Elaine emailed me earlier today. Oscar's grandparents want to have him over for a family dinner next Friday. I called her back to talk about it and she said that they would like to be a relative placement for him, but they live in the next state over (not really that far), so our agency will have to work things out with their state.
I also learned that they have been at both of the visits that he has had with his dad and very much want to be a part of Oscar's life. We're very happy for him and hope that things really get set in motion soon, so he can be raised by his own family. It turns out that Oscar's mom isn't doing a whole lot in the way of working her caseplan, other than showing up for visits from time to time, so the best situation, as far as The Wife and I are concerned, is for him to go live with his dad and/or his dad's family.
31.10.12
29.10.12
He's Gone Mobile
Today at daycare, Oscar started crawling. Of course, it's just army crawling on his elbows... but the kid has gone mobile. He isn't sitting up on his own yet, but hopefully once he does, he will be much happier, since he'll be able to see everything going on around him. He is also working on getting at least one tooth. Last night was a rough one. Oscar was not ready to sleep at any point. I think the longest streak of consecutive sleep was about two hours. The rest was alternating between screaming and just wanting to play.
We took all of the kids to the zoo in their costumes, for the annual Halloween event. They got a little bit of candy and it turned out to be nice weather for the zoo. Oscar was dressed as a lion and just hung out in the stroller for most of the trip, while Raggedy Ann (Penny) and Batman (Leonard) walked along. Part of the rough night was because Oscar fell asleep while we were walking around the zoo, then slept all the way home in the car. We came home less than two hours before bedtime, so he really just wasn't ready after a super late afternoon nap. Tonight seems to be going better, but it's also not even 9pm... so it could still go either way.
We took all of the kids to the zoo in their costumes, for the annual Halloween event. They got a little bit of candy and it turned out to be nice weather for the zoo. Oscar was dressed as a lion and just hung out in the stroller for most of the trip, while Raggedy Ann (Penny) and Batman (Leonard) walked along. Part of the rough night was because Oscar fell asleep while we were walking around the zoo, then slept all the way home in the car. We came home less than two hours before bedtime, so he really just wasn't ready after a super late afternoon nap. Tonight seems to be going better, but it's also not even 9pm... so it could still go either way.
26.10.12
The Boyz
Leonard and Oscar are off to a great start in their friendship... nevermind that Oscar is seven months old and has no real opinion on the matter. They sit next to each other in the car and just laugh at each other. We have no idea what is going through either of their heads, but it keeps Leonard from talking incessantly and it keeps Oscar happy, so it works for us.
Tonight when we got home, I gave the doorway jumper a second shot. Last night, I put Oscar in it and he just fell over asleep. Tonight, he was a little more awake and liked it for a while. Leonard stood over by him and talked to him and was just kind of nearby for a few minutes and Oscar was loving life. Then Leonard walked away to talk to me and it all went downhill. The way Oscar screamed and cried, you would think he had fallen out of the thing entirely. Once I lifted him out, he was good again... I guess he just didn't want to be left alone.. which is kind of his thing.
Tonight when we got home, I gave the doorway jumper a second shot. Last night, I put Oscar in it and he just fell over asleep. Tonight, he was a little more awake and liked it for a while. Leonard stood over by him and talked to him and was just kind of nearby for a few minutes and Oscar was loving life. Then Leonard walked away to talk to me and it all went downhill. The way Oscar screamed and cried, you would think he had fallen out of the thing entirely. Once I lifted him out, he was good again... I guess he just didn't want to be left alone.. which is kind of his thing.
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| Leonard was very concerned with why Oscar was so upset |
Two Out of Three
Leonard and Penny's parents both showed up for visits today, no big shock, as they have not missed nor even tried to reschedule a single visit. Oscar's mom, however, was a no show. This isn't the first time that she has missed a visit and surely won't be the last time. His great grandma was there and she spent the full two hours with him. She is a super nice lady, but is just too old to be able to take him in and care for him. The older two had a regular visit with each parent... not a ton of food this week, but still more than they need in the span of two hours. Maybe Marty has mentioned that the amount of food has been ridiculous, so they cut back... but somehow we doubt that the trend will continue. Marty will be gone in a week and the new person probably won't realize that their dad didn't just bring his groceries inside with him, but that the idea is that they will eat everything he brought. That will be something to put an immediate stop to on our part, because I'm still not carting bags and bags of food back and forth.
