Today is Tatum's 2nd birthday. Can you believe she's two? She's such a wonderful doggie. She is so good with all of the kids that come and go and she's always RIGHT there when we need some lovin'. There's no better doggie in the whole wide world.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
HaPpY BiRtHdAy TATUM!!!
Today is Tatum's 2nd birthday. Can you believe she's two? She's such a wonderful doggie. She is so good with all of the kids that come and go and she's always RIGHT there when we need some lovin'. There's no better doggie in the whole wide world.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Foster Parents of the YEAR?! Really? US?!
We won foster parents of the year for our county, which i think is humbling and exciting all at once. our fellow foster mom, little brother's foster mom, nominated us, and so, got to present the award to us. at the end of the night our case worker snagged her notes and gave them to us. here's what she said:
extraordinary defined is being beyond what is usual; exceptional or remarkable.
extraordinary was john and ruth rose's 34-year commitment to the county and its children. the county created the john rose memorial award.
and while what all resource families provide for some of the greatest kids in the county is extraordinary, what a new family provided this past year certainly embodies the spirit of the roses.
tell me if any of the following scenario sounds familiar to anyone.
you are a new resource family that just needs to fill your respite (babysitting other foster kiddos) requirement to be certified for a newborn to 7-year-old child. you are scheduled to do respite this weekend when you get a call on friday morning to provide foster care for a 7 and 11 year old sisters.
you're a new family, so of course, you say yes. you have to say yes, right? (the correct answer is no-you have every right to not accept any placement.)
oh, did we mention that they are on a strict VEGAN diet and soon after placement a five-page dissertation of what not to do, what to do and how to do it is sent from the parents.
after two months of slaving away in the kitchen, craving red meat like crazy...but losing several pounds in the process and navigating whole foods, sunflower market and vitamin cottage like pros. did you know they make vegan marshmellows? do you know how many food products contain red-dye no. 40? after tempering the emotions of the 7 year old and the hormones of the tween and providing a week of respite for the third sibling, they reluctantly transitioned the giddy children home and even graciously accepted dinner invitations from the birthparents!
after taking a brief haitus from the kitchen due to pure exhaustion, they are now head over heels for a 16 month old angel, that's at home recovering from the flu, who could not look any more like her for-now father. how social services manages to do this i don't know.
while they try to keep their feet grounded while praying for their forever child, they continue to make extraordinary efforts in the everyday lives of the children they care for.
it gives me great pleasure to present the john rose memorial award to my friends Paul & Cheri'.
it made me cry-i know-what doesn't? but most of all i was honored that we were nominated AND chosen to be foster-parents of the year. i wish the prize was a baby, but unfortunately, it is not. we did get a really nice plaque though.
extraordinary defined is being beyond what is usual; exceptional or remarkable.
extraordinary was john and ruth rose's 34-year commitment to the county and its children. the county created the john rose memorial award.
and while what all resource families provide for some of the greatest kids in the county is extraordinary, what a new family provided this past year certainly embodies the spirit of the roses.
tell me if any of the following scenario sounds familiar to anyone.
you are a new resource family that just needs to fill your respite (babysitting other foster kiddos) requirement to be certified for a newborn to 7-year-old child. you are scheduled to do respite this weekend when you get a call on friday morning to provide foster care for a 7 and 11 year old sisters.
you're a new family, so of course, you say yes. you have to say yes, right? (the correct answer is no-you have every right to not accept any placement.)
oh, did we mention that they are on a strict VEGAN diet and soon after placement a five-page dissertation of what not to do, what to do and how to do it is sent from the parents.
after two months of slaving away in the kitchen, craving red meat like crazy...but losing several pounds in the process and navigating whole foods, sunflower market and vitamin cottage like pros. did you know they make vegan marshmellows? do you know how many food products contain red-dye no. 40? after tempering the emotions of the 7 year old and the hormones of the tween and providing a week of respite for the third sibling, they reluctantly transitioned the giddy children home and even graciously accepted dinner invitations from the birthparents!
after taking a brief haitus from the kitchen due to pure exhaustion, they are now head over heels for a 16 month old angel, that's at home recovering from the flu, who could not look any more like her for-now father. how social services manages to do this i don't know.
while they try to keep their feet grounded while praying for their forever child, they continue to make extraordinary efforts in the everyday lives of the children they care for.
it gives me great pleasure to present the john rose memorial award to my friends Paul & Cheri'.
it made me cry-i know-what doesn't? but most of all i was honored that we were nominated AND chosen to be foster-parents of the year. i wish the prize was a baby, but unfortunately, it is not. we did get a really nice plaque though.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Please pray.
I humbly ask for you to pray like you've never prayed before. I got word this morning that in the December court hearing they are going to ask that reunification be the remaining goal for Sweet Pea's case.
Now I stand back and realize a few things. I know the ultimate goal of the county is to keep the biological family as intact as possible. And I realize that some of the family members....ok...one family member is doing some of what they are supposed to do in order to get her back. I also realize that even on the best of good days this person is far from capable of taking care of and raising a baby. And I realize a lot MORE has to happen before she can be "reunited" with them on a long term basis.
That being said, I also realize how real the possibility is that we could lose her forever. And I don't know that I can do it.
