tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-298792052011-07-07T23:34:26.827-05:00Looking for the happy balance between Calamity Jane and Martha Stewart.Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.comBlogger2111100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-41502221635223598482010-09-21T23:09:00.004-05:002010-09-21T23:36:33.760-05:00

Hi. We're still here. Things are good, things are happy. The pie at Betty's is tasty. If you're ever on the MN North Shore, eat some pie.I've been talking with the kiddo's m o m. She was very nervous about communicating with me, but I think we're okay now. The kiddo has a sister that was born 7 months after TPR. I found that out and contacted Mom (for the first time) that day.D a d was denied p

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-63639526084178967262009-01-19T03:36:00.002-06:002009-01-19T03:46:46.017-06:00

Since I'm in quite the funk over the move, and having to tell my parents and grandparents today, no real post.But I will tell you that we have not purchased any vegetables (tomatoes don't count! They're fruit!) since October. One packet of loose leaf lettuce seeds, one package of spinach seeds, one package of swiss chard seeds, two packs of broccoli seeds, three packs of carrot seeds, one spicy

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-77549731581950283782009-01-17T10:43:00.002-06:002009-01-17T19:21:00.581-06:00

Now that we know we have another 6-8 months here, it feels like it is time for me to decide whether I will get in touch with Huckle's mom and maternal grandparents.Before Huck was adopted, there was a court order keeping them away. Or, keeping us from contacting them, I suppose, is more like it. Since he was removed from his mom in October 2006, none of them have had any news of him, save for the

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-50066091554637468862009-01-15T23:00:00.003-06:002009-01-15T23:43:03.749-06:00

We're moving.To Virginia.But not until Summer.House goes on the market in May.We'll rent if it doesn't sell in time.But it should sell in time for the new school year.Our area has slowed down a bit, but home prices are still going up.We decided to move about a week ago.At first we were going to move to DC, but we could afford a 300 sf shack on the highway if Hubs wanted a less than 45 minute

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-7603016054229393412009-01-04T01:12:00.005-06:002010-09-21T23:38:29.861-05:00

I figured you guys deserve a kinder, gentler post after that last one, so I'll start talking about the gardening stuff. Lets start at the beginning:Here's what my front and back yards looked like as we were pulling our homestudy materials together two and a half years ago.Here's the backyard, from left to right. We're on a standard builder's lot, 60X120, and since the house, garage, driveway and

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-41806419331317550322009-01-03T03:50:00.008-06:002009-01-03T14:45:27.248-06:00

I'm warning you, this isn't pretty.I spent most of the spring and summer in my garden, and so far a good chunk of fall. Most mornings Huckle would come and go from wherever I was working, sometimes watching movies, sometimes helping me dig holes or pull weeds. One June morning, I carried loads of river rock to the backyard, and Huckle was watching Cars for the eleventy millionth time, and all was

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-54217031523968015722008-12-31T13:24:00.002-06:002008-12-31T14:00:44.201-06:00

Right now I have 12 children and 4 dogs (1 child is ours, 2 dogs are ours -- things haven't changed that much) in the house, but I'm going to start working on this here blog again.Broad and narrow updates: Huckle loves kindergarten, even though he's almost a year younger than 1/2 the kids in his class he's in the top 3 for reading proficiency, he spends most of his days riding his (de-training

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-91326244234349543992008-01-16T15:29:00.000-06:002008-01-16T15:31:24.303-06:00

Huckle: Mom, we can't break our legs.Maer: Nope, we don't want to, do we?H: If you break your leg, Daddy and I will be sad.M: Will you take me to the hospital?H: No, we'll get a new mommy.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-31848889670044167742008-01-11T10:17:00.000-06:002008-01-11T10:23:26.228-06:00

In February 2005, Huckle weighed 29 pounds and was 34 inches tall.In November of 2006, Huckle weighed 36 pounds and was 36 inches tall.In December of 2007, Huckle weighed 45 pounds (winter clothes) and was 43 inches tall.Is it common for kids to grow barely at all from 18 to 39 months (this was his first time in foster care, then 4 months of reunification), then grow 7 inches in a year, or is

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-92195372415434175972008-01-11T10:16:00.000-06:002008-01-11T10:17:42.243-06:00

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-90505472243395533632008-01-11T10:08:00.000-06:002008-01-17T01:02:28.109-06:00

I know a lot of people missed the photographs around finalization, so here's another one, also only for a limited time. Christmas morning. Note the Milkbone Dog Treat licenced pajamas. I couldn't resist.Photo taken down! Thanks for your comments. He's sooo cute. *sigh*

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-21106677345861235372008-01-11T00:48:00.001-06:002008-01-11T01:00:50.869-06:00

I know it isn't right, but isn't it also illegal? Doesn't that count as discrimination? And instead of the same sex couple that was denied, Huckle went to the hetero couple that threw him out with nothing five days later, which led to him going into another foster home for a week (the one that was told he was a 1.5 hispanic boy), before coming to us.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-40149981005891506962007-12-28T07:24:00.000-06:002007-12-28T07:43:15.711-06:00

Wendy's the winner!So here's what I did:I told her to shut up and to drop it and let me be pissed. She said, "I have dropped it, you're the one freaking out" (or something, I was kinda enraged).At that point I told her to get the hell out of my house. I totally wanted her to leave. It sounded like a good idea to me.But then my mother flipped out. She freaked the frack out, and I ended up having

