roller coaster ride!

Well, since my last post...things are changing fast around here!  But first, before I type anything else, I have to say that I noticed tiny yellow buds on my forsythia bush today.  It was a very nice reminder that Spring really is coming, despite our drop from the beautiful 60s to the devastating 30s.  Ok, now onto the rest of life.


Last Wednesday (2-23), we were contacted to see if we would be willing to do kinship foster care for one of my students.  I can't put any details about why here, for obvious reasons.  We discussed it and prayed and decided to do it.  Thursday we said yes, and submitted for abuse and neglect background checks.  Friday, they called and asked to place her that night, pending a walk through of the house.

A social worker came and did the walk through, leaving me with a list of things to change before the licensing worker came.  Off we went to the other foster home and picked her up.  For the purpose of this blog, I am now joining the world of online nicknames.  Due to her love, bordering on obsession, of Strawberry Shortcake, I will be calling her Shortcake here.  We took Shortcake with us to Walmart, to pick up a few items the social worker said we needed.  New lock for the basement door, fire extinguisher, and carbon monoxide detector.  We also let Shortcake pick a few food items she might want.  Corn dogs, yogurt and lemonade.  We drove through Burger King and headed home.

Life's been busy ever since!  It's been good though, although it is definitely an adjustment to having to plan around someone who needs dinner by six and bedtime by 7:30.

Besides our walk through, we've also gotten fingerprinted and had a home visit.  Next week the licensing agent comes for our first home study.  I've had calls to make, errands to run and forms to fill out every day since we brought her home and I'm not sure that will stop anytime soon.

We went to church last Sunday, and she made it through the entire service in her Sunday School class.  The rest of the day was spent rearranging to turn the home office into a proper girl's bedroom and a corner of our room into the home office.  Deloris, my marvelous para, gave us a cabinet to use for her clothes, since that room had no dresser.  She also gave us a kids bench with some toy storage under the seat.  My dear, sweet friend Melody gave us a kitchen set and various other toys.  Shortcake had asked about thirty times Saturday if I had a kitchen set, so this delivery was the most exciting one for her!  I purchased a round purple rug and some curtains with polka dot circles on them to make the room look like a bedroom.  I also got a ton of baskets to put on a bookshelf to keep the toys in. The room turned out really cute.  A teacher at school brought me some cute clothes her daughter had outgrown, too.  Shortcake and I had craft time to make thank you cards for all the people who donated stuff for her. 

Today, after receiving permission from bio mom and social services, I took Shortcake to get her hair cut.  It was desperately needed, as her bangs were in her eyes and her hair is too fine to stay in a barrette or braid.  I took her to Cookie Cutters, because I figured if she squirmed and rocked, they'd be the ones with the kid experience to handle it.  She picked out a Strawberry Shortcake DVD to watch while they cut her hair.  Other than needing a lot of prompts to keep looking down (but seriously, they put in a DVD and then for the first five minutes tell the kid not to look at it?  Does that make any sense?), she did really well.  I also took her to Melody's daughter's birthday party.  She did great at the party, too, and was very proud of her dress and shiny shoes.

My two favorite memories of the week:
1.  Watching her come out of her room in a new-to-her skirt and telling Donald she looked cute.  He proceeded to dance with her in the living room.  Great start to a day!
2.  Today she informed me that I am not Amber, I am her Ms. Hawkins. (I've told her she is allowed to call me Amber, but she's having none of it!)

This is a new adventure...I'm looking forward to seeing how it unfolds!