tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37257126056588608432024-03-12T20:51:30.030-07:00Adventures in Foster Care Roman and Emily , Minnesota USA
@fosterfunmnChriskkohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04150066690106169447noreply@blogger.comBlogger138125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-90780651842256363862020-03-01T11:35:00.000-08:002020-03-01T11:35:04.530-08:00Dory<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hello!</span></span> </b>Its been so long, how are you? what have you been up to?<br />
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In the beginning (September 2019) we thought we had a high chance of adopting this placement that we have been calling Dory on the internet. Her story is quite shocking and sad, it has it all: Atrocious behavior of adults, mental illness, abuse, drugs, hospitalizations, failure of the county to find enough proof, etc. etc. etc. this is her third stint in foster care and she is only <b>FIVE.</b> I want sure how much, or what to share since a lot of it was such a bummer to hear about. So I just procrastinated writing but, I miss it. Dory is hilarious, thoughtful, kind, empathetic, and above all Extroverted.<br />
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My child loves school.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for i love school gif" class="n3VNCb" data-noaft="1" src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/VHr5InSGBx7Wrpq2CK/giphy.gif" style="height: 400px; margin: 0px; width: 480px;" /> <br />
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She enjoys being there, she talks about it all the time at home, she loves her friends she worries about them all the time and she is bummed out when it is the weekend and she <i>"has"</i> to stay home. My child <b>LOVES</b> school. <i>She wants to be a janitor so she can stay late and clean. </i><br />
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I had to take her out of school - <i>not my choice</i> - to drive downtown. I made a deal with Dory that I would drive <b>as fast as I could</b> to our appointment and back so she would miss <span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><u>just a little bit</u></i></span> of school. Reluctantly she agreed. I picked her up, she ran clumsily to the car. we drove downtown parked, ran to the appointment, jogged back to the car and started driving. She began to compose a song about how much she loved school. it started with <i>"glo-<b>OOO-OOO-OOO</b>-ria"</i> from angels we have heard on high and just ended with how much she loves school.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for gazelle gif" class="n3VNCb" data-noaft="1" src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/inJJi6XJhNPmU/giphy.gif" style="height: 202px; margin: 11.5px 0px; width: 350px;" /> <br />
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We get to school. My long legged clumbsy girl <i>sprinted</i> down the hallway in a way I have never seen her move. She was a graceful gazelle. I chased after her saying "Dory, slow down, there are teachers here, just pretend you're walking fast" and each student in the hall mumbled "hey, shes running in the hall! that's not allowed!" the chase continued. She didn't pause in front of the heavy classroom door before she <b>dramatically burst in<i>, "GLOOOOOOOOOOORIA! I LOVE SCHOOL!" </i></b>as all of her classmates were quietly sitting on the carpet having a talk about how to be quiet and respectful in the classroom. Ironic.<br />
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My child <span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>LOVES </b></i></span>school.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for dramatic entrance" class="n3VNCb" data-noaft="1" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/8f208fb5f41699657d9e537924a45b09/tenor.gif?itemid=5380328" style="height: 278px; margin: 0px; width: 498px;" />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-73418015715074253322019-06-30T09:23:00.000-07:002019-06-30T09:23:13.251-07:00And then Boots was gone...I had heard rumor that there was a court date that day, so when the social worker called to catch up on the last week I asked about it. Some times they cannot tell you what is happening in court, and sometimes they invite you to come and if you want to say anything to the judge you can.<br />
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Usually I stick to questions like:<br />
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<ul>
<li>What is being decided in court today, if anything?</li>
<li>What major changes are subsequent of this decision?</li>
<li>I know you cant predict what will happen, but how long do you think Boots (or Buttercup, Jellybean) will be with us?</li>
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She answered my questions as best she could- she said that it was an admit/deny case which usually doesn't have an effect on the kids, or the duration of their stay. She also said that we would have Boots for AT LEAST 3 months, because both parties involved in custody had some things to prove to the court.</div>
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.....cut to later that day when I was walking out of work with a missed call and a message "please call me back as soon as possible." I called her back right away and she was standing with dad at the courthouse telling me that Boots was going home today- she even sounded a bit confused about the situation. So we had approximately 45 minutes for me to race home, pack up all Boots' stuff and say goodbye before his Dad and grandma Picked him up. I was just relieved that Roman was already at home and got to say goodbye- he never got the chance with Jellybean. </div>
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Boots was VERY excited - he was running around asking if each car was Daddy. It was adorable. We got all his stuff in suitcases and bags and sat in the front yard waiting. Grandma and Dad were living the best day of their life, and Boots was so happy to go home. I sent his namesake Boots home with him along with the dozens of carrot zucchini muffins I had baked the weekend before. There were hugs all around and we waved as they pulled away. </div>
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You never can predict how things will go- even if you are a professional. </div>
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FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-60760889133308679142019-06-20T08:50:00.000-07:002019-06-20T08:50:37.072-07:00Mickey- As Good as GoldPicky tots are hard to feed.<br />
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Me: "take a bite"<br />
Boots: "no!"<br />
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.....ok well I'm not a mamma bird so......<br />
<img alt="Image result for GIF mamma bird" src="https://thumbs.gfycat.com/UnsungReadyAnglerfish-size_restricted.gif" /><br />
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I slowly figured out that if the food is muffin shaped, has the consistency of yogurt, or is hot dog/nugget shaped he will probably eat it. I've been hiding zucchini, spinach and carrots in many things. Preschool said he only eats things that are sweet. Each meal time turned into a small torture session. "if you eat your sweet potatoes you can have more juice" (jokes on him it was fruit and veggie juice. "take a bite of apple and you can be done"<br />
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<img alt="Related image" src="https://assets.rbl.ms/10780014/980x.gif" /><br />
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I got tired of arguing, and I don't want to give him food issues in the future so I had to find a way to get him to mindlessly eat (sorry Kathy) so we could sneak in some healthy stuff. OF COURSE! Mickey. I didn't know Mickey could be such an addiction. I don't love mindless eating, or excessive screen time but I was out of choices. We have this act down to a well choreographed dance now. I play you-tube Mickey videos, and pause them every 30 seconds or so and Boots takes a bite before I can turn it back on. I don't even have to say "take a bite" anymore he just takes a bite and I turn it back on.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for GIF mickey eating" src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/Rltf0Tnol24Le/giphy.gif" /><br />
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<br />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-75668937395530273172019-06-11T06:20:00.000-07:002019-06-11T06:20:36.853-07:00First Mom Visit Now, this is he first case we have had with two active, invested parents. Both have supervised visits at this point, and the circumstances of removal include chemical abuse, and mental health. When the social worker was telling us all about his situation she sounded surprised when she said "Both his parents are very nice". This struck me as odd since she has been a social worker for quite some time.<br />
