Princess started preschool yesterday. The teacher said she had a real good day. They went outside and blew bubbles and laughed a lot. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be to sign her up. I met with her teacher a few days before to inform her about Princess' likes and dislikes and what they might expect from her. I had to provide them with shot records and a birth certificate (which I still need to get). Princess went with me so she could meet the teacher and then when it was time to leave, she didn't want to go. In fact, she threw a fit - stomping her feet and messing up some balls that were laying on a shelf. At least her fits don't last very long.
Our little prince is in daycare while his sister is in school. He likes it there and he gives all my kisses away to all the nice ladies there. Princess is in the same daycare while I'm at work, she feels comfortable there. In fact, she has said a few words that she hasn't said at home. The ladies at the DC are letting us know what she's saying so we can try to get her to say them again.
The parental visit got messed up again. This time I think it was the counties fault. Someone dropped the ball and no one picked it up! No visit today.
August 28, 2009
August 27, 2009
Mommy, mommy....
We've been very busy. We got the call at the end of July for a possible placement. Two and four year old siblings. It was between us and another family. The other family was him'ing and ha'ing about it so the decision was made to place the children with us on a trial basis. It was actually considered respite with the possibility of a permanent placement. They have been with us for a little over a month now, so needless to say they are considered a placement. We will have to wait until the end of September to see if the judge terminates parental rights this time. I say this time because, the parent has received two 90 day extensions already and is still screwing up. I have met the one parent during visits. DH and/or I have to take the children for visits twice a week until the TPR (termination of parental rights) is or may become effective. I believe in my heart that these children would be better off without their bio parents but I guess that comes with being a foster parent.
We have become very attached to both of them as they have become attached to us. The little one has called me mommy from the first day and DH, daddy starting the second day. The older one doesn't speak, but is very attached to DH. I took a couple weeks off work to arrange daycare and do other things that needed to be done. DH was able to take off a week which was very helpful. The four year old has some emotional/mental issues that we hope will resolve for the most part. The way we feel right now, we would like to adopt these children but we are nervous about the older one and how much care is involved.
I know I only have two followers but I'm still sorry it took so long between postings. I will post more frequently from now on.
We have become very attached to both of them as they have become attached to us. The little one has called me mommy from the first day and DH, daddy starting the second day. The older one doesn't speak, but is very attached to DH. I took a couple weeks off work to arrange daycare and do other things that needed to be done. DH was able to take off a week which was very helpful. The four year old has some emotional/mental issues that we hope will resolve for the most part. The way we feel right now, we would like to adopt these children but we are nervous about the older one and how much care is involved.
I know I only have two followers but I'm still sorry it took so long between postings. I will post more frequently from now on.
July 19, 2009
On the top of the list
We finally got another call. Well, let me start from the beginning. DH and I decided that the child we turned down deserved a home so I called the agency and talked to the counselor. She told me I could come in and look over the file since parental rights had been terminated. I was only expecting the read over the one child's file but was able to read over the sibling's also. By the time I was done reading I had decided neither one of the children would be a good fit. I told DH what I had read and asked him to call the agency the next day and tell them "no". Well, the next day we were out running around and he decided to just stop into the agency and see if he could read the files. After reading them we talked about it some more and decided to take the young one in but we agreed we would not be able to take in the sibling. We talked with the therapists about DH's concerns along with other problems we might run into. Everything was set and we were going to be considered until we got home.
After we got home I checked our voice mail and there was a call from the same counselor we had just visited. She had two young children who were about to be up for foster to adopt. DH and I were so excited...I called her right back to tell her "we'll take them". She gave me a little information and told me she had already sent our "home study" for the other agency to review and we are on the top of the list. I'm sure hoping we get a call this week saying we were the best fit.
PS - lesson learned; make sure the agency has all means to contact you. We missed a call for a 3wk baby because I was at work and DH was sleeping after working all night. They didn't have my cell number. I guess it wasn't meant to be.
After we got home I checked our voice mail and there was a call from the same counselor we had just visited. She had two young children who were about to be up for foster to adopt. DH and I were so excited...I called her right back to tell her "we'll take them". She gave me a little information and told me she had already sent our "home study" for the other agency to review and we are on the top of the list. I'm sure hoping we get a call this week saying we were the best fit.
PS - lesson learned; make sure the agency has all means to contact you. We missed a call for a 3wk baby because I was at work and DH was sleeping after working all night. They didn't have my cell number. I guess it wasn't meant to be.
June 30, 2009
Waiting
It feels like it's been a long time since we had kids in the house, even though it's been a little over a week. I kind of miss the girls. They pop into my head often as I think about what they would be doing if we still had them. I also wonder if they went back to their parents.