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-25007735924971689152007-12-26T22:13:00.001-06:002007-12-27T03:12:43.642-06:00

(Seriously, Tell Me What You Would Have DONE)Let us pretend that you and your mate have spent four days cooking and cleaning and planning for Christmas Day, which you are hosting. The day of, you're up at 8 to continue the cooking, cleaning, and planning, and at 2 PM you start the no-stopping-us-now turkey frying so that dinner will be ready at 3:15.Pretend also that your sister has been asked to

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-78983212460488486362007-12-25T05:33:00.001-06:002007-12-26T22:28:33.286-06:00

Have a wonderful holiday. Thank you for being here for me all this time. Be back after the new year.(photo removed)

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-23250741543330879492007-12-22T01:02:00.000-06:002007-12-26T22:28:08.997-06:00

You know what full-face photographs mean, right?Photos taken down. Thank you so much, y'all. (Limited time only)

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-37928595034101708032007-12-20T17:03:00.000-06:002007-12-20T17:11:39.227-06:00

Sorry to leave the "I'm so sick" post up at the top for a month. I'm only now back to about 90%. I felt about this good around the start of December, and then two weeks ago I got a cold, and back came the hacking and the wheezing and the blue hands and numbness and the aches and migranes from coughing, and oh, it was so pleasant.But I'm mostly better now.And I've got all my end-of-the-year work (

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-4949053329334685082007-11-22T06:01:00.001-06:002007-11-22T06:27:33.001-06:00

I'm so sick. My face is turning blue, I have such a hard time breathing. I'm as sick as I was for my wedding, and if I had insurance I'd probably find out I have pneumonia. I've eaten two bowls of EasyMac since Saturday, but I don't know if those count because every time I get a hacking coughing fit, whatever's gone into my stomach makes a reappearance. I've maybe kept down a glass of yerba mate

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-3162027995111130092007-11-19T12:09:00.000-06:002007-11-19T12:17:16.952-06:00

What do y'all think of "Cash" as a first or middle name for a boy?We're finishing our legal papers, and this is the last sticking point.He's not a James, or a Owen, or an Emmett, or an Oliver, or any of my other favorite names.And we're changing his name on paper only. My dad showed me how easy it is to locate someone with a DOB and first name, and considering our security concerns, we'd like to

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-25371312509841690132007-11-18T05:09:00.000-06:002007-11-18T05:26:57.868-06:00

Google searches that hit my site in the last 100 visitors:how to get pregnant after going off of nuvaring (Long Island Iced Tea?)spray paint swirled with water vases (sounds interesting. I used acrylic paint.)the amount of GHB found in 1 aquadot? (anyone else think this person has a few refill packs of his kids' aquadots and wants to know just how many will make for a fun night?)can women get

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-28105831477790594232007-11-18T03:47:00.001-06:002007-11-18T05:06:50.785-06:00

If you remember, we've been trying to get Huckle's level of care reviewed for a long time. When he came to live with us, our SW (at the time) asked Huck's CW (at the time) if she could have it adjusted (but she moved a few weeks later and it never got done), then I know we brought it up again in March the first time we met Olsen (no state CW from mid December to March), were told it would be

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-5041879710367167812007-11-18T03:04:00.000-06:002007-11-18T05:34:28.585-06:00

I know I've mentioned this before, but I really like Huckle's/our therapist.Even though she's supposed to be Huckle's, we're always involved in the sessions. Mostly, he plays while she observes how we interact, and we discuss issues we need help with. She gives advice, sometimes we try things out during the sessions, then we report back on the results the next time we see her.She's particularly

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-25267220234456542582007-11-16T03:59:00.000-06:002007-11-16T04:05:15.994-06:00

Thanks for the support, you guys.He doesn't know how close we are to finalization. Wednesday night was the first time in months that we've talked about what adoption is, and that he's going to be adopted in a little while. We didn't want to tell him about it and then have it not happen when we think it will happen (by the end of the year, but nothing set in stone yet).Thankfully our therapy

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-44419718328891253752007-11-15T01:41:00.000-06:002007-11-15T01:56:58.845-06:00

Hubs and I went to our first staffing meeting today. Maybe there've been others in the last year, who knows, we were never notified, and I think the only reason we knew about today's meeting is because of the number of supervisors we've been in contact over the last month.Anyhow, all we really did was answer questions about Huckle's medical, dental, emotional, mental, social, recreational, and

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-67598725014341073902007-11-15T00:46:00.000-06:002007-11-15T01:41:15.650-06:00

Anyone out there ever wanted to velcro their kids' lips shut? Maybe some eyelets?Over the past three weeks, Huckle's started telling me it is time for him to get a new house and family. He doesn't say this when he's mad, he doesn't say this when he's unhappy, he doesn't say it when he's in time out. When we're playing play doh, or reading a book, or driving home from school, cooking dinner,

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-78259399913831334922007-11-08T16:58:00.000-06:002007-11-08T21:40:42.128-06:00

CONGRATULATIONS!!!I'm so frakking happy, and I can't wait to hear every detail that disclosure allows. I'm crying over here for you all.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We're still holding our breath for you, FosterAbba and FosterEema.I can't be the only one checking every fifteen minutes, can I?