Please pray that the GAL that represents Sweet Pea also sees this and recommends the courts not reunify. Pray that the judge sees both sides and sees what is truly in the best interest of the child. Please pray that the GAL is able to show the proof that we have that the visits themselves, not just the transporting from one place to another, is what stresses Sweet Pea out to the point that when she comes home to us she just melts into a pool of tears for the rest of the night. Pray that I am able to make my case clear and sound knowledgable and not just like a crazy foster mom that doesn't want to give up her baby. Please pray that I have the right words and thought processes to express how this will effect the rest of her life and not in a positive way.
And if I'm wrong, pray that I am able to see and accept that.
Now I stand back and realize a few things. I know the ultimate goal of the county is to keep the biological family as intact as possible. And I realize that some of the family members....ok...one family member is doing some of what they are supposed to do in order to get her back. I also realize that even on the best of good days this person is far from capable of taking care of and raising a baby. And I realize a lot MORE has to happen before she can be "reunited" with them on a long term basis.
That being said, I also realize how real the possibility is that we could lose her forever. And I don't know that I can do it.
Please pray that the GAL that represents Sweet Pea also sees this and recommends the courts not reunify. Pray that the judge sees both sides and sees what is truly in the best interest of the child. Please pray that the GAL is able to show the proof that we have that the visits themselves, not just the transporting from one place to another, is what stresses Sweet Pea out to the point that when she comes home to us she just melts into a pool of tears for the rest of the night. Pray that I am able to make my case clear and sound knowledgable and not just like a crazy foster mom that doesn't want to give up her baby. Please pray that I have the right words and thought processes to express how this will effect the rest of her life and not in a positive way.
And if I'm wrong, pray that I am able to see and accept that.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
i got my new shoes on
yesterday i got sweet pea some new shoes. we got home and i pulled them out of the box and she came charging across the room and sat down and started pulling on her tennis shoes so she could get them off to try on the new shoes. heehee! she is sooooo cute! i put on her new shoes and she was soooo proud of them. she loved them. this morning we tried to wear them to school (daycare) but they slip off after a short while so they won't make it a whole day. but i can't wait for this weekend so she can wear them.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
no more love here
Last week I had an in-home meeting with Sweet Pea's case worker and I found out the birth family has pulled their name out of the homestudy hat until December when the grandma retires and THEN she's going to start her home study. And it takes a couple months to do the home study. At that point Sweet Pea will have bonded with us for 6 months (8 months by the time the home study is done) and who knows what excuse they are going to come up with then. So if she's old enough to retire is she really young enough to raise a baby? AND the father, the grandmother's son, and one of the perpetrators in the case, lives with her AND if she doesn't have enough money now to take an hour off of work to come and visit her how in the WORLD will she have the money to raise Sweet Pea? It's so frustrating. I have no more patience and love for them. In fact, I'm not even sure I want to meet them after this week's meeting. If they truly loved her and wanted her they would be doing everything in their power to get her back RIGHT NOW TODAY! It infuriates me.
We went up stairs to see Sweet Pea's bed because they have to see it every time. While we were up there Sweet Pea saw her grandparents picture that I keep in her room. So I said "You wanna see g-ma and g-pa. Here you go." and handed her the picture. When I was handing it to her she was still reaching for the top of the desk for MY MOM & DAD'S PICTURE. She has NO connection or memory of her grandparents at all. It's only because it's the little routine we do every morning. The case worker saw how she does and I said "See what I mean? She should know THESE people, not MY mom and dad." I think the case worker is running out of steam for the birth family but I don't know and who knows what the judge will think.
Sunday Paul was playing music on his computer and she came over and just stood there. She dances now too which is so cute. She stands there and shakes her hips side to side or she swooshes her arms back and forth. I have started keeping my toothbrush with hers so that when I brush my teeth I remember to brush hers. Granted there's only 2 teeth in there but she LOVES brushing her teeth. She gets upset when I put the toothbrush away the only way I can appease her is to let her turn the light switch off.
She's such a little nugget. WE LOVE THIS LITTLE BABY SO MUCH!
Oh and she graduated a shoe size. She's now a size 3 shoe which means I might actually be able to find more shoes with tread on them verses the shoes that just have leather or slipper bottoms. They just don't make shoes for 6 month old sized kids that walk!!
We went up stairs to see Sweet Pea's bed because they have to see it every time. While we were up there Sweet Pea saw her grandparents picture that I keep in her room. So I said "You wanna see g-ma and g-pa. Here you go." and handed her the picture. When I was handing it to her she was still reaching for the top of the desk for MY MOM & DAD'S PICTURE. She has NO connection or memory of her grandparents at all. It's only because it's the little routine we do every morning. The case worker saw how she does and I said "See what I mean? She should know THESE people, not MY mom and dad." I think the case worker is running out of steam for the birth family but I don't know and who knows what the judge will think.
Sunday Paul was playing music on his computer and she came over and just stood there. She dances now too which is so cute. She stands there and shakes her hips side to side or she swooshes her arms back and forth. I have started keeping my toothbrush with hers so that when I brush my teeth I remember to brush hers. Granted there's only 2 teeth in there but she LOVES brushing her teeth. She gets upset when I put the toothbrush away the only way I can appease her is to let her turn the light switch off.
She's such a little nugget. WE LOVE THIS LITTLE BABY SO MUCH!
Oh and she graduated a shoe size. She's now a size 3 shoe which means I might actually be able to find more shoes with tread on them verses the shoes that just have leather or slipper bottoms. They just don't make shoes for 6 month old sized kids that walk!!
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