We'll see what the fall-out of the visit is in a few hours when we get home, but according to their mom, they had a good visit without incident from either of the kids (tantrums, etc). Oscar is a baby, so I'm pretty sure he's just happy to have someone hold him... and he was in a super happy mood the entire time and even postponed his nap to spend time with great grandma.
We'll see what the fall-out of the visit is in a few hours when we get home, but according to their mom, they had a good visit without incident from either of the kids (tantrums, etc). Oscar is a baby, so I'm pretty sure he's just happy to have someone hold him... and he was in a super happy mood the entire time and even postponed his nap to spend time with great grandma.
25.10.12
Oscar
Oscar got his blogname from "The Office". He's half Latino and half Caucasian and, to be honest, that was the first television character that came to mind that fit anywhere near that description.
He's a baby. There isn't a ton to say about him at this point. He just turned seven months old a couple of days ago and he would really like to be able to crawl. He isn't sitting up on his own yet, but we're pretty sure that's coming soon. His preference is to be able to see everything that's going on around him and laying on the floor is not working in his favor.
The first day he was at our house was rough... because all he did was cry. He is a much happier baby now and his daycare thinks that it was just the change to our house. His previous foster home had some tense moments at the end and that is one of the reasons that he was moved to our home. He coos and makes baby noises and is happy most of the time now. We had thought that maybe it was a mistake to take in a baby, especially as a third child in our care, but, thanks to his turnaround, it has been fun to have him. We don't know a lot about what's going on with his case, but it looks like there isn't another court date set until the end of January, so we'll get to have him for his first Christmas.
Things Oscar likes:
Baths
Eating
Being outside
Looking outside
Fresh, clean diapers
His feet
Things Oscar doesn't like:
Not being fed in a timely manner
Not being able to use his hands as chew toys
Being strapped into a carseat
He's a baby. There isn't a ton to say about him at this point. He just turned seven months old a couple of days ago and he would really like to be able to crawl. He isn't sitting up on his own yet, but we're pretty sure that's coming soon. His preference is to be able to see everything that's going on around him and laying on the floor is not working in his favor.
The first day he was at our house was rough... because all he did was cry. He is a much happier baby now and his daycare thinks that it was just the change to our house. His previous foster home had some tense moments at the end and that is one of the reasons that he was moved to our home. He coos and makes baby noises and is happy most of the time now. We had thought that maybe it was a mistake to take in a baby, especially as a third child in our care, but, thanks to his turnaround, it has been fun to have him. We don't know a lot about what's going on with his case, but it looks like there isn't another court date set until the end of January, so we'll get to have him for his first Christmas.
Things Oscar likes:
Baths
Eating
Being outside
Looking outside
Fresh, clean diapers
His feet
Things Oscar doesn't like:
Not being fed in a timely manner
Not being able to use his hands as chew toys
Being strapped into a carseat
Penny
Penny's blogname came from "The Big Bang Theory". It's really one of the best shows on television and it was the only thing we had to watch during the summer television break. Plus, I needed two names that would go together, since our first placement was two kids.
Since coming to live at our house, Penny has started going to daycare, begun gymnastics classes, and had a birthday. She is a super smart kid... especially for her age. The Wife taught her how to spell and write her name over the course of about two weeks. Most of the time, Penny is a very sweet little girl who likes to take care of her little brother. Other times, she is too much of a parent to her brother and gets told to leave things alone or not to bring them up again, by us. And even other times, she throws tantrums like a two year old... kicking, screaming and hitting. The tantrums generally come when something doesn't go her way, as with most kids, but she really commits to the tantrums. We definitely can't say she's phoning in the effort.
