single parenthood

First, good news, the birthfather of my daycare provider, was arrested today for aiding and abedding his birth son in the escape. It seems that for months he has been tucking money away just for this purpose and provided him with a hacksaw to get through the security bars. What is really sad is that both my SIL and daycare provider told the BCA not to trust him and look carefully at him. The head investigator told Dana that he was being so open with them and giving them names of people who could be hiding him.

Secondly, the weekend was wonderful. We talked non-stop on our way to Aberdeen. It was fun to be away with another adult and no kids in the area. I like that man more everytime I see him. We were both exhausted yesterday and today. We let SD at 5:45 in the morning after only have around 3 hours of sleep. On Friday night sleep wasn't had by me either. We did do some shopping on Saturday morning and I found out that he loves to shop, I think more then I do. I was going to buy a cheap diamond necklace and he told me not to. He didn't like it and said he would buy me a different one when he can go and pick it out by himself. Only time will tell........

This is just how kind he is, I was napping on Saturday afternoon and he went and vaccuumed my car and washed it. My friends loved his sense of humor, his kindness, and personality.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend.

Mary

Hi All,

I did decide to send Kiran to daycare this week. Dana's brother is still missing but was sighted in Northern MN, close to where they grew up, on Monday. Since then, there have been no reports of where he is. He hasn't tried to contact anyone in his family and the authorities said that if he didn't within 24 hours chances where slim that he would. His parents, his birthmother and adoptive father are scared that he is going to come after them for money but so far so good. The authorities don't believe that he has any way to get money or gas so eventually, if they let him hide in the woods in northern MN he will surface. Dana does have a system in her house, compliments of the Eagan police department, that if he should show up all they have to do is press a button and within 5 minutes some one will be at their house.

She hasn't talked to him for 14 years. He didn't even know that he had 2 nieces and nephew by her. That was until his last visitor, the oldest sister of the family, had a visit with him over a year ago. She told him all the facts about the siblings and their families.

Dana and family are trying to live as normally as possible. All schools have been alerted and my SIL saw a police presence at the elementary school during dismissal today. We are all hoping that he is back in custody soon and this nightmare will be over for her family.

On a positive note, this weekend, Gill and I are escaping to a wedding in South Dakota. I cannot tell you how excited I am to have him all to myself for 48 hours. Ok, there is the wedding but maybe we won't even make it. HAHAHAHA!!! I am picking him up at noon on Friday and off we go. A 6 hour car ride together. If that doesn't make or break us, I don't know what will........

I don't even want to think of the politics in the world, what I don't know cannot worry me..... My life has never been so full yet there is this looming threat of nuclear war..

Have a great weekend and I will let you all know when the sex offender is caught.....

See you all on Sunday.....

Mary

This afternoon, while we were enjoying a wonderful Easter, the phone rang at my brother's house. It was our daycare provider telling us some news I didn't need to hear. It seems that last night 4 sex offenders escaped from a mental facility in St Peter, MN. Three out of the four have been captured and are in custody. The fourth just happens to be her brother who I have never heard her talk about. He has been in this facility since 1989 and was never to get out. He was in for rape and other things. It seems that the state police, city and county police are making extra patrols around her house in case he contacts them. He was sighted within 10 miles of her house. She would totally understand if I didn't send Kiran over there tomorrow. Her husband is working from home until he is found and they are living in a state of lock up at her house. I love this woman and I know that they think of Kiran as one of their own. They would never put her in danger but what the hell do I do? I am almost out of sick days, don't have back up this week and work wise it is a terrible week to take off.

But, if something happens to my baby I will never forgive myself. Something to ponder this evening. I hope all is well with everyone.

Mary

This is my speciality. Whenever I am cooking for family this is the request that is made. Tomorrow, on Easter, I will be preparing it.

Four chicken breasts cut in chucks
2 cans of cream of chicken soup (I use Cambell's Healthy Request)
16 oz of sour cream (I use the light sour cream)
2 1/2 rolls of ritz crackers
3 TBSP of poppy seeds
2 sticks of butter (I use no salt added.)
rice or noodles

Brown chicken breasts in oil olive and I throw in a little white wine.

Once chicken is browned place in the bottom of an 9 x 11 pan. I also spray pam on the bottom before putting in the chicken.

Mix the soup and sour cream together and pour on top of the chicken.

Crush the crackers and mix in with the poppyseeds and place over the chicken soup, sour cream mixture.

Melt your sticks of butter and drizzle over the top.

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes.

Serve on top of rice or noodles. My family prefers the rice.

I usually also serve a salad, asparagus, and bread.

Hope you enjoy. Happy Easter ALL!!!

Mary

Today my darling little angel came to school with me. What was I THINKING???? We started our morning with WW3. She hated her clothes, her hair, and school. Of course, she was tired. We stopped and pick up breakfast at Brueggers and then off to Minneapolis. Let me add we are dogsitting this weekend and staying at my brother's house. I truly think I only slept about 3 hours total.

