Bringing Home Charlie Brown

Sometimes I really wish we could just have a big flashing sign over us that says something like "These kids are in foster care, beware of weird comments." Or "Foster parent coming, approach with caution." Or even, "Don't look at us, we're foster parents, you have no idea what we do and you'll never understand." It would perhaps be easier to have a sign like this following us around than it is to deal with the odd looks, the random comments, the whispers of disapproval as we walk away. I'm sure that some of these things are over exaggerations in my head. I am sure that these things feel more obvious than they are. Oh, I'm not making it totally up. A trip to the store with our 7 year old, and you'll totally understand what I am saying. I dare ya to do it! Social immaturity is so hard to explain and so hard for people to understand. While our child is developmentally on track with where she should be and educationally on track, emoti...

This is a little bit of a different post for this blog tonight, but it's what's happening in our lives today.  I can honestly say that I did not realize how sexualized the media world has become in regards to kid's shows! Sex (and sexuality) is EVERYWHERE around us in the adult world. This fact is overly obvious. There are things you can do to limit your exposure, but as an adult you can't block out all of those types of influences unless perhaps you moved to a private island with no contact of the outside world. Barring that and it's pretty much an impossible task. As an adult I recognize this and can deal with it, and censor things out.  I was shocked today as I was listening to a show our little girl was watching. A show that is clearly aimed at young girls and presents itself as different, hip, and a little edgy, right along with the zombie craze everyone is so into right now. There are dolls, and toys, and movies, and toothpaste, and a series of episodes on...

In all the busyness of our lives sometimes I forget exactly how we got here. Here to this whole foster care thing... I also seem to forget that not everyone deals with what we deal with. Quite honestly I think that I will feel a little lost when we have no more agency involvement in our lives, whenever that may be. It's odd to me that not everyone has monthly home visits, not everyone has to schedule in bio-parent visits, or sibling visits. Not everyone is waiting on the "next court date" like we are. How can I think that everyone lives like this? It's quite simple really, I'm very wrapped up in our own lives. Not in a I think we are the center of everyone's universe kind of way. But in the we have a LOT to get done each week kind of way. I think every mom is insanely busy. Like can't see straight busy. Mom's have too much to do every week. Yet they get it all done and keep going. Whether they stay at home and work or go somewhere else and work. Mom...

I always feel I have so much to say. If I could travel around the country and just speak to people about our experience I would. I often say my dream job would be to be a public speaker. However I am where I am for a reason. With so much to say, you would think I would write more or at least more often. Many times it's simply too painful to write it all down. It makes things more permanent, more real. Many times I just want things to disappear or go away. Ignoring it makes neither of those things happen, however it allows me not to think about them for a while, and sometimes that is the only escape we get. Recently my family gained another addition. After battling with the question of "would we do this again" and going back and forth with NO WAY, to maybe, to yes, to depending on the case, we gained another child. Older this time. A girl. Not ideal circumstances, not ideal timing, but it was God's timing and His plan. This time around is soooooooooo different from o...