Since coming to live at our house, Penny has started going to daycare, begun gymnastics classes, and had a birthday. She is a super smart kid... especially for her age. The Wife taught her how to spell and write her name over the course of about two weeks. Most of the time, Penny is a very sweet little girl who likes to take care of her little brother. Other times, she is too much of a parent to her brother and gets told to leave things alone or not to bring them up again, by us. And even other times, she throws tantrums like a two year old... kicking, screaming and hitting. The tantrums generally come when something doesn't go her way, as with most kids, but she really commits to the tantrums. We definitely can't say she's phoning in the effort.
In a lot of ways, Penny is more of a kid after being with us over three months than she was when she arrived. While she's the older sister, she doesn't always need to be protective of her brother and that is what we have tried to convey to her.... we have it under control.
Things Penny likes:
Daycare
Gymnastics
Her brother
The Kid
Being given responsibility (cleaning, helping out around the house)
Books
Cartoons
Things Penny doesn't like:
Correcting of her behavior
Losing cartoons for the night
Cheese (but only sometimes)
Leonard
Leonard's blogname, like Penny's, came from "The Big Bang Theory". That was the first pair of names that I thought of when I started the blog, plus they came to our house on a Thursday, which happens to be the night that the show airs.
Since coming to live at our house, Leonard has started going to daycare, along with his sister. Leonard, like Penny, is super smart also. In the last couple of weeks, he has started spelling his name with the foam letters that they play with in the tub. Leonard used to cry quite a bit, at bedtime, at bathtime, at other random times, but that has really stopped of late. In the last five weeks or so, I can't recall a single time that he cried at bedtime or woke up in the night crying.
Since coming to live at our house, Leonard has started going to daycare, along with his sister. Leonard, like Penny, is super smart also. In the last couple of weeks, he has started spelling his name with the foam letters that they play with in the tub. Leonard used to cry quite a bit, at bedtime, at bathtime, at other random times, but that has really stopped of late. In the last five weeks or so, I can't recall a single time that he cried at bedtime or woke up in the night crying.
Leonard has matured quite a bit since coming to our house. When he arrived, he acted pretty much helpless. He wouldn't take his clothes off, put his clothes on, put his shoes on, or anything that was a matter of self-care.
Things Leonard likes:
Daycare
His sister
Baseball & football
Slippers
Footie PJs
Footie PJs
Cartoons
Dirt
Dirt
Things Leonard doesn't like:
Correcting of his behavior
Going to sleep
Being told to hurry... no matter the situation
Being told to hurry... no matter the situation
Kate
I really have no idea where she got her blogname. I think it was just the first thing that came to mind when I was writing the first blog she appeared in.
She's leaving too. Her last day is next Friday. She sent out a nice email to all of the families that she works with and let us know that we would be in good hands, no matter who we were assigned to after she's gone. I think that's just something people say. It's not like she can say, "sucks to be you, good luck". Kate has been really fun to talk to and even helped us in getting a baby placed with us. She shares our love of everything Ikea and even told us that we were providing a very good foster home for all of the kids. She has been very helpful all along the way and seems like someone that we would maybe even be friends with, if it hadn't been more of a working relationship with her. Just like with Marty, we wish her the best of luck... but we still don't have to like it.
She's leaving too. Her last day is next Friday. She sent out a nice email to all of the families that she works with and let us know that we would be in good hands, no matter who we were assigned to after she's gone. I think that's just something people say. It's not like she can say, "sucks to be you, good luck". Kate has been really fun to talk to and even helped us in getting a baby placed with us. She shares our love of everything Ikea and even told us that we were providing a very good foster home for all of the kids. She has been very helpful all along the way and seems like someone that we would maybe even be friends with, if it hadn't been more of a working relationship with her. Just like with Marty, we wish her the best of luck... but we still don't have to like it.
Marty
Marty got his blogname from "Madagascar". We learned early on that he lived in Madagascar for a while, so he got the name from the zebra in the movie.
