Update on Day 12

 E. is a lovely child -- except when she isn't. Now that she has settled in comfortably, she is more likely to express her frustration -- with screaming. 'Get into the car, we're leaving.' 'No, no, no, scream, scream, scream...' I was vowing to never put her into the car seat again when it hit me. A miserable summer cold which is now day 5. I have this great cough that makes everyone who hears it say, 'You don't sound good.' No kidding!

Tomi, God bless her! brought me a care package of sugarless throat losenges and tea. Included was a painting book and something else for E. We happily painted ONE page. I knew this was a must be rationed item because after six dots of paint, she wanted another page. It's pretty ingenious: each page has the paints on the top and you just add a wet paint brush. Ain't technology grand?

I discovered today that E does not like (crispy) bacon. Huh. Who woulda thunk it? This kid has eaten everything else I have given her.

Cutisms: I use an electric toothbrush. Now, when E. starts to brush her teeth, she says, "Beep," to turn on her toothbrush.

When backing up on her tricycle, she produced a backup beep beep sound.

Her favorite phrase is, "I help," which I have to admit is one of my favorites too. She helped unload the dishwasher and she dutifully puts her stinky diapers into the diaper pail. We have great fun taking the recycling outside to the bin. I hold the basket and she picks out individual boxes to toss in. I just have to watch her like a hawk because she thinks she can do anything -- like take eggs and milk out of the fridge. Eeek!

So we're getting along great. I'm thinking I should bring my ear plugs with me for when she has a fit. That's an idea. When she doesn't want a bath, which is always, it really echoes and bounces off the bathroom tile. 

Today for the first time in days, I get to go out on my own while she visits her parental units. Wahoo! I get to go to the Post Office and grocery store.

Happy rest of summer (and winter to you, Lesley). I wish you peace.

Space

 8/17/22

No, not the final frontier. I need space! I had/have plenty of space in my heart for 3 year old Emma, but I need space in my cabinets and house! Who knew that Oatie o's, Cheezits, rice crackers, bow tie pasta, mac and cheese, and juice boxes take up so much room? I had been enjoying a 'lean' cupboard in that I had no real pasta, or cereals, but some pasta made from hearts of palm and a couple of other low carb specialty items. Most of those specialized products come in multiples that you order online -- and they take up room.

Thanks to the generosity of Emily, Tomi, and Farah (who organized neighbors to contribute), I have a lot of stuff. Emily brought a high chair,a pack and play 'play pen,' step stool, slide, puzzle shaped mats for the deck, and stuff for baby formula production. (I'm not getting the 10 month old who got very sick with covid.) Tomi was invaluable in loaning me a potty seat although we don't seem to have any interest in that. However, my little bathroom has a step stool and potty seat added. There's no room for my shoes!

I am prohibited from showing you any identifiable pictures of foster children, so you will have to take my word for it that she is cute. I have a picture with just the top of her head looking at the cows (we went yesterday), but her hair is potenially identifiable in a bowl cut. I am told that her male parental unit is very aggressive with DCF (Dept. of Children and Families), so I don't want to get into that.

All of this came on quickly, sort of. Originally, I was supposed to have a 5 month old baby for last weekend. That foster mom (FM) backed out because she thought my voice sounded nervous on the phone.

 Ok. Then I was asked to provide daycare (full day only) for a 3 year old and 10 month old. Ok, I agreed to that. Then they asked if I could take E overnight through Thursday because that FM was feeling overwhelmed. I said ok.That was supposed to start on Monday (two days ago). On Sunday, I got an emergency call from their FM. Could I pick up E right away? Her baby sister and the FM were sick and positive with covid. E. had tested negative. So I did and we have been having a great time.

However, I told my social worker that I cannot take the 10 month old (who is already walking!). She and her FM are in quarantine for 5 days. I'm told the baby is much better but the FM is still sick and her parents got it too. She had brought the girls to the parents' house to swim in their pool.

Cathy V. and I had a super time walking for hours looking at quilts from the New England Quilt Show.

Here is the addy of this album of pictures:

 https://photos.google.com/share/AF1QipOBCFLw5k3c2qkF1Orq5vfwSuXLO0rEbAJ_72XdXXevK6TwqD7Gi3RnBdJnG95kKg

I apologize for not identifying all of the quilt artists -- there were so many! And I could have taken hundreds more pictures! I now have an inferiority complex which I'm trying to get over. I guess it's good that my main machine is broken. I still have the Featherweight (which is the same age as I am), but it's in the sewing room with no air conditioning. It's too hot to be in there. Well that's my excuse.

I now have 3 flowers on whatever that is. I have eaten this tomato and have 3 green ones.

This is Mr. and Mrs. Goldfinch sitting on Tomi and David's deck. She spreads the seeds right on the railing. They have a couple of hummingbird feeders but those suckers were too quick for me to photograph.

Gotta run. I'm we're going to play some soccer with the big red bouncy ball. Cheers!