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One of the biggest things I've learned from foster care is that the stories of removal make the parents sound like monsters, something of a horror films. But in real life, these parents are just regular people, doing the best they can with the situation at hand. Now before you get your undies in a bunch, of course horrible things happen and that's why the children get removed, but humans are human, we all make mistakes and make regret-able choices. Imagine the government walking in your door the same moment you are having a tough parenting moment. Everyone is a few decisions away from disaster.<br />
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<img alt="Related image" src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/5xtDarJga3qCOOFWL16/source.gif" /><br />
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Boots' case is gaining extra empathy from social workers, and myself. I think this is because unlike our past cases involving chemical dependence, getting a DWI with a child in the car, and physical abuse, the mental health issues surrounding Boot's case isn't a choice. (note: I recognize that addiction isn't a choice either but putting kids lives in danger while under the influence IS a choice).<br />
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So visit with mom:<br />
She met us with such an attitude of gratitude that it took me aback. My first parent meetings in other cases were met with a little more hostility and skepticism , until I earned their trust and they saw that all I wanted was the best for their child. Boots' mom was so sweet and grateful for us to take him in. It was heartbreaking having to take Boots out of her arms. he was out of sorts the rest of the night, and even woke up several times just broken hearted. No one chose this. But we are all in it.<br />
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<img alt="Related image" height="156" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/b45e6a5d9b6d2fb68456d83d82965b66/tenor.gif?itemid=5963651" width="320" />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-55678256188624822562019-06-04T05:53:00.002-07:002019-06-04T05:53:48.059-07:00Boots: The Stickiest Kid Alive. I'm not exaggerating to prove a point. As many of you know I have met a lot of Two-year-olds in my time as a preschool teacher, and this is our second in terms of fostering. I have never seen sticky quite like this before. Boots has no fear/aversion to water, mess or other sticky things like eating baked beans with just his hands etc...<br />
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<img alt="Image result for GIF sticky" height="177" src="https://media3.giphy.com/media/C6TUZ559o8hAA/giphy.gif" width="320" /><br />
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Gardening:<br />
Planting gardens with tots is a dirty job, but none that I have seen have ever gone ahead to make dirt angels in the freshly flipped soil. LOL what are you gonna do other than just laugh. He also had a great time busting up dirt clumps and putting them on his head.<br />
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Roman was watering the garden on one of the few dry days we have had recently. Boots ran in front o the hose fully clothed and stood there "Squirt me in the face!!!" he would run away, roll in the mud a little and come back for more. We had a great time laughing at that.<br />
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I'm not sure why white clothes are made for children at all, but my grandma once said its SO you can bleach them. I'm not sure how well that will work but Boots was wearing this new shirt as we walked into preschool. They were already playing with blue slime. I just thought as I left, well that shirt will never be the same. He did look very himself happy, and sticky!<br />
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<br />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-78336494813299581822019-06-01T07:44:00.001-07:002019-06-01T07:44:42.418-07:00BootsWe have a new placement! For privacy reasons he will be called Boots. He is 2 1/2 years old, very sweet, and he loves Mickey.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for mickey GIF" height="240" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/67a707ec819e2cbd5638f089ab951011/tenor.gif?itemid=5282950" width="320" /><br />
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The last few placements came with a feeling of overwhelming "what the hell are we doing again???" but when Boots arrived, we didn't feel a giant shift within our world, or the big overwhelming feelings. It felt very.... normal. Maybe its because Boots is our third, and we had Jellybean so we know what a 2 year old boy entails, or maybe we are too used to feeling out of our comfort zones.<br />
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Since we just moved into a house the only thing we were concerned about was kid proofing the house and figuring out how to parent when the bedroom isn't on the other side of the wall. We installed 3 baby gates, and it turns out that they all kind of suck, and will not be kid proof for long. Boots is very good at knobs and locks and things.<br />
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Boots is so adorable, chatty and loving that he won over his social workers in a big way. Not to say that they have favorites but.... They paid a special visit to our home to make sure we were a good fit and family for him. In our experience, that has never happened before.<br />
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Reunification is highly likely in this case, so we are just enjoying all the time we can with our cuddly little boots while we have him.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for GIF mud boots" src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/13juRqPzSYGLT2/giphy.gif" />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-24203732483910338482019-05-23T06:24:00.001-07:002019-05-23T06:24:26.172-07:00Judges, Social workers, Patience We had a very exciting few weeks this winter where we thought we might get a placement that would end in adoption. Our social worker, and one of our past kids' social workers were trying to get us this placement- they were excited that we are a permanency option.<br />
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This child has a sibling that has already been adopted and the parents' rights have already been terminated. So we got mentally ready, we received pictures from the social workers of him. We prepared the room for his age and then we waited.<br />
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for a week,<br />
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and a month<br />
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and a few more weeks.<br />
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and then I sent our social worker to find some information for us. It turns out during their last search of relatives that would be willing to take him in there were some takers. So they are sorting through and investigating the eligibility of these family members to provide a home.<br />
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If this placement ends up with family- that is great!FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-5082973116587763772018-12-17T05:17:00.003-08:002018-12-17T05:17:55.665-08:00Back on the Placement list Buttercup is home, she sounds like she's having fun and doing pretty well- she called to tell me all about her tooth that is loose. We will still get to see her occasionally when her mom needs to work to make up for a non- school day.<br />
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Roman and I gave ourselves a two-week break- we are ready for Christmas, and back on the placement list again. It's always exciting to think about what will happen next, but it is hard to plan around. In between Jellybean and Buttercup, we were on the list for six months, and I was living every day as if we would have a kid at the end of the day. This time I'm older and wiser- it's too exhausting to do that.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for waiting GIfs" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/142ffb3aa784ee74e9ce08b57edc89c6/tenor.gif?itemid=5301252" />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-21965482219795145052018-12-03T04:44:00.000-08:002018-12-03T04:44:29.211-08:00Lessons From Buttercup It's amazing the things that need explaining, that you never thought you'd have to explain to anyone.<br />
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-Don't eat turkey off the bus floor<br />
-You don't need to say "hi" to everyone who passes our car (parked downtown)<br />
-How to walk up a hill (for sledding)<br />
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Since Buttercup does well with logic- in the right mood- and lists we narrowed down some good rules for different occasions.<br />
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<b>When something is too hard </b><br />
1. Try Again<br />
2. Ask for help<br />
3. Have a hissy fit (not a good choice but you gotta do what you gotta do - even as an adult)<br />
