Friday, July 2, 2010

Things I've learned this week...

So on Monday evening, Pooh arrived to start what we hope is his new family life with us.  Though we've had him short-term on numerous occasions, this now feels fairly official, as his case should be transferred to us this coming week (we are officially on long-term respite for the moment).  Anyway, for most moms, by the time their kids are two, they've learned bit by bit about how to manage life with a little.  For us, it's pretty much sink or swim, but we are enjoying the ride:-)

Through the course of this week, I've learned lots of things!  Here are the top three:
1) Always always always, no matter how short the anticipated trip, pack a change of clothes in the diaper bag (for the child, not the parent, though a change for the parent might not be a bad idea - see #2).  I think our gym somehow provides a natural laxative for Pooh - it's been rare this week that either P-daddy or I have gotten through a workout without having to change a dirty diaper.  The very first day, his diaper (Huggies, no less - I'm going back to the cheap stuff!) leaked and of course his clothes were then a mess.  But at that point, he'd only been in the house for about 10 hours, and I'd forgotten the change of clothes.  Nothing like walking a toddler through a crowded gym in a wet unsnapped onesie.

2) Never never never get dressed for work before breakfast.  While it seems logical that one could easily change clothes at home, it's just not as realistic as it might seem!  Working on a schedule already thrown off by having an extra person around the house and a carpool arriving at a particular time may make that impossible.  But it's okay, if any of my students noticed the streak of oatmeal down my pants, they refrained from mentioning it.

3) No matter how quick the trip, or how few items you are picking up, don't even consider not getting a cart.  Even if it's just a jug of juice, and you have plenty of time so you don't mind letting a child wander through the store at his own pace holding your hand.  You need both hands to pay, and Pooh um, I mean any random child will grab the opportunity to play hide and seek.  If you are lucky you and your child will stick out like sore thumbs in your grocery store; maybe you shop at a store like Fiesta, a local supermarket that caters to the largely Hispanic neighborhood, but you and your child are light-complected and blonde-headed.  Then it will be clear to the nice employee following your child around when you find him that you belong together.

Monday, June 28, 2010

FINALLY!!

Today, I got home from work to find a legal-size envelope in the mail from our foster care agency.  I got so excited that I opened it first, even before the free samples and coupon envelopes!  Sure enough, it was our official license - yay!  This was amusing to me since we have yet to actually talk with our FYS (Family and Youth Specialist) and as a matter of fact, don't even know who that is.  But no matter - when I texted B3, she got so excited that she called Pooh's (isn't that better than the Pooping Machine?!) cps worker, who said it was fine, since we have our license, to do an extended respite.  So we are respite parents for the next 7 days!  This is gonna be fun :-)

Meanwhile, I'm really enjoying making a menu for the week.  Not that we follow it religiously (as a matter of fact, I have a hard time getting P-Daddy to follow it at all!), but it's convenient for me when I'm packing my lunch and getting ready for the day.  And it helps me to think about what's in the fridge and what we have to eat.  This weekend, we made several things:  a big pot of crockpot black beans, crockpot chicken (cause Fiesta had chicken leg quarters for $0.39 a pound!), and cilantro pesto pasta.  Those things are making up a large portion of the week's menu, which appears below.  You'll also notice I added a "C" line to each - that's my attempt to think about cleaning, and to plan at least a quick pick-me-up of different areas on different days.

Monday:
B:  SCO w/ peaches, apples, and banana
L:  spinach frittata, roasted veggies
D:  cilantro pesto pasta w/ chicken
S:  applesauce, carrots, watermelon
C:  kids' BR

Tuesday:
B:  eggs, black beans, tortillas
L:  cilantro pesto pasta w/ chicken
D:  turkey sandwiches, carrot sticks
S:  yogurt, red peppers, cherries
C:  parents' BR

Wednesday:
B:  SCO w/ peaches, apples, and banana
L:  black beans w/ brown rice, avocado, boiled egg
D:  out with students
S:  applesauce, peaches, carrot sticks
C:  bathroom

Thursday:
B:  SCO w/ peaches, apples, and bananas
L:  roasted veggies, chicken
D:  pb&j sandwiches, carrot sticks, red pepper strips
S:  yogurt w/ blackberries, cucumbers
C:  living room

Friday:
B:  eggs, black beans, tortillas
L:  chicken taco salad
D:  potato nachos
S:  popcorn, oranges, jicama
C:  hallway, floors

Saturday:
B:  fruit and yogurt, cold cereal
L:  picnic:  sandwiches, finger fruits and veggies
D:  out to dinner or order in
S:  banana, yucca, cottage cheese
C:  laundry

Sunday:
B:  pancakes w/ fruit
L:  veggie frittata, ww bread; red, white, and blue fruit parfaits
D:  brown rice and lentil casserole
S:  red peppers, carrots, yogurt w/ blackberries
C:  kitchen
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