30-Something

I remember being 30 and someone said something about me being "in my 30s" and I said, "Whooa! (I reminded myself of Debra Messing on "Will and Grace") I am 30.  I am NOT in my thirties!"  It's funny how, despite the fact that I'm much more settled, more stable and all around more happy now, I still cling to my youth.  Is this normal?  Let's look back.  11 years ago, at 20, I was in college and surrounded by friends, without a care in the world.  Unfortunately, I was too naive to realize how good I had it.  I felt like 9am classes and working part time were way too much to take on and thought I was stressed out. I definitely didn't I appreciate what I had.  8 years ago, in my early twenties, I was just graduating from college, living 2 hours from home and missing my family like crazy, didn't have a thing in the world I could call my own (I rented my apartment, owed my parents for my car and didn't have any kids or pets) and despite the fact that I had lots of friends from college and high school, they were scattered among several states and I didn't have any friends within a half hour's drive.  5 years ago, in my mid twenties, I was in a job I hated, in an unhealthy relationship, still owed my parents for my car, although it was a car I hated due to my now-ex having totalled the car I loved and despite the fact that I had established a solid group of friends, I still didn't have a "best friend" or a close group of friends that was nearby.  Now, "in my thirties," I feel as if I'm finally truly happy.  I have a job that I generally enjoy (although every job has its ups and downs), have the best nieces, nephews and pup in the world, live close to my family, own my home and live pretty comfortably.  All in all, I'm just enjoying life.  On top of all this, I have an amazing group of friends, including an incredible sister to whom I'm closer than I've ever been, a best friend who I don't see nearly often enough but I know we'll always be there for each other and lots of friends who are close by so I've always got an option for a fun evening out.  So why is it that I still cling to my twenties?  My mom is "in her fifties" and she's not old, so why does admitting that I'm "in my thirties" feel so old?  I don't really have the answer, but I can say that I couldn't be happier right now and I wouldn't change a thing.  I am loving life.  At 27 ;)

Snuggle time

I did NOT sleep well last night.  For the second night in a row :(  The down side: I had a heck of a time dragging my butt out of bed this morning.  The up side: while I was being lazy in bed, I had a great little snuggle pup curled up beside me :)  Most dogs I know are creatures of habit and when their body clock tells them it's time to get up, by golly their person better get up and let them out to potty!  But Wolfey likes to sleep in just as much as I do.  I'm so lucky to love such a sleepy, snuggly pup!

Apparently we don't like blue berries

Sleeping with stinky dog

Wolfey and I walk with some friends of ours (okay, a friend of mine and his dog) once a week at the local park.  The dogs usually roll in the mud, swim in the pond or do other things that get them dirty and stinky, so I usually give Wolfey a bath when we get home.  Last night was park night but I also needed to plant the tree my sister had bought me at the Earth Day event.  When we got home from the park, I immediately went outside to plant the tree and ended up doing some other yard work that I had been neglecting.  After walking a couple miles, planting a tree, pulling weeds, and on and on, I was beat!  When I finished, I changed into my jammies and crawled into bed...only to realize I was sleeping with stinky dog.  I considered getting back up to give him a bath, but realized that then I'd be sleeping with wet dog and I'm not sure which is worse!  I gave Wolfey a stern look and said, "you stink!" and he went down to the foot of the bed and stayed there all night.  I don't know how I got so lucky as to have a dog who somehow understands English but I sure am thankful he didn't want to snuggle last night!  For the record, I got up early and gave him a bath before I left for work this morning!

Meet the parents

Sorry, couldn't resist ;)  I have the best parents in the world.  They are loving, nurturing, supportive, helpful, funny, hard working, encouraging, understanding, just as crazy as I am and generally fun to be around.  Yes, I could go on, but I thought using every positive adjective in the English language might be a bit much. 

My mom is the most relaxed, easy to get along with person you've ever met.  You'll often hear her say "the last thing I want to do is make anyone's life harder" and she goes to great lengths to make everyone's lives easier and better.  My mom is the one who finally convinced me to start fostering, too.  I had been saying I was going to do it for years (since high school) but had started talking more and more about it and finally she just said, "when are you going to stop talking about it and start doing it?" which was such an eye opener for me.  It was such a gentle push, and just what I needed.  Mom is that person who somehow always knows what you need.  Not only does she have a big heart, she has a big brain and big muscles, too!  Mom works as a special education aide at a local high school and despite the fact that she has no college education, the teachers often look to her for advice on how to teach a struggling student, how to solve a certain math problem (I was a math minor and I swear she knows more math than I do!) or how to handle a difficult situation.  She is an incredibly strong person, physically, mentally and emotionally.  I often tease her that Dad doesn't have to do anything around the house because if he waits long enough, she'll figure out how to do it herself!

