B says the funniest things right now! Two examples from the past few days:

We were driving in our loaner car (since the van is in the collision shop after my little accident a little while ago) and there are not tinted windows in the back like ours. The sun was in his eyes and he was doing everything to let us know he was not happy about it. It then went behind a cloud and B said, "Goodbye sun! See you tomorrow!"

The other happened this morning and while it was frustrating at the time, it was also cute. We finally moved to our new house yesterday. Upon leaving this morning, B broke out into the most pitiful crying episode, screaming "New house!" He was not happy to leave his new place!

Happy Mother's Day to all mothers. No matter your status: with children, waiting for children, pregnant, fostering, whatever the situation, this is for you. The following was sent to me by someone at work. It is a wonderful testament to mothers everywhere...

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers intheir arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherryKool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here." Who have sat inrocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't becomforted.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see.
And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors. And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand) mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat. For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomachaches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes totally unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their14-year-olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway? Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips? The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time? Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time? The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the backof a sleeping baby? The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home? Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...And mature mothers learning to let go. For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers. Single mothers and married mothers. Mothers with money, mothers without. This is for you all. For all of us. Hang in there.

In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray.

Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall."

Well, God certainly has had His hand in things here in the last day! Yesterday as of 2pm I still had not heard a thing about the closing on my house, that was originally to be today. My realtor thought it may not be going through at all. At 2pm I sent out an email to friends and family asking for prayer for the situation. In the email I asked that they pray for any type of financing to make this happen. I also stated that we hoped to be in our new home within the week. Remember, this was sent Thursday. At 2:30, just 30 min later, I received a phone call from my realtor. She said she couldn't believe it, but the sale and closing were going through, but not until next Thursday. I said, that's fine, I don't care, we can do a week. A week! It hit me that that is exactly what I had prayed. All day long I had worked on being patient and remembering God was in control, not me. My realtor then told me that my buyer's lender had had 24 Ameridream loans they were trying to push through. 22 ended up going through, mine had NOT been one of them. They were calling everyone they could think of and finally were able to get the buyers other financing! Exactly what I had prayed - again! My realtor was even told that this was "a miracle." And that's just what it was!!!!!

6 more days and counting...

The past day and a half has been a rollercoaster ride I want to get off of - and I LOVE rollercoasters normally! Starting from receiving the phone call about B's appeal being denied I thought: I'm on cloud nine, nothing else means anything, etc.

That afternoon, five minutes before picking up the kids from day care, three days before we were to move on Friday, I got A CALL. The kind of call I have not had for over a year since Jcame to live with me. The kind of call I had been itching for in the last couple months. A call for a placement. A two year old girl. Oh My Gosh! I wanted to say yes in a heartbeat. I wanted to, I wanted to, I couldn't. Not with having nothing in our house. Not with having my minivan packed to the max in preparation for the move and no room for a third car seat. Not today. I called back to say no, after the most agonizing ten minutes I've had in a long time. Ended up they didn't need the placement after all. My agency was secondary, another was first, and they ended up finding a placement for her.

Whew! I thought what a lot to thing through in one day. (There is also something else going on that I'm not really at liberty to talk through over the internet, sorry. :( ) But, then, Wednesday brought even more.

We had our home visit with B's cw on Wednesday. She told me that they may have a "possibility" for me. Now, I've had a couple other "possibilities" before. You get your hopes up, start thinking about where they'd sleep, what clothes you have that might fit them, how they would "fit" in your family, etc. You start to bond with a child you know absolutely nothing about other than their age and gender. Crazy, but it happens. So, while I'm not convinced this will definately happen, I do have hopes, I can't deny it.

The cw told me that they had a newborn come into care. The newborn boy was placed with a relative. That relative placement already has three of their siblings. A 9 MONTH old!!! And while I was in shock from her telling me that, she said the ages of the other two which I didn't quite hear, but am pretty sure they are both under 6. So now they have a newborn, a 9 month old, and two others under 6! She said that the agency doesn't think it will probably work out due to the other three they already have. She and J's cw have already talked about how I was hoping for another baby. So... We'll see. :0) Perfect case scenario would be for them to try it for a month and then decide they can't do best for him due to the situation and then call me in June. That way school is over and we're in the new house. But I won't hold my breath - not too much anyway! :)

Ok, so then when I was practically on cloud nine thinking B and J are headed to adoption, I may get a new baby, etc. the dreaded phone just has to ring. My realtor. She said she had some bad news and the closing will not be happening on Friday. WHAT???

The people buying my house are going through FHA with the Ameridream program. Yesterday Ameridream put a freeze on all money going out. While I could understand freezing money for new people just applying for financing, how on earth can you justify freezing money for people you have already approved and are about to close??? My realtor is supposed to find out more today. She said they will let some through to continue but we're not sure who yet and Friday will NOT happen no matter what. They are hoping to get it to go through by Monday. So, we have clothes through Sat, no food, hardly anything at all in the house, I've already sold the dryer, and my van, packed to the max I tell you, is supposed to go into the shop Monday to be repaired. Pray we can close Monday!!! It not only affects me, but the people whose house I'm buying and the house they are buying. The family currently in the house I'm buying also has two small children so I'm sure they're in a similar boat. I know it's not my fault, but I feel terrible.

What on earth will today bring???