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<b>Rules for having a good day at school </b><br />
1. Listen to your teachers ALLLL day - even if you don't want to (with Pocahontas motion on the 'all')<br />
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2. Keep your body to yourself - don't kick or hit anyone for any reason<br />
3. ONLY food and your toothbrush go in your mouth (although she just says "don't eat poison or pointy things" both of which she has done)<br />
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What "common sense" idea did you have to teach a kid?FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-60685332617661101212018-11-27T11:53:00.000-08:002018-11-27T11:53:43.489-08:00Foster care- how its supposed to workIt's all working out for the best<br />
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It's our last week with Buttercup. This transition/end is much easier than last time for sure. Since buttercup is older, she gets time to prep mentally, and we have a reunification countdown calendar at the house so she knows exactly what is happening when.<br />
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Last time, we got a few hours notice before a social worker picked up jellybean and took him away forever- Roman didn't even get home in time to say goodbye.<br />
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Things are so different this time! We have built a good relationship with Buttercups mom, and she has asked us to stay in touch, and if we could be their emergency contact- OF COURSE! We are excited about their reunification- they both have waited for this for so long and worked hard to get to this point.<br />
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Her humor and charm will certainly be missed by our entire family- but it's not goodbye- its see ya later!<br />
<img alt="Image result for goodbye gifs" height="180" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/E9RRvkt19OczS/giphy.gif" width="320" /><br />
<br />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-51974122701278900332018-11-05T06:21:00.001-08:002018-11-05T06:21:19.742-08:00TRANSITIONSThe transition to reunification for Buttercup has begun. During our vacation, the adults involved were busy making a decision in court. Since Buttercups Mom is doing great on her court-mandated classes, and always shows up for visits, and is taking part in Buttercups life, she has been granted weekend visits, meaning starting immediately, Buttercup will be gone Friday afternoon-Sunday afternoon.<br />
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Of course, there is a lot of mixed feelings about this transition, but mostly I am excited for buttercup and her mom. they have been apart for 10 months and they just belong together- who am I to get in the way. Also, this brings back my feeling of being only a disciplinarian without being able to have the fun times of the weekend (especially with all our issues with school). We are excited about her transition home, and how that will open our home up for another tiny person.<br />
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When we were on the way to Buttercups first overnight, I looked into the back seat to see a teary-eyed little one scared to spend the night at her moms. We talked all about how Her mom has to follow the same rules of our house, and it's going to be a safe place for her now. I wasn't really expecting it to be hard for Buttercup because she doesn't want to leave her mom at the end of visits to go with me.<br />
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Anyway, it turned out well- we sent her some pictures of Big Joe (the frog) and the dogs in her bed keeping guard of her room while she was gone. Her mom said that she got a kick out of them.<br />
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update: of course now she's too excited to go with mom, and only tears to come back to our house...FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-65981344588451324982018-10-29T04:49:00.000-07:002018-10-29T04:49:53.499-07:00Duluth Adventure!<b>Day One: </b><br />
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We drove up to Duluth, Singing, and playing the Alphabet game the whole time. We stopped at the scenic overlook to see all the things we would see, and the places we would go. Climbing on the rocks on the shore was really scary for buttercup at first, but with help and later got the confidence to start figuring it out on her own. We looked for treasures (sticks and feathers) and mermaid tears (sea glass).<br />
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We checked into the hotel- which was a little confusing for her because she thought we lived here now, and was worried about the dogs (who we left at home). We headed down to the pool with a flamingo toy and a life jacket, she played on the stairs and eventually got into the water. with lots of screaming Roman and I taught her how to scootch along the wall with your hands. After we taught her, she ended up scootching all the way around the pool on her own as we watched from the hot tub.<br />
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I had her keep a "journal" and draw something we that day each evening:<br />
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6ZPbTKp9oE/W84nrALp-6I/AAAAAAAAOxY/wWnwp-Ic67cft7YyUlaBpWoy4KoHVgb9ACLcBGAs/s1600/1_day1_journal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="573" data-original-width="826" height="221" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6ZPbTKp9oE/W84nrALp-6I/AAAAAAAAOxY/wWnwp-Ic67cft7YyUlaBpWoy4KoHVgb9ACLcBGAs/s320/1_day1_journal.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b> Day Two: </b><br />
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This was a full day! We went to the Aquarium, saw scuba divers feeding sturgeons, pet moon jellies and read all about fish- and played with the awesome lock and dam models of the lakes. In the afternoon we went to the library to kill time before the train ride.<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPXhcRd8MYk/W84ttGB1sUI/AAAAAAAAOx0/o_LmIKb7TNgOex410yBjKzUTj23dhVauQCLcBGAs/s1600/1_aquarium.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="595" height="272" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cPXhcRd8MYk/W84ttGB1sUI/AAAAAAAAOx0/o_LmIKb7TNgOex410yBjKzUTj23dhVauQCLcBGAs/s320/1_aquarium.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YHCARzAgP0I/W84tt5ARtNI/AAAAAAAAOyE/dWfNepv7prIhQEOdFIgz3Z0YuDHzhjtlwCLcBGAs/s1600/1_trainride.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="547" data-original-width="858" height="204" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YHCARzAgP0I/W84tt5ARtNI/AAAAAAAAOyE/dWfNepv7prIhQEOdFIgz3Z0YuDHzhjtlwCLcBGAs/s320/1_trainride.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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We played in the pool again, she learned she could touch the bottom where the stairs ended<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lXdT8Db6DcM/W84nrJU4TQI/AAAAAAAAOxU/MLDLoDsWyRMlM6HQrJVGJELzNrvB0842wCLcBGAs/s1600/1_day2_journal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="544" data-original-width="718" height="242" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lXdT8Db6DcM/W84nrJU4TQI/AAAAAAAAOxU/MLDLoDsWyRMlM6HQrJVGJELzNrvB0842wCLcBGAs/s320/1_day2_journal.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b>Day Three:</b><br />
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We drove up the shore, stopping at almost every pit stop to look for treasures, and throw rocks in the lake. We walked on the breakwater in Two harbors, ate lunch at Betty's Pies, ran around at Gooseberry and hiked on the knife river. Ultimately, we raced one of the ships from two harbors, to the bridge to watch it go under. One of the crew members was wearing giant foam hands- better for waving.<br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gqCPWtZb7IE/W84ttEZxlaI/AAAAAAAAOx8/nneNauUJeKAKv895Bpwo4k10DXteo8qswCLcBGAs/s1600/1_duluthtwoharbors.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="370" height="320" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gqCPWtZb7IE/W84ttEZxlaI/AAAAAAAAOx8/nneNauUJeKAKv895Bpwo4k10DXteo8qswCLcBGAs/s320/1_duluthtwoharbors.JPG" width="312" /></a><br />
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9ZaDF2OSwQ/W84ttHVDArI/AAAAAAAAOx4/vEv-ipIRTPUNN3VKBLLuJv-aC_fANdMFACLcBGAs/s1600/1_dultuhboat.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="514" data-original-width="839" height="196" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b9ZaDF2OSwQ/W84ttHVDArI/AAAAAAAAOx4/vEv-ipIRTPUNN3VKBLLuJv-aC_fANdMFACLcBGAs/s320/1_dultuhboat.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
I put on my swim teacher hat, and as she cried and panicked sang songs about fish while I held her on her back and taught her to kick. She had her head on my shoulder and we were cheek to cheek but she was so distraught she couldn't feel it. she ended up blowing nose bubbles in the water all on her own later.<br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hs4SIYb5kfc/W84nrMc6jVI/AAAAAAAAOxQ/wJWs2F6hY3sX9zmDOe860VyzzES3eoczgCLcBGAs/s1600/1_day3_journal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="568" data-original-width="789" height="230" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Hs4SIYb5kfc/W84nrMc6jVI/AAAAAAAAOxQ/wJWs2F6hY3sX9zmDOe860VyzzES3eoczgCLcBGAs/s320/1_day3_journal.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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<b>Day Four: </b><br />
