152 of 365...Dear No-Sense-of-Humor Family Specialist

Dear No-Sense-of-Humor Family Specialist,

I really appreciate you working so hard on our home study.  We appreciate your honesty when you told us it would take 6 weeks to get it completely typed up.  We understand you're underpaid and overworked.  Thank you for all you do and without a doubt, Geek Boy and I could not do your job in a million years.

We have tried to answer all of your questions with great thought and honesty.  Questions like: How was your childhood?  Why do you want to foster and/or adopt?  What is your happiest memory as a child?  What was the most traumatic experience in your childhood?  How do you deal with grief?

Even the toughest questions you asked like What is meal time like in your family?  You didn't even cringe when I said Older Drama Queens are pretty much fed Pop Tarts and cereal for dinner.  You seemed very unsurpised when we showed you the pantry during the home study and there were 20 boxes of cereal and 5 boxes of Pop Tarts.

When you asked about the frequency and satisfaction level of mine and Geek Boy's sex life, I was taken back a little by the directness of the question, but I answered it.  By the way, I hope you didn't honestly believe when I told you 7 days a week, morning noon and night, and it's earth shattering.  That was MY sense of humor coming out but I'm really not so sure you caught on to that because you just sat there stoned face and typed away.

On Friday afternoon you asked the toughest and most personal question so far.  What is my hair color?????  Seriously????  You need to know this why?????  Perhaps when a child is placed into CPS care and you're looking to place him, you need to make sure we are a good fit based on hair color?  Isn't that kind of like profiling?

Not only is this a very personal question to answer but it's a very HARD question to answer.  If you would've asked me 5 months ago what my hair color was, you would've gotten one color.  If you would've asked me 6 weeks ago when you spent 6 grueling hours at my home, you would've gotten a whole different color.  Hell, if you would've emailed me on Thursday afternoon, the color would've been different yet again.

So after consulting with my wonderful hairstylist, the answer to your question is: 6/77 with 6/4 and highlights.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance to you.  If the color changes at anytime between now and the time we can finally adopt, I will certainly keep you informed.

Sincerely,
Diva Finch

151 of 365...Something Fishy About This...

I hate this fish yet somehow how it has managed to linger in my life for 11 years!!! Geek Boy's sister and her husband bought this fish for Older Drama Queen when she was 2 or 3. I was appalled when I saw this fish and conveniently left it at my mother in law's house, where the gift was opened. When my in law's moved 6 years ago, I am pretty sure I threw this in the trash pile and I'm pretty sure someone took it out of the trash pile. I have just pretty much ignored the fish when visiting my in law's.

On Friday, we picked up our 4 year old niece at my in law's house to spend the night with us. She was able to bring a few toys over to our house and of all the toys, she picked that damn fish.

I had nightmares. Older Drama Queen told me it was her fish and she wanted it to stay at our house. I told her she could go find someplace else to live!!!

The fish did make it back to my in law's house.

150 of 365...Hard Drive Whisperer

My hard drive in my laptop died today. Geek Boy tried to recover all of my information but it's no use.

I watched him whisper to the hard drive, encouraging it to start spinning. He knelt down real close to the hard drive and tried to encourage it to come back to life. He gently caressed it, but to no avail. He blew it kisses, with the hopes it would just come alive. Nope. Nada. Dead!!!!!

- Posted by Diva Finch using

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149 of 365...A Conversation Between A Mother And Daughter

Oh the emotions a teenager goes through.  I really do try to be sympathetic and listen but at times one can only handle so much.  So in a heated argument last night between myself and Older Drama Queen, here's how the conversation ended...

Me:  Are you about to start your period?

Older Drama Queen:  No.  Are you still taking your Prozac?

We went to our own rooms after that and slept soundly hoping for a better day today.

148 of 365...Makes Perfect Scents To Me....

I recently signed up to start selling Scentsy.  My sister and mother in law introduced me to Scentsy a couple of years ago and I have been hooked ever scents (get it scents instead of since).  My sister started selling the product at the beginning of the year and has been very successful.  I'm not working the business full time like she is, but I thought I would try it out to see if I can make a little extra money on the side and at the very least, get a discount on the product.

Anyway, for those of you who have not idea what Scentsy is, let me kind of explain.

It's a warmer ( much like a potpourri-sp?) pot, but it plugs into the wall and warms wax by using a light bulb.  You can buy different scented waxes and place in your warmer and boy does it make your home/office smell wonderful.

The thing I LOVE most about this concept is that it is safe around pets and children.  The wax does not get hot enough to burn.  Infact, during the summer Drama Queens would get bored and have a spa day using my warmers.  They would dip their feet and hands in the warmer to create a parafin wax spa experience.  Hey don't judge, it was cheaper than getting them a mani/pedi.