He's leaving the agency. We found out the other day that he had about two weeks left and then Leonard and Penny would be assigned a new caseworker. We couldn't believe that Marty was leaving. We also can't imagine anyone being able to fully replace him. The kids love him and they look forward to going to his office for the visits with their parents. Obviously, we wish him the best and, from reading other foster blogs, we know this is the kind of thing that happens quite often within the social services field... but that doesn't mean we have to like it.
He's leaving the agency. We found out the other day that he had about two weeks left and then Leonard and Penny would be assigned a new caseworker. We couldn't believe that Marty was leaving. We also can't imagine anyone being able to fully replace him. The kids love him and they look forward to going to his office for the visits with their parents. Obviously, we wish him the best and, from reading other foster blogs, we know this is the kind of thing that happens quite often within the social services field... but that doesn't mean we have to like it.
Elaine
Oscar's caseworker gets her blogname from "Seinfeld". Much like the show, she is about nothing.
He has been at our house for nine days now and the first time either of us had ever seen her was last night. She took Oscar to meet his dad for the first time after daycare and then dropped him off at the house after the visit. She was supposed to leave the agency at 6:30pm and bring Oscar home. Somehow, it took her 35 minutes to drive 3.8 miles. She said that Oscar's dad wanted to talk to her about future visits and things, but we're pretty sure that she could have said, "give me a call at the office tomorrow because his foster family is expecting him home".
In addition to the lack of meeting her in person, when The Wife asked her about coming to the house and talking about the case and such, Elaine passed. Currently, we believe that the one meeting per month with the child and family are being accounted for by her taking him to visits with his parents.
For now, I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt in the situation. Oscar was pulled from the previous foster home, not by her, but by the family's FSC worker, Kate (who happens to be ours also... for now... we'll get to that later). Elaine was not involved in the decision, but thanked us for being able to take him so quickly. Hopefully things will get better and we will be able to work together to get Oscar back to his family.
He has been at our house for nine days now and the first time either of us had ever seen her was last night. She took Oscar to meet his dad for the first time after daycare and then dropped him off at the house after the visit. She was supposed to leave the agency at 6:30pm and bring Oscar home. Somehow, it took her 35 minutes to drive 3.8 miles. She said that Oscar's dad wanted to talk to her about future visits and things, but we're pretty sure that she could have said, "give me a call at the office tomorrow because his foster family is expecting him home".
In addition to the lack of meeting her in person, when The Wife asked her about coming to the house and talking about the case and such, Elaine passed. Currently, we believe that the one meeting per month with the child and family are being accounted for by her taking him to visits with his parents.
For now, I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt in the situation. Oscar was pulled from the previous foster home, not by her, but by the family's FSC worker, Kate (who happens to be ours also... for now... we'll get to that later). Elaine was not involved in the decision, but thanked us for being able to take him so quickly. Hopefully things will get better and we will be able to work together to get Oscar back to his family.
21.10.12
The Cider Mill, Revisited
Technically, our visit was for the pumpkin patch, but it was to the same place as we went a couple of weeks ago. The Kid wasn't with us on the last trip, plus we needed some pumpkins for Halloween. The apple cider donuts also deserved a second round. The kids were all very excited for the giant slide and just the general idea of the pumpkin patch. It's a real shame that the aroma of rotting pumpkins had overtaken the actual field where they were supposed to be found. The Kid, Leonard and Penny attempted to find some pumpkins to take home, but in the end, we had to buy the pumpkins that were up at the front entrance. The rest of them were either mushy or super green and weird.
We came home and the popular opinion was that I should carve the pumpkin to look like a dog. I got as close as I could. Pictures to come.
We came home and the popular opinion was that I should carve the pumpkin to look like a dog. I got as close as I could. Pictures to come.