<b><br /></b> Our final day, we hung out in the hotel until checkout- we had to get our morning swim in. She had a few other kids to play with and she discovered she could touch in a lot more places than she thought. we were essentially playing fetch with a rubber ducky, and another child. she ended up swimming around without realizing it- and telling us how brave and strong she was. It was great! We took a harbor tour on a boat before we left town.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCixNa0IQD4/W84nrTCQkeI/AAAAAAAAOxc/yKQXNFpKeR8sMnlyBlmJmOhtADyD3JGMACLcBGAs/s1600/1_day4_journal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="583" data-original-width="785" height="237" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SCixNa0IQD4/W84nrTCQkeI/AAAAAAAAOxc/yKQXNFpKeR8sMnlyBlmJmOhtADyD3JGMACLcBGAs/s320/1_day4_journal.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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the weather was perfect for Duluth fall, we were there just past peak leaves, and we overdressed bringing our winter coats, hat mittens, and long underwear- but id rather be overdressed than underdressed!FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-49799439645615934842018-10-24T07:47:00.003-07:002018-10-24T07:47:25.165-07:00The Crown Of Rightness Roman and I, just for fun, have a running joke that if one person is wrong and the other is right, the wrong person has to give up their crown, and put it on the others head. Of course, it's invisible. and there is only one crown of rightness.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for crown GIF" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/l0NwR9Q0fLq90c3XG/giphy.gif" /><br />
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Well, miss observant Buttercup picked up on this little joke of ours and wants in. She doesn't totally get the rules- that one person has to be wrong, one person has to be right, but that's ok. When she is right she gets to take one of our crowns or one of the dogs' crowns. BUT she will also give you (probably one of the dogs' crowns) if she deems you "Absolutely right!".<br />
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<br />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-29641245971860030652018-10-22T05:55:00.001-07:002018-10-22T05:55:33.746-07:00Rollerskating It had been a long week for both of us and I was just looking to have some fun and blow off a little steam. I hear the Roller Rink in St. Louis Park was cool so I decided- that's just what we need, a surprise night of fun and activity- its been so rainy.<br />
<br />
I go to meet Buttercup at the bus stop and tell her we are going on a surprise adventure. Everyone was excited. We pulled up to the building with the rollerskating dinosaur painted on the front and walked in. She loved the lights, loved the music, and we got our skates on. Time to start.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for Roller Disco GIF" height="225" src="https://i.gifer.com/6Sq.gif" width="400" /><br />
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In my mind, I didn't see her not knowing how to skate as a big issue. Skating was easier than the bike situation right? and kids learn this stuff all the time. Wrong. We started off on the wall together- Instant tears and "I can't do this". we inch around the half - wall trying to get used to the skates. I tried to stay positive and encouraging but 20min in, after I said "turn of your tears, put your brave face on - This is fun!!!" enough times to make me want to punch myself, and halfway around our first lap I was thinking that this was a terrible idea, and its just making everything works, and its not fun at all.<br />
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<img alt="Related image" height="204" src="https://media1.giphy.com/media/pCsPlpfkrkiAM/giphy.gif" width="400" /><br />
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Minutes later, she was falling over and laughing. A man in a leisure suit and a mustache- must have been there since the 70's, skated over and asked if it was our first time and if we'd like some tips. YES! so he said to keep your feet in a V (backward from downhill skiing) and take tiny steps and practice on the strip of carpet first. DOH! of course.... practice on the carpet. Thanks, Mr!<br />
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<img alt="Related image" src="https://66.media.tumblr.com/32a4214d427ab1d361c0415670c88e23/tumblr_p6hmmfGvv11uhpycro5_400.gif" /><br />
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Soon enough she was jazzed about her own success in learning to skate around. and I was jazzed that she felt success so quickly!<br />
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<img alt="Image result for roller disco GIF" height="223" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/fba2d09c5a6da1ba6e45ae762cb5f2e3/tenor.gif?itemid=5239831" width="400" />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-32213071145416564522018-10-05T07:14:00.002-07:002018-10-05T07:14:55.824-07:00Being Little is Really HardTransitioning into kindergarten has been ROUGH for everyone. We are now past the point of "normal' adjusting and acclamation and into- how is Buttercup not understanding how to be around other kids?<br />
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<img alt="Image result for black exhausted kid GIF" height="154" src="https://i.amz.mshcdn.com/9sM5p5fv8Tw-hMvPODaNt_LA6JY=/fit-in/850x850/https%3A%2F%2Fmashable.com%2Fwp-content%2Fgallery%2F25-exhuastion-gifs-for-when-you-cant%2Fboy-meets-world-sleep.gif" width="320" /><br />
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Right now, we count it as a good day if I don't get a call from the school.<br />
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<b>Keep your hands to yourself</b><br />
This one we have been working on for a while. I don't know what it is but if people are too close, or accidentally touch Buttercup, she overreacts thinking that they hit her first. We are also working on the basic laws of physics, no it's not my fault you ran into the glass door because you weren't paying attention, I'm not even near you- I'm already halfway to the car.<br />
<img alt="Image result for keep your hands to yourself GIF" height="173" src="https://assets.rbl.ms/10686956/980x.gif" width="320" /><br />
<b><br /></b> <b>Don't eat things off the floor</b><br />
I thought this phase generally was over when toddlers become kindergarteners, but now. Turkey off the bus floor, fertilizer beads off the sidewalk and tacks off the classroom floor are just a few of the things Buttercup has put in her mouth recently. That's leaving off all of the non-dangerous items like sleeves, t-shirt necks, fingers, and toys.<br />
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The turkey come back is a handy one to keep in your back pocket. For example: "you ate turkey off the bus floor, you can finish your oatmeal" LOL<br />
<img alt="Image result for eat food off the floor GIF" height="240" src="https://collegeandtheconfusedgirl.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/eatingcake.gif" width="320" /><br />
<b><br /></b> <b><br /></b> <b>Listen to your teachers the first time- all day</b><br />
Getting sick of hearing yourself say "take another bite" or "brush your teeth" 15 times in a row is not the only reason to reinforce listening. Since Buttercup loves learning new words we are working on <i>Immediately. </i>Listen to the teacher the first time, all the time. If other kids are lining up, you line up. If other kids are sitting quietly, you sit quietly. It seems simple but when you don't care too much about whats happening around you, or what other people are doing it is really difficult.<br />
<img alt="Image result for Listen GIF" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/8fVbBHZpiOKWc/giphy.gif" /><br />
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There is no question that Buttercup is a smart and sweet kid. with all our hard work this summer she is ahead in many aspects. Just finding a new balance to the week, and getting used to being around 17 kids all the time in a very structured environment is so tough!<br />
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<img alt="Image result for black kid GIF" height="180" src="https://gifimage.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/awkward-black-kid-gif-2.gif" width="320" />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-30559912239183081562018-09-14T05:57:00.000-07:002018-09-14T05:57:12.475-07:00KINDERGARTEN!The first week of school came and went so fast! For kindergarten, it was just a three day week but there was a lot going on.<br />