I normally keep my warmers on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Since we have two cats and the litter box is in my office area, I have placed a plug in warmer right next to the litter box and it does help control the odor.  I have 9 warmers!!!!!!  I'm a bit extreme and it is not necessary to have that many to make your house smell wonderful.  Since I do keep the warmers on all day every day, I usually change out my scent bars weekly but I'm sure they would last longer if I just used them less.  But I like the fact that I can leave the house with them on, knowing my house is not going to burn down and my cats aren't going to get hurt if they accidentally knock one of them over.

Anyway, I received my starter kit today and am very excited about this.  Please visit my website at www.divafinch.scentsy.us to learn more about the product.  If you would like to order something you can do it online or contact me.  Most of you who read my blog know my email address, but if  you're a stranger reading my blog, then you can shoot me an email through my website.  I plan on ordering next Friday and am offering free shipping to any of my local friends if you email me your order.  IF YOU WANT THE FREE SHIPPING, DO NOT ORDER OFF MY WEBSITE.

Wish me luck...

147 of 365...Crock Pot Pork Chops

Here's another great meal I made using the crock pot, with the help of Crock Pot Girls...

1 package assorted pork chops
2 jars gravy ( I used pork gravy made by Heinz)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup

Brown the pork chops in a pan.

Once the pork chops are browned, place in crock pot with gravy and soup.  Cook on low all day.

Drama Queens said this meal was a keeper, so that says a lot!!!  We served with mashed potatoes and it makes a great gravy.  The pork chops were moist and fell off the bone.

146 of 365...Problem With Our Educational System

Wow!!!!!



- Posted by Diva Finch using Blogpress

145 of 365 In Lieu Of Raises

My company is installing this ghetto fabulous pool for the employees



- Posted by Diva Finch using Blogpress

144 of 365...Crock Pot Lasagna

I came across this cooking group on Facebook earlier this week called Crock Pot Girls.  I am a HUGE crock pot fan (have two that I use every week). I made a crock pot lasagna tonight for dinner.  It was a hit and can't wait to eat the leftovers tomorrow.  Now I changed up the recipe that is posted on their  Facebook page.  So here's my version

2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion diced
Italian seasoning ( I just sprinkled some in the meat while browning)
BIG jar of Ragu spaghetti sauce (I think I got the parmeson, onion, garlic jar)
4 cups mozarella cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 tub cottage cheese
1 package of lasagna noodles

Brown meat with diced onion and Italian seasoning.
Drain beef and then mix spaghetti sauce in meat ( I think this was about 5 cups).  Simmer for about 5 minutes.
In crockpot, layer the following:
Meat sauce
Parmesan and mozarella cheese (I just grabbed handfuls of cheese and covered meat sauces)
2 or 3 spoonfuls of cottage cheese
Uncooked lasagna noodles

Layer until meat mixture is on top.  Cover with mozarella and parmesan cheese.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

143 of 365...God Help My Future Son-In-Law

It is 4:25 am and I have yet to get to sleep.  Little Drama Queen has been up all night with ear pain.  I'm pretty sure it's swimmer's ear, but the medicine the doctor gave us a few weeks ago is not working at all this time around.

In the wee hours of September 1, 2011, Geek Boy and I have gotten a little glimpse of what Little Drama Queen will go through when she is older and in labor, about to deliver her first child.

I think the "labor" began around 7 am on August 31, 2011.  She started complaining about ear pain in her left ear.  Remembering she just had swimmer's ear in the right ear about 3 weeks ago, I gave her some medicine and off to school we went.  Early evening she started complaining about the ear hurting again so I gave her another round of medicine.

By 1 am, she was "laboring" pretty hard. She crawled into bed with me and I would try to get her comfortable but she would just toss an turn complaining about how bad it hurt. 

At around 3 am the "contractions" started every 10 minutes and started coming on stronger and faster.  I would get her calmed down and then all of a sudden she would move and her ear would start shooting out pain.  About the time we would start to fall back to sleep, she would get another ear pain and start screaming out in agony.  OMG...the way she was carrying on you would've thought she was giving birth to a 10 pound baby.

I woke Geek Boy and told him he needed to take over.  By 4:00 am she was in full fledged "labor" and screaming out every 30 seconds.  I wish I would've gotten video because Geek Boy was literally rubbing her back telling her to take nice easy breaths and then she was squeezing his hand during the painful episodes.  At one point, I totally lost all empathy and told her to get ahold of herself and stop screaming.  We all knew her ear hurt but screaming about it wasn't going to help.

UPDATE:  It is 6:30 pm and I think the "laboring" is finished.  Little Drama Queen went to sleep around 6 am (just in time for us to have to get up for work).  Got her to the doctor by 9 am and she does have swimmer's ear with a bulging ear drum.  So the doctor gave her an antibiotic.  She has been resting all day today and seems to be feeling a little better.

So the lesson learned in this situation? Little Drama Queen will need to marry one patient man and it will probably be best if her father be in the labor and delivery room with her.  I'll just hang out at the hospital and update my Facebook status.  Hey, at least I know my limits and talents...LOL