Johne

So, what do you do when you get a call from your boys’ friend:

“Hey, Doug, this is Ethan and Topher’s friend Johne.  I’ve known Topher for years, and have really seen the change in him since he’s moved in with you.  I’ve really got to get out of my house.  Would you be willing to take in another foster son?”

UMM … UMM … Wow!

TGIF

I'm back, and should be back with vigor.  My absenteeism was totally worth it, but I'm now bustling with stories to tell.

What a busy two weeks it's been since I last did this!  So, here is a rundown of what the parenting survival family has been doing during these two weeks:

So, for those that have missed us (and, for those that haven't):

Absenteeism

Going to be gone for a couple days.

Just got word I'm interviewing with:

On Wednesday.

Wish me luck!


        aka: goofdad

Shopping?

 What are your Top 3 places to shop?

The “College Game”

For the second day in a row, I’ve gone to respond to someone’s blog and couldn’t keep my comments short.  Yesterday, it was Emily from Mothers of Brothers.  Today, it’s Terry from First Day of the Rest of My Life.

Terry's oldest is going through the college application process, and Terry is struggling with the chaos of it all and hating the pressure.  You can read much of the history on her blog.  Like holding my kids, this is a subject I feel very strongly about.  Despite the degree on my wall from U.C. Berkeley, one of the top universities in my field, I don’t encourage my kids to attend a major university fresh out of High School.

Snuggling with your kids …

This started out as a response to Emily’s recent post on Mothers of Brothers: Age Old Questions.  The problem is that I’m one of those people who can’t not re-read my emails and posts (only time I don’t is text messages … they’re too quick and pervasive to edit).  With this response, though, every time I edited it got longer instead of shorter and more concise.  After a couple of attempts, I gave up and decided to turn it into a blog post of it’s own.

So … here goes:

Well, the Honeymoon is OVER!

Having spent the last 24ish hours fighting with Topher, I'd have to say that the "honeymoon" period is done.

TGIF

So, I enjoyed the Friday Wrap-up I did a couple weeks back, but had some weird weeks in the meantime.  I'm going to TRY again to make my Friday wrapup a regular thing.

Wish me luck!  This week in the Parenting Survival Household:

A sign of things to come?

So ... Topher has been having headaches.  Bad ones.  We took him to the doctor week before last and the doctor said they are tension headaches, and that we should "reduce the amount of stress in his life" ...

Let's see now ... he's been torn from the family he knows, even if it wasn't safe.  He went from a familiar family of 4 to a chaotic, strange household of 11.  He's had to learn new rules, figure out new ways of living, try new foods and new experiences, and overall change his life in almost every respect.

It's been a change for the better ... incredibly so at times, and he even agrees with that ... but stressful?

DUH!

Torn over Scouting

I, Doug, realize the obligation to my fellow Eagle Scouts;
to my home, my country, and my God.
I will at all times do my best to assist other scouts
who are climbing the trail to Eagle
to give back more to scouting than it has given me
to assist my troop as much as possible
and to be a living example of the Scout Oath and Law
to the best of my ability.

I took that oath on January 13th, 1989.  When, in subsequent years, the Boy Scouts took their anti-gay policies all the way to the Supreme Court, I cried.  It was wrong.  They were wrong.  I knew openly gay leaders, at least one of which was involved in the Supreme Court battle, and I can honestly say they were no danger to me or any of my friends.  They did not push who they were on us, and knew and taught the scouting program easily as well as any leader who I was sure was straight.

When medicine is not enough

This is a hard post to write.  For everyone who has been wondering why I've been off and on lately, this is (at least part of) it.  Topher is doing well ... as well as can be expected ... and it's a good thing, because life is trying to hit me in the head with a new 2x4 ...

My son Adam has Ulcerative Colitis.  He was diagnosed about 18 months ago, and it has been one dissappointment after another.  Initially his symptoms improved, and for about four months I had my son back.  Then, in about May, he flared up again.  It's gone back to being bad ever since.

National Child Abuse Propoganda

Child Abuse Prevention Month bothers me.  I walked into the mall with Topher this weekend, and there were cutouts of kids from infants to toddlers to teenagers standing in the walkway.  Each had a sad story taped to its chest explaining what had happened to the child that that particular cutout represented.  Honestly, it was heart wrenching.  And we can all agree that child abuse is heart wrenching.  In an ideal world, it would be preventable.

Details on Hunter

Such as they are:

HOW old are you?

 

What are your Top 3 favorite ages?
(Or, your Top 3 favorite ages for your kids?)

Welcome to the family!

Topher's sister had her baby this morning.  Somewhere around 6:00.  The baby weighed in between 5 and 6 pounds.  Mother and baby are doing fine!

Just another

Wordless Wednesday:

Topher turns 14!

So, this year Topher's birthday fell on Easter Sunday.  That made it a BIG DAY for him.  Check out the smile, and the story of the day comes after the break.

The great defender

So ... Ethan, Topher, and Douglas all share the same Guitar/Bass teacher.  Turns out, the bass teacher's son M is the same age as Douglas.  They were in the same class last year, but are in separate classes this year.  While they haven't been best friends, they get along decently enough.  Talking to M and his parents last night after Douglas' bass lesson, I learned something about my son.

If that's movin up

Mama if that's moving up
then I'm movin out
                                   -- Billy Joel

So ... Jory had his IEP meeting Wednesday Night.  He turns 21 next school year, so that's going to be his last year in the public school system.  They're trying to get him ready for living on his own.  The official stated goal is to have him ready to move out on his own by June 2011.  I'm excited.  I'm scared.  I'm not sure he's ready.  I'm sure I'm not.

Here's a list of what was brought up and how it's going to get tackled.

No, I didn't fall off the face of the earth

I've been fighting a cold for weeks, and finally just took some time off work over Easter weekend to try and recover.  I didn't blog, I didn't work.  I did shop (and argue ... 'cuz I hate to shop) with my wife.  We spent WAY too much money on Easter.