Moms' Check-in! 10/19

jillianmb

I thought about posting the moms' check-in on Fridays, but I'd probably forget until the evening and this board is dead on the weekends, so Thursdays it is.

Moms this is a place for us to check-in and keep up with one another! Share some concerns or encourage another mom in her parenting.  Feel free to include adoption-related info (ie: my child is 5, home for 6 months) in question #1 if you wish. Adoptive/bio/foster moms all welcome!

1. How many kids and ages?

2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week?

3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week?

4. Weekend plans?

5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Got a costume picked out for your LO? Any pics (of your DH in a chicken costume, for example) from previous years? 

CaptainSerious

1. How many kids and ages? 2 boys, both adopted from Peru; M is 9 (although most likely biologically older) and has been home since July 2012; J is 6 and has been home since March 2012; they lived together for about six months in Peru before we adopted M

2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week? M's football team is undefeated and on it's way to play-offs!  Their last game is against the other undefeated team, and if they win, they'll each get leather division champions jackets with their name on it.  Who knew?!?  Now I have pits in my stomach, because I want this for M so bad.

J has been trying really hard to behave in school, even when all the other kids are misbehaving, because this was a challenge a couple times.  He's so excited to tell me how well he behaved each evening; I just love to see him so thrilled to receive our praise.

3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week? Where to start?  M's been a handful, behaviorally, this week, but that we can handle.  He did bold-faced lie to me this morning, and I'm not thrilled about that.

More importantly, though, I'm really starting to worried M will be a lot more limited in life than we originally thought, and I'm having a really hard time coming to terms with that.  I just booked his FAS evaluation (for December), and I'm so scared regarless of what result comes back.

Neither my husand nor I feel completely bonded to J yet.  As my husband put it, we feel that anyone else could step in and do what we've been doing for him as far as caretaking, and he'd be perfectly happy as long as the level of care and all the expectations of him remain the same.  When you tell him you love him, he asks, "why?"

Seperately, J's taken to peeing wherever he is if the bathroom he wants to use is occupied of if he just doesn't want to leave what he's doing.  He's fully potty trained and capable of making it to a free bathroom, but would rather either keep on playing or scream outside the one that's occupied so you feel bad and/or come out.  I'm sure it's a control thing.  We've addressed this with various approaches, but I tried a different technique this last time, and I'm hoping after this latest episode we're done with that behavior.

4. Weekend plans? My in-laws and sister-in-law will be staying with us; they get in late Saturday.  Also, we're watching a friend of M's overnight on Saturday because his parents are going out of town.

5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Got a costume picked out for your LO? Any pics (of your DH in a chicken costume, for example) from previous years?  We are hosting our huge, annual party on the 27th.  On the actual day, the boys will wear costumes to school, where they'll have parties and parades, but I have to work.  In the evening, we'll go trick-or-treating with them.  M will be death (although he needs a different costume for school), J will be Scooby Doo (this is the most adorable thing in the world), I will be a dinosaur (I need a costume I can also ski in for a charity race in March), and my husband always waits to the last minute to decide.

This is my costume:  https://www.google.com/search?q=kigurumi+dinosaur&hl=en&safe=active&rlz=1T4GGHP_enUS456US456&prmd=imvns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=m0GAUPadLZSk8ATtmIGIAQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=604

Foster1Mom

1. How many kids and ages? 2 foster placements right now. One just turned 3 months and we have had him since 5 weeks and the other is 9 months and we have had him a month now.

2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week? The youngest one has learned to suck his thumb. It is super cute. The older one slept through the night last night. This is HUGE it is the first time and he has been up as many as 6 times a night. 

3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week? Worried that the oldest had his first visitation with his parents today. Praying it went well. We will see the case worker later.

4. Weekend plans? Checking out a fall festival and DH and I have a Sunday afternoon date and the boys are going to the IL's. YAY. This is the first break we have had since having kids in the house.