My dad can do anything.  He's a big bear of a guy (great for scaring off a creepy date, if you need ;) ) and super strong, but one of the most gentle people I've ever known.  He's a typical guy who would rather discuss motorcycles and cigars than feelings, but he's never let me down when I needed a shoulder to cry on.  There are very few things that I don't talk to my mom about, but in those instances, I always know I can talk to my dad. 

I know I've already said it, but I have the absolute best parents in the entire world.  I mean, I know some great parents, but until you break into your daughter's house (okay, they didn't really break in, they had a key) to put together a new bed for a foster kid who's coming the next day (yes, this happened almost 2 years ago, but it made a big impact!), you're just not even on the same playing field!  I'm so lucky to love parents who are everything I could ever want and more!

Can it be?

Have I actually met a guy who not only admits when he's wrong but also apologizes?!  Not only did I lecture him (something I'm really bad about doing.  Oops!) but I picked a fight over the phone (I believe these things should always be done in person, in order to see facial expression, be more empathetic and hug it out at the end).  Sparing you the details of the argument, here's how it wrapped up:
Me: (being somewhat accusatory and bitchy)
Wordy: "There's no need to argue.  You're absolutely right."
Me: "I know I'm right!"
Wordy: (laughing) "I love that even when you're mad at me you're still so patient with me.  I think I'm ready for you to meet my son."
Me: (melting) "I'd really like that.  I think, like you, he needs as many positive, supportive people in his life as possible."
Wordy: "Okay, let's set it up soon.  I need to get off here though and put him to bed."
Me: (not letting it go, because I'm still a bit peeved, despite him admitting that he screwed up) "I'm still waiting for an apology.  I'm glad that (describing what he did right)...
Wordy: (interrupting) "No, don't make excuses for me."
Me: "I'm not, just saying I understand why you did it, but I still think (describing what he did wrong) isn't fair to me."
Wordy: "You're completely right.  I'm so sorry."
Is this guy for real??  Not only did he take my lecturing in stride, he apologized AND found the positive in the situation.  I'm so lucky I have a friend who accepts me as I am. 

Yesterday was a busy day, despite the fact that I never left my yard.  I did laundry, changed the sheets, mowed the grass, cleaned the house...and attempted to make time for Wolfey.  I'll admit that despite my best efforts, he was a bit neglected yesterday.  Thankfully my mom came out to help me put together the shelving unit my aunt gave me (I tried, really, but it just wasn't a one-person job!) and brought Miss Thing with her.  Miss Thing was such a huge help.  She played soccer with Wolfey for a while (he has his own ball that's a little underinflated so he can carry it around and loves it when you kick it for him to chase) and was a huge help putting the shelves together.  I'm really not sure Mom and I could have done it without her.  I'm so lucky the monkeys love their cousin-dog!

I'm thinking the monkeys need to be called the turkeys

My sister and Miss Thing had a Girl Scout outing and we determined it was too cold and rainy to take the little ones so I stayed home with them.  What a couple of goobers!  Doll Baby wanted my undivided attention, despite the fact that Princess was toddling around getting into everything.  Thankfully the older boys entertained themselves for the most part and made my day a little easier, but Doll Baby was so demanding.  Of course, I know it's just because he loves me and wants to spend time with me, which is a great feeling, but I'm wiped out!  I have such an awesome respect for my stay-at-home-mom sister for doing this every day!

Work woes and job joys

This has been an incredibly long week.  The company I work for has been having a huge sale and two days this week I have worked open to close at my store, then gone to our main store to help out until they closed.  9:40 on Tuesday, 10:30 on Thursday.  Wordy has been a bit needy and I ended up driving to see him at 9:30 Wednesday night.  I've got a chest cold and just haven't been sleeping well.  Talk about a long week.  Thankfully, my employees helped out and covered some of the hours.  In fact, "My new girl" covered my Wednesday evening shift so I could have dinner with my grandma, who I hadn't seen in several months (she winters in Florida).  See, I told you she was great!  On top of all this, a coworker from another store, who I've been friends with for a long time, has been going through a really rough time and needed some time off, so I'm covering his store today and Monday (thankfully he has a college kid working the weekend!).  I came in to the store this morning to find that the shelves were in disarray, the trash hadn't been taken out and the floors needed swept.  This is the first time I've ever worked this store, but I know how the manager is - about as particular as I am!  At 11:45 I finally sat down and sent the following e-mail to my employees:

