Summer Turkey Salad

Growing up during the summer times I would spend it with my extended family, like Dezzy does with us.  Sometimes I would go up to Middleburg PA and spend it with my Great Aunt Dinny-my mom's Aunt.  I loved summer time up there!  And other summer's I would spend with my Aunt Sandy, my dad's sister, in West Virginia.  Either way, I loved spending time in these different states.  When I went to college and in my first call as DCE I was close enough to visit for holidays and just for fun.
At my Aunt Sandy's house I remembered this salad that she would make.  It was a turkey salad.  They always bought a turkey breast, slice turkey and and grill it and then the rest she would dice up and make a salad out of it.
This is what I remember:
diced turkey
pasta
peas and corn
Mayo
Muster
celery seeds
and maybe cheese-not sure

But it was always a good summer salad.  As I was shopping for our cook out yesterday I was trying to think of a fun simple salad to make.  And this one popped into my mind.  And all the fun memories that went with it.  Ours came out great!  I used tiny pinwheels pasta but added no cheese.  Even the baby loves it-minus the turkey!!!

100 things to do this summer: #100

Sleep in!!!
Well our children have given us two days of sleeping in.  When I mean sleeping in they didn't get out of bed till after 7!!  Both Yesterday and today they were in bed till at least 7:30.  Today we got to stay in bed till 8!  Ahh we like sleeping in!!
But on a side note, the baby does not sleep through the the night yet, so it would be nice to be able to sleep through the night.  But she is teething and I think she is growing.

Back to our list of  100 things to do this summer!!!

Celebrating Family and a Baptism

Today my little girl was baptized!!  It was about time!!  She was officially adopted Jan 28 and our timing with everyone just didn't work well!!  So finally I was able to schedule a date, with a friend (who use to be one of my youth over 10 years ago) whose little girl was also being baptized.  So Memorial day it was.  Destiny, my niece, arrived on a train Saturday after noon.  After an hour of getting her set up, clothing washed it was time to head over to the Whitmires.  Dear friends of ours who we were trading off nights of babysitting for date nights.
DATE NIGHT
Yes we went on a date!!  Very important for us to spend time alone.  Especially with Dan traveling so much this time is really special.  Funny thing was it was our oldest who kept asking how long is a date?  We went to dinner and saw a movie.  The kids had a great time and so did we!!
BAPTISM

So as we all gathered up on the altar for the Baptism, Isaiah was very curious.  After AnQuenette was baptized, he came up to her, looked in her face and said "Are you OK?" in a very sweet and tender way.You wonder what a three year old thinks.  He himself was just baptized back in August, so he remembers some.  But it was a sweet moment seeing the two girls get baptized!

After we had a small BBQ at the house and just enjoyed everyones company and good food.  So far a good weekend.  Also a weekend to be reminded why we get to enjoy these weekends.

100 things to do this summer: #2 & #53

Well we did something new this summer.  We got a membership at a pool about 15 minutes away from our house.  Our friends go there so it is nice for us to know a family, although they have not been there yet with us.  Pool just opened this week and most school got out yesterday.  But we have been out all week.  Tuesday we went and had maybe 4 families there.  Last night Dan took them, and maybe one or two families.  Today there were a good number of families.
Robby does well making new friends.  Every where we go he is meeting up with new kids and playing with them (blows that myth that homeschooling makes your child anti social!:))  The little kids just want to play in the water.  They LOVE the water!  Jeremy likes to play in the water for a while with the kids and swims, then goes and tans for a while.  He is not quick to go mingle with the other kids there.  That too is not something I am great at.  It takes me a awhile to talk to the other moms.  But give me a few weeks and I will be good.  For now most of my focus is the children and making sure they don't drown!!!
So #2 & #53 will be something we do all summer--Swim as much as they can and get a tan!!  That is my goal for Hawaii!!!

Coffee Please...

