Placement Challenges

When you receive a new child into your home you expect certain challenges. It is hard to get information about the child if the parent is mad and isn't willing to cooperate with DSS. We have had challenges with getting medical information, school information, mental health information, behavior information, pretty much anything about the child information.  However, you would think that if you are receiving a child from another foster home and the child has been in care for a while you should be able to get all that information.... nope.

Newest placement had a melt down at school. I asked the social worker what services he was receiving since all we could tell from his school records was speech. I could tell he was struggling in class and that was the basis of his meltdown. The social worker said well I just know his grades were getting better. I asked the school to contact special services to see what they could find.  Oh, he has an IEP and should be spending a good part of his day with special services.

How did I know to contact special services? Because I received another child from another foster home who had an IEP and no one told us. The school had to contact special services to get the information. For some reason when the school records transfer that information doesn't. Seems kind of like critical information to me!

I am working on medical forms for my kids for the adoption paperwork and I realize that the new kid has been with us almost a month. I requested a therapist right away because of anger issues and then a second time after the school incident, no sign of a therapist. I also have no idea who he saw for a doctor. I need to call tomorrow to get his medicaid information and probably look at transferring him to a local doctor. Then I need to ask for his dental information. Actually all my kids need a dental appointment. I wonder how little man will do with that!

Oh, and new placement asked us to adopt him.

Left Hanging

I realize that I have been so busy that I have probably left folks hanging in many different areas. I honestly couldn't tell you what so please if you need an update on something that I started discussing then just left you hanging let me know!I guess that is a sign of senility or extremely busy life!

Happy Easter

Slowly I am getting back into painting, I saw this cute guy on Pinterest.

I will be honest, I get tired of all these obligations to do all these different activities and buy all these things for the kids. It seems to be non-stop. I did but the kids candy and even some stuffed animals but I didn't buy new baskets. I scrounged around the house and used what we had and even some shoe boxes. It just seems like every holiday brings big expectations for the kids but the reason for the holiday becomes lost.

Anyone do the Easter bunny? We don't, I told the kids long ago that there is not a big bunny walking around hiding eggs, what a strange concept. 

This year I was totally in a bah humbug mood. After 30 years of doing eggs as a parent I had no interest. Thankfully, I have a friend who needed eggs to make some deviled eggs so she came over and had them decorate them for her.

We also took a bit of time to see how many kids could fit on my lap......

Jason and Kassi came over today after church and I didn't take many pictures. I was just enjoying my time with everyone.

I hope everyone had a great Easter. Anyone have any interesting traditions? 

The Tour

Benjamin often goes around town with his police uniform on. Last week he was offered a tour of the police station and a chance to drive in a police car. Naturally we had to deliver donuts.

Police truck

An officer put him in the front seat in a seat belt and off they went. Another officer standing next to me said that they would just go around the parking lot. 15 minutes later he said maybe not. Benjamin was so thrilled, they went all over town. 

Something so simple sure made Benjamin so happy. He is obsessed. He now has an orange outfit so he can be a criminal too. Handcuff are all over our house and he has quite a weapon arsenal. He wants me to build him a jail!

Anyone have a child obsessed with something right now?

Braces Off

Started our day with braces........

Braces off, she looks so different to me! I never saw her without her underbite.

We timed her appointment so we could do lunch afterwards.

I told her that she couldn't eat her sushi unless she used her chopsticks.

Finally, I had to feed her.

Soon Emma gets her braces off and we won't be going into Columbia for orthodontist appointments anymore. I just wish that they were all paid for! I have payments on two of them until June and one in December. Thankfully Anthony's braces are paid off. The orthodontist offers interest free payments, that is the only way we could afford 4 pairs of braces at the same time.

Tobymac Concert

Many months ago I bought a bunch of tickets to the Tobymac concert. We loved it! Newest foster kid got to go as well. I will admit, at the last minute I was tempted to sell them. Sometimes it is hard to get a babysitter and just go. It was in Charlotte so a little over an hour away. I am glad that I decided that we should go. Not many pictures, we enjoyed the experience!

Do you ever feel like you get in a rut? Like it is so much effort to stay above water and you don’t feel that you can do “extra”?

Paperwork

The paperwork is killing me. We are renewing our license and doing the adoption paperwork. This is the first time that I remember ever having to get background checks on our babysitters. Every two years we have to get new physicals, everyone, yuck. I got my TB test today. I will have to get all the kids in, going to try for spring break.

I am not even going to say this is the last adoption. I have given up!

No word from the aunt but the parents have sent their first ever gift for his second birthday, a blanket with their full names and his name embroidered in it. What do you think? Should I let him have access to that full name since they are still struggling meth addicts? My thoughts are to wait until he is older and is past his teenage struggles.

Crazy Weather

Anyone else having some crazy weather?

Saturday we went swimming.

Sat out on the patio enjoying the weather.

Cooked out.

Yesterday we were near freezing and my pool turned green from the green rain.

I am so ready for summer!

Services for Little Man

We have been having quite the challenge with our little man. First he qualified for Babynet services. Then after the second visit it was recommended that we apply for PCA, personal care attendant, hours. She said that they come to the house and relieve me for about 10 hours a week. On the visit the poor worker was hit, spit on, attempted bit, toy thrown at her head, kicked and scratched. He has those days.

Speech came next and naturally he qualified for speech services. His gap between receptive and expressive language grows and grows. We do not know why he doesn't talk. I have worked with him for months, I have been to plenty of speech classes. It is frustrating for everyone. He is able to communicate his needs most of the time either through sign language or pointing and such.

Then as we have broken his issues down we have come to the belief that he has some type of sensory seeking issues. So now we will have OT come in to evaluate him. I really hope that we can get some answers so that we can better manage his behaviors.

His doctor put him in for an evaluation with developmental peds but that could take a long time. I requested that they request an evaluation with the neurobehaviorist that all my other kids were tested with. They are putting in that request so maybe we we can get an evaluation quicker that way.

Sensory seeking behaviors are new to me. All these kids and I haven't had a kid with severe sensory issues. Anyone have a child with sensory issues? Any suggestions? Any resources?

Little man is hard, we are seeking all the services we can to make his life and ours more manageable.

He turned two and I have some great pictures that I can't share! He also learned how to spray the water hose, he was so proud of himself.

Officer Benjamin

Benjamin has been obsessed with all things police.

To include eating donuts...

and taking some to the police station.

Everyone likes to wear his hats.

Sometimes he changes it up to be a superhero.

To watch superhero movies.

Then one day he asked for orange clothes so he could play the criminal, actually he says the villain.

He even has the look

Then when his brother comes in orange....he is in heaven.

I wonder what will be next