Bean Bag Mess

 So, we have this huge bean bag in the basement where we keep the TV.  It is impossible to get any big piece of furniture down there so a bean bag seemed like the right choice when we got it around the time that we bought the house.

I guess it is still a good choice (it is so comfortable!).  We made sure we bought one with a cover we could wash....we just didn't realize there wasn't a type of bag underneath that cover so that we could wash the cover and not the get the insides EVERYWHERE!

So, for a while now I thought the downstairs smelled like pee.  But I have a super sensitive nose and smell things that people tell me all the time that they can't smell.  So, I just ignored it since I don't go down there that often anyways.  Plus, the bean bag just plain stunk anyways when we got it (and yes we got it new) so I blamed it on that as well. 

But the other day Brigham came in and told me that the bean bag smelled like pee and he thought it was Hyrum who did it.  I had a bad feeling and sure enough the very next morning there was poop on it!  I was about ready to kill me some cats!  I knew then who the real culprits were.  I can NOT handle cat waste of any kind, other than in the kitty litter box.  I am not a huge animal lover, like some, but if I am going to have an animal a cat is ideal for me for two reasons.  #1.  Because they require little attention.  I have enough little ones around me that need attention that I just can't give out more to an animal.  #2. Because cats don't stink and are very easy to potty train.  But the incidence of the other day with the bean bag just threw #2 right out the window!!!!!

I can't even begin to express how very stressed I was that day.  I literally was at it for 5 hours!  Part of it was my own doing though.  As I was waiting on the bag to wash and dry, I thought that I might as well clean other things while down there in that basement that the boys don't keep very tidy.  We are big on them cleaning up after themselves but there is the deep cleaning that never gets done unless Daddy or I do it.

My back hurt so very bad that night.  And what is sad is that 5 hours did not finish the job.  Once David got home, he took over and finished it for me. It took forever!

But as stressed out as I was, it could have been sooooo much worse.  I could have done it all by myself but the boys were so good about helping me.  And like we usually do, we had extra kiddos over at the house while I was doing this.  As each new child entered our home, I told them that they could only come over if they helped.  Only one child got turned away as he refused to help.  Just goes to show how amazing the boy's friends are!  And they are hard workers too!  

Don't worry, I rewarded them with donuts and drinks :)

Science/Math Family Night

The boy's elementary school put on a family night, themed around science and math, on Thursday.  They fed us dinner...

...and provided quite a few games.

This is Hyrum with one of his teachers, Miss Hyde.  She has been such a blessing for Hyrum.  He has 2 teachers this year because of an influx of 2nd graders that came right at the beginning of the year.  So they brought in Miss Hyde to take kids from each of the full time 2nd grade teacher's classrooms to help them out for half of the day.  Hyrum's original teacher, Mrs. Freeland, is very strict and for some of my kids she would be great but for Hyrum and his sensitive spirit, I worried about him.  Miss Hyde is so opposite and he is just in love with her.  So much so that he almost had a breakdown when it was nearing the end of the family night and we hadn't been to the station that Miss Hyde was at.  The teacher at the station we were at, at the time, saw those tears coming and quickly went to go find her.  We felt bad because Hyrum had waited patiently all night to find Miss Hyde.  Originally we were going to go to her station first but it didn't work out that way. He still is so sensitive to things when they don't work out the way that he is told will happen.  It's hard getting kids to understand that sometimes things happen that make other things not happen.  And that doesn't mean that you were lying when you told them about your original plans.  Things just happen that you can't control.

Well, maybe you can't control.  We spent the majority of our time at this station because SOMEBODY insisted on beating the record of tallest tower....yeah, his own record!  David beat the record the first time at 154 centimeters but nooooo that wasn't enough!  He had to do it again and went out with 180 centimeters in the end!  David is correcting me right now as I write this and is pointing out that 180 is as tall as the measuring stick and that it was actually taller....hmmmmm....Someone thinks he is pretty awesome....well, maybe he is :)

I wanted a picture with Maddie and Levi together but didn't want to make it obvious so I made it a group picture.  Maddie is at our house (or Levi at her house) quite often.  Of course, I totally want him to marry her (because she is AWESOME!) but I wanted to remember the progress I have made as well.  I can be so overly protective but with Maddie I have really let go of a lot of things.  I have let him walk her to her house (she lives 2 streets over from us) when she is still over at our house and it is dark (I know he is 12 but I can't help it!) so she won't have to go by herself (which means he walks home by himself...still gives me a yucky feeling inside).  I also let them walk to a nearby gas station during the day.  I let him go to the park with her when they are meeting up with friends.  This is a BIG deal for me!