2am
I just don't see 2am roll around anymore. Sure I used to, back in the day. Nowadays, it sounds pretty awful to be out that late. Well, Saturday night I was out almost that late. At the hospital. Oscar didn't sleep much (if any) Friday night, due to some congestion and constant coughing and sneezing. He was scheduled to sleep in our room for the weekend, since The Kid was over and we weren't going to have him in there with her so he could wake her up in the middle of the night. Like I said, Friday night was rough and Oscar and I ended up sleeping in the living room. It was either he sleeps in our room hacking and coughing away and neither I nor The Wife gets any sleep or the alternative, one of us gets to sleep while the other attempts to make the baby sleep. Saturday night was more of the same. He made it about four hours into his evening slumber before he woke up coughing. Or rather, before the coughing woke him up. We came down to the living room and as I attempted to feed him, he starting coughing again. The cough has been so bad that it really sounds like he's going to suffocate. I rounded up some things, threw them in the diaper bag, told The Wife what was going on and then headed to the children's hospital that is near our house. The sticker that I was given said 11:25pm for our check-in time. It was actually a lot faster than I thought it was going to be, but at that time of night, things still feel like they're dragging along. I did learn a lot about a new blender from an infomercial that was on in the room we were assigned to, but that was pretty much all that came out of our visit. They did a chest x-ray and ruled out bronchitis and pneumonia. The doctor said that it was most likely a viral infection and that there really wasn't anything that we could do about it other than to wait it out. Awesome news. Wait... no... it's terrible. They told me that if it gets worse, bring him back and they recommended using the nose sucker bulb thing and sent us on our way. My first reaction was, "do you really think we haven't thought of that?", but I just thanked them and walked away.
We made it home around 1:30am and by the time we were settled in our places back on the couch, it was a little after 2am. Oscar slept until about 3:30am, woke up, drank a good sized bottle and fell back asleep immediately. He wasn't congested or anything the rest of the night, so we were able to sleep until a few minutes after 8am this morning... it was glorious.
The Day That Dora Exploded
Penny's birthday party was a success. We were told that it was the best birthday she has ever had, on multiple occasions. The Dora decorations were pretty expansive, but the thing that pushed it over the top was, most likely, the giant Dora bounce house in the backyard. Neither one of the kids knew about the bounce house and the company came to set it up during naptime, so it was a surprise when they woke up.
Along with the gifts that we got her, everyone else who came to the party brought a gift for her as well. We got her a matching game, Fantastic Gymnastics Dora, and a LeapPad. Because her birthday falls in October, she still has another full school year (in addition to the current one) before she can start kindergarten. The LeapPad was a little bit more money, but it has been clear to us that someone in her life has worked with her on several educational things and we wanted to be sure that trend would continue after she has left our home. While the LeapPad being the educational gift, the Dora gymnastics thing is a pretty fun toy. She does back bends and handstands and such. With Penny loving her gymnastics class on Saturdays, that was an easy pick for a gift.
Saturday ended up being a pretty go, go, go kind of day, but the kids did really well with it and even Oscar maintained a happy demeanor for our guests. At the end of it all, with the baby in bed, Leonard, Penny and The Kid settled in for some quality time with Scooby Doo.
19.10.12
Baby Update
Oscar is doing well in our home. In talking to people at his daycare, we have learned that he has been a completely different baby for the last three days.
For the last three months that he has been in care, it has been more chaos than control. Sometimes he slept, sometimes he didn't. Sometimes he wanted a bottle, sometimes he wanted baby food. His former foster parents told the daycare that he liked sleeping on his stomach, which is against both the state regulations for foster homes and the regulations that the daycare must follow. When the daycare told them that putting a baby (that was only a few months old) on his stomach to sleep was against the rules, their response was, "well, good luck with getting him to sleep then". From what I can tell, that was the general attitude toward daycare also. If it wasn't the way they did it at home, then there was no way that any other approach was going to work.
