Legally Freed!

Today we had court for Sprout. A couple of months ago her Mama surrendered her legal rights to Sprout in an emotionally draining court appearance. Today was the date for terminating her father’s legal rights. Sprout’s father has, er, well, not been involved, at least not since an incident that happened around the time sheContinue reading “Legally Freed!”

How does trauma affect behavior?

On Thursday, I packed up Sunny and Sprout and went to Boston with my Dad for my niece’s graduation weekend. Seth had to work, and doesn’t yet have the kind of seniority he needs to take off his weekend shifts. So it was my Dad and me and the girls. To say I was apprehensiveContinue reading “How does trauma affect behavior?”

Waiting Game

I suck at being patient. Just ask my long suffering husband! Court was more than three weeks ago. The possibility of the girls’ third sister moving here at least temporarily was discussed at length at court. The judge didn’t order it, but told the agency they had to make certain medical things happen for theContinue reading “Waiting Game”

The School “About My Family” Project

Schools seem to have universal taste for “about my family” or “my family tree” projects. I loathe them. And they seem to happen every year in some form or another. They’re a lot of pressure on foster kids to open up about being in foster care, or have the project raise questions when they talkContinue reading “The School “About My Family” Project”

Sproutlet Delight

From the fourth day she was with us back in April 2020, I knew Sprout was a ham with a huge personality. The first three days she was here, she spent sobbing if I put her down. I held her for more than 3 days straight, including overnights, which I spent in an armchair notContinue reading “Sproutlet Delight”

Odds and Ends

Visit Fallout I wrote last about the visit last Saturday being especially hard on the kids. What I should have predicted was the continuing fallout. On Sunday, the girls woke up late and were just off somehow. So I asked them if they needed hugs and they both exclaimed “Yes!” and rushed over to me.Continue reading “Odds and Ends”

Visit Blues

Visits are hellaciously hard. Leading up to the girls’ visit with their family today, I could feel the tension climbing. They fought more about stupid things, and Sunny’s mood soured. She got short tempered and cranky, biting her sister’s head off at regular intervals, and sniping at me with anything she could think of toContinue reading “Visit Blues”

Oh boy. Exactly what just happened?

Yesterday was a rough day for me. We had a service plan review (“SPR”) meeting for the girls, which means the case workers and Mama and a third party reviewer go over her case and what she needs to do to get her kids back. I get to attend as a foster parent. Then laterContinue reading “Oh boy. Exactly what just happened?”

The Difference Nine Healthy Months Makes

My Concert Weepies Last night, I sat in a crowded theater full of cheering parents and likewise cheered my kid, who was singing in the 2nd grade chorus concert. Sprout was the wiggliest wildest audience member, along with her BFF, whose parents we got to meet finally for the first time last night. I foundContinue reading “The Difference Nine Healthy Months Makes”

“Do you trust me to be your kid?”

We have lots of conversations lately about what “family” means. Sprout, whose adoption is in the not-too-distant future (in theory anyway), has been super aware of the fact that she’s not a permanent part of our family yet. She’s very insecure about it, and asks almost daily if she can be a part of ourContinue reading ““Do you trust me to be your kid?””