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1. they label all the kids so well! backpack tags, name tags, and 'new kindergartener badges<br />
2. Riding the bus is really fun, sometimes someone has to holler so she gets off<br />
3. What did you do today? "nothing" is just a reflex response, not a learned teenager thing as I thought.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for first day of school gif" height="160" src="https://media.rbl.ms/image?u=%2Ffiles%2F2016%2F09%2F09%2F636089931450676863-302177186_tumblr_inline_mun42kbvsZ1rnvwt1.gif&ho=https%3A%2F%2Faz616578.vo.msecnd.net&s=147&h=433bba02347b161aaa7d5709968f972e00da51395a258ea936222cfa0288fdcb&size=980x&c=698286697" width="320" /><br />
Day one:<br />
We Buttercups backpack was empty- and that didn't seem right so i put an apple in it only to get an email from the teacher later. She very politely asked us not to pack snacks because the apple caused quite a commotion- SORRY! I can totally see it now. Buttercup eats so slow we were worried she wouldn't be able to eat lunch, and sure enough, she got off thebus sucking on the core of the apple asking for a snack<br />
<img alt="Image result for Kindergarten gif" height="158" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/MbXWJYjl2hNPG/giphy.gif" width="320" /><br />
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Day two:<br />
On the way home from work I got a call from the school - from something like student body health counselor or something (?) saying that Buttercup got sent to the office for not listening. I was not surprised, the counselor also said that Buttercup was telling her all about how she is new to Minnesota because she moved here from California....... which made me laugh because it's absolutely false. Upon retrieval from the bus, Buttercup says "look I got stickers from Mrs. Fox!" I asked her why she went to Mrs. Fox's office and she said: "Um, duh, to get stickers." OOOHhhkay, no.<br />
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Day three:<br />
Buttercup turned it all the way around and brought home a PAWS ticket for being respectful and kind.<br />
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We will see how the next week goes :D<br />
<br />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-37910197659579035842018-09-10T06:53:00.001-07:002018-09-10T06:53:40.649-07:00Mermaids, Wizards, and Fairies- OH MY!We made it to the renaissance festival!<br />
<img alt="Image result for renaissance festival GIF" height="179" src="https://images1.dallasobserver.com/imager/u/original/7093928/8745473.0.jpg" width="320" /><br />
To see as much as we could, we got there at opening- so we could see the king talk, and the jokers and be with the excitement of the crowd before the gates open. Buttercup was really excited on the walk to the castle- but there was a little too much weird for her in that crowd, next time I think we will skip that part. Of course, we had her wear her wings so she could fit in with the fairies.<br />
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<img alt="Related image" src="https://img.memecdn.com/whenever-i-amp-039-ve-seen-too-much-weird-sh-t-on-the-interbet_o_2968453.jpg" /><br />
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We walked around, saw the petting zoo, and all the people's costumes before we settled down at the robin hood show. She was really into it and ended up going to sit in the front "so she could get splashed". After the show, we ran into a blue wizard, he gave Buttercup a dragon's tear! Apparently, it contains very powerful magic. she wore the necklace until the thread broke but its now safe in her treasure box.<br />
<img alt="Image result for kids getting splashed GIF" src="https://media1.giphy.com/media/13juRqPzSYGLT2/200.gif" /><br />
We got some bratwursts and a blooming onion and had a water break before we went to the fairy forest. This whole area is great! there are dragon eggs, an eye spy amount of fairy houses hidden in the woods, there were BUBBLES! and fairies splashing around in the ponds. she even got a fairy stone (the origin of fairy dust) from one of her fellow fairies.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for fairies GIF" height="264" src="https://31.media.tumblr.com/4cd5f0cac53f8262174654ddfb54154a/tumblr_mphzkl3iIt1stjrdoo1_500.gif" width="400" /><br />
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Next, we found ourself surrounded by a parade! we got to watch it two times! then we found all the princesses, learned how to cross stitch with yarn on burlap, and listened to mermaid story time- I was wondering how the mermaid would appear, and I was not disappointed- a servant man to the princesses carried the mermaid over from the pond.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for carrying a mermaid" height="175" src="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/52ef0a16e4b0c45fade63d38/55f862dbe4b00c68108ccf15/55f862e4e4b09ee1e2fc3b52/1442341605813/Pirate+John+and+Catalina+Mermaid+Tall+Ships+Festival+-+Debi+Magruder.jpg" width="200" /><br />
At this point, everyone was very hot and tired, and I was dehydrated from sharing my water. we decided to just go see the mermaids and then start the epic quest to the car. The mermaid area was very exciting! we got squirted by a playful one, got to take a picture with another, and there was one blowing heart bubbles at Buttercup! very exciting! and TOTALLY real!<br />
<img alt="Image result for mermaid heart bubbles gif" height="177" src="https://data.whicdn.com/images/83446021/original.gif" width="320" /><br />
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As usual, the walk back to the car took ages, and Buttercup was telling us she was hot and tired, and her legs hurt- but she stopped whining after I told her the secret: ALL of us are hot and tired and thirsty with sore legs! she had a great nap on the way home, we all had a great time even though we had to call it quits before seeing the jousting, or the Washer Women or other shows. Next time I might pick a cooler day, skip the opening, and bring more snacks in the backpack<br />
<img alt="Related image" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/158862064fc313395555f5a9e4fbaa0e/tenor.gif?itemid=11046834" /><br />
<br />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-64373838027605785742018-08-28T05:22:00.001-07:002018-08-28T05:22:26.693-07:00S-U-N-D-A-Y <br />
Once upon a time, my brother did and in my opinion- didn't get an appropriate consequence. My mom said "If I grounded him, it would just be punishing myself" - I'm certain that is absolutely true. This weekend as a consequence for buttercup I certainly tortured myself.<br />
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All I was asking was what day of the week it is. We caught up on letters, numbers, and spelling- now we are working on days of the week. It was absolutely pulling teeth to get any kind of answer. I know she knows them. I KNOW SHE DOES! She silently pointed to Sunday on the calendar finally.<br />
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Me: "ok, what day is it today?"<br />
Buttercup: silence<br />
Me: "point to today on the calendar"<br />
Buttercup: points to the correct day<br />
Me: ok "what letter does that start with?"<br />
Buttercup: "S"<br />
Me: Great! what day of the week starts with S?"<br />
Buttercup: "Tuesday"<br />
Me: "nope, Tuesday starts with a 't-t-t' sound what days start with 'sssss'?"<br />
Buttercup: "Tuesday"<br />
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so we wrote Sunday out, she traced my letters she wrote her own letters. then we started again<br />
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Me: "ok, what day is it today?"<br />
Buttercup: silence<br />
Me: "point to today on the calendar"<br />
Buttercup: points to the correct day<br />
Me: ok "what letter does that start with?"<br />
Buttercup: "S"<br />
Me: "Super! what day of the week starts with S?"<br />
Buttercup: "Tuesday" now grinning ear to ear. knowing its the totally wrong answer.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for are you kidding GIFS" src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/c0xZLhyjnVwWI/giphy.gif" /><br />
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We jumped all around singing/chanting about how its Sunday- I made her scream out the door trying to wake up her friend Isaiah across the street "SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY! its a visit day!" AGAIN...<br />
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Me: "ok, what day is it today?"<br />
Buttercup: points to the correct day<br />
Me: ok "what letter does that start with?"<br />
Buttercup: "S"<br />
Me: "Good job! what day of the week starts with S?"<br />
Buttercup: "Tuesday"<br />
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<img alt="Related image" height="179" src="https://www.reactiongifs.us/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/You-gotta-be-kidding-me.gif" width="320" /><br />