His teacher told me last night when I picked him up that he has been happy and laughing and smiling a lot more in the last few days. More specifically, since Wednesday morning, the first time he woke up at our house. As I said before, Tuesday was a rough day on The Wife, being at home with him for the first several hours of his arrival. He would sleep for twenty minutes, wake up, be happy for five or ten minutes, then just be pissed off and inconsolable for the entire time until he fell asleep again. Apparently that was every day for the people at daycare. He wouldn't eat and then he would insist on eating. He wouldn't sleep at all or he would only sleep for a few minutes. At our house, we have a schedule that we have to stick to, otherwise the whole process breaks down. We learned that the first few weeks with Leonard and Penny... we played fast and loose with the schedule (specifically napping) and we paid dearly for it with tantrums, crying and general bad times. I know that it has only been a few days, but I really feel like we are already making a difference in his little life.
For the last three months that he has been in care, it has been more chaos than control. Sometimes he slept, sometimes he didn't. Sometimes he wanted a bottle, sometimes he wanted baby food. His former foster parents told the daycare that he liked sleeping on his stomach, which is against both the state regulations for foster homes and the regulations that the daycare must follow. When the daycare told them that putting a baby (that was only a few months old) on his stomach to sleep was against the rules, their response was, "well, good luck with getting him to sleep then". From what I can tell, that was the general attitude toward daycare also. If it wasn't the way they did it at home, then there was no way that any other approach was going to work.
His teacher told me last night when I picked him up that he has been happy and laughing and smiling a lot more in the last few days. More specifically, since Wednesday morning, the first time he woke up at our house. As I said before, Tuesday was a rough day on The Wife, being at home with him for the first several hours of his arrival. He would sleep for twenty minutes, wake up, be happy for five or ten minutes, then just be pissed off and inconsolable for the entire time until he fell asleep again. Apparently that was every day for the people at daycare. He wouldn't eat and then he would insist on eating. He wouldn't sleep at all or he would only sleep for a few minutes. At our house, we have a schedule that we have to stick to, otherwise the whole process breaks down. We learned that the first few weeks with Leonard and Penny... we played fast and loose with the schedule (specifically napping) and we paid dearly for it with tantrums, crying and general bad times. I know that it has only been a few days, but I really feel like we are already making a difference in his little life.
4 & 3
Today is Penny's birthday. She's 4.
Today is the 19th of October. They've been with us 3 months.
It's both a happy day and kind of a depressing day. Luckily, the kids have no concept of time, so they don't realize how long it has been since they came to our house. Tomorrow is the big party... pictures to come of that. Visits were today, as normal. Normal in every way... with the addition of cake and cupcakes, of course. They still had the ridiculous amount of food (grapes, bananas, milk, vegetables, pretzels, fast food), but Dad brought them cupcakes and Mom brought a cake. We're super excited for the end of the day sugar crash.
The gifts were... something. Dad brought Penny something, but we don't know what, because he took it back to his house with him. Mom brought her socks, some beanbags (which she asked for), two outfits, a coloring book, some sort of pencil/folder set that she's not really old enough for, a sun catcher making kit that she may be old enough for, and toothpaste. Luckily for Leonard, he was also showered with gifts for his sister's birthday. He got a shirt, a coloring book, a Thomas the Tank toy, socks, toothpaste, and a toothbrush... for ages 5-7. So at least he can use the toothbrush in 2 1/2 years.
The longer that this goes on, the further out of touch with reality the parents seem. Toothpaste for a birthday? Come on... who does that? Also the "we know you're two and (now) four, but here's some icing to eat at 11am" approach is questionable at best. There are times that we wish they could go back home and be with their families and then there are times like this when we realize that they seem to be in much better hands with us.
*Edited for content: Since writing this, I have been informed that the gift that their dad took home was a Dora height measuring thing.
Today is the 19th of October. They've been with us 3 months.
It's both a happy day and kind of a depressing day. Luckily, the kids have no concept of time, so they don't realize how long it has been since they came to our house. Tomorrow is the big party... pictures to come of that. Visits were today, as normal. Normal in every way... with the addition of cake and cupcakes, of course. They still had the ridiculous amount of food (grapes, bananas, milk, vegetables, pretzels, fast food), but Dad brought them cupcakes and Mom brought a cake. We're super excited for the end of the day sugar crash.