5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Not sure yet. I did pick up a bumble bee outfit for the youngest. I do not know about the older one yet. Waiting to see if he will still be with us or is going to be moved to a family placement.

Rachel Sonnier

1. How many kids and ages? One son age 3 1/2 (bio)2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week? This is such a fun age and he is popping out with the funniest things every day! Last night after prayers he was stalling before lights out and he said "Wait! I have to say the spanish words!!" We were kind of confused. We have Good Night Moon in spanish, so I thought he might have been requesting that. I asked "What spanish words?" and he yelled "ABRA CADABRA!!!" He meant MAGIC WORDS! LOL We laughed so hard.  3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week?He is so excited to become a big brother. I am so hoping that his excitement stays once his new brother or sister actually joins our family. I am an oldest child, so I know how it can be hard to share the spotlight. However, my bother and sister are a very special and  irreplaceable part of my life. I hope Cohen will be as close to his brother or sister as my husband and I are to ours. 4. Weekend plans?Pumpkin Patch! 5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Got a costume picked out for your LO? Any pics (of your DH in a chicken costume, for example) from previous years?  He finally picked a costume!! It was so much easier when he was younger and I just chose for him. He finally decided on Buddy from Dinosaur Train, and I just got the email confirmation that it shipped. It is his favorite cartoon. And I am just realizing that Buddy is adopted on that cartoon! HA! I knew that, but writing this on here, just made it come together in my mind!  On the 27th we will be hosting our 3rd annual halloween party. It is sooo fun! Everyone comes over, and we carve pumpkins, cook, have a fun jump and treats for the kids....and my fav part is that we all sit on hay and blankets and watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" on the lawn. My absolute fav halloween movie of all time! I'm a big scaredy cat, and charlie brown is about all I can handle ;-) 

Julie721

1. How many kids and ages? One DS, 5 months old.

2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week?  He started LOVING walking around sitting on my hip holding onto my arm. I always imagined doing that with my kids, and it makes me smile.

3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week? Not this week, but I am sure I will have some next week! Haha

4. Weekend plans? Dinner with friends, a Hoe Down for church on Sat and a breast cancer walk on Sunday to support a friend's mom.

5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Got a costume picked out for your LO? Any pics (of your DH in a chicken costume, for example) from previous years? No plans yet. Holloween wasn't a big deal for me or DH growing up, so we are both kinda "meh" about it.

srmmm09

1. How many kids and ages? 

1, 19 mos (bio) 

2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week?

 Not really, but his language is really exploding. It seems like he tries out a new word every day! Not all of them are successful though... "adab" means "again"...?

3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week?

Not really, other than my general concern over E being so aggressive. I just don't know what to do sometimes with him to help legitimize his feelings but not let him act on them. With a 1.5 year old... 

4. Weekend plans?

Nuthin special. 

5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Got a costume picked out for your LO? Any pics (of your DH in a chicken costume, for example) from previous years? 

I'm still waffling horribly on what to dress E as! It has to be an animal and he was a penguin last year.

srmmm09

srmmm09

^ there he is last year.

Foster1Mom

srmmm09:

^ there he is last year.

 

OMG he is adorable 

potatohead

1. How many kids and ages?  1 bio DD, 4 years old2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week? last thursday we met the e-mom! today we heard she had an appt this week, everything is great, but she is not dilated at all, so most likely will be delivering late3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week?just hoping dd will be a wonderful big sister! 4. Weekend plans?soccer for dd, normal household stuff 5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Got a costume picked out for your LO? Any pics (of your DH in a chicken costume, for example) from previous years?  trunk or treat for dd but if we are out of state for the birth of our baby, either she will do trunk or treat with the grandparents or they will bring her to us out of state and we'll figure out something there...either way, I've got to see her on halloween with her ladybug girl costume! 

steph196

1. How many kids and ages?   My sweet adopted girl is 6.5 months old.

2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week?  She got her first 2 teeth at the end of last week and she started crawling today!