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-21697015263760086902007-11-08T00:24:00.001-06:002007-11-08T01:09:27.248-06:00

All of y'all can come over and float kegs whenever you like, you know that!As far as our anniversary is concerned, we had a good time last night. We went out for cocktails at our friend's pub, then walked across the town square to another friend's bistro, where we had the most fantastic lamb and short ribs in memory, then walked across the street to another friend's coffee house. Makes me

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-70434067039166089162007-11-08T00:03:00.000-06:002007-11-08T00:24:08.780-06:00

Allrighty, then. Huck's favorite toy of the moment metabolizes into GHB when swallowed.This is after he got nearly the entire line of Dora and Diego toys for his birthday over the summer, then less than a month later we had to take them all away.And after we fed him jars of Peter Pan peanut butter.After our dog's kidneys were trashed by "premium" pet food.I'm thinking I'll bake Aquadot pies and

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-48886417413559907312007-11-06T13:09:00.001-06:002007-11-06T13:49:11.329-06:00

I just realized that today is my wedding anniversary. Huh. Go figure.So now I'm busy hunting down a special something from eBay for the Hub. He wants a certain type of beer stein, saw a few that he liked this weekend, but they were $300 and that's a lot for a mug, you know?There are good and bad parts to being married to a nationally-recognized beer brewer. The fancy equipment's (such as

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-84047436705142032052007-11-06T03:03:00.000-06:002007-11-06T03:16:29.225-06:00

Today we were finally able to read Huck's file. No shareable details, of course, but I will say that there was a lot of stuff missing. However, we did finally learn the names of his other foster parents, including one set he spent a year with, and we're going to write to them. We've known these two's names for a year, of course, but their last name and his first initial fill up about a page in

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-32934341126692197612007-10-25T13:44:00.000-05:002007-10-25T14:42:58.441-05:00

By two o'clock yesterday, I was nodding off at my desk. Since Huckle needs to be picked up at 3:05, I went to my room, set the alarm for 2:45, and fell asleep.I woke up at 4.Total panic. I was an hour late already. I was shaking I was so scared and upset, knowing that Huckle had waited for me for an hour, that the school had been calling for almost as long, and I'd not heard the phone. I pulled

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-11473735329333901002007-10-24T11:31:00.000-05:002007-10-24T11:36:25.913-05:00

(Hey Bandera person, say hi!)Huck's cranky at me because I've been writing instead of showing him the video of an octopus eating a shark, so when I tried to get him to get dressed a few minutes ago, he refused to come into his bedroom with me.I came back out to the family room, where he was sprawled on the floor.M: C'mon and get dressed so we can go to school!H: I am not going to get dressed, and

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-11764611193915132302007-10-24T09:31:00.000-05:002007-10-24T10:54:14.751-05:00

Monday, we found out that Huck's LOC change request had been denied, and that he'd be staying at basic. We didn't know why, since only Olsen has that information, but our options were to resubmit it with new information (which we don't have, since we gave them everything) and wait another month for it to go through the system and back to the same person, or forget it and move on. We decided to

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-78090992658882505352007-10-24T01:22:00.000-05:002007-10-24T02:02:16.454-05:00

This stuff with the state is very frustrating. I'm venting, I'm documenting, but it is such a small part of our lives overall.I know I don't post a whole lot anymore. I'm busy, I'm always tired, and the day to day life, while probably not "typical" of most families, has become our norm. So I don't blog about how Huck calls Lucky Charms cereal "My Charmings," or the day each week when our SW comes

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-36387384639382404932007-10-24T00:49:00.000-05:002007-10-24T01:09:55.481-05:00

This is mostly a placeholder.When I'm not on the crap end of an all-day adrenaline fest, I'll summarize the twists and turns that had me on the phone for 12 hours. (Heh, doesn't sound quite as exciting or dramatic as it all was)The cast of characters includes my immediate family, my extended family, my lawyer, a judge in another state, two lawyers in other states, a professor in Scotland and his

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-33903618729395785442007-10-23T22:50:00.000-05:002007-10-24T00:47:17.687-05:00

So the last two weeks have been bad news on top of bad news.A day or two after my last big post, we heard from Huckle's adoption worker (not to be confused w/ his state case worker). Turns out that the CW didn't submit Huckle's file to be deidentified back in February, or March, or April. We'd suspected as much, of course, and I was starting to believe that the file was lost.The file was

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-18487111336132891872007-10-23T22:20:00.001-05:002007-10-23T22:47:42.984-05:00

Last week while scratching Huckle's back and talking before bed:Huckle: Mommy, did I cry a lot when I started to live here?Me: Well, yes, you did cry a lot.H: Why?M: I don't know. Do you know why? Were you sad, or scared, or angry?H: I think I was a baby, and sometimes babies cry for their mommies, and I didn't know you were my mommy yet.M: Hmm. Maybe.H: But now I am big and brave and strong. And

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-43013205878450173922007-10-10T03:36:00.001-05:002007-10-10T04:10:15.293-05:00

Situation:It has been eleven months since Huckle came to live with us, as of today.It has been ten months since TPR.We started asking to see his file in February, when we met his new caseworker (there was no caseworker from December to February).The file should have been deidentified by April 1, per Huck's CW.Huckle's CW has been to our house for one visit since February, when he became the CW

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-83801023715792046612007-10-04T15:48:00.001-05:002007-10-04T17:44:31.611-05:00

