When life gets busy...

Hi!

I don't mean to have been absent for so long. One of the perks of being a mom and foster mom is that life gets super busy at times. I feel like I have been running around like a chicken with it's head cut off! LOL~ too graphic? hmm, maybe :0)

In the past few days I have been swamped with doctors appointments, visits from a Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) worker, no school days. valentines day, Skating trip with my crew and my sister's crew, out of control whining from two kiddos, three kids waking up at ALL hours of the night, one who can't seem to fall asleep before 2 a.m.and wakes again by 5(!), bickering like no other, 2 puppies chewing and peeing on everything, visit schedule changes and biological parents canceling visits after we have arrived at the visit location, three heartbroken kiddos who don't understand why their dad stopped coming to visits about 3 weeks ago, and mom has been late or a no show for 4 of the last 5 visits. But hey, I should make time for my blog. After all, I want more readers..... (on a side note, thank goodness for my mom and dad allowing the kids to spend a couple of nights with them!!! Each of our boys get 2 nights alone and our foster kids are getting to spend their first weekend with them! Thank you mom and dad!)

 I am sorry for those who have missed me.I think that is the point of my post today. As a foster parent, I find myself being sorry for missing a lot of things, birthday parties, outings, family gatherings, time for phone calls, etc. Choosing to be a parent AND a foster parent as well as a wife and home educator, or any of many other hats we moms can wear, can be taxing on our spare time. We have to make choices and prioritize things in our life that we wouldn't have to otherwise and sometimes the kids make the decisions for us. Sometimes the house stay a little (or A LOT) messier than we would like. Some relationships suffer our silence for a while. Some sleep is lost, never to be found again, or at least it feels that way. Our days are not our own. We are not our priority, we must give of ourselves in order to bless our family and foster children, (even if we don't feel like it today!) Someone once told me that "we can't please EVERYONE, ALL of the time." So we have to do what is right for those in our homes first.... Some events will be missed. Some feelings will be hurt. In the end, we will have served our husbands, and children well. Our children and  foster children will have memories of our loving and secure homes. They will look back on time spent in our homes and know they were important, loved and cherished. Most likely none of them will remember the week you were too exhausted to mop the kitchen. They will remember feeling comforted when they were hurt, felt scared. sad or angry. They will remember being listened to and hugged.  They will have fond memories of safety and laughter, love and protection. Or at least that is what I hope they take away from our sacrifices made for their well being.

What do you think our kids and foster kids will remember? What do you want them to look back on as adults? Do you miss things for the benefit of your family? Chime in! I'd love to hear from you.