Wednesday, March 7, 2018

2015 in Snippets

Start of the Year:
Where: North Carolina - Children's Home - Girl's Cottage #5
Who/What: House parenting 5 young ladies; parenting Zander (age 1), and Charlotte (age 5 and doing preschool at home).

Overall impression of the year:

As a family, we loved watching our children grow and develop this year. The amount of developmental changes that occurred were so much fun to watch with both kids. However, as evidenced by my lack of writing, part of myself began to get lost this year. Lost in the crazy, busyness of the job, the lifestyle we led.

I think this song that I wrote (see below) really expressed the combination of emotions we had as Houseparents. Overall, it was a positive year with the children. Always the mix of fun and moving experiences with a lot of behavioral issues to boot. As our work schedule was three weeks on with one week off at a time, shifts sometimes got long and overwhelming, depending on what we were dealing with. But overall, I loved my girls and was grateful to be able to work with them.

 However, we found the year a challenging one in terms of the workload itself. I could go into a great deal of detail about the how and why, but I shan't. I shall simply say that the amount of work we were expected to burden on a daily basis began to exponentially grow. It started really in February and continued to grow and grow, the snowball effect, in a negative and overwhelming way. By the end of the year, our prayer was that 2016 would prove to be a little less encompassing (work wise) and allow for some healthy family time and healthy time as individuals--as ultimately that was what was beginning to be impacted the most with the ever-increasing demands being put on us.

From a Facebook post in September: "I was inspired today to write a new song, based on an old favorite--of my kids. To all my fellow Houseparents. Especially those going off duty. Which I'm not. For another two weeks.

Let It Go: HP Style on Passdown Night

The lamp glows dim in the cottage tonight,
Not a flip-flop to be seen.
A kingdom of insanity, and it looks like, I’m the Queen.
The list is growing like the weeds outside the door,
Couldn’t keep it up, couldn’t squeeze in more.


Don’t let them in, don’t let them see,
Be the good mom you always have to be.
Conceal, don’t feel, don’t let them know,
Well, now I’ll go!


Let it go! Let it go.
Can’t stay awake anymore!
Let it go! Let it go.
Turn away and lock the door.
I don’t care, what they’re going to say,
Let the kids rage on.
I’m going off duty anyway. 


It’s funny how some distance, makes everything seem small.
The schedule that once controlled me,
Can’t get to me at all!
It’s time to see what I can do,
To press snooze and sleep on through.
No school, no meds, no rules for me.
I’m free!


Let it go! Let it go.
I’m one with my pillow and bed.
Let it go! Let it go.
Close my eyes, pretend I’m dead.
Here I lay, and here I’ll stay,
Let the kid’s rage on….


My energy returns daily as I rest.
My soul is spiraling in peace, and I’m less stressed.
And one thought crystalizes like an icy blast,
I’ve only got a few short days, I better make it last!


Let it go! Let it go.
There’s nothing I’m going to dwell on.
Let it go! Let it go.
The perfect mom is gone.
Here I stand, on passdown day.
Let the kids rage on.
I’m going off duty anyway….



Monthly Highlights:
- January: We took a trip to Thailand

- February: Zander turned two
 
- March: We added a new girl to our cottage.

- April: Easter followed by an enjoyable visit to the beach getting to know an aunt better (2 of our girls at the time were on a home visit and so are not pictured here).







- May: Saw the end of the school year. We had multiple fun little trips with the girls, and Charlotte had her first ballet recital.

 A group put on a field day for all the kids.







 - June: This month was full of our usual summer fun with our cottage kids. This summer was one of the most fun summers we had as houseparents.

 Bowling


I went to Mitford (aka Blowing Rock NC) with Hillery. And we had a lovely time exploring the town and being kidless for the day. The jam picture is what happens when two best friends with extremely similar tastes plan a picnic together and both bring jam.... 















- July: More fun summerishness with the cottage along with a trip to Missouri to see family.



We took a special trip to Arkansas to see this little girl whom we love so very much.



 Auntie Joy (hairdresser supreme) and Uncle Adam.







 

Hill rolling--and a ballet in the park.


- August:  We simultaneously rejoiced and wept saying goodbye to one of our girls as she was reunited with family. Rejoicing in healing and a hopeful future. Weeping because she was a sweetie and we all missed her.
Charlotte turned five with a Frozen themed party. And she lost her first tooth.






And, as always, school got back in session and our days took on a new rhythm. Especially as Charlotte started Kindergarten (at home)!



- September: Our focus was primarily on the annual Harvest Festival for the home. This was an intensive time as it involved traveling with all the girls several times and performances. Time intensive and exhausting. We made up for it by going to visit Hillery and family (including Charlotte's best friend--Lily).

One of the more poignant moments during this time, for me, was receiving the call (while we were busy at harvest festival) that my brother and sister-in-law had lost their first baby in a miscarriage--my sweet nephew Emmanuel David.






Zander tackled golf for the first time. He loved it.







- October: Harvest Fest work continued this month. After that finished, Charlotte and I flew to Washington state to spend some time with Nana and Papa. Zander and Chris had a boy's week while we were gone. Add in a dash of fall fun.






We flew back on Halloween day, so Charlotte flew as a kitty.

When the girls are away the boys will play.



Disney on Ice!




Pumpkin Patches & Pumpkin Times




- November:
Random Funness



 
 American Heritage Girls at Ronald McDonald House



 Circus. Charlotte got her arm signed by the clowns.



Operation Christmas Child

- December: The month of December is always an incredibly busy and crazy time for us as houseparents. People are always incredibly generous around Christmas time; however, that equals an extra time of busyness for us as everyone wants to meet the kids and shower them with presents.

My parents came to visit us this month; although, they then went to Missouri to be with my siblings while we went to Texas and celebrated with a dear aunt and uncle and their children.

I also received the sweet, sweet news that my brother and sister-in-law were expecting again.




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