Almost done. Almosts done. Almost done.All is fairly well. Huckle is with us, we're pressing the adoption, and once we're out from under the state's thumb, I'll feel a lot better.I am very disappointed in our agency. We have another new SW (the third since Huck arrived and the sixth or so overall), and this one is a dingbat. She's just Shocked! By! Everything! And after (only!) a year, I'm not in

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-63691651104766196782007-08-28T10:02:00.000-05:002007-08-28T11:32:42.085-05:00

First things first: Huck loves his new school. I've heard a detailed description of the playground and the snack, and he says that "The girls tell me to push my glasses up!" Right now I'm stalling him until noon as best I can, but he's ready to go go go go go go go.Some of you may recall a difficult experience at Huck's other preschool last February, blogged on April 13th. Remember how the

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-49834246112285819712007-08-27T14:00:00.000-05:002007-08-27T14:09:31.103-05:00

Woohoo, Folks! We have PreSchool!The Huckster is dropped off, with not a tear or fuss on his end (seriously, how can this be the same child that came to live with us? how?).I think that now, and for the next three hours, I shall walk around my house naked, blast the stereo, uncoil all the cords on all the appliances, and put a container of blueberries on the counter.Okay, actually, I'm kidding

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-10172970516828071862007-08-26T07:02:00.000-05:002007-08-26T12:53:50.687-05:00

I started this as a comment on Baggage's post, but it got really long. Go there, then come back.Yup. That about sums it up.And while we're at it, we may as well remind people that the kids being taken away is what's first on your mind all day, every day. Bump on the head? Maybe he'll be taken away. Tantrum at the grocer? Maybe he'll be taken away. Fall asleep in his bed while you lie with him to

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-72325219565496037362007-08-25T03:12:00.000-05:002007-08-25T04:47:45.986-05:00

Here's a photograph, taken a few weeks ago, of us trying to take pictures of Huck's sprouting molars. He moved around a lot.I can't sleep. I am so scared that the things from my last post might get our house closed down and Huckle moved somewhere else.I've been crying on and off for about 12 hours now. A bowl of fruit? Terrycloth hand towels? A fridge with a thermometer built in? I understand

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-290700557085756092007-08-24T16:24:00.000-05:002007-08-24T23:45:37.450-05:00

Frakktastic.Cindy just posted here about higher standards for adoptive parents.(Not that what went down here is in the same league as what Cindy goes through, of course.)I was recently surprise-inspected by the state and had the following infractions noted.1. Uncovered/unrefrigerated food: A) Bowl of (unpeeled) bananas and apples on kitchen table. Bananas and apples purchased the day before

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-20887827463799560402007-08-21T17:47:00.001-05:002007-08-21T17:49:08.775-05:00

Huckle: Mommy, can you give me some dinner so I can finish it up and then you can give me dessert and then I can watch Cars and then I can go to bed and then I can go to the pool and the park and the icecream store? Dinner first, though.The adorable, it is overwhelming.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-65714593598301133132007-08-21T14:11:00.000-05:002007-08-21T14:19:17.330-05:00

My life just got ten kinds of easier. And not a moment too soon...Huckle's been approved for pre-k through the school district (cutting it close, aren't they? six days until the year starts they tell us). AND..........He's in the afternoon class!!!I swear, I would have kissed the mail carrier if she'd been there.No waking Huck up at 6 AM to let him roll around on the ground and cry for an hour.No

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-21684551355944457672007-08-17T21:32:00.000-05:002007-08-17T21:43:31.359-05:00

I am furious.Because of a mixup with Hub's work, I'm without health insurance. His company was purchased for the third time in as many years, and the insurer changed for a fifth time, and somehow I didn't make it onto our policy with Cigna. I can't get on it until the open enrollment in January, so I need health insurance for the next 3 months, just in case something happens.I have now been

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-51964887181646948392007-08-10T01:08:00.001-05:002007-08-10T01:15:44.039-05:00

Hi! We're still here. We're chilling out. Things are pretty good.Hubbers is working out of offices for the next few months, so I'm much more frazzled.Huckle went swimming yesterday, and for the first time went past his waist in water. He even jumped off the side of the pool to me, while holding my hands. Amazing what a little swimming peer pressure from kids half his age will make him want to

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-12627510301618069182007-07-27T14:55:00.000-05:002007-07-27T15:09:42.944-05:00

Today, I decided to buckle down and find out the who/how/why/what of Huck's dad's murder conviction. It took a few hours to get anywhere, since I only knew the when-ish, but I did, and about thirty seconds after I found the victim's name, we'll call him Devon Davis, the phone rang."Hi, Maerlowe," the man on the line said, "This is Devon Davis. Is The Hub there?"Stomach dropped, cause there's a

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-50119617390133515702007-07-26T03:35:00.000-05:002007-07-26T04:08:47.835-05:00

Huck is riding my ass.We're one week removed from a long vacation with tons of family, and he's making me pay for taking him away from all the out-of-state relatives, racking up dozens of losses for him in one swoop.There are tantrums because he can't join Great Grandpa in picking up sticks and putting them in the wheelbarrow, because Great Grandma's pink cake isn't in our kitchen, because we

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-51838537910772723642007-07-23T17:38:00.000-05:002007-07-23T17:39:12.916-05:00

