Valentine's wishes and other stuff.....

Happy Valentine's Day to all! We've got a new valentine this year--a sweet little eight year old girl that came to stay with us Thursday night. Wish I could post a photo of her--she's a cutie. We spent yesterday making a pancake breakfast, registering for school, shopping for new school clothes, going to a Valentine's Party, having lunch w/ Grandma Pat, and then hanging out at the house. She's fitting in really well. Abby now has a new BFF. Was cute listening to their little girl chatter in the dark at bedtime. So, things are going well with our newest family member. Wish Kirk was here to be a part, but I am not sure he is ever coming home. He just informed me last night their hotel rooms were renewed for yet another week. Hard to believe there is still that much work left. It has been almost 3 weeks since the ice storms. Oh, well.... guess we will see how that story ends soon enough.

Got a little mental health break last night. Mom had bought some season tickets to Drury Lane in Oakbrook for their theatre productions and we went and saw "Miss Saigon". I had heard of the title but had no idea what the story line was about. I should have learned my lesson when I went and saw "RENT" blindly (that one was MESSED UP! Don't get me going on that one! And, brilliant me, had thought it a wonderful idea to "treat" the youth minister's wife (of my former church) to that show--UGH! We were all MORTIFIED!). Anyways, the opening scene was gyrating oriental girls in a bar scene which was a bit scary and almost cause for leaving but it did improve after that lovely song. Left a little depressed and left glad I have never had to serve in a war. Thinking maybe the next time I go to a live theatre performance that I may want to do my homework....since I've been surprised twice now. (I'm slow sometimes, okay?)

Was reminded yesterday why I don't like the public school system. It still comes as a shock to me just how ugly people can be sometimes. I am not sure if the "attitude" I have encountered from my dealings with a certain school office staff is a result of their dislike for me because I am homeschooling my children and they take offense to that or if they are "put out" by our choice of doing foster care and the fact that this creates some work for them in tracking down records on the kids we have registered. (by law, they cannot refuse to take them based on not having all the appropriate paperwork). Either way, I have come to dread school registration as a whole as a result of my not-so-pleasant experiences. I don't get it and all I can say is that some people should just not be permitted to be the face of a facility that boasts of working with children. It all the more confirms for me that my kids are right where they belong--at home!

Dorothy had it right---"There's no place like home."

Wish the state would permit me to homeschool my new little lady cuz the thought of putting her on that bus everyday only to deal with God knows what makes my stomach turn. But, nothing can be done so I will buck up and deal with it.

Guess that's about it....
Until next time.....