3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week?  Not really

4. Weekend plans?  Nothing!! We've been so busy the past few weekends, so I'm so happy to stay home. We might take Sydney to the pumpkin patch.

5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Got a costume picked out for your LO? Any pics (of your DH in a chicken costume, for example) from previous years?   We love Halloween, so our house is decorated to the max. Sydney is going to be a pumpkin this year, because I have always thought that babies need to be pumpkins the first year! Our pug, LT, will also be a pumpkin!

IRR

SRMMM - LOVE the penguin costume.  Too freakin cute.

Dr.Loretta

1. 1 DD, 2.5

2. We're on vacation and she's charming anyone in her reach. She's also 75-80% potty trained (yay!)

3. Not really

4. Go home, unpack, do laundry. We're so exciting

5. We have a moms' club party on the 30th. I found a dragon costume for DD, so I'm going as a princess. Or a knight

srmmm09

Dr.Loretta:

 I found a dragon costume for DD, so I'm going as a princess. Or a knight

i LOVE that she'll be the dragon and YOU'll be the princess! RAWWWRRR! 

irismorning

1. Two boys ages 7 and 5

 2. DS1 got his molars sealed this week. He did great! I wish that they had been able to do that for me when I was younger, maybe I would have less cavities!

3. Nothing this week.

4. DS1 is going off to cub scout camp this weekend. He is so excited. DS2 and I are a little sad.

5. DS1 is going to be a ninja. DS2 and I are going to pick out his costume today after lunch.

buggerfly12

Since I'm on my computer for once, not lurking from my phone:

1. 2 kids living with us full-time; Bio DS will be 3 on the 26th; FD is 17.

2. Well, DS is learning letters... He corrected the daycare provider at the YMCA: "My name doesn't have an e in it!"

3. Don't know if this counts as a parenting concern, but I've had this nagging irrational "No fair, we're never going to have a baby..." feeling. Having to wait is really hard right now, but we just have to wait until Smiles (FD) is back with her BM before we can realistically get back full-force into adopting a baby.

4. Halloween stuff, an opera workshop (my DS's first big performance. Hope that works!), and going out with some friends.

5. Trick-or-Treating!! We dehydrate the seeds from our jack-o-lanterns, and make pumpkin pancakes the next day every year. DS is a turtle. FD will be a dragonfly, me a butterfly, and DH a bee.

jmoka7

1. How many kids and ages? Two (foster) boys age 13 months and 2.5 years old 2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week? I started full-time potty training with J this week.  3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week?I wish I knew more information about their reunification plan. 4. Weekend plans?Relax at home and maybe go to the park. 5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Got a costume picked out for your LO? Any pics (of your DH in a chicken costume, for example) from previous years? I plan on giving out candy at my parents house. No costumes for the boys.  

silliestbunny

jillianmb:

1. How many kids and ages?  Two daughters 22 months and 13.5 months. 

2. Anything special/endearing/milestone-ish happen this week?  Much more talking on both of their parts.  It's great to hear DD1 blossom in her vocabulary and put two and three word sentences together.  DD2 is also speaking a handful of words.  Love it!

3. Any parenting concerns on your heart or mind this week?   Not my parenting... but I found myself interfering at Tar get today.  I saw a mom slap her toddler (no more than 20 months) across the face not once but four different times in a matter of two minutes.  The mamabear in my couldn't help but speak up.  Of course it wasn't well received.  I left the store feeling sad and prayerful for her three children.  She was a younger mom... and probably lacks resources.  It's not excuse but it made me so sad.  It made me sad for them, for her, and for all the women who want to be moms and would be super moms that wouldn't strike a child.  Ugh.

4. Weekend plans?   Pumpkin decorating party with DD1.  DD2 will be napping through it.

5. Question of the Week: What are your Halloween plans? Got a costume picked out for your LO? Any pics (of your DH in a chicken costume, for example) from previous years?    DD2 will be a feminized version of Big Bad Wolf and DD2 will be Little Red Riding Hood.  I will try and post last year's pics of my cow and duck.