M: Does that water hit the spot?H: No, because I didn't have surgery today.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-24854663876546413922007-07-23T15:32:00.000-05:002007-07-23T16:16:40.526-05:00

So what do you get when you cross a Maerlowe in the shower, a Huckle who's shoved his hand down his throat "because he's sleepy," and a missed appointment for a bikini wax?Yup, questions about pubic hair!At Huckle's nap time today, I read him a book, scratched his back, and snuggled him up. He promptly stuck his nose in my armpit and said, "Peee-Yooo, you're stinky, Mommy."Yeah, I was. He beat me

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-49534143640904692992007-07-21T20:22:00.000-05:002007-07-21T20:27:05.816-05:00

Yay! I finished the new Harry Potter book around 3 this afternoon (I did sleep for 6 hours last night, so no crazy readathon here), so now it can't be spoiled for me. When I woke up this morning on page 500ish, my husband took a look at me and my bookmark, and much smirking took place.At the moment, we're trying to explain to Huckle that cats don't wear boots. Or sandals. Or sneakers. Or flip

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-22464124898158512972007-07-19T22:07:00.000-05:002007-07-19T22:21:40.796-05:00

Huck ate about seven meals a day while we were on vacation. Mostly this was the fault of the Blonde Posse (my mother, sisters, grandmother, aunt, and cousins) that he had wrapped around his little finger (seriously, they're all platinum blonde at darkest), but he was asking for food, and larger amounts of food, much more often than at home.Kinda obvious what the problem was, right?Here at home,

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-55237392911945609102007-07-19T21:58:00.000-05:002007-07-19T22:07:32.737-05:00

Just before leaving for vacation, I had my hair colored and cut for the first time since November. My roots were about five inches long, not a look I recommend, but oh well.Turns out, half of my hair fell out sometime in the last 8 months, and it started to grow back around May or June. Not bald patches that would mean alopecia, but a mass exodus from my scalp, every other hair (or so) abandoning

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-51688656491918393862007-07-18T19:01:00.000-05:002007-07-18T19:09:09.060-05:00

I think that was the longest vacation I've ever taken. 19 days in Montana. The three of us, my parents, my siblings and their hubs/girlfriend, my grandparents, my aunt and uncle and their kids and bf/gf. 17 of us in all. Nearest source for dialup was a bar 30 miles away, nearest cell reception was a twenty minute drive. We had a great time, but we're all happy to be home. Four days ago

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-75498582007736884622007-06-29T05:18:00.000-05:002007-06-29T05:34:55.796-05:00

Ridiculous amounts of rain down here. We're safe, our house remains unflooded, and we're staying close to home so as not to tempt the low water crossings that seem to spring up at a moment's notice. Hard thing, living on topsoil-free land that's been saturated by 10 days of downpour. Add to that our area's lack of sewer drainage (because of the rock 3 inches underground), and there are quite a

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-41865359508159152032007-06-24T14:47:00.001-05:002007-06-24T16:05:23.556-05:00

We've put a lot in our past. There've been surgeries, evaluations, therapies, and hydrocodone out my ass, but we've made it past a lot of the big stuff, and I really only lost my mind once, last night, as our plane touched down at home after a few days' vacation with The Hub. The thought of coming home to a child who has so many physical, emotional, and developmental problems and needs, and who

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-53659167450988711242007-05-30T17:58:00.000-05:002007-05-30T18:04:51.433-05:00

Well.When last we parted, it had been confirmed that Huckle couldn't breathe, sleep, or hear.Now, turns out he can't see. When his glasses get here in two weeks, they might be able to correct to 20/100. He needs a prescription for +8 and +8.5, but first we're making a stop at +6 and +6.5 to get him accustomed to the corrections."How many weeks premature was he?" asked the doc.Still no clue.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-38255238242433382632007-05-16T13:46:00.000-05:002007-05-16T13:58:05.123-05:00

Highlights of our new SW's first visit:Huck's LOC is going to be changed from basic (none/none/none) to moderate.He's being classified as a Special Needs adoption (even before we find out the extent of his heart problem).Free college is not just 4 years. So long as Huckle passes ONE college class by the time he's 21, he has free tuition/books/fees (to a state-funded school) for LIFE, including

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-88731659069611722112007-05-16T13:02:00.000-05:002007-05-16T13:44:08.283-05:00

One of the best parts of the DTV is that I got to call my mother and tell her that The Good Therapist instructed me to use it.Way back in November, back in the days when I couldn't be closer than a foot or further than five feet from Huck without neighborhood-alerting screams, back when I would lock myself in the bathroom and cry while he threw his whole body against the door and screamed, I used

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-87583295718792597272007-05-16T02:23:00.000-05:002007-05-16T02:39:58.217-05:00

I'm feeling better. I've stopped willing the ground to open up and swallow me whole. But, you know, it isn't as if I'm going to start researching heart defects now, embrace the horrible with gusto. I'll just wait and see, those medical texts will still exist after we get into the cardiologist and figure out what's the what.Huckle's Good Therapist has me using my Dog Training Voice when asking

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-46400012699157135592007-05-15T19:12:00.000-05:002007-05-15T19:17:55.256-05:00