I could have let it go. But I couldn't- she was trolling me so hard! So I downloaded a days of the week song we listened to it on repeat all the way to Roman's work and alllll the way back home, then while we practiced writing days of the week at home. The song was mind-numbingly dull and irritating- but I figured, the more annoying, the better she might catch on right?? 45 minutes after we began listening to the song she stops and says "wait..... did they just say Sunday??"<br />
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After her visit, and picking up Roman, he asked her "what day is it today?"<br />
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Buttercup: [enthousiastically] "Tuesday!"<br />
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<img alt="Image result for are you testing me satan GIF" height="173" src="https://www.reactiongifs.com/r/tms.gif" width="320" /><br />
<br />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-71570523840180035782018-08-22T06:04:00.000-07:002018-08-22T06:04:55.003-07:00St Croix State Park Camping!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><u>Playing Outside</u></b><br />
After the sugar rush from the strawberry milk, we arrived at the campsite. Buttercup was very confused about what we were planning on doing but was taking it in stride. As we started setting up the tent Fred got so excited- he loves going in and out of the tent, and Millie was thinking "finally, I get to sleep outside like the real animals"<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OU_yQwuXL6U/W3GSzkaJM2I/AAAAAAAAMYs/MXyOFgtG0GgoX8k44hUh5cDKstAWuqgSQCEwYBhgL/s1600/Camping2%2B%25282%2529.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="565" data-original-width="887" height="203" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OU_yQwuXL6U/W3GSzkaJM2I/AAAAAAAAMYs/MXyOFgtG0GgoX8k44hUh5cDKstAWuqgSQCEwYBhgL/s320/Camping2%2B%25282%2529.PNG" width="320" /></a><br />
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As the words of my parents continued to fly out of my mouth as we were setting up camp, we realized that she had no idea how to play outside. Each time we said, "this job is for grown-ups, please go play" she would wanter away and shrug at the campsite itself wondering what "play" meant when there isn't a play area or toys. She eventually figured out that the bush was a pretty good fort/play kitchen, and digging for treasure in the sand pit is pretty fun. She made a pretty delicious pinecone soup.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>How do the smallest things take up the most space?</b></div>
<b style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K3X3rkIPVEk/W3GETjT5PiI/AAAAAAAAMYc/j5mkwr8xkUEangdYRKVxTrc0MJNeYLx8wCLcBGAs/s1600/campin1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="368" height="272" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-K3X3rkIPVEk/W3GETjT5PiI/AAAAAAAAMYc/j5mkwr8xkUEangdYRKVxTrc0MJNeYLx8wCLcBGAs/s320/campin1.PNG" width="320" /></a></b><br />
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<b><u>Bugs and Blooms</u></b><br />
We attended a ranger program, and it was really great! It was packed with kids, and they played games learning what foods need pollinators, and what kind of animals are pollinators, made a butterfly craft, and went on a bug hunt. There was also a very intricate bee and flower costume that some kids got to wear during the program.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for Bee GIF" height="266" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/VEcJECz9bKa88/giphy.gif" width="320" /><br />
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<b><u>Pinterest Fails</u></b><br />
From a quick search on Pinterest, I got a few ideas of activities to do while camping. One of them was Camping bingo- but we used it as a scavenger hunt. Had I looked more carefully I could have come up with a much better list, but I didn't, so we looked for a raccoon, and a hotdog on a stick, and some other things for a long time. We even ended up asking some of our neighbors if they brought their pet raccoon camping with them. Unfortunately, they did not.<br />
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<img alt="Related image" height="180" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/10KGckM6iPmCUo/giphy.gif" width="320" /><br />
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<b><u>Trail of Tears</u></b><br />
We brought the bike. The map said there were bike trails, and there was, the one we wanted to do was not paved, and not training wheel compliant. We did a different trail into the deep swampy woods. Someone couldn't keep it together. Buttercup had a total meltdown about the bike and we ended up just standing in the woods being eaten alive, waiting for Buttercup to make a choice of<br />
1. Start pedaling<br />
2. Get off and push the bike<br />
she chose #2, but she took the smallest slowest steps I've ever seen in my life. It was the longest two miles. We all survived, barely.<br />
<img alt="Image result for bike GIF" height="200" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/PcMXQqcsn2Fz2/giphy.gif" width="186" /><br />
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<b><u>Almost a Whole Hike</u></b><br />
We went on a short hike, the plan was to do a 4ish mile hike. Roman and I started the MN state park hiking club, so we wanted to get the password for St. Croix state park. Buttercup did really well we took turns being the leader. Unfortunately, there was a thunderstorm on the horizon and we had to turn around before we got to the scenic part. We shouldn't have turned around, later I figured out we were .1 mile from the password!<br />
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<br /><b><u>What I Would Do Differently Next Time</u></b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Pick a campground that has a playground, the one here was 5 miles away</li>
<li>Leave the bike- at home. forever. </li>
<li>Bring more snacks</li>
</ul>
FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-32008613052249033352018-08-13T05:59:00.001-07:002018-08-13T05:59:52.017-07:00The Feelings DoctorPer the Social Worker, Buttercup and I went to the feelings doctor (aka therapist). We just had an intake evaluation, and a meeting about the plan of action we will take, but I already feel so much better about her progress in our home and her behaviors. <div>
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Buttercup had some intense dreams a month before our appointments, so I told her that we were going to the Doctor of feelings and she could tell them all about her scary dreams, and they would make her feel better. That totally jived with her, for a week or two she was telling all her friends that she was going to the Doctor for feelings. </div>
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How I imagined the "Doctor of feelings": </div>
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<img alt="Related image" src="https://thumbs.gfycat.com/NiftyMildAstarte-max-1mb.gif" /></div>
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The appointment itself was mostly Buttercup playing with different toys, and me filling out questionnaires and talking to the therapist about what some of her issues and behaviors are and how we deal with them at home. It was really reassuring to have someone else see what I see, and tell us that we are reacting the correct way, and dealing with it well. It's always great when you can have someone else confirm that you are not crazy!</div>
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<img alt="Image result for im not crazy GIF" height="208" src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/WlNbEXQaxQikM/giphy.gif" width="400" /></div>
FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-47490423734565192282018-08-06T05:10:00.000-07:002018-08-06T05:10:50.525-07:00"Swimming"<img alt="Image result for moana GIFS water" height="134" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/H68cGIIrUQVHO/giphy.gif" width="320" /><br />
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<b><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">Life skills are really important and we have a limited amount of time to teach them to Buttercup. We tried biking, showering, and are working on reading and writing- its summer in Minnesota! Time to try swimming! </span></b><br />