The gifts were... something. Dad brought Penny something, but we don't know what, because he took it back to his house with him. Mom brought her socks, some beanbags (which she asked for), two outfits, a coloring book, some sort of pencil/folder set that she's not really old enough for, a sun catcher making kit that she may be old enough for, and toothpaste. Luckily for Leonard, he was also showered with gifts for his sister's birthday. He got a shirt, a coloring book, a Thomas the Tank toy, socks, toothpaste, and a toothbrush... for ages 5-7. So at least he can use the toothbrush in 2 1/2 years.
The longer that this goes on, the further out of touch with reality the parents seem. Toothpaste for a birthday? Come on... who does that? Also the "we know you're two and (now) four, but here's some icing to eat at 11am" approach is questionable at best. There are times that we wish they could go back home and be with their families and then there are times like this when we realize that they seem to be in much better hands with us.
*Edited for content: Since writing this, I have been informed that the gift that their dad took home was a Dora height measuring thing.
17.10.12
The Cider Mill
A couple of weekends ago, we took Leonard and Penny to the cider mill that is about thirty minutes from the house. They had a good time watching the apples being washed and seeing the apple donuts being cooked. After we stood in line for about fifteen minutes, we got some apple cider, apple donuts and a caramel apple, then we sat down to enjoy our apple-y goodness. After snacks, we walked to the other side of the property and the kids got to play on some hay bales and other family-friendly activities. One of the tractors from the hayride came around and we jumped on with the kids. At about the halfway point, they stopped and we got to get off of the ride. We had the choice of walking over so the kids could go down the giant slide that was down the back of hill in the field or we could wonder by the pumpkin patch that was also nearby. All in all, we had a good time and the kids really enjoyed the day.
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| Watching the apples being washed |
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| The end of the slide was dirt... if you couldn't tell |
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| The first time down the slide, Penny lost control, Leonard needed a co-pilot |
Just What Every Kid Needs
Who doesn't need a robe? You wake up in the morning, put on your slippers and robe, then come downstairs for breakfast. Or you get cold at night while you're watching cartoons. The main idea here is that we like the house cold, so the kids would obviously need some super cute robes to keep them warm.
ALL THE THINGS!!!
We have so much baby stuff right now, it's ridiculous. Here is the list of what our new little friend, Oscar, brought to our house yesterday:
Clothes - So many, it's hard to quantify... but he will not be needing any until he is at least nearing a year old
Diapers - Enough to last us through the end of the month easily
Wipes - Enough to last us through the end of the year... or at least close to it
Blankets - Two or three, nothing outrageous
Pack & Play - We didn't open it, but it seems to be in good shape
Clothes - There are just so many, it has to be on the list twice
Play Mat - We have one, but hey... two never hurt anyone
Bottles - Approximately twelve
Formula - Eight cans... we assume this is due to WIC requiring that you get them all at the same time
Baby Food - Jarred fruits and vegetables, rice cereal, and oatmeal
Car Seat - We have five... we're good
Diaper Bags - Yes... with an "s". There were two, conveniently, we will send one to daycare for parental visits
Bathtub - Again... we have one and definitely don't need two
Toys - Stuffed and otherwise
The first day was rough on The Wife, as babies who take 40 minute naps and then wake up pissed can be a little grating on anyone. The first night was not bad at all. We were guessing that he would be up somewhere between five times and every hour on the hour. We put him in the crib at about 7:45pm and he cried for about five minutes, then slept until 1:45am. I went in, gave him a bottle, changed his diaper and put him back in bed. This time, he cried for about three minutes, babbled to himself for a minute and was asleep that fast. That time, he slept until I turned a light on to get him ready for daycare at 6:50am this morning. We had no idea what to expect on his first night in a new house and around new people, but clearly, he was indifferent to where he was... because he just wanted to sleep.