We've already got one surgery lined up. Sadly, the ear-tube-placing, tonsil-and-adenoid-removing procedure may be the least of our worries once this month is up. Most likely it will be put off, should they eyes or heart take precedence over the breathing or the hearing. That's okay, though.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-84876437024818620182007-05-15T01:23:00.000-05:002007-05-15T01:31:46.781-05:00

Look where we're going, come hell or high water.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-61131501693295264212007-05-14T23:20:00.000-05:002007-05-15T01:23:13.333-05:00

I don't have any references or papers on hand regarding the information I got from our developmental evaluation. Some of what she told us was prefaced with, "We've been seeing a lot of...", the "we" meaning her group of colleagues in our area that see mostly foster kids and many meth kids. For example, she said, "I'm going to listen to his heart for a while. I'm seeing heart murmurs and problems

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-82272864119450470802007-05-12T00:16:00.000-05:002007-05-12T13:24:19.896-05:00

Dr. Google fails miserably with regards to trying to find out the current thinking on the effects of prenatal meth exposure. You get lots of studies about underweight rats and warnings about behavior and attention disorders and learning disabilities, but that's pretty much it.Our developmental evaluation was yesterday. We were lucky enough to get in with one of the best in the state. I'm still

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-45301537551246871142007-05-02T17:53:00.000-05:002007-05-02T23:26:25.223-05:00

We had another therapy appointment yesterday. It went fine, involving mostly kicking Hub out of the room and the therapist watching how Huck and I interact. Nothing earth-shattering. Of course, he was sweeter and kinder than he is at home, so whatever. Only toward the end did he show a bit of his normal behavior. He exhibited about half of the "invitations to play" that she would expect from the

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-55313978236922342452007-04-29T01:02:00.000-05:002007-04-29T01:23:46.139-05:00

Okay, I'm still here. I didn't drink the kool aid or anything. Hub is home, my present was fabulous, I'll post a picture sometime, but it is a vintage Murano paperweight sold by a little old man who retired from AVeM many years ago but still has boxes and boxes of glass work. Hubs said there were many lovely pieces, but he was scared about getting a bowl or vase across the Atlantic and across his

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-1665627288800736492007-04-18T21:29:00.000-05:002007-04-18T23:38:39.715-05:00

I'm 97% sure that everyone who reads this will already know, but just in case you haven't read the big, huge, goopy, wonderful news over at The Open Window, Margaret was matched with Slugger today! I feel like dousing her with Gat0rade, or cracking a bottle of champagne on Slugger's future bedroom door or something.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-66389600190971155482007-04-18T01:26:00.000-05:002007-04-18T02:20:37.991-05:00

My mother doesn't know it yet, but she's gaining two houseguests tomorrow.I've menioned this before, but the difference between Huckle when I'm the only person around and Huckle when he's with others (Private Huck vs. Public Huck) is pretty severe. I think Public Huck might just be a kid I can parent for the next few days, whereas Private Huck might spend the next four days in timeout.I fel

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-46920718747240706082007-04-17T18:11:00.000-05:002007-04-17T18:40:07.581-05:00

Well, it must be 100 hours since Hub left me and Huck alone, cause I just lost it. I'm totally on track.About 8AM this morning, I figured I'd snap around 8:04, having just discovered that the dogs had been locked in my bathroom all night, and thus had tried to tunnel out under the door. The carpet? Every fiber in a 2x4 area pulled out. The doorframe? Chewed to smithereens. Stressful, yep, but I

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-41447699771386027932007-04-16T18:31:00.000-05:002007-04-16T18:43:21.169-05:00

Why is that called ketchup?Why don't I have shoes on?Why do I have to go to bed?The "whys" have started.Developmentally speaking, I'm high-fiving myself (which is sad and difficult and a bit strange, to be sure, but when your companionship is two dogs, a hateful cat, and Huck, you must give yourself the props you may or may not be due). However, spending fifteen minutes explaining the reasons why

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-50709637372528432982007-04-14T01:16:00.000-05:002007-04-14T06:40:36.933-05:00

Yay for you guys. I'm so glad I'm not alone in the whole "she's a crazy bitch" line of thought.I did let our SW know about it after it happened. Her response was basically, "Whew, aren't you glad he doesn't live with her?" And I do consider Huck's balls-out running away to be normal little boy behavior -- My brother was born when I was 11, and he was the kind of kid that, each day, you'd thank

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-28153297698393034732007-04-13T03:58:00.000-05:002007-04-13T09:19:31.188-05:00

First up, Belgium. What kind of a gift should I request from said country? Not chocolate (I don't really like chocolate. I think my distaste for Cathy comics put me off the stuff.). This gift will be the first hubby-travel gift in two years, and will follow a looong stretch of single-parentdom on my part, so it can be good.Next, school auctions. They usually serve alcohol there, ya? I have one

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-61972923354617157512007-04-04T02:32:00.000-05:002007-04-04T03:14:14.892-05:00

Thanks for the lurve on the last post, y'all. Since Hubs has been working from home, I've had more time to work on things that make me happy, and it makes all the difference in my attitude. That, and I've adjusted my sleep schedule so that I am not awake the whole time Huck is awake and asleep when he's asleep -- a three hour shift forward (I'm a nightowl, I can easily stay up all night long)

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-69493480372002721162007-03-27T16:56:00.000-06:002007-03-27T17:11:10.603-06:00