"First, I'd like to mention that I've been here (at the E**** store) since 9:30 and I just now finished fronting the shelves, stocking, taking out trash and sweeping the floors. I knew I had a great staff, but let me tell you guys how much more I appreciate you at this point! I know you work hard to keep our store looking good all the time and not just on special cleaning days and that really means a lot as far as making my life easier, so THANK YOU!!
"Second, I wanted to let you know that I was hearing great things about all of you at the final day of the sale last night. The S******* staff was very impressed with all of you, and that means good things for you, for me and for our store. Remember that keeping your name in the forefront of their minds is the best way to be thought of for raises, promotions and wintertime hours, when everyone's fighting for work. You guys definitely made a good impression and I know you'll work hard all summer to remind all of our stores just how great C***** (our store) is!
"Thank you all, and keep up the hard work! :)"

Even on a rough day in a rough week, I know my employees are working hard to make my life easier and it's so great to know that I can help out a friend and they will be there to cover my store and make sure things run smoothly.  It lets me know that Monday when I'm back up here, my new girl is working our store and my assistant manager (also known as my cousin!) is covering another store, we're all in good hands.  I am so lucky to have an incredible staff!

UPDATE: I failed to mention that I screwed up when I packed my lunch today.  I brought chili, no spoon.  I'm not used to having to pack utensils, because I keep a box of plasticware at my store and never need to bring any from home.  I posted on facebook about how disappointed I was and within an hour I had offers (that's right, plural) from friends I haven't seen in years to bring me lunch!  Of course by then I'd ordered a pizza, but it's still great to know I am connected with such awesome people who are willing to take time out of their busy day to bring lunch to an old friend!

I'm lucky I love someone who loves you

To "my new girl" at work - I'm so lucky your sister married my cousin, and then I told your sister (my cousin-in-law) that I was hiring new staff at my store, because you have turned out to be one of the best employees I've ever had.  You may never read this, but I hope you know how much I appreciate you! :)

Merry Christmas!

I had the canvas painted and "wrapped" under the tree for Christmas, but I didn't complete the lettering until Monday.  I delivered it this morning on my way to work, and it looks beautiful above her fireplace.  I'm only 3 1/2 months late...I'm so lucky my sister is patient!

Foster networking

I was very lucky to be set up with another single foster mom for respite purposes.  She kept The Boy overnight for me a few times (I had an out of town wedding, The Girl needed some "us time" to get settled in, etc) and I kept her 2 foster kids a couple times for her.  In the process, we also became good friends and it was great to have a sounding board.  Someone who could really relate, because she was in the exact same situation.  My kids have been gone for nearly a year now and we still keep in contact.  We just got off the phone and she's having more foster issues, even though her kids have been gone for several months (she decided to take a break after they left, but has just renewed her license and will probably resume fostering here shortly).  I love that even though I'm no longer a foster mom, I'm still able to be involved, help foster kids and support foster parents.

Success!

I made it up to see The Girl this time.  We hung out for a while, had a nice visit, and I actually got to see her laugh (a rarity these days).  Bonus - I got to see my best friend while I was up there, had a great lunch and got some snuggle time with her baby.  Doesn't get much better :)

Why, yes, that would be a cow bone on my living room floor

Raw.  Meaty.  Gross.  But Wolfey likes it.  He's been gnawing away at it all day.  This would be one of the very few times when I would say he's the lucky one ;)

Papa's truck

My aunt offered me a shelving unit for storage in my garage and brought it to my parents' house on Easter.  Since it wouldn't fit in my car, it's been sitting there ever since.  Last night, my mom called and suggested that I stop at my dad's shop to pick up his old truck (it's for sale, if anyone's looking!) to use to take the shelves out to my house.  The shop is on my way to work so, I could get my car back on my way past in the morning.  Since I was in the area, I stopped at my sister's house on the way through to say hi to the monkeys, but only Miss Thing was home when I got there.  She said they had all gone to pick up Schmo from a friend's house and would be back shortly, so I stuck around.  When the other kids got home, they were all looking for Papa, since his truck was there.  I got a lot of "Where's Papa?" "Why are you here?" and "Why do you have Papa's truck?" but they soon moved on and gave lots of hugs.  I love monkey hugs!  I visited for a while, then went about the rest of my evening, finally getting home, unloading the shelves and parking the truck in my driveway. 