And I thought I'd end the last picture with this one.  Erin and Rob sent a Happy wrap for me and Baby Boy.  He is such a cuddly little guy so this wrap has been heavenly to have!  But when I take him outside in it, I look pregnant!  Speaking of, I overhead someone say, "I didn't even know she was pregnant" the other day as I was walking by with Baby Boy in the Happy Wrap.  Foster Care has made for a lot of questions/answers for our family but that is ok.  He is so worth it! 

Baby Boy Update

Just a little Baby Boy update...well, as much as I can update.

A lot has developed with his "case"  that I can't publicly talk about but I can publicly journal that he is doing amazing!  Considering the circumstances he came into our home with and in, David and I are so proud of his little body and what he is overcoming.  

He is smiling daily at his angels right above my shoulder daily.  Rarely does he actually look into my eyes and smile but when he does, he just absolutely melts my heart.  I seriously am so excited for when he smiles more at me...and giggles.  I remember those two things being so rewarding with the 3 other boys.  

I wish I could write more.  Just know we all love him so very much.  He is precious and has brought such a wonderful spirit into our home.

Oh wait, how could I forget that he is sleeping 6-7 hours each night for us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Can you tell I am just a little excited about that?!

Youth Temple Trip

(Our ward youth...and believe it or not the super tall guy on the end is a youth!)

Levi is getting to do all kinds of new things with turning 12.  Going to the Ogden Temple and doing Baptisms for the Dead was his newest adventure today with our Ward's youth.  I was going anyway because of my calling but I thought it was important that Daddy get to go as well so he could assist Levi and I with these ordinances.  It was so neat to hear, "Brother Adams..." during the prayers that were said and it not being referred to my husband but to our oldest son.  He is growing up and honestly, it makes me more proud than sad that he is getting older.  

He told me later he was feeling nervous on the trip up there but once he got to the temple, it all went away and he just felt good.  I love hearing how this boy is gaining new experiences that are strengthening his testimony of the gospel of Christ.

Overreacting

I'm going to admit to overreacting right now. 

As annoying as all the politically correct people in the world are as well as parent's of disabled children (or anyone who is different from what the world considers normal, for that matter) who get offended when people label their children names that everyone was suppose to call them at one time but now has changed as if they are being made fun of, people of different color that insist that a white person is racist if that person goes against something that they say,  a person who worries that so and so is mad at them because when they texted their friend, he/she didn't end the text with a smiley face.....oh my!  We are so stinkin' offendable!  The list goes on and on.  What is right or wrong to say or do keeps changing and I seem to never know if what comes out of my mouth might offend someone or not.  So lets just assume that I love everyone, ok?

 And I am going to add to the fire, I'm afraid (though I will admit that if I were in the above situations, I just might be singing a different tune).

Being a Foster Mother, I found myself being annoyed the other day at a TV show.  Mad that it seemed that every other episode portrayed the bad guys/girls as once being Foster Children.  Or the episode where a biological mother starts killing different Foster Parents trying to find her child.  Geez!  Lets give people reasons to NOT foster children who really need stable home environments, why don't you!

Rant ended.

Disclosure:  I write all that in the second paragraph fully aware that there are people out there who are being terribly disrespectful to people who seem different or of different color and so on.  I am not denying that there still a real problem in this world with some that are not kind at all with their words and intentions...but I am only talking about those who do it intentionally. 

Ok, now rant ended!

Buns of Steel, baby!

Levi- "Hyrum, do you have underwear on?" Hyrum, clearly without underwear on under his thin shorts, stomps off in embarrassment into his room. Levi- "I can tell cause I can see your buns!" Hyrum yells from his room, "YEAH! BUNS OF STEEL!"

I posted this on Facebook and my favorite reply was from Charlene, "Comando and Buns of Steel? Takes after his mama. Haha I miss those days. Love ya babe"

I love how some people know me so well....maybe a little too well!  Ha!