If you've known me awhile, you know I don't believe in New Year's Resolutions. (I don't think that you should wait until a new year to make a change that needs to be made in your life, and I also think that a change made for a "hype" is less likely to stick. But that's just me.)
However, I do like to use the first month of each year as a time to think about where I need to start fresh, goals I need to set, traditions I would like to begin if I didn't begin them some other time during the year.
One tradition we started a couple of weeks ago actually just happened to occur at this time of year. But I found it an opportune time to start something new and exciting and fun with our three oldest kiddos.
So Sunday nights have turned into "Watch something educational and try something new" night. :-)
(We haven't ruled out the possibility of occasionally mixing it up and just watching something fun, but for now, this is how it goes.)
Our first couple of Sundays, we found documentaries on Netflix, which all three of the kids were actually able to pay attention to without getting too bored. On K3's part, this continues to surprise me a bit, but in a good way.
The first week we watched a documentary about the ocean and ocean life. We tried a couple of new kinds of cheeses, kicking off the new tradition without too much craziness. Limburger was the most exciting thing on our plates LOL.
The second week, we watched a behind-the-scenes documentary about the filming of The Lord of the Rings. In addition to a couple more new kinds of cheese, we tried sardines, liver sausage, and eclairs (none of them new to Randy to me).
Last week, I found the entire Planet Earth (British version) series for a good price on DVD, so last night we started that. The new items on our plates were a couple more new cheeses - brie and herbed goat cheese (being in Wisconsin, this will probably continue to be a theme) - smoked oysters, kumquats, and red bananas, as well as chocolate covered potato chips.
Each week, our main "meal" consists of snacks that everyone already likes, such as summer sausage, cheddar and colby jack cheeses, crackers, popcorn, etc. Everyone is required to try at least one bite of each new item, and then can choose to have more or not.
So far, I think the kids are really enjoying it. I know I am. Coming up with new ideas of things for them to try has become a bit of a game for Randy and me. (We are open to trying new things for ourselves as well - and already have! - but this has proven to be a bit more of a challenge for us.)
I am really loving our new tradition, and looking forward to continuing it throughout the year.
Monday, January 27, 2014
Monday, January 6, 2014
Updates
Well, I have updates on both K3 and K4's cases. They are long overdue, but I have been frustrated by both situations and daily fighting anxiety over the fates of my girls, and the thought of writing about it has been too overwhelming.
None of that has changed, but as dates are drawing closer, I need to update those who already knew those dates and will soon begin asking about them.
There is a TPR trial scheduled for K3. It was set much later in time than we expected - or than it should have been, based on the court calendar. It could have been scheduled much sooner, but the attorneys know how to play time-dragging games. It's very frustrating. Still, the amount of time between the last hearing and the trial is short compared to the amount of time she has spent in foster care. If you have been in prayer for our little girl and our family, please pray with us that this relatively short amount of time will not, in the judge's determination, outweigh the amount of time she has been in permanency limbo. Please pray that the judge will see that she desperately needs permanence, and that dragging out permanence would be more devastating for her than beneficial.
Secondly, as some of you know, we had an adoption scheduled for K4. We found out right before Christmas that an appeal had been filed on her TPR; the appeal would have been filed in August or early September, yet no one in the DAs office informed anyone in the agency about the appeal. So the adoption will not happen in February, and we will not have a new date until the appeal is dealt with. The date that was supposed to be the adoption will now be a status hearing on the appeal, so again if you are praying with us, please pray that everything will be resolved (or brought near to resolution) at this hearing.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and prayers. God has really given me peace over these situations, and helps me daily in overcoming the worry and anxiety that come so easily when your child's future is so tangibly unknown. (I know, none of our children's futures are known.) But prayers for continued peace would also be appreciated.
None of that has changed, but as dates are drawing closer, I need to update those who already knew those dates and will soon begin asking about them.
There is a TPR trial scheduled for K3. It was set much later in time than we expected - or than it should have been, based on the court calendar. It could have been scheduled much sooner, but the attorneys know how to play time-dragging games. It's very frustrating. Still, the amount of time between the last hearing and the trial is short compared to the amount of time she has spent in foster care. If you have been in prayer for our little girl and our family, please pray with us that this relatively short amount of time will not, in the judge's determination, outweigh the amount of time she has been in permanency limbo. Please pray that the judge will see that she desperately needs permanence, and that dragging out permanence would be more devastating for her than beneficial.
Secondly, as some of you know, we had an adoption scheduled for K4. We found out right before Christmas that an appeal had been filed on her TPR; the appeal would have been filed in August or early September, yet no one in the DAs office informed anyone in the agency about the appeal. So the adoption will not happen in February, and we will not have a new date until the appeal is dealt with. The date that was supposed to be the adoption will now be a status hearing on the appeal, so again if you are praying with us, please pray that everything will be resolved (or brought near to resolution) at this hearing.
Thanks in advance for your thoughts and prayers. God has really given me peace over these situations, and helps me daily in overcoming the worry and anxiety that come so easily when your child's future is so tangibly unknown. (I know, none of our children's futures are known.) But prayers for continued peace would also be appreciated.
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