Foster Update:

So last night was our last class.  Hooray!!!  We turned in all of our paperwork, which was a ton.  And now we wait.  It's just like waiting for any kid (or baby) to join your family.  The last trimester is the hardest!  We have to get our home study done.  Which means we will need to start locking up all of our meds, chemicals (including laundry soap), power tools, etc.  Which essentially means there will be a lock on the hall closet, laundry room door & garage.  We also need to safety proof our home.  Thankfully they give us guidelines to follow & make it easy as to what they expect.  So starting tomorrow we will work on the list and make sure everything is taken care of.  And even after we are certified and have our home perfect, it doesn't mean we will get a placement right away.  It could be months.  So, patient is the cool way to be around here!  I have learned so much about the do's and don'ts of Foster care.  And so hopefully you will all be patient with us and our future foster child.  Their norm will so not be our norm.  And a slow integration into our norm will be the best way.  We learned about a child last night who started calling his foster mom a b....  She got so offended, but the foster dad talked to the child and found out that that was the pet name for his mom.  They all had pet names in his home.  And by calling her that, he was telling her that he cared about her.  Like I said, their norm is so not our norm.  By the way...he was also sad because after months of hearing that his foster family loved him and really cared about him, they never used his special name.  The father reluctantly asked what it was.  Yup, it was Little Sh..  (Sorry about the semi-swear words......)  Oi Vay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!