DH and I were talking the other day how weird it's going to be to only have one instead of two in the house. I guess it's not set in stone that we will only have one. Maybe we will have siblings again. If one of them was little and the other was older, that would be alright. The way I feel right now (could change), I would really like a little one.
The agency called with a placement. It was a preteen that had some issues that we would rather not deal with. The child also has a older sibling that they would like to place in the same house at a later date. If we would have taken this placement, we would not be able to take a younger child or a child of the opposite sex while they were with us. We would have considered it if not for that reason. It was a foster to adopt placement.
DH and I were talking the other day how weird it's going to be to only have one instead of two in the house. I guess it's not set in stone that we will only have one. Maybe we will have siblings again. If one of them was little and the other was older, that would be alright. The way I feel right now (could change), I would really like a little one.
The agency called with a placement. It was a preteen that had some issues that we would rather not deal with. The child also has a older sibling that they would like to place in the same house at a later date. If we would have taken this placement, we would not be able to take a younger child or a child of the opposite sex while they were with us. We would have considered it if not for that reason. It was a foster to adopt placement.
June 25, 2009
Training
We are able to get a few hours of training the other night. We met some other foster parents along with Linda at the local library. Anyone who had kids in their house at the time, was allowed to bring them along. Two families brought their foster children. A few kids were up for adoption but they were older than I would prefer.
We watched a movie and then discussed it with each other. The kids were in on the discussion also. It was sad to hear about how they felt. One of the kids said they felt abandoned by their parents. It's sad. DH whispered to me that we could take them, but I didn't say a word. I think he got the idea that I didn't feel the same way. Plus, we received our actual license and it states we are approved for two children and the kids are a family of three. I just don't want to start out with teenagers.
Linda told us the first two girls, that we had for respite, might need respite again at the end of summer. But she also told us that some of the people in the agency are saving us for a placement. I'm sure the right placement will come along soon.
We watched a movie and then discussed it with each other. The kids were in on the discussion also. It was sad to hear about how they felt. One of the kids said they felt abandoned by their parents. It's sad. DH whispered to me that we could take them, but I didn't say a word. I think he got the idea that I didn't feel the same way. Plus, we received our actual license and it states we are approved for two children and the kids are a family of three. I just don't want to start out with teenagers.
Linda told us the first two girls, that we had for respite, might need respite again at the end of summer. But she also told us that some of the people in the agency are saving us for a placement. I'm sure the right placement will come along soon.
June 21, 2009
The house is quite
Foster mom called to ask if she could pick the girls up early. They were suppose to be picked up the next morning but instead the family got back from vacation early. I told her if it would save her a trip into town, that it would be OK to pick them up that evening.
Since I knew she was coming right before the girls would usually go to bed, I gave them their bath early and dressed them in their PJs. DH and I played with them until foster mom showed up. Cuddly discovered she could bounce on DHs lap while he held her hands. I took some great pictures for our album. Then Curly wanted to bounce but didn't seem to have as much fun.
I was surprised that the girls didn't want to go to foster mom when she arrived. Cuddly actually wanted to get up into my lap and Curly wasn't sure of the situation either. After a little while, FM was able to get a hug out of each one of them. We helped them to the car, all the while Cuddly cried. She stopped crying after FM got her strapped in her seat. We stayed by the car talking to FM for a little while. By the time she drove away the girls were fine.
DH made the comment of how quite the house was after they left. It didn't take long before we got use to the silence. I was glad, by the next morning, she had picked them up early. I had to get up early for work and it would have been harder for DH to get them ready to leave. I don't think we really miss them. They just weren't there long enough and we knew they were only going to be with us for a short amount of time.
Regarding the pictures; we can take pictures for our own use but can't show them to anyone. I would love to post some but I'm not allow.
Since I knew she was coming right before the girls would usually go to bed, I gave them their bath early and dressed them in their PJs. DH and I played with them until foster mom showed up. Cuddly discovered she could bounce on DHs lap while he held her hands. I took some great pictures for our album. Then Curly wanted to bounce but didn't seem to have as much fun.
I was surprised that the girls didn't want to go to foster mom when she arrived. Cuddly actually wanted to get up into my lap and Curly wasn't sure of the situation either. After a little while, FM was able to get a hug out of each one of them. We helped them to the car, all the while Cuddly cried. She stopped crying after FM got her strapped in her seat. We stayed by the car talking to FM for a little while. By the time she drove away the girls were fine.
DH made the comment of how quite the house was after they left. It didn't take long before we got use to the silence. I was glad, by the next morning, she had picked them up early. I had to get up early for work and it would have been harder for DH to get them ready to leave. I don't think we really miss them. They just weren't there long enough and we knew they were only going to be with us for a short amount of time.
Regarding the pictures; we can take pictures for our own use but can't show them to anyone. I would love to post some but I'm not allow.
