Fostering update

Wow, where has the time gone?  It has disappeared into the crazy world of foster parenting.

We have been foster parents to B-man, who'll be turning 7 soon, for the past two and a half months.  When will he go home?  I don't know.  Will he go home?  I think so...?  I really need to start planning something for his birthday, can't believe it's coming up so soon!  Things had finally started settling into a routine around here and then.....

About a week ago we got our second foster son, Daks.  He is currently less than 2 weeks old.  Can you say routine... ruined? abandoned? forgotten?  Sorry, what were we talking about?  Daks has me sleep deprived right now so thinking clearly isn't an easy thing anymore (that is if it ever was, I can't remember). 

Now that we've got two foster kids it's starting to sink in more that, oh my gosh, we're foster parents?  Really?  When did that happen?  Going to court dates... visitations... doctors appointments that are out of town because we don't have a licensed pediatrician close by...  There really wasn't much of that when B-man arrived, his case is so very different than little Daks.  Next thing you know I've got scheduling conflicts between foster kids.  I'm a stay-at-home mom now!  Just like I always wanted!  But.... well since these aren't actually MY kids, I don't get to make the schedule.  Seems like everybody else does though.  Caseworkers, county supervisors, whoever that lady is who calls to schedule the visitations - and each kid has a different one, there's the lady who comes over once a month to see the kids in the home - but then a different lady who comes quarterly to make sure we've got all our paperwork and such still in order and gets our fire drill reports.  And then there's probably more I'm forgetting about like the therapist or the dentist or....  I don't know.  I've got to answer pretty well any unknown call my phone gets these days because it might be someone new with info about somewhere important I'm supposed to be the next day, and just finding out the kid has got to be there and if I can't bring them they'll send someone else to do so.

Now that we've got little Daks everyone is jumping on board to help us out right away.  Our church has set up people to bring us dinner for a little while.  They are putting together a money tree for us to help us out.  Everyone is offering to come over and babysit for me or clean my house or... I need someone to offer to mow our yard, that would be nice...  Everyone keeps asking us what we need, but I don't know what to tell them.  Daks came with clothes, diapers and such.  I went out and bought bottles already.  We've got a baby bed.  Have several burp rags already.  What am I needing?  I need sleep, that would be nice.  I could use a shower, cause who has the time?  I need peace!  But not peace and quiet - don't think that'll be happening any time soon.  No I mean peace of mind, peace of heart, peace of...  I need my soul to feel at rest and it doesn't.  Things stress me out. 

Should I root for the parents to get these kids back?  Should I fight to keep them?  I want to be the best foster parent I can be, am I doing it right?  I've met a foster mom I think does it wrong, but I wonder if others see us and think the same. 

One day at a time.... one day at a time....