tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-358643882024-03-12T20:28:51.744-05:00Living, learning and loving in KentuckyJoin me on our foster parenting and farm-living adventures!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.comBlogger98125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-35024851436848708352015-02-21T15:28:00.001-06:002015-02-21T15:30:22.475-06:00And Two Years Later...Much has changed in 2 years since I last wrote. We had another couple of placements, they left and we quit being foster parents.
In October of 2012, I felt I was still in need of a break, but got a call and accepted a teenage boy. I figured he could take care of himself pretty well by this point, but knew it would change the dynamics in the house. It certainly did.
Then a weekAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-29659060677950077332013-03-31T10:35:00.003-05:002015-02-21T15:30:00.394-06:00BlogLovinFollow my blog with Bloglovin
Now that Google reader is going away in July, you can click that link to follow me there. :) However, if you already follow via Google reader, you can use BlogLovin (or Feedler, Feedly, etc.) and it will import everything for you!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-37330009101553714772013-02-06T15:33:00.001-06:002015-02-21T15:29:50.817-06:00Foster Parent Mentor MatchI did my mentor training in February of 2011. I finally was matched with a new foster family in September of 2012, and officially became a mentor on October 1st. Yes, the state works *that* slowly!!
Not only was I matched with 1 family, but within a week I was matched with a second. Each foster parent mentor is only supposed to handle 2 'mentees', so as to keep the load light, Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-54143624738540778492012-09-09T22:01:00.000-05:002012-09-09T22:01:06.030-05:00Shortest Stay So Far
We recently had three foster children come and stay with us for exactly one week. It was the most unusual circumstance that I've seen so far, as the kids didn't seem to have been in any danger at all, but thankfully the judge did the right thing and sent them right back home...or as fast as it could be done considering it was Labor Day weekend and no one worked Fri through Tuesday. &Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-86057617559621737152012-08-06T22:14:00.004-05:002012-08-06T22:15:48.706-05:00Making Foster/Adoptive ConnectionsWe have extended our break from foster parenting, and may make it longer due to some other things we have going on and the time and money taking in more kids requires. In the meantime, we continue being part of our new (reinstated) local foster/adoptive group, the G.C. Foster Care Association.
If you have a local support group, go to the meetings if at all possible. If you Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-75905602576203964742012-07-14T13:02:00.000-05:002012-07-14T13:02:14.108-05:00Petition to Protect Young ChildrenThis petition was started by a lady I know personally. Its called
Revise / establish a law that recognizes and acknowledges emotional trauma in small children
Please look this over, and sign if you agree! I'm surprised there isn't already legislation to cover this situation, honestly. I'm all for parental rights and less government interfering in our daily lives. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-74716936384461311592012-07-03T22:34:00.002-05:002012-07-03T22:35:39.769-05:00Updated House RulesI got tired of looking at the same house rules and decided to do some updating, adding some specifics and making it more positive than last time. You may remember my previous House Rules. I liked them, but they weren't very pretty so I've created this free download of our rules . If you just want to see it, here you go (but the fonts didn't transfer exactly - I'm new to this).
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-68959277398746706852012-06-21T17:46:00.000-05:002012-06-21T17:46:31.738-05:00Is it enough?Is it enough to just be me? Am I enough? A friend and I were talking about this last weekend and discovered that we had both been through a similar struggle and decided that YES, we are enough, regardless of our situations. Here are my views on this matter.
Is it enough to have just one child? Is it enough to be a wife and not have any children? Is it enough to Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-45136122062829055932012-06-14T14:31:00.001-05:002012-06-14T14:35:41.368-05:00Break Time!Yesterday, my last foster child (of the 6 earlier this year) went home to her biological father. She was with us for four busy months, and helped me overcome my trepidation about her age group. Of the three girls I have had, aged 8-10, she has been the most fun and best behaved! I will miss her but believe that the right thing was done by the state in her case. For this, IAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-2839430049199426842012-05-12T20:38:00.001-05:002012-05-12T20:38:16.557-05:00National Foster Care Awareness MonthI have read some fabulous blogs since the beginning of May, which is National Foster Care Awareness Month.
It started with Minnie at FosterAdoption, letting me know that this is a special month and all the ways that people can get involved without actually becoming foster parents. This led me on a blog search to learn even more about foster care. I have found some great ones, most Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-27235519555508669982012-05-12T19:15:00.002-05:002012-05-12T19:16:43.877-05:00Medication DramaLast post, I talked about how court was delayed for Daisy. The new date is in mid-June and the recommendation is still to send her to her dad and step-mom's home in a different city. So, I have four more weeks with this fun little girl!
After her initial disappointment and anger over her half-siblings being moved, she has been great. Her moodiness has decreased. Her Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-3218512449072377362012-04-23T21:21:00.002-05:002012-04-23T21:21:30.084-05:00From Overcapacity to OneSince February, I've had six kids in the house. A number I never imagine I would have, since local policy states that five is the limit, and that includes biological children under 18 years of age. The exception was made because I already had my son and one foster child when they needed placement for four siblings...and I was the only place in the county who could (or would) take themAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-26659933815775515062012-04-23T20:40:00.000-05:002012-04-23T20:40:04.408-05:00What Foster Parents (Should) KnowYou know going into foster parenting that you will not be told everything (privacy laws). Perhaps little to nothing, if you don't learn what questions to ask. Still, you hope that you will get a social worker who is good at communicating, not only with judges, lawyers and parents, but with you, the foster parent.
