foster parenting

Twists and Turns

So. After working myself up to send Sunny home, we met with the kids’ attorney yesterday. I can’t go into any details but let’s just say things are not clear cut about a return at this time, and for some pretty good reasons we hadn’t been aware of or thought through. The attorney – aContinue reading “Twists and Turns”

Hard Emotions

I was chatting with an old friend last night, and he mentioned that foster care seems to be full of challenging emotions. Boy is that an understatement. About a month ago, the agency was telling us they wanted to have Mama surrender her rights to Sunny and have us adopt her. We were more thanContinue reading “Hard Emotions”

Sunny’s Need to Belong

The subject of belonging came up for me recently when I listened to a We Can Do Hard Things podcast called “Being Left Out: Navigating that Lifelong Ache.” In the episode, Glennon, Abby, and Amanda talk about the need for feeling like we belong, and how fundamental that feeling is to our survival. In essence,Continue reading “Sunny’s Need to Belong”

We have a date! (maybe)

Sprout’s parents’ rights have been “terminated.” Her mother surrendered her rights, and her father’s rights were terminated recently and he didn’t appeal the decision. That means Sprout gets a new adoption case worker. In this case, it’s a worker we know and love. She was Miss Kicks’s case worker, and while that situation ended inContinue reading “We have a date! (maybe)”

How it’s Going

A few updates for y’all: 🎡 State Fair Time! I’ve taken 2 out of 3 kids to the fair so far. One was Sunny and one was a family friend who is 13. A good time was had by all except me, and I survived, so that’s really what matters. The highlights of it wereContinue reading “How it’s Going”

Frustration and Questions

I’m not in the business of badmouthing anybody, but I figure an update is appropriate as I have followers who are now – or who are thinking of becoming – foster parents who want to know what this gig is really like. I think I mentioned previously that our last case worker left the agency.Continue reading “Frustration and Questions”

Foster Parent Life Hacks

A post about foster parenting hacks went up on one of the many foster parenting Facebook pages I follow. It gave me the inspiration to do my own list, as follows: Preparation prior to placements: Get waterproof mattress covers for ALL beds. They make ones that don’t make annoying crinkly noises now. They go onContinue reading “Foster Parent Life Hacks”

We’re done fostering other than the family we’ve got with us… right?

We got a call last week for a 4-year-old little boy with feeding problems and behavioral challenges. I’d sworn we were done fostering except for Sunny and Sprout and maybe other family members of theirs. We got rid of all of our fostering stuff – clothing and cribs and toddler beds included. But. Feeding problemsContinue reading “We’re done fostering other than the family we’ve got with us… right?”

“Oh, that’s cool, I guess.”

I flipped through my memories the other day on Facebook and came across this one: Overheard, man and woman talking in the elevator.Woman: How old is the baby now?Man: 5 weeks, and she has lungs like an opera singer!(conversation ensues all about the man’s baby.)Woman: Did you know I have a baby now? I’m aContinue reading ““Oh, that’s cool, I guess.””

The Winds of Change

The girls just got back from a visit with their Mama. Once a month, the case worker takes the girls to meet Mama at a city halfway between where we live and where Mama lives. They get to see their siblings usually at these visits too. When they got back, the case worker, who hasContinue reading “The Winds of Change”