeared they had been left all alone, cold and hungry. Since we had been there for some amount of time with no evidence of parents coming to their rescue we decided to take them home and get them some water and a snack. More time passed and it was apparent these boys had gone longer than we originally thought without food, water and comfort.


It was time to call the authorities. The sheriff's deputy eventually arrived, along with the juvenile officer that is supervising our current foster children. After some questioning of the children, it was finally concluded that the mother had fallen on hard times and without provisions had decided to leave the boys in this deserted area to starve and no longer be her burden. The juvenile officer, knowing us and how well we handle children decided it would be best for the boys to just leave them with us for now and then let the courts decide later what they would do with them, once the mother was found.


As I held the boys in my arms, I wept for what they had been through and what was to come for them as they found out the truth of their mother. My alarm went off. I awoke. From this dream. Still thinking it was reality and getting my bearings. As I checked my face to see if any real tears were running down it I couldn't help but wonder what the Lord has in store for us next!

The Bad Guy

I am the bad guy that has to pick up three kids and take them from their dad each weekend.


I am the bad guy that has to listen and ask questions about their visit and then report those facts to a caseworker.


I am the bad guy that must tell those kids they won't be getting a visit with their parents, even if it is one of their birthdays and
Easter.


I am the bad guy that must tell our three kids that they won't get a break from their intruders and they must share their weekend and their parents once more.


I am the bad guy that must take the Easter presents I bought for our kids and split them up for five kids instead of three.


And when those kids cry and get emotional, I am the good guy that cries with them and holds and comforts them and tells them that I don't like it either, but we will get through it together.


I am the good guy that keeps those kids busy all weekend, playing tennis, going to the Y to swim, going to church, having Easter egg hunts, having a birthday party, having a barbeque and making fun memories.

Just In Time For Spring

No, I'm not referring to the snow we have gotten, it has all melted away. No, I'm not referring to any freshly bloomed flowers, that hasn't happened at my house yet.

What I am referring to is trouble. It seems one of our children is going through some struggles on the bus and has had to defend himself. In the process of defending himself, he has been suspended from the bus. Twice. In two weeks.

 

This was not a happy mom, having to make six extra trips to town in my gas guzzler. Therefore, some creative punishments have been put into action. Those punishments have come in the form of some spring cleaning. Since I got the cleaning bug in January, at the start of the new year, not much cleaning on the house was needed, but there are some things I have found that it never hurts to clean often.

 

Here's a list of the cleaning I have come up with so far:

* Vents at the bottom of the fridge.

* Kitchen and Dining room floor, on hands and knees with a little broom and dustpan.

* Clean entire boys bathroom.

* Clean bedroom.

* Wash all windows.

* Scrub all light switches.

* Scrub all door knobs.

* Fold all blankets in living room.

* Vacuum living room.

* Dust everything in living room and dining room.
* Vacuum the stairs.

* Wipe down all of the kitchen cabinets.

* Clean all of the living room furniture.

The list will continue, and include picking up rocks in the yard when the weather is warmer and washing the boat. Said child has also had to practice sitting in a chair to simulate sitting correctly on the bus and keeping hands to self (along with a couple of boys taunting.)

 

During all of this cleaning Scott found out the boys had been having spit-ball fights downstairs. This didn't go over well and each was given a rag and told to thoroughly clean all of the walls in the room where the fight ensued and make sure the carpet was clean.

 

I have a feeling that by the time spring has finally sprung, I will have a clean house without lifting a finger and without hiring a maid!