About 6am the sounds of little voices start coming through the baby monitor.  As we lie in bed, I just think, can't they just sleep in?  Soon the door opens as Robby comes wondering in.  Can I watch TV?  Now that it is summer they can watch morning TV.  The rule though is Robby can watch what he wants till 8.  Then little kid show need to be turned on.  By 10 they are ready for outside time.
So now the kids are content watching TV as we still lye in bed.  Soon it is 7am and the next question, Can you feed me?  By now the baby is in bed with us and I know we have to start functioning.   First thing on my list to do....make coffee.
Make my coffee, total craziness can be going on while I do this, but somehow I tune it out.  I am using coffee beans right now so I ground what I need.  Get water ready, filter, two scoops, push button.  Ahhhh it starts.
 Now I have a few moments to think about kids breakfast.  This morning pancakes.  Get things ready.
Then I get my coffee cup ready, creamer in it-hazlenut right now.  It waits.  I pour.  First sip....my day seems to going well.
Breakfast made, kids feed.
Second cup, always better than the first.
Husband leaving for work, kids screaming, cup in hand-it's only 8??
It is going to be a great day, as long as I have my coffee please!!!!

Summer is here...

Oh boy summer is here and we need to move into new routines.  It has been nice not to have to do school, that takes up about 3-4 hours of my day.  But now what to do with those 3-4 hours, it is a new schedule!  Doing summer I allow them to play video games doing the day time.  Good for the bid kids, little kids don't understand.  So on to the list of things to do with my little ones!!!  As I get us back on track we will share the things we do.  My weekly menus will get on track next week.  

Weird Dreams

Well, for those that know me you know I have weird dreams.  Very vivid, and real sometimes, and other times foggy but rememberable.  Sometimes they are good and other times, very scary.  Sometimes I lie in bed trying to redirect my dream so it ends up good. Some of my dreams are influenced by the things going on or the TV or movie I had just seen.   Last nights dream was one of those dreams that wasn’t good.  

I dreamt that I was getting ready for the National Youth Gathering with our kids at church.  Some stuff was going on that wasn’t supposed to, but I had gotten it cleared up. (I don’t remember what.)  But, I was sitting in a room with my luggage (Cool luggage cause I was looking at luggage on the internet last night) with a whole bunch of kids.  Tim was with us, but I don’t know where he was.  This man came to me and said he had my plane waiting.  I thought he meant for all of us and told him Tim wasn’t here but he said don’t worry he just needed me first then they would get everyone else.  

So I went with him.  They took my cool luggage and I boarded this small plane.  I got on and just got a bad, bad feeling.  I told him this didn’t feel right an I wanted off.  He just smile and told me to sit down.  I turned to run off the plane and two other people were stand at the stairs.  In fear I said let me call Tim to let him know where I was and every time I tried to use my phone it was stuck in this silly game and I could not call.  The feeling of fear intensified as I turned around to sit....

AND THEN I WOKE UP!!!!    Arrrggggg

I tried to rewrite my dream and give it an ending, but it didn’t work.  Now I have to spend my day wondering what was going to happen???  Man this is not the way I wanted to spend my day.  But that is how dreams are.  Most are good, funny, or just plan weird.  But this one just plan freaky.

100 Things to do With the Kids this Summer

I want summer time to be fun and exciting for my kids. The challenge is the different ages I have.  Something the 3 year olds would like to do is not what my 8 & 15 want to do.  So I made a list of 100 things to do with my kids.  Not each one will do a 100 things because not each thing is for all of them.  Some are and some are not.  So here it is...

100 things to do this summer:

