My older kids once nicknamed me Big Mama way back when they were babysitting The Fat Boys. True story: these two little darling, chubby boys with rat tails, that odd style in the late 80s, stayed weekends at our house while their own mama went out a great deal. My girls, then nicknamed The Biggers by a younger son in our family, took turns babysitting The Fat Boys until they, The Biggers, were old enough to get real jobs. Later my own little boys, the last dozen sons, became The Bubbas, as it was easier to refer to that wild bunch as The Bubbas rather than... more

There’s was an old woman who lived in a shoe, she had so many children…oh sorry, wrong story, today I need to concentrate on back to school shoes for everyone.

One of my pet peeves around here is kicking off one’s shoes and leaving them there; imagine the pile when there are twenty something kids living at home. I can’t hardly walk through the family room without hollering, “Git these dadgum shoes outta my way,” while the kids look at me like I’m over-reacting. (I’m not misspelling, I talk like that.)

I do buy everyone a nice, clean... more

Of my four seriously unemployed/underemployed grown children between the ages of 20-31, one of them immediately managed to find a full-time job yesterday afternoon that needed him to start immediately, somewhat shaming the other three? Not around here.

The other three don’t want to mow lawns all day or settle for less than what they think they should earn yet they’re earning nothing right now.

One in particular who had his panties in a wad over his recent firing, doesn’t think to discuss a plan, to make a plan, or even to check on who is now hiring.... more

Underemployed

Yesterday I’d fussed over my now-unemployed 20 year old, but he’s not the only one here in these straits. I also have a 25 year old Navy veteran; off of a ship from the Iraq War, what’s he going to do? He's pictured here with his birth sister, both adopted 17 years ago.

The Navy warned the shipmates that this would happen; they’d return home and start hanging out with their friends who’d never left, hadn’t done much to advance themselves and they’d end up wishing they hadn’t left the military and that is exactly what has happened... more

My 20 year old son just lost his job this morning. He had brutal hours, a 45 minute drive at 5 in the morning for a 6 a.m. shift, never home until after 5 each evening but it was a well paying job for a kid just out of high school.

This son has only been living with me for seven years, arriving at age 13, parentified and caring for his six younger siblings; he’d never really been a child at all. Now secure in his family here, he has emotionally progressed to about the age of seven. He’s short-sighted, often unable to understand the big... more

One reason that I rarely leave my dirt road, especially during summer, is that I can’t find a babysitter, nor would I want to do so. How much would a qualified caretaker charge for the 20 or so kids that are here? I almost never, ever leave my house unless my 33 year old daughter or my 27 year old daughter is here. Very rarely I’ll allow a 16 or an 18 year old daughter to baby-sit some of the kids, but almost never more than just a few. I’d never consider a stranger; my strong-willed kids would eat them for dinner.

The bottom line is that I am responsible... more

Sadly this is a second blog on this issue. San Antonio is reeling under the finger pointing and the fall-out; still children are dying and this is not limited to this one region in Texas. This is a worldwide problem.

Yesterday afternoon I sat by our nice pool with a raging 12 year old son who’s been adopted by me, along with his four birth siblings, for five years now.... more

At one time in our family’s endless journey towards normalcy, I had five or so kids on behavior contracts at school. Teachers willingly checked off some simple accomplishments like: 1) homework turned in, 2) not disruptive today in class, 3) had school supplies etc.

It served to keep the kids accountable and to help me see what needed to be worked on here at home. Nowadays we have Power School which I love. Within a few quick... more

I walked away from my computer this morning thinking about Nancy’s post on structure and the many comments that followed.

A long time ago I was the mother to an only child and while we were both very young and essentially carefree, we still ate at the kitchen table; put our dirty clothes in the laundry basket, kept up regular routines and she knew that she could always depend on me.

The next thirty-eight children moved in without... more

My 15th grandbaby was born last night, we’re on a recent streak of four granddaughters all due within a four month time period, three have been born in the last two months.

If I’d have thought to do the math years ago, I would have realized that it’s likely I’ll have 100 grandchildren.

Who doesn’t adore babies? Yet I was called to adopt older children as when I started in the adoption world I was still working in the school system and already had a teenaged birth daughter. My first adoption of a sibling group from Honduras set me on the path... more