Things have settled down this week. Just when I was dreaming about sewing up a penguin costume for Huck and sending him to the zoo for a few weeks, he's turned back around.I'm so glad to be seeing his sweet, considerate, funny side. After the last few weeks, I was starting to doubt whether I'd ever see it again.Most likely I'll be back at the bottom of the dogpile again tomorrrow when the Hub

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-74964888489755468852007-03-25T17:56:00.000-06:002007-03-25T18:01:53.645-06:00

Me: Huck, do you have to go potty?Huckle: No, I just farted, I'm okay.-----Huckle: Mommy, I'm touching Maddy's (the female dog) peepee!Me, upon inspection: That's just her tummy. (ok, he was pulling a nipple, but i'd like at least another month before he learns that word)Huckle thinks about it for a few minutes, walks away, walks back into the room: You're wrong, Mom, that's her peepee.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-14461450786011852012007-03-25T02:38:00.000-06:002007-03-25T03:08:50.033-06:00

On the phone tonight with my sister, the one who is freshly married:"Well, Maer, adoption is forever."Gosh, that had never, ever occured to me before! Why didn't someone tell me?This was after she scolded me for letting Huck look at photographs of his mother, who she referred to as "that crackhead bitch." (Yes, I sometimes think things that unkind about Huckle's mom, but I do not say them, not

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-49461593536947999752007-03-23T00:28:00.000-06:002007-03-23T01:03:54.861-06:00

I was probably unclear in my last post. No, Huck's file won't have bearing on whether we adopt him or not. We are adopting him. However, we need to see that file for his sake. I want to know as much as I can about the first 39 months of his life because he will need to know. I'm worried that, if we adopted Huckle in three weeks, even if an adoption agreement were hammered out in that time, we'd

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-16548943985619198202007-03-22T01:24:00.000-06:002007-03-22T04:35:02.071-06:00

I'm glad y'all think that CPS is kinda nutty, too, with the speed of Huckle's adoption. While I was talking to Huck's CW, I started giggling because I kept thinking, "How stupid does his supervisor think we are?" I mean, the state has been involved with him since forty five minutes after he was born, but no one can answer questions like which hospital he was born in or if he was full-term. I

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-4143751755892896792007-03-21T17:20:00.000-06:002007-03-21T18:02:36.584-06:00

One of the reasons my posting has been less frequent over the last two months is that, at the end of the day, the shitty outweighs the good. And I sometimes have no desire to rehash it, I want that day to be done, I want to keep hope that tomorrow might be better. I don't want to make it sound like Huckle's a horrible kid. Sometimes, I'd like to send him to his room until he's thirty-five, sure,

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-17440645527455974432007-03-21T15:40:00.000-06:002007-03-21T15:55:20.497-06:00

Huck's CW called a few minutes ago.He wanted to know if we wanted to adopt Huckle in April or May. That would be, um, three weeks from now. Catch is, we'd have to be done with all the paperwork by tomorrow.We're obviously not going to move that quickly -- his file hasn't been redacted, we haven't had a psychological evaluation done, we can't even get in with a therapist yet -- but if we wanted to

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-2722375650574259922007-03-19T01:27:00.000-06:002007-03-19T02:11:50.171-06:00

According to Huckle, I don't do anything right.If he asks for grapes, he remembers that he wanted an orange. If I put his bowl down in front of him, he insists that oranges need to be on a plate. If I put his plate down at the kitchen table, he tells me he wants to sit at his playtable. If he asks to watch Dora, by the time I find the requested episode, he tells me that he wants to watch Dora

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-56217010937864657682007-03-02T17:03:00.000-06:002007-03-02T18:01:37.739-06:00

We've entered the night terrors portion of our program.Three of the last five nights, Huck has screamed in his sleep for up to two hours. It usually happens around 4 AM, one of the times he usually comes to check on us (Since there were times he was left alone for long stretches of time, or he woke up and no one was home, Huck does bedchecks on me and The Hub two or three times a night -

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-71391208872402407442007-02-22T05:23:00.000-06:002007-02-22T06:04:39.150-06:00

We've been busy the last month.Between The Hub leaving for his second week long business trip and all the sturm und drang that went with it, my sister's wedding the next week, in-home visits on 5 consecutive days from people involved in Huckle's case, Hubs beginning the transition from work-at-work to work-at-home, pneumonia for me... well, we were basically screwed.Now, I adore Huckle. He isn't

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-10649481053852381812007-02-15T22:04:00.000-06:002007-02-15T22:07:56.386-06:00

We're here, we're fine, sorry for the unannounced disappearance.I'll be back shortly.Just too much IRL discussion and analysis and worry over Huck and related matters to feel like rehashing it here.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-1717984222590965642007-01-16T13:43:00.000-06:002007-01-16T14:00:55.917-06:00

We three are all home, all together again for the fourth day in a row thanks to the freezingest, frostiest days of the season. Our region shuts down when sleet or snow roll into town, and as we speak there's a thick layer of ice covering everything. The forecast is even worse for tomorrow, and all I can say is yay for me hauling my cookies to two different Wa1marts last night in search of the

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-26292198784225926252007-01-12T04:48:00.000-06:002007-01-12T05:09:12.504-06:00

I can't be sure, but I think Huckle must've read a book on torture techniques used in prison camps or some such. Bless his heart, he's hitting each. and. every. nerve.I'm reminding myself that this is all because he feels as though he's been abandoned again, that there's no way for him to be sure that Daddy will, in fact, return. He's freaked, his anxiety level is at about 572% of normal (and

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-35676551324022604042007-01-09T00:49:00.000-06:002007-01-09T00:50:36.776-06:00

We've passed the 30 day period where an appeal to TPR could have been made. Woot.