1. Goto Space and Rocket center
2. Swim as much as they can
3. Go on a hike
4. Explore Burritt on the Mountain Museum
5. Goto the Cathedral caverns
6. Go fishing
7. Go camping
8. Explore 3 national parks
9. Goto St. Lousis
10. Goto early works
11. Visit the Amish
12. Go to the zoo
13. Go see Civil War places
14. Go canoeing
15. Go white water rafting
16. Goto Dentist
17. Run through the sprinklers
18. Catch lighting bugs
19. Grow a garden
20. Grow flowers
21. Goto the movies
22. Goto the library
23. Play catch 
24. Kick a soccer ball
25. Goto a football game
26. Play baseball
27. Play basket ball
28. Got to Disney World
29. Goto a water park
30. Play miniature golf
31. Goto Six Flags
32. See a water fall
33. Make a play
34. Swing
35. Look at the clouds
36. Go on a picnic
37. Make a sand castle
38. Go for ice cream in PJ’s
39. Make corn starch glob
40. make an in door fort
41. Make a writing journal
42. Practice math
43. Have a bike parade 
44. Sing a song in church
45. Go Geocatching
46. Go to a farm
47. Go to a farmers market
48. Go on bike rides
49. Build a go kart
50. Explode a can of coke with mentos
51. Go to the arcade
52. Goto a new movie
53. Get a tan
54. Volunteer somewhere like the local animal shelter
55. Cook dinner for someone
56. Tie die shirts
57. Make stepping stones
58. Play a new board game
59. Play a new video game
60. Clean our rooms
61. Make root bear floats
62. Sew a dress
63. Make your own popsicles
64. Draw with chalk on the sidewalk
65. Put together a jigsaw puzzle
66. Make play dough
67. Each kid cook dinner
68. Learn origami 
69. Learn how to do a magic trick
70. Blow bubbles
71. Go horse back riding
72. Wash the car
73. Set off fireworks
74. Goto a planetarium  
75. Take pictures
76. Make a summer scrap book
77. Goto a concert 
78. Make a lemonade stand
79. Find a fossil
80. Write a letter
81. Watch birds
82. Adopt a pet
83. Learn how to play chess
84. Make a large checker board
85. Jump on a trampoline
86. Go sailing
87. Goto the coke cola museum
88. Go out with daddy
89. Go out with mommy
90. Goto VBS
91. Make a bracelet
92. Have a sleep over
93. Plan a BBQ for friends
94. Read books
95. Talk on the phone
96. Walk in grass barefoot
97. Goto a park
98. Make ice cream
99. Take a Sunday Drive
100. Sleep in

Character Qualities in Children-Truthfulness and Responsiblity

I have been thinking a lot about what I want to see in my kids when they leave home.  What type of person are they going to be.  Obviously I want them to have a strong love for the Lord.   Each one of my children are in training for their future.  Training to be a citizen in our Country, training to be in the work force, training to be a husband or wife, or just to date respectfully.  Training to be a mom or dad.  Training to be a member of a church.  The list goes on.  Training comes every day regardless of whether they like it or not.

So I found a list of 49 defining character qualities.  I think it is a great list and am going to take 2-3 and discuss them.  I am going to take them in order that I think my kids need to hear.

The first one is Truthfulness vs. Deception.  Each child at different ages lie for different reasons.  Younger kids are learning what a lie is.  But the older ones, they know about lying and lie for many different reasons. Truthfulness--"Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts."

When my children lie, I loss my ability to trust them for future things.  And then when they tell more little lies not thinking I know even makes me more mad.  Being deceitful losses privileges and trust.
My favorite lies...Isaiah did you get in the chocolate?, "nooo" Are you sure you didn't eat the chocolate? With a big chocolate smile "no mommy"  (Isaiah 2)

So when one of the older ones lies, I look for two things as we teach, train and discipline them as to my trust being restored.

• 1-Do they feel bad for lying.  Is it tugging at their heart.  When kids feel that guilt or shame, or just feel bad you know that have grown a little.  Robby about 6 months ago hid my keys.  When I asked him where they are he said he didn't know.  I was really upset because I had to take the baby to the Doctors office and had to cancel.  Robby felt really bad and finally he told me had hid them but forgot where he put them.  Finally 5 hours later I found them.  He apologized many times that day.  

Which brings me to the second thing.

• 2- They apologize.  When they sincerely apologize then I know that day they learned a lesson.  But when I don't see these things happening, then we need to step back.  It takes longer for me trust again, and feel like I can let them do all those special things in life that they want to do.

Why a child lies is a whole different blog.  But that they are learning that being truthful in life will get you farther than being deceitful is the key.  Ephesians 4:25 says "Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members on one body." (NIV)

The second trait is Responsibility vs. unreliability.  This is another big one in our house.  Being responsible for our things, our actions, and our  tasks given to us.  The kids are suppose to put their shoes on the self when they come in.  But daily I have the same conversation "go put your shoes on" I don't know where they are.  "Did you check the self?  "They are not there"  Have you looked everywhere.  "yes (normally in tears by now) they are not there.  Then they look up... this my favorite, I don't think they are on the ceiling!
The responsibility to do chores with out being told and to do them right the first time.  My 15 year has yet to grasp the responsibility of trash.  The chore is to collect trash and take to garbage can (this can almost be done daily in our house) and then on Tuesday nights take can down to street for pick up.  The trash in the kids bath room has been there for over 4 weeks, and trash only went down on a Tuesday evening when he wanted something.
My 8 year old has school responsibilities doing the day time and does not always get done what is assigned to him.  Not because he doesn't know how, he just chooses not to do it.
We are working hard on this issue.  My kids will have many responsibilities when they leave home so for now we keep training, molding and shaping responsibility in them.
Responsibility -knowing and doing what both God and others are expecting me to do.  "So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.  Romans 14:1 (NIV)

Stay tune for more character qualities coming your way.