Once we got to school it was the usual, "Kiran you are getting so big!" "Kiran you are so beautiful." She must of felt she was in a show case. People who I don't really talk to, came to my room just to see her. Most of the day, ok all of it, she was like a leech. I don't think she left my side for more then 5 minutes. By 9:30 I was wondering if I was going to survive. Not only did I have 25 other children wanting my attention, I had her, the most important kid in my life, there also.

I love when people pay attention to her but I have such a difficult time when they are always saying to her and me how beautiful she is. I try to add and smart to, but sometimes it just doesn't work. You would think teachers had better sense!!!

Anyway, we got back to my brother's house around 4:30 this evening, I went to change into my jammies, poured a glass of wine, and ordered pizza. The only problem is it is 80 degrees outside and I should be out there playing.

I am feeling like a lousy parent this evening, hopefully it will pass.

Happy Passover and Easter to all who celebrate.

Mary

In light of the recent developments this week with the Republican party, I thought I just had to post this photo. I forgot I even had it.

So, some day, I hope there will be sign about the down fall of this wonderful party. HAHAHA!!!

This photo was taken at our first India Culture Camp in June of 2002. All of the girls are from the same orphanage in Kolkata. The last three in the photo are Adrita, Kiran and Emma. Kiran and Emma have been best buddies since Kiran set foot in the US. Emma is a year older but they act like teenager when together. Adrita is the same age as Emma and we are very fortunate to get to see her once a year.




This is Kiran and Emma. At the same culture camp.

My point to all of this is that I try to incorporate India culture into our lives when ever possible. We have many children books, picture books and so on. Also, I love getting our play group together where many of the children are from India. Kiran loves to play with them and loves playing with other "brown" children. This week, Kiran and I went to see the movie Mystic India at the local science museum. She told me on the way out that she didn't like the movie one bit. I, on the other hand, loved it. Last night we had a conversation about India and she told me she didn't want me talking about it any more, India that is. She doesn't want to learn about it because she doesn't remember anything about it and when people ask her where she is from she is telling them Apple Valley. I abide by her requests and my guess is that it is a stage and I need to back off but it made me a little sad for her.

So for know India is a subject that is taboo up and will have to wait for her lead as to when we discuss it again.

Mary

Dinner was wonderful. Gill enjoyed it and couldn't believe how fabulous it was. I haven't posted about it because the evening ended and a difficult note or should I say lack of communication. It took us until yesterday to resolve things, it seems everytime one had a chance to talk the other had a kid around (the life of single parenthood). Anyway, all is well. Relationships really are hard work but I think this one is worth working at keeping.

Last night, after watching Florida beat UCLA, I checked my emails and went to bed delighted at my email from CNN. It put a smile on my face to see that DeLay wasn't running for re-election and then I read that he was going to resign from the House. That is wonderful news for our entire country. Now if we can only do something about those two idiots who are running the White House........

Mary

PS-What is a good sight to pick up photos from??? Does anyone have any ideas?

21 Firsts...



1. Who was your first prom date? Randy Ledin, he died a few years ago due to a brain hemorrhage
2. Who was your first roommate(s)? I cannot remember her name but she drove me crazy a while I was at the U of MN. She tried out for cheerleading and made it. She got up every morning at 5 and made tons of noise. It was a great experience.
3. What alcoholic beverage did you drink the first time you got drunk? It was beer at the local abandon mine pit.
4. What was your first job? Babysitting, I could have worked every Friday and Saturday night while I was in Junior High. The first time I did actually babysat, the couple came home at 4 am.
5. What was your first car? 1988 Mercury Topaz. I bought it brand new after I signed my first teaching contract in Houston, Tx.
6. When did you go to your first funeral? It was my cousin Kim's grandma. I was 14.
7. How old were you when you first moved away from your hometown? If you count college it was in 1985, not counting college it would have been in 1988 when I moved to Houston.
8. Who was your first grade teacher? Mrs. Thompson.
9. Where did you go on your first ride on an airplane? To Buffalo, New York to visit my aunt and uncle who lived in Dansville. I was in the sixth grade.
10. When did you sneak out of your house for the first time, who was it with? OMG, I would have never dared to sneak out of the house. My mom would have killed me.
11. Who was your first Best Friend and are you still friends with them? Rita, she lives about 4 hours away and we might not see each for a few years but we talk on a regular basis. We were 5 when we met. She was playing Barbies with my best friend at the time.
12. Where did you live the first time you moved out of your parents house? It was a dorm on the university of MN, Minneapolis campus.
13. Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? Denise, my SIL.
14. Who's wedding were you in the first time you were a bridesmaid/groomsman? My brother Mike's.
15. What is the first thing you do in the morning? Take a shower.
16. What was the first concert you ever went to? Loverboy.....
17. First tattoo or piercing? Ears pierced in the sixth grade, they had to grow in. Then I had them done again when I was senior.
18. First celebrity crush? Clark Brandon. Remember him!!!
19. Age of first kiss? When I was in the fourth grade!
20. First crush? My fifth grade teacher, Mr. French.
21. First time you did drugs? In the tenth grade........

Anyone who would like to participate.....

Mary

I was going through some photos yesterday and came across this one of me around the age of three.

This was taken in 1967 life at three was pretty good.

Happy photo Sunday!!