Keeping Afloat Here

Imagine adding three kids to your house in one day.  Kids ages 3,4 and 12.  Imagine that they are not used to your schedules for anything, habits or house rules.  Imagine adding them to your already full household.  Imagine the laundry!  The food! The chaos!

We are keeping afloat.  They have been in care less than a month and this is their third move.  This has had an effect on the littlest one.  Every time her sister moves the little one starts to cry.  She is terrified of losing her sister.  This is supposed to be respite care so in 10 days they are supposed to move back to their previous foster home.  Not sure if that will happen since the 12 year old is telling everyone she wants to stay here.  She does not want to go back to their previous foster home.  I typically do not try to take foster kids that come into respite care in my home.  I wouldn't appreciate it if I went on vacation and didn't get my foster kids back when I got home.  We also have only one opening so I don't know that the state would be willing to go 2 over our limit.  Typically we got over by only one.  So, I make no promises and will let DSS decide what they will do in this case.

In the meantime we are adjusting.  I am definitely buying more groceries.  Doing more laundry.  Picking up more toys.  Making a lot of adjustments.  About the time we get adjusted the kids will be leaving.  Actually, that is why we really are looking to do one last adoption and then get out of foster care.  All the adjustments that the kids have to make for unknown periods of time really can get difficult for kids who are still healing.

Sometimes I wonder if we should even be doing foster care at this time.  It is hard on the family but they keep calling.  Our county is really hurting for foster homes.  We were receiving calls and kids even when we didn't have an opening.  I really need to learn how to say no.  When they called us to do this respite I said that I would get back to them.  I knew that 3 kids for two weeks would not be easy.  About the time they finally settled in it would be time for them to go.  I talked to John about it and we decided to say no.  Then I looked at our extra beds and even our extra car space.  I am not working.  We could do it.  So, I called John and told him that I had changed my mind and wanted to do respite.  I know that there is not another home in our county that can take 3 kids.

Having said all that.......we are enjoying the children.  The 3 year old has that little southern, 3 year old accent.  I love listening to her talk.  I love watching all the kids play and the noise level in the house has gone way up.  Apparently it has gotten too high for one of our cats who disappears until after the little ones are in bed.

On another note....not a single word from Kassi.  Sigh.........

Have a great weekend!