Foster Care Home Study...we are LICENSED!

We are licensed for two children birth to six years of ago! Finally!

We had our foster care home study and passed it with flying colors. I was SO nervous that I was making myself sick worrying about it and trying not clean like a mad woman. I had read and reread the rules and regulations. The lady who did the inspection was very nice and very courteous of our privacy. For some reason I thought she would go through all of our drawers, cabinets, etc. Thank goodness this wasn't the case.

So now we will be able to start having visits with our little guy. After the foster care worker left his foster mom called to congratulate us. I am still unsure how all of this will take place but my wishes are to gradually start having him in our home a little more each time he visits.

We have so much stuff to do to prepare for a toddler to be in our home. Our spare bedroom is fully furnished with adult furniture and is in no way toddler friendly. I use the dressers and closets for my stuff so I'm going to have to find a spot for all of my stuff in the master bedroom, this means Gary is going to have to clean out the walk-in closet for me. Guess this might be a good time to unload a bunch of clothing that I don't wear, time to downsize AGAIN!

We need to purchase car seats and all of the stuff that it takes to have small kids in your home...oh like a plastic cup and plate would be a great place to start. LOL

LOST: Weight Loss & Exercise Motivation, please return ASAP!

OMG I have officially fallen off the exercise wagon! Well I let me rephrase that I FELL off the wagon into a deep dark hole while on our honeymoon and have not found my way back yet. I don't know why I make this such a big thing in my life. Exercise makes me feel so much better about myself, it helps my clothes fit, fights PMS & SAD (Season Affective Disorder) and it makes me feel proud of myself. So why do I let something so good for me come and go? I don't stop permanently taking medications because I forget to take it on occassion. For me exercise and diet are an all or nothing deal! I have to learn to give myself permission to be happy working out three days per week.....it's a hell of a lot better than the ZERO times per week I have been doing! The thing is once I'm on the wagon I'm on, so my goal for this week is to work out 30 minutes TWO times before next Sunday!

WORKOUT GOAL for next week: Two 30 minute cardio sessions

Last Wednesday and Thursday I was in training for my new job at the American Red Cross in Wichita. I learned a lot but still have tons more to learn and don't think the learned will ever slow down in this job. I will keep updating as I learn more about the position.

My college classes are going well, passing everything...even algebra.

I really don't like waiting

Our foster care paperwork was sent to the state but a couple things were returned, somehow Gary didn't sign his fingerprints and another form was missing a signature, so we have them fixed and back in the mail. Our railings for our porch have been built and are in the process of being painted and will be installed soon. I have been bitching and whining about having to installing a handrail down the 3 stairs to the landing for our side door. Well we installed it last week and I LOVE it. I would have never thought it would be so nice...can't believe we lived without it for this long.

I still need to install more safety locks in the kitchen. The good ol' safety latches will not work for the foster care regulations. Anything with a "keep out the reach of children" must be kept under lock and key. Luckily I found these awesome magnetic locks that you do not have to drill into the cabinets to install. They are pricey but are super easy to install and can be switched off when not in use, like now when we have no kids in the house.

My new job as branch manager for the American Red Cross has been going good so far, it's just an adjustment getting back into the swing of things of managing my time. I work Monday 9-4, Wednesday 9-4 and Friday 9-3....I know very nice work hours. Actually I wish I could go to work at 8:00 a.m. but my office is inside of a bank and the lobby doesn't open until 9:00. I NEED to get back to the gym and what a perfect time to do it before I go to work in the mornings. Next week I will be in Wichita doing disaster training so that will be exciting.

My college classes are going fine so far, with the exception of algebra. I don't having to study my ass off just to keep up but that's what it's taking. We took a pop quiz this morning in class and I did very well so my perseverance might pay off. I really like the freedom of my other online classes.