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-85621734647432233752007-01-08T23:50:00.000-06:002007-01-09T00:12:01.765-06:00

I'd successfully avoided the greasy, toned, stuffed creature that is the male stripper for nearly 28 years. "You're going to The Slimy Sausage? *cough cough* I think I'm coming down with something," has served me well. My own bachelorette party may have included these beasts, but it was cancelled because I had pneumonia the week before my wedding and checked out of the hospital and went straight

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-30151708131458339812007-01-05T02:25:00.000-06:002007-01-05T02:44:58.253-06:00

I came across this link at Blogging Baby last night. Does anyone else find this exercise in creative writing to be, well, demeaning and upsetting, especially when it is published on a legal site? Kind of like a Coldplay song (by that I mean something devoid of any real emotion or experience, kind of like someone woke up one day and said, "I wonder what it would be like to be sad. Maybe I'll write

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-75415795347069133892007-01-03T11:12:00.000-06:002007-01-03T11:29:41.490-06:00

Just another morning around here.I've been told I'm a monster, I've been sung "You Are My Sunshine," I've been kicked in the head (again! you'd think I'd learn not to crouch down) and I also deflected a tongue kiss in there somewhere -- or just a poorly aimed lick. (and omg yuck, I caught Huckle letting the dog lick his tongue. almost threw up.)So far, not too bad. A little too much puppy

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-38526607407837749592007-01-02T16:17:00.000-06:002007-01-02T16:33:17.755-06:00

A few weeks ago, Process wondered about the future adoptive parents of a little girl with a family history of mental illness.Huckle doesn't have a documented family history of mental illness. But he was born with meth, pot, and alcohol in his system. Every day I worry. I can't even ask myself if we would have said yes to him if we'd known the circumstances of his birth and of the first 18 months

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-27336019069000694212006-12-27T10:18:00.000-06:002006-12-27T10:48:10.548-06:00

Guess what you get when you combine an adorable, scampish three year old with first time parents/grandparents/great-grandparents/aunts/uncles/great aunts/great uncles/great cousins? Witness the insanity that was my parents' living room. However, to be fair,they weren't all for Huckle.In all, it went well. This is Huck's fourth Christmas, but last year was in another foster home, and the years

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-40063587100592527202006-12-23T22:35:00.000-06:002006-12-23T22:58:36.298-06:00

Huck is doing much better than he was, even though he's sore from the two shots (one in each leg! Had no clue that kind of stuff went on) and the holding-down it took to administer said shots. He woke from his nap around five and and let me cuddle him (!) and make a nest on the couch, complete with chocolate chip cookie and white grape juice. he dozed for a little while with Finding Nemo on in

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-24258181550822962572006-12-23T15:21:00.000-06:002006-12-23T15:25:01.517-06:00

They're home. Whatever is wrong with Huckle is nasty, but in the early stages. Maybe strep, maybe bronchitis, but nothing pinged. We've got antibiotics in him, a prescription for robitussin to pick up, and aside from shots in the legs, he's not too worse for the wear. He came home so tired that he snuggled into my body when I picked him up -- usually the only time he truly relaxes into me is when

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-76013277765887883552006-12-23T13:09:00.000-06:002006-12-23T13:21:10.247-06:00

Blah! Grrr!Huck woke up last night with a 102.5 temperature. We gave tylenol and liquids, wrapped him in wet towels for a bit, rocked and sang. I took the first shift, The Hub took over around 6 am. I woke up at 11:30 to a quiet house. Hubs and Huck gone, my car gone, both cell phones sitting in their chargers, a website for an urgent care clinic up on the laptop. My mom first tried calling us at

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-21196310689085345632006-12-21T01:58:00.000-06:002006-12-21T02:08:00.319-06:00

(Huck is stealthy, as I've mentioned before, and I swear that he knows what time my alarm is set for and he wakes up three minutes before it goes off -- I've tried moving it back.)Most mornings, I wake up to a little voice saying, "Mommy, I'm huuuuuungry."It still takes me a moment to realize he's talking to me. The same joy and panic wash over me every morning. I still wonder how I got here,

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-78565350614314630492006-12-21T00:26:00.000-06:002006-12-21T01:15:54.003-06:00

Huckle's social worker is transferring to another city, and likely won't see him again. She and CPS consider his case closed, even though we're still in the appeal window, and at some point we'll be transferred to an adoptive caseworker.Huckle's social worker has been on his case for a bit over a year. She loves him. She adores him. But she also identified with his mom, trusted her too much, and

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29879205.post-82172475261313524182006-12-19T23:01:00.000-06:002006-12-19T23:10:45.194-06:00

Today was the last day of preschool before the holiday break, and tonight was the recital. Huckle sat in the front row, took his costume off three times before his teacher gave up and let him go hatless, and he was a wiz at shaking the bells. Thankfully, his school kept their recital short and sweet -- five songs on stage, then a ice cream social for the students, parents and guests. Somewhere

Maerlowehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12045052250287649750noreply@blogger.com2