When we woke up this morning, Wolfey went about his usual morning routine, which includes eating breakfast, tripping me as he waggles around me while I get ready for work and hopping up on the couch to look out the front window.  He loves to see what's going on in the neighborhood.  As soon as he saw Papa's truck in the driveway he started going crazy, barking and dancing around all excited.  He was terribly disappointed when I told him Papa wasn't there.  I guess everyone gets excited at the prospect of Papa coming to visit!  I'm so lucky to have a dad who is so great, even the dog gets excited to see him!

I just texted Wordy to see if he wanted to go to a movie tomorrow night, but he already has plans to go to a movie...with his son.  How sweet!  I love that he's such an involved dad!

Meet Professor Wordsmith

I met Professor Wordsmith on a blind date.  We had an incredible time, talked for hours and stayed out way too late.  He was funny, smart, sensitive and extremely interesting.  He's not traditionally good looking but there's something about him that's incredibly sexy.  Definitely the kind of guy you want a second date with!  We talked daily after that and I felt like we really got to know one another.  He shared a lot about his background, his family and growing up in foster care and I really felt like we were hitting it off.  He explained that his mom committed suicide as a result of some mental health issues that are, unfortunately, hereditary and that he has been suffering from the same issues, but that he is working hard to overcome his disorder and is very proactive in his treatment.  I felt as if, between my background in mental health and his drive to rise above his disease, we could work together to beat this thing.  Our second date was a week later, and once again it was wonderful.  Then he fell off the face of the earth.  Not literally, of course, but I didn't hear from him for close to a week.  I thought it was bizarre but I also know that, having grown up in foster care, he has some attachment issues, he is struggling to fight his mental health issues and he has just gone through a really difficult divorce, so I tried to be understanding.  We continued in this pattern - talk for several days, have an awesome date, fall off the face of the earth, talk for several days,... - for several weeks before I finally told Wordy that I really like him, and I'd like to help him through his hard time, but I can't have a relationship like that.  We agreed to just be friends and things have kind of leveled off (contact wise) since then. 

Wordy is a writer, too.  I've never had the privilege of reading anything he's written, but we've talked for hours on end, so I know he is a wordsmith (hence the name).  He is very self conscious about the fact that he is "uneducated" (his word, not mine) but he is incredibly intelligent and often uses words that I don't know.  Thankfully I'm smart enough to figure out the meaning from the context, but he never fails to impress me with his aptidude for the English language.  He really likes to talk, too.  People say I talk too much, but when Professor Wordsmith is around, I barely get a word in.  Thankfully he's fascinating, so I don't mind listening to him talk all day!  In case you haven't picked up on it yet, his pseudonym is a direct result of his general wordiness, but is also somewhat of his doing.  When I asked Wordy for his permission to write about him, he asked if he could make up his own fake name; of course I obliged.  He came up with several names, all beginning with "Professor" and all horribly inappropriate.  He may be funny, sensitive and intelligent but he's still a guy!  I kept the "Professor" but added my own ending.  We're trying to keep it PG here!  He is such an incredible person and it's really interesting to have a glimpse into the other side of foster care.  I am so lucky to love someone who can teach me so much!

What's in a name?

We have all said "you're lucky I love you!" when someone does something silly, but how often do we stop to realize that we are the lucky ones to have someone to love like that?  I'm blessed with so many people (dogs included!) in my life - some who have touched my life and left again and some who are here for a lifetime - that I just can't help but count myself lucky!

Dilemma

I won't talk about my foster kids much - primarily for confidentiality purposes, but also because I don't want to chance another issue like my old blog - but since I'm still in regular contact with my foster daughter, she will come up from time to time.  This is one of those times.  For simplicity's sake (and to give as little detail about her as possible), let's just call her The Girl. 

I'll also give a quick bit about a friend of mine who we'll call Professor Wordsmith.  I'll do a proper introduction to Wordy here soon, but for now just know that we met on a blind date and although it didn't turn into a romantic relationship, we've become very close friends and I love him in that he's-an-amazing-person-and-I-would-do-anything-I-could-to-make-sure-he-has-only-good-things-in-his-life kind of way.  Unfortunately, he has a lot of bad things in his life.  Wordy grew up in the foster system (probably part of the reason we've connected, since it's so incredible for both of us to get to see fostering from the other perspective) and has no family to speak of.  He has some behavioral health issues (we'll go into this more later) and very few people in his life who are able to handle the ups and downs of his disorder.

