Oh foster care. You keep things interesting in my life. This week is foster parent appreciation week. We were invited to our first foster parent appreciation dinner. We had a great time.
I have met one great friend in a support group and we sat together with some older couples who have been doing it a bit longer. It’s pretty cool to connect with people who get your life.
They get the drastic change at the drop of a hat. They get the paperwork, the social worker troubles, the lice checking, the bruise documenting.
I have learned so much in the last 10 months being a foster parent, but there is always so much more to learn. While we were at dinner, I spoke to the two placement workers. In our convo I said to her with a laugh “so will I be hearing from you soon?” and she laughed and nodded, the secondary placement worker chimed in with “well I was actually looking at your file today.”
I took that to mean they placed a child but since we are open for two they passed over us to keep us open for a sibling set. They said there is always peeks and declines, and right now they were in a bit of a decline.
It has been almost a month since our last foster daughter went home and every time I walk by our foster babe room my heart feels a little empty.
Don’t get me wrong our family needed the break to recharge and get some work done around the house. With all the babies we had over the summer a lot of home projects got left undone! However, my fostvaries are aching (haha foster ovaries which is a word I heard from another foster mom I met online).
This morning, I decided not to go to the gym which is a first for me in like 2 months! Something was just telling me to stay home. Sweets had a PD day so was home from school, and since we all had a late night with us being away at the dinner, and them being at my sister’s place, I decided we should have a lazy morning.
The girls woke up, and I put on paw patrol, and got them some milk and oatmeal for breakfast. I made a to-do list, and then started cleaning the house. When I turned off the vacuum, and checked my phone to see that I had a missed call from the agency I had to laugh out loud.
We actually just had that conversation the night before, and here I was getting a placement call. So after talking with the placement worker and hearing these boys story, we said yes.
I told the girls and they got so excited, especially Lilia – she just loves to love on these kiddos!
In a matter of an hour, we had 2 boys brought to our house. I am in love, these little guys are just so sweet. I know there is always a honeymoon phase, but I am just praying they stay just the way they are. The older boy is very active, busy, and curious, he is definitely not shy!
He told me tonight that our house is super fun.
I took him shopping for clothes and to pick out some boy toys since our house is overloaded with girl stuff.
Then we all headed out for the girls dance, and swimming lessons.
He was running around, and bit his tongue and when he crawled up into my lap and laid his head on my shoulder my heart just melted. He has been our oldest placement so it’s a totally different experience this time around, because he understands a bit about what is going on. He asks hard questions that I have to think fast to answer age appropriately.
I think him and I will be best buds.
Tonight, I tucked him in, he went right to sleep with no complaining!
The baby is my favourite age ever, walking around, and learning to talk, I didn’t hear one cry or whine out of him all day except when his brother dumped a bowl of water on his head in the bath!
I laid him down in bed and he cried for a second until I closed his door. I put a little stuffie that plays music with him, and he gave it a big snuggle, he cried out again once the stuffie turned off, but after letting it play once more he was off to dreamland. Here is hoping they sleep through the night.
My home and my heart are full once again. I don’t know how this story will play out but they are my boys for now, and I am so grateful for them. This is foster care my friends
