Picture of Doty Acres....

A view of the pond, the new windmill Kirk and Perry assembled, and off in the distance on the left you can see the 3 phone poles that now have a 22 ft platform on it for the soon-to-be zip line. The windmill has tubing that goes into the pond and creates some bubbling to help keep the green junk under control in the pond. There's also a "barley barge" in the pond that will help cut the growth down too. Pretty, ain't it?

Rockin' and Rollin'......

The lastest foster care news is that....well, there isn't much news at all. The 2 potential brothers we were possibly getting are now a no go. Their current home is not moving out of state at all--which is good for them. We got a call Monday night that the agency board met and we have been approved and should receive our offical license in the next couple weeks. But other than that, no other news to report.

We are underway with our new school year. We had been doing some during the summer, but have now stepped it up a notch. Everyone but poor Kyle is handling the increase in expectations just swimmingly. We've had some really long days over the last few weeks! I am sticking to my guns and expectations though and am hopeful he will "come around" very soon. We are both growing tired of the 8-10 hour school days. It is a battle of the wills--not a lack of ability or understanding. So, as soon as he figures out that I am gonna win that battle, his social life is sure to improve. But until that happens, me and the kitchen table will be his social life. So, we will see how that goes....

What else? Just got the drum kit via UPS yesterday and Kirk is out buying an amp for it. Keaton is very excited about learning how to play. His lessons officially begin next week. He will also be taking piano starting the first week of September. He is my little muscian. He really picks up things quickly and I think it will be a good outlet for him. The drums are electric and you can put headphones on, so the noise will not be a problem. (not that we are afraid of a little noise around here, have you ever called my house? Always sounds like a party going on!)

Kirk's dad and stepmom just paid a visit this last weekend from Vegas--which was really nice. Kirk and his best bud Perry were out at the land this weekend and have added yet another lovely feature to the land. A couple of deer stands and a platform 22 feet in the air on phone polls now has found a home on Doty Acres. The eventual plan is to run a zip line from the platform over the pond for a fun way to enter the pond for a swim. Always something! What next?

Well, Keaton and Kirk just got home with the amp so we are gonna go set up the new rhythm section in the living room and rock out! Til the next gig.....

The latest word from our camp....

Been a busy week. Got a call the day after our homestudy from the agency to furthur discuss the possiblity of taking those 2 brothers. Got some info on them and ended up putting off the decision to proceed til Monday to be sure we were making the right decision. ( Kirk also had a 14 hr day on Thursday and I had one equally as long on Friday at the hospital--so we didn't actually match up til the weekend at a time where we both weren't working or exhausted.) I spent Saturday researching schooling options---since in IL you are not permitted to homeschool foster kids. What is up with that anyways? If anyone is needing homeschooling, it would be foster kids. Maybe I am suppose to be a lobbyist on the issue. It just rubs me the wrong way. If the state's laws about homeschooling recognizes homeschoolers as a private school, then why is it a foster kid can go to a "real" private school but not my private homeschool. I mean --really. If a person is gonna go thru the hoops required to become a foster parent, they usually give a care and want the best for the kid. We are asked to provide every day needs, love, understanding, boundaries, ....why would we not provide the adequate education too? It is definitely not the monthly payment they are giving that would be a motivator to get involved-- because we will definitely be spending much more that the funding the state is providing. Okay--I will climb off my soap box now. Sorry for that outburst. I feel much better now.
So, the next step is for us to meet them, which will take place here at the house next week. I was at first bummed about having to wait a week and a half, but now see why that happened too.
Those big storms last night and this morning have called my husband out on yet another storm job. We are hopeful he will be done by Sunday as we have BIG PLANS! We have waited months to go see one of our favorite entertainers----the man whose concert I went to a few years ago and he ranks as the BEST concert I have ever been to. The one, the only, ......Weird Al Yankovic. That is not a typo. He is hilarious. To answer the two questions you are asking yourself....No, I have not lost my mind and yes, I do get out enough. Guess I just have a silly sense of humor. Guess it is genetic, because the boys like him too and are going. We are also bringing their bud Isaiah along in lieu of Abby. Abby has decided that a Weird Al Concert is not how she would like to spend her Sunday night--so Isaiah scores her ticket. Where did I go wrong with her?
We started hitting the school heavy yesterday to kick off the new year and get a jump start. Always a rough one--especially for Kyle. Today he started at 9 a.m. and is still "working" at it. Have a hard time motivating that kid. I have never seen a child that had to use the bathroom and get a snack so much as I have with this child over the last two days. I know what to do if he is constipated. Make him do his homeschool work and PRESTO---He's a pooping machine! Another effective idea-- ask his Uncle Jim to call and offer to take him fishing everyday because he is now motivated to finish today's tasks so he can take Uncle Jim on his fishing invitation. He is on track to take til midnight, but he will finish he says. He just finished his 50 math problems (which were review and assigned 8 hours ago! UGGH!) Good thing I took my diet pill (which gives me lots of Pep!) so I can stay up all night today and see him thru his assignments.
Only 178 more school days to go.....
That's about it for the moment. I will sign off for now. I am being asked to move off the couch as I am hindering the ability of my children to make a tent in the living room. I am headed upstairs and I am not much of a camper--even if it is in the living room. So, that's the latest word from our camp....pun intended. (don't groan--you know I am clever! Stay tuned. There's lots more where that came from....)