Yesterday I was scheduled to visit The Girl and take her on a pass from the residential facility where she currently lives.  I was taking Wolfey with me and we were going to go to a park nearby to take a walk and play outside for a while.  I knew Wordy was having a rough day and had told him I would be available until 3:30 and that he should call if he needed anything.  I was about a half hour from my house when Wordy texted me and said "I think I need a safe place to be."  Talk about scary.  I called him right away to see what was going on and he filled me in on the situation, saying that he'd like to take me up on my previous offer to come out to my house if he felt like he needed to get away.  Unfortunately I wasn't there.  So I had a decision to make - disappoint The Girl or leave Professor Wordsmith in a potentially dangerous (emotionally, not physically) situation.  Since I knew The Girl was safe and surrounded by people who could help her through her disappointment, I opted to go help Wordy.  I called my sister (who you'll meet soon) and asked her to meet me to get Wolfey and take him to my parents' house (you'll meet them soon, too) then headed to pick up Professor Wordsmith.  We spent the day together, processing what happened, dealing with the resulting anxiety attack and talking about how we got to where we are in life and what we need to do to get what we want out of life.  It was an incredibly long day filled with feelings of inadequecy because of letting The Girl down, fear and worry over Wordy's situation and far too much driving, but in the end it was a day filled with love and the good feeling of being able to help someone in need.  Sometimes I feel like I can't do it all, but days like this remind me that I'm so lucky to have the strength, stability and resources to help the people I love.

A wee bit frustrated

Oops, it's Easter, not St. Patrick's Day ;)  Oh, well.  Forgive the Irish accent up there!  At any rate, knowing I wouldn't be around a computer for the holiday weekend, I had scheduled several posts to publish over the past couple of days - none of them did :(  I love following others' blogs and get irritated when they don't post for several days, so I really don't like that I've now done the same.  Not that I think that anyone is following this yet, but I hope that someday someone may go back and read from the beginning!  At any rate, I had scheduled to do a few more "meet (insert someone important here)" posts but those will have to wait, and things will have to go a bit out of order now.  Stay tuned for today's post - lots of love yesterday that all has to be put "on paper".

Meet the monkeys

Not literally monkeys, but this is what I call my nieces and nephews.  Along with Wolfey, they are the most important things (I say things because most people get all weird when I call Wolfey people.  Just go with it!) in my life.  I may add a picture later, but for my sister's privacy I'll avoid monkey pictures for now!

Monkey #1, also known as Miss Thing, is a 12 year old self-professed tom boy who secretly has a girly streak.  For the first 11 years of her life, I told her every chance I got that she was my favorite girl in the whole wide world.  Unfortunately, when her little sister came along and she had to share that title, she wasn't too happy with me, but I think having an adorable little sister has helped to ease the pain!

Monkey #2, also known as Buddy, is a 10 year old do-it-yourselfer.  He is the hardest working, most inventive little man you've ever met and I just know some day he's going to be an architect, a designer, a doctor, or some equally amazing, creative problem solver.  The kid built a tree house at age 8 and is currently building a cottage in the woods behind their house, for goodness sake!  And we're not just talking slapping some boards together and calling it a "fort," either.  He dug post holes for the corners and framed it out, built a sturdy, flat floor and is currently working on a roof.  Can you tell I'm impressed?

Monkey #3, also known as Schmo, is a 7 year old space cadet.  I love him more than words can tell, but he truly is a ding dong.  He's the kid who will ask you the same thing seventeen times and then cry when you say, "Schmo, I've already told you.  If you really wanted to know, you should have listened to the answer the first sixteen times!" but he's also the kid who always has a hug for you, tells you he loves you, and can just melt your heart with his big, dimpled smile!

Monkey #4, also known as Doll Baby, is a 3 year old bundle of energy.  He is smart, funny and has a big personality.  He knows more about my iPhone than I do, talks a mile a minute and loves his momma more than anything else in the world.  He's got such a big heart and while he can be a bit stingy with his hugs, he's just about the most kissable little monster ever!

Monkey #5, also known as the Princess, is a 1 year old little angel.  She's the cutest, smiliest, most loveable baby ever (other than her 4 older siblings, of course!) and I just can't say enough good things about her.  She just learned to walk and watching her toddle around the house is just too funny.  She's learning to feed herself with a spoon and seems to think that food can double as a hair styling product.

With all this love in one place, it's hard to go to my sister's house and not feel blessed.  These are the most incredible kids on the planet (I may be just a bit biased, but I don't think so) and I love auditioning for "aunt of the year"!  Being an aunt, particularly a favorite aunt, is the best job in the entire world.  I get to spoil them rotten, get lots of hugs and love, and go home to my quiet house!  I'm so lucky I love them!