<span style="color: #cccccc;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #e69138;"><b>It was a lovely day! Roman had the afternoon off so we made plans to hit the local lake and try swimming! The beach was hoping- everyone is here! Equipt with a snug life jacket, a noodle, Buttercups brave face, and two adults we headed into the water. </b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">ANKLE DEEP: </span></b><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Buttercups brave face was gone, she was very wary of what is happening and she was looking around at other kids to see what the appropriate response is.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>KNEE DEEP:</b></span> <span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Looking very worried, we approached the first buoy line, not wanting to go under it but complying to our coos of "its okay, were next to you, you can touch!" </span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HIP DEEP: Buttercup is NOT ok, she needs to hold a hand and asks to be carried I get her to take a few more steps before she climbs on my back. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;">CHEST DEEP: Whimpering on my back, I swing Buttercup's feet back and forth to splash a little and try and prove that this is fun. I slowly knelt on the bottom - she can still touch here, but she doesn't believe me and will stretch her feet out, she is a boa constrictor on my person. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #073763;">She eventually scampered up Roman- because he's taller and we walked a little deeper. I tried all of my swimming lesson teaching tricks to try and stop the crying and the fear face. We didn't let go, she was floating around physically just fine, but emotionally a total wreck. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><b>We tried to get her to go back and forth between us while we stood about 3 feet apart, and she switched between screaming bloody murder, and hysterical laughter- it was a very intense game of child catch. I wanted so badly to just bounce underwater like we do in swim lessons with kids but I used all my mental strength left to not further traumatize buttercup- BUT I REALLY wanted to!!</b></span><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">We tried for a while to get her comfortable in the water but it just wasn't happening- we had to call it quits for the sake of people on the beach calling the cops on us - it sounded like we were torturing her. But I'll reiterate- she had a life jacket on and was clinging to a pool noodle. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">We went back to the beach pausing when she could touch to have her walk herself in, she begrudgingly stretched out her feet to touch the bottom after much coercion, and then stood frozen in the water while Roman and I continued walking. </span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">Another problem arose when we got to the buoy! I could see her thinking to herself "IM TRAPPED HERE FOREVER!!!" I suggested she could go under it or over it- she considered her options and went under it- disliking very much that it dripped on her hair. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #cfe2f3;">Once we got back to the beach, we told her to leave her life jacket on and go play. She spent a lot of time watching other kids play and walking half way too them. She couldn't figure out what they were doing in the sand, why they were going in the water on purpose and wondering how she was supposed to play in this sandy landscape. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #e69138;">I suggested that she could ask the other kids if she could play with them but she was not so interested in that- I taught her all about drizzle sand castles- you have to make them with soaking wet sand so you have to go ankle deep to get the sand. She constructed a very nice castle, added some sticks, flowers, and rocks for decoration. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #cfe2f3;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #f9cb9c;">Hopefully, next time will go better and we can get that face in the water, and have a little fun! Because we want to go from this:</span></b><br />
<span style="color: #f9cb9c;"><b><span style="color: #eeeeee;"> </span></b><img alt="Image result for drowning GIFS moana" height="154" src="https://78.media.tumblr.com/b18fc4f3f5f0d13083ad2c5594b65056/tumblr_ok604t61bA1vrilw3o1_540.gif" width="320" /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #f9cb9c;">to this:</span><br />
<img alt="Image result for moana GIFS water" height="128" src="https://78.media.tumblr.com/045f75356b6a36a20de70c6956d189c9/tumblr_olvx6kqGJr1s6elnxo5_500.gif" width="320" /><br />
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FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-92064504250903396102018-08-03T07:27:00.002-07:002018-08-03T07:28:40.676-07:00Sugar Rush- The Hype is RealIt is amazing how real sugar rushes are- truly incredible. On our way to the campground the other day we stopped at Toby's in Hinkley because... you can't just drive by! I got coffee for Roman and I, buttercup made friends with people in the bathroom, and she picked out a strawberry milk "My favorite". We did some stretching, got back into the car and headed out. about the time we hit Grand Casino, roughly 2 miles later we heard the slurpy sound of an empty milk carton. Roman and I looked at each other thinking "buckle up!"<br />
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<img alt="Image result for milk GIF" height="232" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/TsMnvSsfKzThu/giphy.gif" width="320" /><br />
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a few minutes later this happened in the back seat:<br />
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<img alt="Related image" src="https://media.tenor.com/images/11797d0612ce53f3b964d4dd699a2537/tenor.gif" /><br />
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then this: as we call it "the sounds of your people" (people meaning kids)<br />
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<img alt="Image result for spongebob GIF" height="214" src="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/disney/images/a/ae/Cartoon-episode-funny-spongebob-squarepants-gif.gif/revision/latest?cb=20131206005148" width="320" /><br />
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and by the time we got to st. croix state park, anything could have been amazing and beautiful!<br />
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<img alt="Image result for hyper kid GIF" height="240" src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/gImiuEnoNOmTm/giphy.gif" width="320" /><br />
<br />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-14037924570732446572018-07-30T05:16:00.000-07:002018-07-30T05:16:30.214-07:00Scotty The HottieOn the way to a party fundraiser for Vision Slovakia, I was teaching Buttercup that when people say hello, you say hello back and say your name. She did really well with this at the party and soon picked up that the next question is usually "How old are you". She smartly just threw that in saying "I'm Buttercup, and I'm 5"<br />
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<img alt="Image result for introduce yourself GIF" height="128" src="https://i2.wp.com/i29.photobucket.com/albums/c284/tdmyers/GIFs/hiFlynnRyder.gif" width="320" /><br />
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On the way home we stopped at Wendy's to grab some dinner, she was talking at me while I was ordering. She was telling me that I didn't have good manners because I didn't say my name to the walkie-talkie. I pulled up to the window and explained that Buttercup called me out on my manners and that my name was Emily, and thank you very much for taking our order.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for introduce yourself GIF" height="167" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/QQkyLVLAbQRKU/giphy-downsized-large.gif" width="320" /><br />
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This guy was one of those guys that LOVES his job and has a great time working at Wendy's. He responded with "Nice to meet you, I'm Scottie the Hottie! and I'm here to serve!" He and Buttercup are BFFS now.<br />
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<img alt="Related image" height="179" src="https://i.imgur.com/4ibwtWg.gif" width="320" />FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-7220505494813871112018-07-26T05:07:00.000-07:002018-07-26T07:44:52.151-07:003 Day Birthday Celebration!!<b><span style="color: #a64d79;">DAY ONE: </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">Birthday Breakfast! </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></b> <img alt="Related image" height="320" src="https://i.harperapps.com/covers/9780060776398/x298.jpg" width="281" /><br />
<b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="color: #d5a6bd;">I tend to limit the amount of pink happening at one time- and distribute it throughout the week and talk about how its possible to choose a different favorite color every day- NOT TODAY! I got out all the pink dishes, a new pink dress, a unicorn crown, a giant pink 5 balloon, pink milk, and made breakfast into a smiley face. She was SO HAPPY! </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="color: #a64d79;">Meeting Mom, SHARKS!</span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="color: #a64d79;">I've been looking forward to meeting mom for some time now, we talk on the phone and text daily, but we have never been face to face. Since Buttercups visits are supervised, the supervisor keeps us separated for Buttercup's sake- it is confusing when we are both in the same place. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="color: #a64d79;">I supervised the birthday visit- Mom chose to go to the aquarium at MOA so off we went. There were some odd moments with the three of us together but Buttercup had a great time- which is the only important thing. For lack of better words, the power dynamic was very confusing. Her Mom and I were looking for approval from each other in general, and with a variety of small decisions- which kind of ticket to buy, if she could have gum or not, if/who was going to buy the toys buttercup asked for, etc. </span></b><br />
