DSS Called

On Thursday DSS called our house.  I thought that they were calling about our medicaid issue.  I was so wrong.  They called about a possible placement.  I told them that we couldn't take new kids because we were at the limit.  They said that since we just adopted our foster kid we could now take a placement since she is now ours.  I told her that we still had the kids from the other county, we are full.  She insisted, I argued, she insisted. Finally I said who are you trying to place.  An 8 year old boy and I called you because I knew you wouldn't say no.

Well, I said to send him and when you figure out that we are over limit then you can find someone who can take him.  It was us or a children's home.  So Thursday we received an 8 year old boy. 

Anthony is enjoying having another boy in the house.  We have talked about adopting a boy so I guess this gives us an opportunity to see how we do with more kids in the house.  The table is too small and when we go to church we will not fit in one car.  I can easily build a bigger table top but affording a bigger car will be our bigger challenge.

I expect that next week they will be able to find him a home.  It is just funny how you can get these calls when you know that you can't take them.  Our county is sending more kids to children's homes than they have done in the past.  I am not sure if it is because of less foster parents or more kids coming into care.  I used to keep up with that type of information but lately I haven't.  Oh, I have a major paper due on Monday and haven't started it so wish me luck on that one! Ugh.

In case you are curious.....5 pizza's fills up the crew.

Medical Insurance Nightmare

We are struggling to get our kids insured!  First Kassi, adopted in December.  Adoption is great, having the paperwork to prove it would be even greater!  We still don't have any paperwork showing that we adopted her.  Nothing.  She is no longer a foster child so is not served by DSS and yet we can't prove that she is ours to put her on our insurance.  She was born in another state and it adds another kink. 

We called our doctor and they said she wasn't on their medicaid.  Right when we completed the adoption medicaid changed all foster children into HMO's.  Our doctor doesn't take HMO medicaid so all the unadopted children have to move doctors.  We had hoped to get Kassi on Tricare so we wouldn't have to worry about it.  We had no idea that it would take this long since it didn't with Anthony and Larissa.

On Thursday my husband went up to DSS to ask about her medicaid to see which doctor she was transferred to.  They gave him a piece of paper to call medicaid himself.  He went home and called and they said that they couldn't talk to him, they had to talk to someone at DSS. 

Yesterday I went up to DSS after school and told them that I had to get this medicaid thing straight.  We were able to get a person from DSS to talk to medicaid.  Oh, she wasn't switched to a different doctor, she was totally taken off of medicaid.  She is not insured at all.  We can't get her on our insurance because we have no proof that we have adopted.  Medicaid said to fill out the form for Medicaid and bring it in.  They say that they will process it without the paperowrk.  Who wants to bet that when I take it back I will have another challenge?  Ugh, I bet that she isn't insured until March.

Then there are our two little ones.  Their SW gave us their new cards with a doctor name and a piece of paper that said that you have to call in to activate the card.  We called the number and they said that DSS has to do  it.  Naturally.  We have called the SW on numerous occasions and left voice mail messages.  No response which is actually unusual for her.  So, we can't get them to a doctor either.  Next week I will be calling the supervisor to get some action on this. 

There you have it.......our medical insurance nightmare. 

Later I will write about our interesting call from DSS..........

Neglected Blog

Why I have neglected this site........

Three weeks into student teaching with 12 more to go.  We may just survive this semester.  Mondays I get home around 8 pm since I go to class from school.  I don't see the little ones except for when I am walking out the door to head to my school.  Tuesday is dance for Larissa and Anthony and Thursday is dance for Emma.  Two assignments are due on Friday morning at 8 am when I am in class so they have to be done on Thursday.  Another assignment is due by Saturday at 10 am.  I have one big assignment due on Monday.  About every two weeks a big assignment is due. I almost forgot to apply for graduation.  That has to be turned in on Monday.  I will be in class so my dear husband has to do it for me.  One of those ooops moments!

Of course, I have my normal daughter, wife and mother duties as well.  The kids went a few days picking out their own outfits when I realized that I needed to make more time for laundry!

On a positive note, I made reservations for DisneyWorld this summer.  We will be there the first week of June.  It was supposed to be an adoption celebration but I am doubtful that all of our adoptions will be complete at that time.

Monday we meet with Larissa's Child Study team to determine how to help her.  She is really struggling.  Larissa and Anthony share some of the same learning disabilities thanks to genetics and mom making bad choices about drinking during her pregnancy.  The kids didn't chose to have these challenges, they are living with the results of their mom's choices.