Poached tilapia with lemon butter sauce over noodles and peas

Sound yummy?  It was!  Wolfey thought so, too.  Yep, that's right, Wolfey eats what I eat.  Discussing this is one of those times when my sister tells me, "you're lucky I love you!" but I think she's starting to understand why I cook for Wolfey.  Did you know that commercial dog food wasn't invented until about 60 years ago?  Before that, all dogs ate the scraps their people left.  And dogs were much healthier then.  The problem was, as people began to eat more processed foods, especially fast food, "people food" became worse and worse for dogs and eventually there was a need (other than just convenience) for dog food.  I'm sure you've heard the saying, "I wouldn't feed that to my dog!" - if it's not good enough for the dog, why do we eat it?  So at this point you're wondering why I don't just do what most Americans do and feed my dog dog food, right?  Well, it's the same reason I don't eat fast food (wow, I was typing really fast and that came out as fat food...very appropriate!) every day - it's just not as healthy as home cooked meals!  There are lots of other reasons I cook for Wolfey - I enjoy it, he enjoys it, it gets me to cook different things for myself too, he has special dietary needs that  I couldn't meet through a commercial dog food (more on that later), his behavior has improved (more on that later, too), it's healthier, I could go on - but it really boils down to one main reason.  I cook for my dog just as you probably cook for your loved ones.  And with meals like that, boy am I lucky I love him!

Meet Wolfey

Wolfey, Pup, my baby, the dog...it doesn't really matter what you call him, Wolfey is truly one of the great loves of my life.  Much of my blog will be about him.  His health issues, his behavioral issues, and just how lucky I am to love him!

Okay, so it's not the best picture.  Heck, he's not the best looking dog, for that matter!  But he's mine.  I met Wolfey on July 25, 2004 and 24 hours later he became the only male I've ever been able to live with!  I had just graduated college, gotten my first "real job" and was living by myself in a strange town.  I was scared, lonely and had no real way to meet anyone.  I had always been an animal lover but never really liked the idea of having inside pets.  Unfortunately I was living in an apartment and it was inside pet or no pet at all.  Enter Wolfey. 

I went to the local shelter looking for the biggest dog I could find that still fell within the apartment complex's height and weight restrictions.  Every dog they had was either a yappy little "kick dog", as my dad would call them, or too big to live in my tiny apartment.  Finally I went to the staff, who told me they had one dog who met my requirements, but assured me that "you won't want him."  Before they would allow me to meet Wolfey, they explained that he had been so badly abused that if anyone went near him he would pee himself, he'd had such bad fleas that he had chewed and scratched off most of his fur (he was bald from the shoulders back, including that beautiful curly tail!) and that he was severely under weight.  I didn't care; I convinced them to let me see him...and it was love at first sight!  Wolfey allowed me to pet him right away (something I was told he hadn't done for anyone in all the time he had been at the shelter) and something in those big, brown bug eyes told me he was the one.  The shelter had a 24-hour waiting period, and I'm sure they thought I wouldn't be back, but the next day I rushed home from work to go pick up my baby.  And the rest, as they say, is history! 

Wolfey maxed out my apartment's height and weight restrictions, but thankfully he's so loveable that the apartment manager liked him, too, and she didn't make an issue of the fact that I was breaking the rules once he got up to a healthy weight.  I learned when I picked Wolfey up that he was actually scheduled to be put down a few days later.  It's so incredible to know that I saved his life, and I believe that Wolfey knows that.  He has been the most loving, loyal dog I have ever known and I am so lucky to love him!

New home, same sentiment

Formerly of "Mommy is a Job Title" (karenfosters.tumblr.com), my (former) foster son's bio mom found my blog and was upset with some of my posts.  The Department of Child Services (DCS) requested that I remove my blog to keep her happy and of course I obliged.  I shut my blog down more than a year ago and not a day has gone by that I haven't missed blogging.  My goal in blogging was to inspire and educate others about fostering and support those who were considering going down the same path as me.  I found that, as a result of wanting to inspire others, I was forcing myself to see the positive in every situation and I've really missed that.  So here I am.  No longer blogging about fostering (partly because I'm taking a break from fostering, but mostly because it's not worth the risk of upsetting anyone) but still wanting the community that comes from sharing your life with others, the push to see the positive and the outlet that comes with putting your thoughts "on paper".  My topics may be different, but my heart's still in the same place!