Laundry Woes

When I was single, in four loads of laundry, I had all my clothes, sheets and towels washed.  Laundry day was one day.  When I got married, laundry day was one-two day but about seven loads of laundry.  One kid came along and I never feel like I am caught up.  Now there are seven people in this house and some days I feel like all I do is laundry.  And if I feel I am too busy I don't even start cause I hate having to rewash a load cause I forgot about it (like the one in the washer right now).  I am searching for the magic system to make laundry easier. I have tried separate laundry hampers, one for darks and lights, one for the boys one for the girls.  My teenager doesn't even put his cloths in a hamper anymore, his bedroom is his hamper.  I have one hamper and it over flows most of the time.  My husband has the most organized system.  In his closet he had three selves, one for whites, one for darks, one for lights.  My closet doesn't have empty selves, they are all full of stuff.

So the goal is to find a balance for the dirty clothes.  And there still is the system to fold and put away the clothes.  I am in a prime place to start fresh on cloth organization for the little kids.  We have moved the dresses and I have two empty dressers  that need to be filled.  I am going to use bins in the closet for underwear, t-shirts, socks (totally different blog coming on this subject), and PJ's.  The dressers are only going to hold clothing worn everyday.  All others will be hung up.
So as I am folding I sort through the clothing that everyone is out growing, which is like everything.  (Which is part of the problems too so much clothing of different sizes.)  Right now I just have a bin for girl and boys that don't fit.  I will use another day to organize that.
Other things I do to help

• When home and the kids are going out to play I have them put already worn clothes back on.   They will get dirty out side so no need for clean clothes.
• They are only suppose to use one towel a week.  
• We do not change sheets every week.  Sometimes the little ones get changed 3 or 4 times a week.    We need to get better at this, but right now if it looks dirty then I change it.  

Laundry Room and soap

I have a nice laundry room, but I wish it be a little bigger with a counter in it.  We have front loader and they are up on drawers.  If they were down I could put in a counter on top of them.  Would be nice to fold.  But then a empty counter top is a dangerous thing!:)  For now I just use our bed to fold.  Dan travels a lot so his side becomes my folding table.  

I also understand why the Duggars have the 4 or 5 washers and dyers!!  Some days it would be nice.  But for now, I go one at a time.  

We use ECOS laundry detergent.  With our HE washer it gets about 200 washes for about $13.  It is about $.07 a load so really  it is not bad.  I am going to try making my own just to say I have done it!!!

Well the wash just beeped and that means time to switch everything out!!  

To Our Country

Last night our CDC (Child Development Center) at our church did their spring program.  Our little girl AnQuenette attends and is there three days a week.  We had a color guard from a local high school come in.  One of our CDC mom's is in the Navy and spoke to everyone.  And one of our preschool teachers is in the Army Reserves  just came back from a tour in Iraq and she shared her story and some pictures with us.

And of course the children sang those wonderful patriotic song that we all know and love!!  And the congregation sang with great pride as our children beams with joy!

A New Kind of Grocery Store

Yesterday I noticed a new store had opened up.  I had heard about it coming to Huntsville a few months back.  So today I decided to stop by and check it out!  The store name- "Earth Fare".  http://www.earthfare.com/

It is not your typical grocery store nor is it your typical health food store.  One store that merged the two together.  You will not find items here filled with artificial sweeteners or high fructose syrup or any of those kind of items.  Most of the items are organic or naturally made.  They had a large fruit and veggie section.  We got a pineapple and a watermelon.  We cruised each aisle looking at the exciting items in each one, picking up just a few things here and there.  

The Meat Department had beautiful cuts of all kinds of meat and I am excited because I will be able to eat some meats that I normal could not from a grocery store.  There was a huge selection of cheeses, and more olives than I have ever seen before in my life!!  But the real treat of the store was the front where there was many different kinds of prepared foods for your liking.  A salad bar and a restaurant that you can eat at. 

