Some of the things that having 48 kids has taught us

1.  Two year olds like to eat under the kitchen table. Haven't had one yet that didn't eat a meal under the table at least once a week.
2.  No child should be raised without green chile.
3. Fashion statements are truly set by four year olds at Thrift Town.
4.  Flat bread PB and banana sandwiches go a lot longer than "regular" PB&J's.
5.  The recent research is true...hamburgers and french fries from McDonald's really do look the same a week later...just ask Timmy..a dog from the west side.
6.  Macaroni and cheese is a staple.
7.  Homework is over-rated.
8.  So is reading aloud for 20 minutes EVERY night with every kid...trying having 11 kids in your house at once..when you are both working full-time...and in the midst of the dinner/homework/showers/visits chaos-they are also all shoving papers at you to sign for school.
9.  Kids are like elephants..they remember everything.  We haven't fostered in 18 months and they still play "social workers and visits."
10.  They are absolutely precious when they are asleep; and with hours of planning, you might get all of them to sleep at the same time for a few hours.
11.  Children really learn best when they are not in a portable.
12.  Kids LIE and LIE and LIE.  It is a fact.
13.  Once you become a parent, you never get to finish a glass of anything because one of them always takes it.
14.  After 9 years of parenting, I have never gone to the bathroom without someone banging on the door or saying "what are you doing?"
15.  Being a parent should come with a rearview mirror.
16.  When its your turn to do "school and daycare drop-off" make sure you carry an extra set of clothes....for yourself.
17.  Just let it go.
18.  Pick your battles.
19.  Let them do it themselves..you can always wash the ketchup bottle.
20.  A clean house is overrated.
21.  That white sheet becomes a lot more...i.e. a tent, a superman cape, a parachute, a stretcher, a slingshot.
22.  You will have to replace many of your doorknobs...it is just a fact.
23.  Your laundry will never be "done."
24.  Kids are ALWAYS hungry...and it is not always because they have been deprived of food..they just like to eat.
25.  Buy the more expensive washing machine and dryer; and get the warranty.
26.  Infants require that you take the whole house with them when you go to the grocery.
27.  Never take a reactive attachment disordered child with blonde hair and blue eyes across the border until you have rehearsed that you MUST answer the questions that the border control officers ask of you....
28.  You should have to be a pharmacist for the amount of medication we dished out when we were doing respite...my God.
29.  Don't be too hard on yourself.

And #30....my all-time favorite saying  "IT IS WHAT IT IS."

We started fostering in May 2003; and it has been a long 9 years.  Those of you who have been with us since the beginning of our journey know much of what we have gone through.  But you know the crazy thing?  We really miss it.  We miss the chaos.  We miss getting a call asking "are you ready for another one?"  We miss having kids in and out of our house.  We miss working with their birth families.  We miss trying to help kids and their families heal.  And we REALLY miss some of our kids.  There are a handful that really come to mind and I think that they would have flourished in our new environment.