Category Archives: firsts

Logan’s first casts

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Well the kids are done with school and we have extra time to do fun things like drive an hour+ to see Logan’s first set of casts!

Also Barry is down meeting newbie so we got to see him too! As Kaylee would say, “All good things, all good things.”
IMG_6757I thought Regan was going to fuse himself to Jack’ee and Jason’s massage chair. Kid beelined right for it and had a hard time sharing.  IMG_6762Kaylee FINALLY after months of it being wiggly lost her first upper tooth. The other will come out soon. Maybe…. We are all getting used to the gap. 😉 Super cute.IMG_6767We wrote love notes on his shiny new casts. He will get new casts every Friday for a while before possible surgery followed by I think more casts IF he does need the surgery and then braces. I think. It’s all new and I’m just Auntie. Look at his cute little toes! IMG_6768 IMG_6769Poor dude did NOT like getting so much attention. IMG_6770 IMG_6772 IMG_6775 IMG_6778Uncle Barry needed a few picture with all his littles.IMG_6780 IMG_6782Could you not just melt right now? Awwwwww.IMG_6784

The torture. He REALLY didn’t feel like being messed with.IMG_6785IMG_6760And since it was his mean old Aunties fault that he even was tortured with love notes I’m the one that got to make it all better. See. Snug as a bug and passed out. A little swaddle. A little bounce. All it right with the world.

Hard stuff

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So we knew from day one that our sweet kiddos were not meant to be part of our forever family. Our hope was that they would get to go back home and be with their parents again. Well sadly that didn’t happen. It was such a sad day in court when parents rights were severed. Jon and I were the only ones there. I mean of course all the lawyers and case workers were there, but as far as family it was just us. And the judge was all “Foster placement is unwilling to adopt.” Like we were the bad guys…

Going home and trying to tell V what happened at court really sucked. She is SO SO SO mad. She is scared and feeling totally rejected. We have talked with the three big kids from day one about how this was not going to be forever and we have always told V that we will miss her when she goes. But she is super angry that we “don’t want her”, and trying to explain to a four year old that it’s not that you don’t love them or want them, but that it’s just not meant to be isn’t really going very well.

It’s going to be a rough time until she has permanency. We are expecting all sorts of behaviors to be happening more consistently. Lying, stealing, breaking things…. It’s her control in a life situation she has no control in.

Regan’s Preschool Graduation

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Sometimes being a Foster family means scheduling conflicts. Because the State doesn’t really care that it’s preschool graduation. Court days and times are set and that’s that. Jon had gone to every court date previously and I REALLY felt like I needed to attend the one this morning. Because today if my kids parent didn’t show up then their parental rights would be severed….

Court was at 8am. Graduation started at 9:00am. They were 30 minutes apart. Issue problems. My hope/wish/dream was to be able to make it to the last half of graduation. But then on the way back to the school after court we came to a standstill on the freeway. An unfortunate car accident had traffic back up. 🙁 I was texting Barry furiously the whole time. Getting and giving updates. “He walking up to get his diploma.” “We’re 20 min away now going ten miles an hour!” “It’s over. We are headed back to his classroom now.” I cried.

Not a great cherry on an emotionally crappy morning. Parents didn’t show. No one from their family showed. Jon and I were the only ones in that big court room who knew and loved these kiddos when the judge declared parental rights severed.

BUT Barry was coming down to meet Logan and visit with us. So he was my back up plan. He had the camera. He took a ton pictures. He was there as Regan’s person when his Mom and Dad couldn’t be. Today Barry was our hero. He helped soften the blow to for me and Regan that I missed preschool graduation. Which let’s honest is kind of a joke, but still a big day for us.
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I love this one of Regan running to Barry.IMG_6484

There were some tears and an argument with his buddy about playing with their “diplomas”. And he got sad when Jon and I had not arrived by the time he was headed back to his class for the after party.IMG_6486 IMG_6487

Barry said he just kinda got quiet and sad. 🙁 All the other kids had at least one parent and some even had Grandparents there.IMG_6491 IMG_6497 IMG_6500 IMG_6501

Barry and Mrs. Brown tried to get him to smile after receiving the actual certificate to be handed immediately to an adult. But he wasn’t feeling it. Barry said he kept looking around for us because he knew we were coming. His little face breaks my heart. 🙁

When we walked into the hall way after getting to the school (finding parking was a nightmare) he was sitting out in the hallway with Barry quietly chatting. The look of joy/relief on his face when he saw us was great. He perked right up and I was able to get some happy face photos. 🙂

IMG_6502 IMG_6506Regan and his awesomesauce teacher Mrs. Brown. She’s amazing. We are so blessed that she was Regan’s teacher this year.

I should have had Jon check the camera settings. Wonky things were happening. 🙁IMG_6507Regan and his hero Uncle Barry. And boy, oh boy does he look like a ginger next to his Latino Uncle! Viva la Gingers. 😉IMG_6510Regan and the amazing awesome wonderful Mrs. Geiser.IMG_6512 IMG_6517My brother. My Hero. Who by the way has been studying/working way more than playing. You can tell from his lack of color. Meanwhile I look way less pastey than normal next to him. 😉 For example….

IMG_0691-4Oh, man! I had no hope of having kids with any color to them when I married a ginger. Bwahahah! SPF is our friend. We buy in bulk.

IMG_6518We went out to eat lunch (kids are done with school at 11:15) at Red Robin to thank Barry for helping us out and have a short visit before he headed out to Jack’ee’s house. He will come and stay at our hose in a couple of days. We do so love when family comes to visit.