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<img alt="Image result for who is in charge here? GIF" height="244" src="https://i.gifer.com/4ySY.gif" width="320" /><br />
<b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></b> <b><span style="color: #a64d79;">We walked in, Buttercup was so excited to see Mom! she was showing off her birthday dress and telling her all about her day. I'm don't know exactly why, but Mom brought a giant sheet cake for Buttercup- which needed to be carried around with us for 2 hrs through the aquarium and the MOA- So that's something we did. </span></b><br />
<b><span style="color: #a64d79;"><br /></span></b> <span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>We all had a great time at the aquarium, Her mom got talked into buying the behind the scenes tour which was just the three of us and the tour guide. I think they thought Buttercup was much older than reality since </b>she's<b> so tall- she was very bored on the tour. But we had a great time watching the stingrays, trying to touch the sea anemones, and watching the jellyfish. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><img alt="Image result for shark GIF" height="179" src="https://media0.giphy.com/media/PfHrNe1cSKAjC/giphy.gif" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>Buttercup has a shark toy she loves, and several shark shirts. So it was surprising to me that she was VERY scared and cried the whole time we were in the tunnel aquarium! there were a few sharks, but there were also other way cool things like turtles etc. She cried the entire time and was so clingy to both me and her mom. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #a64d79;"><img alt="Image result for shark GIF" height="219" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/Og6WRtukOr7gY/giphy.gif" width="320" /><b><br /></b></span> <span style="color: #a64d79;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #a64d79;"><b>After the visit, we found Roman and went to Lego Land- she made her own lego people and we had some delicious burgers! It was a great day! </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><b>DAY TWO: PARTY TIME!</b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: purple;"><img alt="Image result for party time GIF" height="174" src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/3KC2jD2QcBOSc/giphy.gif" width="320" /><b><br /></b></span> <span style="color: purple;"><b>My family came for a party! Today there was the giant pink 5 balloon and five smiley face balloons that I hid throughout the yard. We had all the supplies for a squirt gun fight, and a delicious picnic- I don't know if you have ever had these things called chips, but someone brought them and they were delicious!!</b></span><br />
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<img alt="Image result for chips GIF" height="234" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/aGDcPQWwfSYq4/giphy.gif" width="320" /><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b>one of the funniest things that happened at the party was the appearance of strange children. Now, my family knows that there are random children from the neighborhood that hang out at our house a lot. But these kids I'd not seen before. But my family was very welcoming, and invited them for a hot dog, and some cake! </b></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="color: purple;">Since we had an extra cake from mom, there were sugar comas all around! </b><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="color: purple;"><img alt="Image result for cake GIF" height="179" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/3o6Ztpe2hEveO3PPZm/giphy.gif" width="320" /></span><br />
<span style="color: purple;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>DAY THREE: Birds and Butterflies</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span> <span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>Today was an Emily - Buttercup date at the zoo! We went to the Bird show, which was her favorite part. It was a beautiful day for the zoo! We came nose to nose with a swimming grizzly, found our favorite animal- the flamingos, and visited the butterfly garden! </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b>We had so much fun she passed out on the way home- wearing her unicorn horn just like Jellybean did! </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7;"><b><br /></b></span>FosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3725712605658860843.post-89351828272823319252018-07-23T07:37:00.003-07:002018-07-23T07:37:32.501-07:00Brave Face <br />
We have been working a lot on building confidence, bravery, persistence, and independence. It's a painful process a lot of the time, but we had a great breakthrough this weekend.<br />
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When things get frustrating for Buttercup, her reaction is to completely shut down. She can't be talked through something, she won't walk away, she just is completely unreachable- crying without being to self-soothe, or calm herself down.<br />
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When she's in a better mood, we practice "brave face"<br />
<img alt="Image result for serious face GIF" height="111" src="https://media1.tenor.com/images/1a7b8d7564039a24c5fbcae462652681/tenor.gif?itemid=4655930" width="200" /><br />
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"strong face"<br />
<img alt="Image result for superman face pose GIF" height="200" src="https://78.media.tumblr.com/b3592429fb9cfeb68bd3f01558a10b33/tumblr_owal24xIiA1qeng45o1_r1_500.gif" width="129" /><br />
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"smart face"<br />
<img alt="Image result for smart face GIF" height="112" src="https://i.gifer.com/TFxU.gif" width="200" /><br />
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"I can do it" face<br />
<img alt="Image result for i can do it GIF" height="99" src="https://media2.giphy.com/media/3oz8xZCW9duKj8dwu4/giphy.gif" width="200" /><br />
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and of course "silly face" which I'm sure you can imagine.<br />
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I've been talking to her about doing hard things- sometimes instead of crying, you can just put on your brave face and do the hard thing anyway. Hard things include writing lower case 'e', riding a bike with training wheels, blowing bubbles in the bathtub, swimming, walking back to the car etc.<br />
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Biking has been a really touch and go thing so I decided we should go all the way around the block, so she did her helmet by herself, I grabbed Fred and we headed off. She soon got stuck on a very small hill with her pedals and poor leverage points. I continued walking giving her the choice to stand up on her pedals or get off and push for a few steps and try again. The total Shutdown began. It was an extremely painful 35-minute walk around the block- there are two hills en route and you can only say "KEEP PEDALING, NEVER STOP PEDALING, you're on a hill" so many times before insanity begins.<br />
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<img alt="Image result for kid falling on a bike GIF" src="https://media.tenor.com/images/aa32547af196ee91b556c42ab151e24a/tenor.gif" /><br />
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When we got back to the house, I traded dogs and we went around again- I was determined to break through getting her to persist to success. This time Buttercup didn't get stuck at all, but she did fall twice. I was a bit behind her and was wincing at how she would react to an actual injury. Surprisingly she cried for a minute, got up herself, and got back on her bike. <b>I was shocked!</b> <i>Could it be??? Things I say are actually getting in her head and laying eggs in there????</i><br />
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<img alt="Image result for kid falling on a bike GIF" src="https://media.giphy.com/media/1VUnlpFOUNwgE/giphy.gif" /><br />
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She later fell again, didn't cry at all, turned and told me " Crying isn't a good choice". <b>I was Speechless!</b><br />
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<img alt="Image result for confident kid GIF" src="https://assets.rbl.ms/11155979/980x.gif" /><br />
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We ended up doing three laps, and she ended up being <b><i>VERY</i></b> proud of herself and her accomplishments. We even called Mama Lisa right away to tell her how well she did on the bike.<br />
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Now, to translate this into other aspects of life :DFosterFunMNhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02271677877091422832noreply@blogger.com0