You must have a strong stomach for this one

Please be aware that I am warning you - this was difficult to read.

I opened my main email page tonight and saw a story about 9 people being charged in the death of a 14 year old girl that wasted away until she died. Included in those 9 people were the state welfare workers that were supposed to be keeping track of her.
Danieal Kelly's emaciated body was found in her mother's squalid house covered with bone-deep, maggot-infested bedsores in August 2006

Andrea Kelly refused to get her daughter food, water and medical treatment, and also repeatedly prevented one of her other children from calling an ambulance "for his obviously dying sister"

So this led me on a journey to read more about her, because as a mother it horrified me to read what had happened to her and how it had been allowed to happen to her.

It brought me to this website that tracks deaths related to state facilites, foster care etc. I made the mistake of reading every single one of them. It made me ill.

Some of the causes of death :

• Students say staff sat on Isaiah for three hours until he passed out and died.
• A review of Kyle's death by Alberta's Justice Department says the guards pushed the boy, whose legs were in shackles and who was handcuffed, against the elevator door, the door opened, and Kyle fell to his death. Police investigated his death, but no charges were laid
• (3 year old boy) He was wrapped in a blanket then taped to a high chair and left alone for two days while his foster family went out of town. When they returned, he was dead. They burned his body.
• Restrained in a straitjacket and held facedown on a bed, vomited, and choked to death while two staff continued to hold him down
• Death resulting from rebirthing
• Died after allegedly being forced to exercise at the facility after they were told he had an enlarged heart and should not participate in such activities
• Autistic and mentally retarded boy was restrained by 6 people who sat on his back. This occurred on his second day at the group home.

Most of these cases - no one was punished. I don't understand a society where we still punish the victims more than we punish the perpetrators.

Our 15 minutes of Fame....

So, a few months ago we heard of a model search for the remodel of St. Alphonsus Medical Centers "family center"
From the search:

The Center has been approved for a makeover by some grants that were given to encourage family and diversity. One of the ways the hospital can incorporate this in their overhaul is by having photographs of different children, parents and families displayed throughout the center

So I entered Harrison as they were specifically looking for a blonde hair blue eyed baby and we were chosen!

This last Monday we got to go for our photo session to be displayed around the hospital area that is being remodeled. Tonight we saw that one of the boys pictures made it to the photographers blog

Come see the boys!

I cannot wait to go and see our family photos around!

PCOS-do you know what it is?

After a discussion with a good friend of mine today, I realized I have not actually talked about PCOS with anyone lately, and definitely not here on my blog.

So what is PCOS?
PCOS-Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Oh..so it is just an ovary thing?
N0- it is sometimes said to actually be misnamed as many women do NOT have any problems with their ovaries.

But I am not fat. I can't have PCOS
yes, you can. Not all women with PCOS are overweight. Not every woman's symptoms are the same. There are quite a few skinny women diagnosed with the disorder.

But I have children. PCOS women cannot have babies.
Not true. Infertility is certainly a symptom of PCOS, but many women can and do have children with PCOS

My doctor said I don't have it. He must know what he is talking about.
Sadly, many doctors are not educated on PCOS and fail to see the bigger picture of linking all the problems together.

Common signs of PCOS. You do not have to have ALL of these symptoms to be diagnosed!
*Irregular or absent menses
*Numerous cysts on the ovaries in many, but not all, cases
*High blood pressure
*Acne
*Elevated insulin levels, Insulin Resistance, or Diabetes
*Infertility
*Excess hair on the face and body
*Thinning of the scalp hair (alopecia)
*Weight Problems or obesity that is centered around your mid section

Sound familiar at all? I didn't even know what PCOS was until the week before I was diagnosed. that has been 8 years ago now. The doctors I had seen for 4 years before that never suspected nor tested me for it.

Take the quiz to check your symptoms!

ugh-it is that time again

can you believe the kids go back to school in 29 days???

and then I start 1 week later. *EEK*

so what time is it that I am so ho-hum about?? school shopping! I really despise having to buy new clothes for the kids. They are so hard to fit with their skinny bodies and long legs...and it seems like with this "almost recession" that everything is at least doubling in price.
*sigh*

Conner is leaving tomorrow for his trek to martins cove. He is really excited. And tomorrow is Shawn's birthday. he will be 36!

you know, I just had a brain fart and totally forgot my point in coming out to blog today, so I will end it, post it, and try to remember and come back later! LOL

win the ultimate baby wearer essentials carrier contest

Win the Essential Babywearing Stash from Along for the Ride (one Beco Butterfly, one Hotsling baby pouch, one BabyHawk Mei Tai, one Zolowear Ring Sling, and one Gypsy Mama Wrap)

Back to knitting

man, it felt so good to pick up my needles and ignore my sewing machine!
Kind of like an old friend that has come home-to my hands!

I went out to Ravelry tonight. (and for all you yarnies, if you don't know what ravelry is--lets just say it is the best invention on the internet ever! and you must go now and sign up!) anyway, out on ravelry tonight and found so many projects I want to start working on. In my queue (which if you are not a member, you can not view) I have several sweaters I want to do. I think I am going to get the yarn dyed up to make Harrison the Tulip Sweater I will of course be dying the yarns in boyish colors geared towards the fall, but it is the one I am most looking forward to doing!

I also have the Wonderful Wallaby ready to go. It is an adorable hoody for the kids! You can do an adult version too, but I just am not ready to buy that many balls of yarn! LOL

My fingers are itching to cast on a new project. I finished a custom order diaper cover soaker and now I am just waiting...waiting to hear my fingers talk and tell me which needles to chose and which project to start.

Stay tuned.

whew ! stash game is over and the boys are coming home!

all in all, I ended up with:
106 3/4 yards sewn
36 yards donated to charity
purchased only 2 yards

total stash depletion was 166 3/4 yards!
In the last 6 months, I have sewn, sold, traded or trashed over 300 yards of fabric!

Or course, I am still in denial about the 5 boxes of fabric in the garage. Luckily, I don't hear it calling to me anymore as it is really burried out there!

This is one of my prize items made: my new diaper bag!

modeled after Erika's style. This type of bag has been a favorite design of mine for a long time, I just never saw it with a pocket until I saw hers!

The applique is a free clip art I got when I googled mother nature.

It fits 12 cloth diapers,and my changing pad. with a wet bag, I could get probably 10 diapers and the changing pad. of course, if I was just shoving stuff in instead of setting it in neatly, it would fit more!

on navy blue corduroy

The boys will be home tonight. I am excited to see them. Their plane was late leaving so they got stuck in san francisco for 4 hours! I imagine conner was wanting to run around and play Monk, but alas, they got the boys a room so they are settled in and waiting.

Coconut bread just came out of the oven. It smells great...and I have Harrison crawling everywhere and chasing the vacuum as I try to clean. Good times I tell ya!