Since I last blogged...

1. Homeschool "gingerbread" house decorating

Where Brishen was all about the feats of engineering, and Basia was all about the cute factor.

2. Too much TV still leaves me with a warm heart

Yes, Barney is evil, and no self-respecting woman would turn it on in her household.  Let's just say that I feel like I have been preparing for one event after the other, which has led to me allowing more than the allotted "1 show per day--period" on occasion.  And, yes, Barney is popular with the 2 and under crowd.  I hope I will be forgiven when you see how cute my three are when the final "I love you, you love me..." song is sung. They rush to each other for a group hug.  Every time.  (You will notice blurry pictures more and more often.  My camera is truly on its last legs about two years and one rain storm after I first thought it was on its last legs.)

3.  Foster care agency Christmas party

There are actually three different foster care Christmas parties, one thrown by our agency (that we attended last week) and two others that we will skip because of how exhausting the first one was.  My camera is so bad that I can actually post this picture because you can't see any of the foster kids.  There were bounce houses, a pinata, a toddler play area (thankfully), food, and goody bags.  Our kids did really well for almost two hours, and then they all threatened to explode with over stimulation at the same time.  We were the first to leave, and the staff from our agency was very surprised we were leaving already.  I'm not sure they really know what it is like to party with four little ones...in a room full of wild, excited kids...where there are countless places to run and hide...past bedtime.  Yep, we were pretty pleased we lasted two hours.  We did have the cutest kids, though, as was obvious anytime I tried to take three steps with Wee One.  

4.  Brishen won the El Paso Area Homeschool Spelling Bee

 Exactly one week after winning the Geographic Bee, Brishen was victor in the spelling bee.  Nice pic, huh?  He now has to figure out how to find time to study for the next level of both bees at the same time.  We quite possibly didn't think that through.  Since the Geo Bee is ridiculously hard to study for--the breadth of knowledge needed is insane (religion, wars, explorers, rivers, lakes, natural disasters, geology, and on and on and on)--he'll probably focus on the regional Spelling Bee in February.  At least there's a list to get him started.  1200 words.  Then he has to worry about the rest of the English language.  Luckily, he has a girl who got to go to the National Spelling Bee for the last 4 years on his side!  She thinks that he has a good chance as long as he knows those 1200 words frontwards and backwards, since they never went off-list at last year's regionals.  Easier said than done, but he's going to try.

5.  Staff Christmas Party

We have had a lot of people at our house on quite a few occasions.  Never have we had as many people as we did on Sunday night for Jon's work Christmas party.  We don't have the slightest clue how many people were here, but the house was packed!  Luckily, it was a potluck, so food was abundant.  Great people and fun were also abundant.  It was my first shot at having a hot cocoa bar.  Good stuff!

6.  A Sad News Phone Call 

We got a call from a social worker that a permanency hearing was held for Miss Independent.  It was decided that they really have to move forward with letting her return to her mom sooner rather than later.  This news would not have been surprising two months before, but it was surprising when it came for a variety of reasons.  She started with 10-hour visits (up from 3) two days later.  Her mom also got approval to take her on a trip, so she will be leaving us on Monday and not returning until the 4th of January.  Then she will be with us for a couple more weeks until she returns to her mom for good.  

What's with the picture, you ask?  I like to try to look on the bright side of life whenever possible.  This is a very, very sad time for us, but there will be things that will be easier when Miss Personality is reunited.  She is a world-class escape artist with absolutely no respect for the word, "no," time-outs, redirection, baby gates, closed doors, or any form of creative toddler discipline we have been able to devise.  Our hearts will be heavy, but maybe it will be easier when we don't have to build silly barriers like the one pictured above (not that that one worked anyway, of course) to try to keep her in our sight.  Always look on the bright side of life...(you may whistle the tune now.)

7.  Gingerbread house decorating at Grandmothers

I was sad to not be able to join them but happy for B and B.  They came home with two very lovely gingerbread houses.  Basia's, it seems, was stolen from her Grandmother after her own creation developed a sun roof and other structural integrity problems.  Brishen's made it home nicely, but it has been a constant battle and serious threats to keep him from devouring it.   He doesn't get the beauty of gingerbread creations greeting our Christmas visitors.  That's OK because I'm mom, and I'm mean.  He can eat it AFTER Christmas!