 Rumor has it if you come on Thursday kids eat FREE (with an adult meal!)  

Take the time to check it out!

Kids, Nails and Sweet Words

KIDS

This weekend we did our first respite care  for a 3 year old and a 2 month old.  We were asked Wednesday for respite for Friday-Sunday.  Then on Thursday we were asked if they could come that day.  Slightly rushed, but worked out well.  Things I like about respite:

• Children come with all their things needed for the stay.  Foster parents are good about packing everything.  So there is no need to set a child up.
• Short time period, normally we know the beginning and end.
• Our kids get playmates for the stay.
• Get a baby fix then get to sleep again.  (of course right now Leila is waking up at least once a night-but tiny babies wake up a lot)
• You have connect with another foster family you may have not know before.

Bad things:

• Our car only fits so many
• you do have to say good bye
• Our kids have to learn how to say hello and goodbye faster

NAILS

My four year old bites her nails.  Now I know that most little kids bit her nails.  But her biting of her nails comes from more.  She suffers from a condition called Trichotillomania-which is pulling hair.  Last year when she came to use she pulled and ate half the hair on her head.  We were able to solve that through a variety of techniques.   Such as mittens on her hands, and hats on her head.  And things to keep her hands busy and just reminder her all the time.  Now her hair is finally growing back.  Pulling her hair was a reaction to stressful events in her family.  This was extreme.  

Her nail biting is her nervousness about things and when she gets into trouble.  This summer I am going to try to stop this habit.  We have bought pretty nail things, and we talk about it, just before her time out is done, because that is where you will find her biting her nails.  Other times she does it just sitting watching TV.  So right now we are just making her aware of her nail biting.  So I will keep you update on how she is doing.

SWEET WORDS

Seems that in our house some not so nice words are coming out of little children's mouth.   We tried time outs, soap in mouth, spankings and other discipline idea.  None of these things had an impact.  But we found out that not getting candy or sweet things has a HUGE impact.  So now mouths that say sweet things get sweet things and mouths that say bitter things get nothing.  So far this is the first day Isaiah (3) didn't say anything mean or ugly.  And he got sweet things today.  But it took about 2 weeks to get here.  So lets see how tomorrow goes.

Skillet's Song Monster Is A Big Hit With Mom-sters

Weekly menus Part 2

It is already Wed and I have changed the weekly menu like three times.  So here is the weekly menu so far:

• Monday-Sloppy Joes (we didn't do this last week because I forgot about the baseball game so we are there)
• Tuesday-Chicken sandwiches (Dan and I had a Foster Care Appreciation Dinner, so we ate there)
• Wednesday-Chicken Enchiladas (making a extra tray to freeze or give away)
• Thursday-we eat at church for AnQuenette's little school program
• Friday-Ball game (I find it easier to just feed the kids there.)

Next week is (well I will let you know next week-it is a Dan gone week so I want to find easier things to do.  Maybe even freeze some meals this weekend.  

• Monday-
• Tuesday-
• Wednesday-
• Thursday-
• Friday-

Vegetable Garden

We did it, well some of it.  The garden is planted, well at least the first part stage.  Last fall after the last mowing I took the lawn clippings and put it on top of our soil in the garden.  I had not planted that last summer due to fostering situations so my goal was just to keep the weeds from growing.  For the most part it did ok.
So Isaiah and Robby and I ventured to the garden store to buy our plants.  We bought

• Tomato plants-cherries, Romano, and cutting ones.  Plus we are going to try to grow one upside down.
• Three pepper plants- Green pepper, banana peppers, and hot pepper
• Herbs- Lavender, sweet basil, mint and cat nip
• Rhubarb
• Summer Squash and zucchini
• And Robby choice watermelon and pumpkin, so we will see

This is all our above ground garden can handle.  Here are the things we still would like to plant in other areas of our yard...

• Strawberries
• Still researching what other berries I can grow in the yard.
• Sunflowers
• Sweet peas
• And a few more herbs

I have a vision to create a children's garden.  With the sweet peas growing up on bamboo to create a hide out and huge Sunflowers for them to wander through.  But I don't know how much will happen this year, but I hope to have some done!!!

I will keep you posted on the garden as it grows!