June 18, 2009
The time wasn't long enough
We had a lot of fun with the girls. I wish we had them longer but being a respite situation, we knew when they were going back to their foster family.
Most everyday went the same way. We tried to stay in a routine. When they woke up in the morning, which seemed to be earlier every day, we started by changing diapers. I would go in to their room when I heard the glowing seahorse music. I asked them "who would like their diaper changed?". It was always Curly who would want to be changed first. Cuddly was a little slower to wake up. Then we would get something to drink and snuggle in my chair and watch a little cartoons. After about a half hour, we would have breakfast of mini-mini wheats with milk and a sippy cup of milk. They were good eaters. They always wanted more after they finished what I had given them. In fact, they finished a whole small box of mini-mini wheats in four days! After breakfast they would decide what they wanted to wear. I would give them a choice of two outfits but they always wore matching cloths. Then we would play until it was time for a nap. They liked to color and play with the doll house. They also like to push this little grocery cart around with pretend food in it.
One of them always cried when it was time for their nap. Actually, you couldn't say "nap" or "bed" without Cuddly pouting or flat out crying but she was usually the first one asleep. After they got up from their nap, I would change diapers again then they would have a snack of either gummy bears, goldfish, or animal crackers. One afternoon I tried to get them to eat an Orange. Both of them said they didn't like it but either of them would try it. So I tore it all apart and Cuddly finally ate some of it. Curly tried a little bitty bit.
We had very little problems and a whole lot of fun. Lunch consisted of either jr. lunchables or mac-n-cheese. At first they didn't want the mac-n-cheese but then I ate it and told them it was really good and I would pretend it was fantastic. That got them to try it and even finish what I had given them. A couple days later I fixed it again but added chicken. They liked that too. Actually Cuddly liked the chicken more and Curly like the mac-n-cheese more. Curly actually finished her sisters mac-n-cheese. For dinner they pretty much ate what we ate. Both of them loved chicken and green beans.
After the first night they would ask me, a few times through out the day, if they could take a bath. I would always tell them they would have to wait until later. Bath time was about an hour before bed. They like the bubble bath I would add to the water. They cleaned themselves with their own wash clothes and toddler bedtime soap. I would wash their hair about every other day since they really didn't get dirty. I thought it was interesting that Curly would wash her sister. She started that about the second or third night. At first she just wanted to wash Cuddly's feet but then it was her bottom and private parts. I didn't want to make a big deal about it but I've wondered if I should say something to the case worker.
Bedtime went about the same as nap time. Sometimes with a little crying and sometimes with a lot of crying. I didn't discover that Curly wanted to sleep in her own bed, instead of with her sister, until the last night. She kept crying, so I asked her if she wanted to sleep in the little bed, thinking that she would say "no" but, to my surprise, she asked if she could take her pillow with her. I moved her to the toddler bed and she was asleep in minutes. We did the same thing for her nap the next day.
One of them always cried when it was time for their nap. Actually, you couldn't say "nap" or "bed" without Cuddly pouting or flat out crying but she was usually the first one asleep. After they got up from their nap, I would change diapers again then they would have a snack of either gummy bears, goldfish, or animal crackers. One afternoon I tried to get them to eat an Orange. Both of them said they didn't like it but either of them would try it. So I tore it all apart and Cuddly finally ate some of it. Curly tried a little bitty bit.
We had very little problems and a whole lot of fun. Lunch consisted of either jr. lunchables or mac-n-cheese. At first they didn't want the mac-n-cheese but then I ate it and told them it was really good and I would pretend it was fantastic. That got them to try it and even finish what I had given them. A couple days later I fixed it again but added chicken. They liked that too. Actually Cuddly liked the chicken more and Curly like the mac-n-cheese more. Curly actually finished her sisters mac-n-cheese. For dinner they pretty much ate what we ate. Both of them loved chicken and green beans.
After the first night they would ask me, a few times through out the day, if they could take a bath. I would always tell them they would have to wait until later. Bath time was about an hour before bed. They like the bubble bath I would add to the water. They cleaned themselves with their own wash clothes and toddler bedtime soap. I would wash their hair about every other day since they really didn't get dirty. I thought it was interesting that Curly would wash her sister. She started that about the second or third night. At first she just wanted to wash Cuddly's feet but then it was her bottom and private parts. I didn't want to make a big deal about it but I've wondered if I should say something to the case worker.
Bedtime went about the same as nap time. Sometimes with a little crying and sometimes with a lot of crying. I didn't discover that Curly wanted to sleep in her own bed, instead of with her sister, until the last night. She kept crying, so I asked her if she wanted to sleep in the little bed, thinking that she would say "no" but, to my surprise, she asked if she could take her pillow with her. I moved her to the toddler bed and she was asleep in minutes. We did the same thing for her nap the next day.
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