Sometimes, you do. Sometimes, you don't.
I have had six social Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-55773336174302633472012-03-23T15:11:00.005-05:002012-07-14T13:03:03.220-05:00I'm the Lucky OneI saw a comment on LT's blog that struck a chord with me. Here are my rambling thoughts for the day...
People
are always telling me how much they admire what I do, that I'm amazing,
an angel, that they couldn't do it. I don't think that fostering is
for everyone *at all* but I think it must just scare some that actually
could do it. Yes, its work, but so is my own son...andAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-75075027518500363852012-03-09T14:33:00.000-06:002012-03-09T14:33:36.773-06:00Meet the TeachersThis week I decided to be proactive about learning more about these kids, since I have the feeling they may be here a while. Of course, I could be totally wrong about that, too!
I was told they had IEPs, which are individual education plans, by the social workers. All but the oldest child did. I called the school to see about getting copies of the IEPs, and about possibly Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-19022358276194831432012-03-06T18:57:00.002-06:002012-03-06T20:15:39.996-06:00Visitation for Four and MoreThe past week or so has been a bit of a roller-coaster. I finally got to the doctor and drank lots of cough medicine and luckily it didn't run out but a day or so before the anitbiotics really started working. I'm feeling much better now, but last Monday was awful! I'm so glad to finally be working at more than 75% and looking forward to being back to 100%.
I had to take Goofy Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-48001954880434771152012-02-24T12:44:00.000-06:002012-02-24T12:44:08.935-06:00Loads and Loads of...Laundry. 8 people in the house equals mountains of it. I figure I do 3 loads a day on average now IF no one wets the bed.
People who have kids of their own typically have a year or two between adding more kids & laundry. Its a gradual adjustment, and the older kids eventually take on some of those responsibilities. For foster parents, its like a bomb dropping. Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-15731980479749693452012-02-18T16:55:00.002-06:002012-02-18T17:07:40.338-06:00Overflowing!First of all, let me tell you that I have separated the homeschooling part of my blog out from the rest of this, which has pretty much turned into being about foster parenting and other miscellaneous parts of my life. If you want to follow the homeschooling journey, hop on over to Windy Hill Home School!
Second, I didn't have much time to be sad over losing the baby. I threw Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-42693595963986289512012-02-10T15:53:00.000-06:002012-02-10T15:53:22.148-06:00Gone, Baby, GoneI love that song by Martina McBride, Wrong Baby Wrong. It seems appropriate today, although I'm singing the Gone, Baby, Gone verse. Around 11am, I checked my phone because I had gotten a text message a little bit earlier. I noticed I had a missed call and voice mail as well, from 8:45am. Have I mentioned how AT&T doesn't work well here? I get VM and texts Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-62722737468207826922012-02-06T17:48:00.002-06:002012-02-06T17:48:34.276-06:00Homemade Baby WipesPinterest is as inspiring as it is addicting! You can find me here.
I joined because of the sheer number of my Facebook friends who were inviting me (peer pressure! LOL), and at first, I totally didn't get the big deal. At all. But every once in a while, I would go back and look again, and eventually I figured it out. I'm really not usually slow to catch on, but this Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-84332511965225934952012-02-04T11:43:00.002-06:002012-02-04T11:44:14.072-06:002 down, 2 to goBoys. God love 'em. They are rowdy, rambunctious, sweet, cuddly, messy, loud, hungry, loving, open, outdoorsy, messy and more. Yeah, I know I said messy twice, LOL.
This past week a couple of the boys' families had court (Wednesdays around here), and the recommendation by social workers was for them to go home. I was told that the worker didn't know what to expect - had Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-69843000803910075972012-01-16T21:11:00.000-06:002012-01-16T21:11:29.401-06:00FIVE BoysWow, what a week this has been. I fully expected to have several weeks rest after my last foster kids left before getting any phone calls. I was SO wrong!
Just 16 days after the 9 and 13 year olds left, I got the first call of the week. A 4 year old boy came to join us Saturday night, and my DS and he had some good times Sunday. Monday I figured out what I needed to aboutAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-45158859257986738892012-01-16T20:48:00.001-06:002012-01-16T20:48:41.332-06:00The Juice FastI successfully did a juice fast for a whole week! Okay, maybe I cheated a *little*, but I did drink fresh juices for a week :)
The day before the fast I ate only fruit, veggies and nuts. Then I followed the recipes from Get Healthy Through Fasting and Detox (by Dr. Colbert) faithfully for the first 3 days or so, before realizing that some of them just didn't taste good so I doctored Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-89958310788008236362012-01-03T16:01:00.004-06:002012-01-03T16:02:26.750-06:00Getting Healthy in 2012One thing that I love about the other moms using Ambleside Online for homeschooling is that they are so down-to-earth and willing to share about just about everything (using the yahoo groups). Time and time again, the Amble Ramble group gets on the subject of more natural, eco-friendly or healthier living. So often, in fact, that a couple months ago they spun off into a separate yahooAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35864388.post-33482735799483388992012-01-03T15:21:00.000-06:002012-01-03T15:21:53.476-06:00100th Post!Wow, its hard to believe I've posted 100 blogs already! Granted, it hasn't been on a regular basis or about a consistent subject like it needs to be to get a good follow-ship...but I have enjoyed it and that's what matters. Its interesting to go back and read what struck my interest at different points in my life. And if anyone is wondering, yes, I am still a Ron and Rand Paul Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15577409651042520324noreply@blogger.com2