Weekly menus Part 1

This is my goal, to get a rotation of weekly meals going.   My sister beat me this week and actually has them done.  But I have in mind what I am going to do.  So here is this weeks menu.  I will move it over to a numbers sheet for breakfast , lunch and dinner.  But for dinner:

• Monday-Mini meatloaves.  I will make extra to freeze for another meal.
• Tuesday-Chicken potpie
• Wed- Sloppy Joes- I will make extra of these to freeze
• Thursday-Steak Fajitas
• Friday-Tilapia Fish
• Weekends are left overs and one meal out.

I am gathering a list of everyones favorite meals, so far I have about 35 items.  Next we will gathering a lunch menu.  Summer time lunch is very different just due to the fact that Jeremy is home.  But he does a lot of things like potpies and such. 

For breakfast we tend to eat cereal, waffles (store bought Costco brand), sausage biscuits, muffins, toast with peanut butter, fruit, sausage on a stick, pancakes, and eggs.  

So as I get more weekly menus done and organized I will post here.  

Writing Workshop

Robby is in the 2nd grade age wise.  He tends to be advance in Math and average on most other things.  But writing is he poor spot.  Because he is left hand he really doesn't want to write.  He learned cursive, but isn't that interested in it.  This wasn't clicking.  I had many people tell me just give it time, he will get in his groove for writing.  They said the same for reading and  he has found his groove and love for reading.  And while he is looking for his groove, I thought we would do a writing workshop.  We have 4 weeks left of school-WAHOO!!!!  (yea teachers just as excited!:))  So one evening while looking at preschool material, I found http://www.starfall.com/.  There I found a group of free printouts that encouraged writing in a fun easy way.  So I put our printer to work and printed them out and put into a binder.  We do 1-2 lessons a day on writing and he is starting to like it.  It is simple and easy to understand and a pleaser to the eyes.  Now he is thinking about what he has to write about tomorrow and is getting to excited about it!!  I was so glad to find Starfall.  It also has great resources for preschool-3rd grade.

Foster Care Adoption Quick Facts from Dave Thomas

I was on Dave Thomas web page http://www.davethomasfoundation.org and found these quick facts on foster care adoption...

Foster Care Quick Facts:

• Foster care adoption is the adoption of a child from the U.S. foster care system who is legally available for adoption and whose birthparents’ rights have been terminated.

• There are an estimated 513,000 children in foster care in the United States, and more than114,000 of them are eligible and waiting to be adopted.

• Of the 114,000 children waiting for adoption, 36 percent are Black Non-Hispanic, 40 percent are White Non-Hispanic, 15 percent are Hispanic, 2 percent are American Indian/Alaskan Native, 4 percent two or more Races Non-Hispanic and 3 percent unable to determine.

• The average child waits for an adoptive family for more than 3 years.

• 21 percent spend 5 years or more waiting for a family (24,395 children).

• The average age of children waiting for an adoptive family is 8 1/2.

• Each year about 18 percent of the foster care population is adopted from foster care (51,000 children).

• 24,407 children reach the age of 18 without ever finding a forever family (9 percent).

• Of the families who adopt children from foster care, 68 percent are married couples, 27 percent are single females, 3 percent are single males, and 2 percent are unmarried couples.

Why do you do it?

Many people ask, why do you do foster care?  Why do you waste your time with them? Don't you get attached to them?  Isn't it hard when the leave?  So where did you get your kids? The questions go on.

My simple answer is why not do foster care?  And I didn't know I was wasting my time nurturing children.      And yes, we get attached, it is a gift we give to each one of our children, to teach them how to be attached and loved. Oh and my favorite, why we got them right here in the good old USA!! 

We have had 10 foster children now, three whom we adopted.  Our first one was a premie baby boy, 4 and 1/2 lbs.  We have had two 4 month olds (one now three-Isaiah, and Leila -1 still foster) a 2 year old, babies, 3 & 4 year old, twin 2 years olds just for a evening, a 13 and a 15.  Each one having their own situation and story. Each having their own battles to deal with.   Leila has had the most family involvement.  Each story special, each story sad and happy.  But each child we have touch with the love of God and that may be the only thing we could have done for some of them.

So why do you do it?  Why not do it?  Have you thought about it?  Even if you can't bring a child into your home, you can help a local foster family, be a mentor to an older child.  Volunteer at you local DHR office.