Honeymooners To The Rescue!!!

Whew!  If I don't blog today, it's quite possible I might not have the chance again until after we are finished with all our training.  Everything is going really well, there's just a lot involved!

Let me first say that we LOVE our agency.  They are awesome.  We have now been through two weeks of training classes, which have been super.  It has been overwhelming at times and a lot to process, but we are really thankful for this time of preparation.  The information is so beneficial and really has helped us feel equipped to be foster parents.  We have learned that all children in the foster care system have experienced trauma of some kind and our job is to try to make them feel loved and secure each day.  We've been learning strategies on how to handle the behavior that could come our way.  I could go into much detail, but really it's best explained face to face.  Plus, the more we talk about it, the more it gets ingrained into our brains.

Let's just say that "traditional" parenting will not be our goal.  This is going to be stretching for me.  I come from a you-should-do-it-because-I-told-you-to kind of mindset, but these children will not understand that.  I'm really excited to see how the Lord is going to use this to grow compassion and love in me.  The Hubs, with his lack of experience with children, now feels confident about being around kids because of the things we have learned.  And we both are excited to see the other being a mommy or daddy!

The worst thing about our classes is the chairs.  Yall, seriously.  After an all day Saturday class my tailbone was bruised.  I'm talking, I can't bend over and it hurts all the time.

The "short list" of things we still need to do (and the reasons you may not see us for the next couple of weeks):

• rearrange two rooms so that we have a kid room and an office/music/guest room
• another week of training classes
• a health inspection by the city on Wednesday
• find a doctor and get physicals
• a fire inspection at a time TBD
• create a floor plan with escape routes
• make a daily schedule
• come up with house rules, consequences, and rewards
• read three books
• plus some other things I'm forgetting at the moment.

And all this needs to be done BEFORE they will do the homestudy for us.  We have learned that once we do the homestudy there is a processing time of four to six weeks.  After that we should be open for placement!

The only reason the above list is as short as it is, is because we have spectacular friends who gave up their Friday night for a baby-proofing party.  They made quick work of some of the stuff we have needed to do around the house.  Without a doubt we have THE best and most supportive friends and family around.  Before we go one step further, we have to acknowledge and thank them...  Thank you Karen and David for lunchtime debriefs, installing smoke detectors, the booster car seat, and the movie that will make me cry every time.  Thank you Josiah and Ashley for giving up your Friday night right after Ashley got back from vacation with a wicked tan to install bike hooks, secure pictures to the wall, move heavy furniture, cover outlets, and install a fire extinguisher.  Thanks Joel for letting Josiah borrow your drill, and by extension, letting us borrow your drill.  Thanks Jordan and Caitlin for changing doorknobs, making the pictures level, getting the desk through the door after taking the door off it's hinges, and figuring out where to hide the cleaning products.  I wish we could pay you in more than cookies!  Thank Rusty, Ali, and Ethan for bringing the saw over to cut some shelves, the mama talk in the back porch rockers, the bassinet, and diapers.  Thanks to everyone for the kind words, encouragement, support, and prayers.  We couldn't do any of this without you.  For real.

Hanging bikes = more room in the garage to store baby stuff.

Jordan changing out doorknobs.  Some needed locks, some didn't.

Ashley and Caitlin helping me sleep better at night, knowing a kid can't (easily) knock these pictures off the wall anymore.

David installing the first of three smoke detectors.  Are you up to code?

Don't you have to take the door off it's hinges for all desks to fit through?  Probably not.  They even have smiles on their faces!

Trying to put the fire extinguisher in a safe (and not too noticeable) place.

Remember that time Josiah put up the fire extinguisher in the kitchen and I bought the wrong size so we have to get another one?  Oops.

I kind of feel like we're moving.  Thankfully it's just a little bit of disarray that should quickly go away!

See?  Smoke detectors.

This was the list we started with on Friday night.  The shelves and books part will be done tomorrow.  Oh, and did I mention how thankful we are for Caitlin's help?!

 We're ready for more!

Glad you were curious enough to read.