Michelle is having a hard time making positive choices for herself.  She is having a boring weekend since she gave her teacher such a hard time all week.  She heard me on the phone with Disney this morning making reservations and asked me about it.  Disney is actually a sore subject for her, her last adoptive home promised to take her to DisneyWorld.  At least this will be a promise fulfilled.

I did take some time to complete a painting project....

http://felmelscreations.blogspot.com/

 

 

So, I am curious, what is everyone else up to and who is still reading my neglected blog?

I am Mad

 

 

Michelle is finally getting top teeth!  I am not sure if I will recognize her when she finally has top teeth.  I am not sure when she lost them but I do know that she had them pulled.  She was in so many other homes it is hard for me to know when they were pulled. 

 

The delay in completing the adoption is very much noticed by Michelle.  Every time a worker comes to the house Emma runs off to play.  Michelle does not.  She sits and listens to everything we have to say.  I know that she has learned to do this in the past because of so many moves.  She doesn't want to be caught unaware.  There is still a part of her that is afraid of being moved, she admits it.

 

We discussed the blotched case and the delay.  I discussed this with her as soon as I found out so it wasn't new to her.  She wants and needs to be informed of her case.  After the social worker left Michelle asked me again what it all meant.  Why was there a delay.  I told her that they didn't do the TPR right the first time so they have to do it again.

 

Her response, "I am mad."  Yea, me too.



Felmel's Creations

Attempting to keep up with two blogs.  Hmmmm.....I barely keep up with one!

http://felmelscreations.blogspot.com/

Anthony

A friend gave Anthony a hat....he loves it.  He is very much into dressing up and likes his clothing.

 

We attend a church where casual dress is the norm....but Anthony prefers a tie.

 

(Waiting to be seated at our favorite restaurant)

 

 

Anthony tired out a dance class last week.  He really didn't want to because according to him, "dance is for girls."  I asked him to try it one time to see what he thought. 

 

I wanted him to try it because he is not a rough and tumble type of boy.  He didn't do well at soccer because he wasn't aggressive at it.  He was always outside of the pack watching all the other kids play.  He said he wanted to do basketball but I know how that will end too. 

 

I said try hip hop dance class with Larissa one time.

 

He did.....he came out grinning.  He loved it.  They did the moonwalk and some other moves.  He wanted to know when he could get some shoes. 

 

I knew that he would.  He is very artistic.  I think that he would love modeling if we were in the right area for that.  He likes his clothing a certain way.  When he gets older I plan on encouraging band.

 

Yes, he will be tall, probably folks will think he should be in basketball because of that. I have already had adults ask me why he doesn't do sports.

 

Our challenge will be allowing him to do what he loves without the teasing from boys. It is a shame when children who don't follow the path of the "norm" are picked on.  I am not sure how long I will be able to keep him in dance.  If kids find out and start picking on him I know that he will want to quit regardless of whether he loves it or not. 

 

There are days when I totally understand the homeschooling thing.  It takes kids out of the environment where they have to fit a certain mold or endure teasing.  We are still trying to convince Larissa that she isn't fat and I don't understand that one at all.  Why would anyone tell her that she is fat?  Then there is the hair issue.  Ugh, I won't get started on that issue.

 

So.......anyone else have a boy who isn't the rough and tumble type? 

What type of activities do you have them in? 

 

 

Information

Curious as to why we are having another TPR?  It is because they did not publish for the last one.  Someone didn't do their job.  This just frustrates me so much.  It isn't as though there is a battle for TPR.  No biological family is fighting for the girls.  Anyone what really had an interest has signed off their rights so that the girls could have permanency.  No family will be at the next TPR trial, none came to the last one.  There is no reason at all that we are in 2013 and still fighting for permanency except for one fine point, the legal team is not doing their job in a timely manner.

Today I went to the state DSS office.  The security guard didn't know what to do with me.  Apparently not many folks come up to the office personally to complain, it is all done by phone.  I talked to several people on the phone in the lobby.  They tried to tell me that they would call me.  I refused.  I said that I was in the lobby to file a complaint and would sit and wait.  Finally I was able to talk to an advocate.  He told me that the head of the legal team was in the building today and he was going to talk to him.  He didn't understand why we had TPR in November and are just now realizing that it hadn't been published.  I explained how slow the lawyer is to act on everything.  He wants the case to be expedited after the TPR.  That is what we want.  I realize that they have to publish and do TPR again.  But, I don't want to wait for months after the TPR for the lawyer to file once again.  I don't want to get the clearance letter in June.  I know that there is a 30 day waiting period and that is what I want.  I told him that the main parties that are harmed by the actions of DSS are the children themselves.  That they need permanency.  He gave me all of his contact information and told me he would do what he can.  Honestly at this point I don't expect much.