An update on what's going on around our lives relating to foster/adoption stuff:
We have met our social worker (on our side of things) and she is very nice. We've had two interviews with her, as she gets to know us and about what we're capable of/comfortable with, and all about us. It's kind of like speed therapy with outcomes assessment. She's our go-between with the state, and she'll help make sure we end up with a placement that will be good for everyone. They want us to be successful, and they want us to be a good home for whatever kiddo is placed with us. So they are being very thorough in their assessments.
We're going to start rearranging the entire house this weekend. That's only slightly hyperbole - the plan is to make the office the guestroom, the guestroom the kid's room, and the small room that *was* going to be the kid room, into Scott's office. My desk will move down next to the fireplace, with some floating shelves above it. The bookshelves that are there now will move upstairs ... somehow. The books will ... go someplace. Scott's three-monitor desk will fit - somehow - into the much smaller room. Also, we need to completely reorganize the kitchen (OK, half reorganize), so I have room for bottles and bibs and such. We need to organize closets and storage spaces (and probably get rid of things), and *I* need to organize my desk stuff. We need to lock up all medicines (no really, that's a rule, with a lock and key and this includes vitamins) and we need to find a way to lock up all the movies/DVDs that aren't kid-friendly. Those of you who have seen "The Collection" understand that this is not a small task. So ... that's a little overwhelming. As in, please someone fix it for me. Our friend Julia (who has an organizing/clutter-clearing business, Clear Your Clutter) has said she will help me (for her reasonable fees) when I have time, and schedule with her. But I haven't even had time to work out a schedule, or get started. Eeep. Saturday (tomorrow!) we will begin moving stuff around. And then, when it's halfway done and everything is everywhere and I feel like we moved even though we didn't, I will start weeping piteously until someone gives me chocolate. Or a sedative.
After we have managed THAT (the rearranging, not the weeping piteously), our social worker will come (with a licenser? She is the licenser? I'm not sure) and check out our house, and tell us what else we need to change to meet the licensing requirements. Meanwhile, our background checks and fingerprints and the compatibility of our blood and brain matter with the machine - OK, that last part isn't true, but they are asking for enough paperwork that if they wanted a DNA sample I bet they could find one - all that stuff has to pass before we are licensed. Our hope is that we're licensed by the end of June. At any point after we have a foster parent license, we could have a kiddo, or a set of sibling kiddos, placed with us. Whom I will love and hug and pet and squeeze and call Humphronymous and/or Meredelightful. At least here and on facebook. Also I think I need to be careful about the squeezing part, and not being too scary like Lennie the Abominabable Snowman (or Of Mice and Men character). I shall *respectfully and with care* love and hug and pet and squeeze, and offer a caring home. That.
OK, it's true, offer a kind of nerdy and weird but caring home, but there's only so much you can ask of us, really.
We have met our social worker (on our side of things) and she is very nice. We've had two interviews with her, as she gets to know us and about what we're capable of/comfortable with, and all about us. It's kind of like speed therapy with outcomes assessment. She's our go-between with the state, and she'll help make sure we end up with a placement that will be good for everyone. They want us to be successful, and they want us to be a good home for whatever kiddo is placed with us. So they are being very thorough in their assessments.
We're going to start rearranging the entire house this weekend. That's only slightly hyperbole - the plan is to make the office the guestroom, the guestroom the kid's room, and the small room that *was* going to be the kid room, into Scott's office. My desk will move down next to the fireplace, with some floating shelves above it. The bookshelves that are there now will move upstairs ... somehow. The books will ... go someplace. Scott's three-monitor desk will fit - somehow - into the much smaller room. Also, we need to completely reorganize the kitchen (OK, half reorganize), so I have room for bottles and bibs and such. We need to organize closets and storage spaces (and probably get rid of things), and *I* need to organize my desk stuff. We need to lock up all medicines (no really, that's a rule, with a lock and key and this includes vitamins) and we need to find a way to lock up all the movies/DVDs that aren't kid-friendly. Those of you who have seen "The Collection" understand that this is not a small task. So ... that's a little overwhelming. As in, please someone fix it for me. Our friend Julia (who has an organizing/clutter-clearing business, Clear Your Clutter) has said she will help me (for her reasonable fees) when I have time, and schedule with her. But I haven't even had time to work out a schedule, or get started. Eeep. Saturday (tomorrow!) we will begin moving stuff around. And then, when it's halfway done and everything is everywhere and I feel like we moved even though we didn't, I will start weeping piteously until someone gives me chocolate. Or a sedative.
After we have managed THAT (the rearranging, not the weeping piteously), our social worker will come (with a licenser? She is the licenser? I'm not sure) and check out our house, and tell us what else we need to change to meet the licensing requirements. Meanwhile, our background checks and fingerprints and the compatibility of our blood and brain matter with the machine - OK, that last part isn't true, but they are asking for enough paperwork that if they wanted a DNA sample I bet they could find one - all that stuff has to pass before we are licensed. Our hope is that we're licensed by the end of June. At any point after we have a foster parent license, we could have a kiddo, or a set of sibling kiddos, placed with us. Whom I will love and hug and pet and squeeze and call Humphronymous and/or Meredelightful. At least here and on facebook. Also I think I need to be careful about the squeezing part, and not being too scary like Lennie the Abominabable Snowman (or Of Mice and Men character). I shall *respectfully and with care* love and hug and pet and squeeze, and offer a caring home. That.
OK, it's true, offer a kind of nerdy and weird but caring home, but there's only so much you can ask of us, really.
anxious
dancy
Meh
sick
angry
thoughtful
hopeful