16.10.12
He's Here... or There
Our new little one has arrived at the house with The Wife. I'm at work. So basically, it's killing me to sit here and do anything even remotely close to work. Turns out, the last foster home that he was in sent every single thing they had for him... five trashbags full to be exact. The clothes go all the way up to 12 months and there has been at least one pair of 2T pants in there. He even has a tiny jean jacket and a couple of sweater vests. He has not yet received his blog-worthy name, but I'm sure he will in no time. He is almost seven months old, but The Wife said he's little. I JUST WANT TO GO HOME AND SEE THE BABY!!!
15.10.12
He's Coming...
Kate called me earlier this morning and informed me that she had a baby that needed a placement. She told me his name and I immediately recognized it. The first call we got, back in July, was for a three month old baby, but we didn't have a crib yet and we had just gotten back from the furniture buying extravaganza, so the room was not set up in the least. Well... this call was for a six month old... with the same name... because it's the same baby. He was placed in a home back in July, but due to some unforeseen circumstances arising at his current foster home, he needs to be permanently moved. Nothing happened to him, it's just that things have changed at that home, so Kate called us first. I am waiting for a phone call from his current foster home to see when we can go pick him up tomorrow. I couldn't believe it was the same baby when she told me, but I guess it must be some sort of fate that he comes to live with us.
14.10.12
Happy at Home
We decided that today was a good day to stay at home. Generally, we've noticed that the kids get a little wound up when we stay at home for an entire day, but today has gone fairly well. The Wife and I went out to dinner with her family last night, so one of the teachers from daycare came over and spent a few hours with Leonard and Penny. We also spent a few hours out of the house yesterday with gymnastics, grocery shopping, and a few other errands, so we were all happy just staying at home today. Leonard and Penny have spent the majority of their day in the playroom with the only incident occurring about twenty minutes ago when they decided that throwing the ball up and down the stairs was a good idea. I told Leonard (who was at the top of the stairs and also more likely to fall down them) to come downstairs and he could play and he just stared at me. One of the rules is "listen to us", so that got him a trip to his room for a few minutes to think about his choices. I went up and got him after a few minutes and he is, once again, playing happily with his sister.
Prepared vs Insane
We prefer to think of ourselves as prepared, but the blog has never really shown how prepared we really were. We can definitely see where outsiders may think we're insane, but it sure was fun buying all of the stuff and knowing it would be used by kids that really needed it. I took a couple of pictures of our garage, just to display our preparedness. In the first picture, you'll see that we have the baby bouncer, the swing, the stroller, and the exersaucer. The second picture is the clothes that we purchased and were given to prepare for our adventure into fostering.
The clothes sort of make us look crazy, but hey... you never know what you'll need. We have them separated into boys/girls and by size. In some cases, we have them separated into winter/summer as well. Mostly, we did this as a way to not end up at Wal-Mart at 2am in the event of an overnight placement. Leonard and Penny came to us with very little clothing, but still more than the average foster placement brings. It was nice to not have to worry about something they could need immediately, like a coat or some socks. As I said, the clothes came from a combination of places. Some of them are out-grown things that belonged to The Kid, some were given to us by one of The Wife's co-workers, and then we bought a lot of it... either from a consignment store or, in some cases, new stuff that was on clearance at kids' stores. The clothes also help in that, when a child outgrows clothes, we already have the next size ready to go and we don't have to run out and get a bunch of new stuff at the same time.
The clothes sort of make us look crazy, but hey... you never know what you'll need. We have them separated into boys/girls and by size. In some cases, we have them separated into winter/summer as well. Mostly, we did this as a way to not end up at Wal-Mart at 2am in the event of an overnight placement. Leonard and Penny came to us with very little clothing, but still more than the average foster placement brings. It was nice to not have to worry about something they could need immediately, like a coat or some socks. As I said, the clothes came from a combination of places. Some of them are out-grown things that belonged to The Kid, some were given to us by one of The Wife's co-workers, and then we bought a lot of it... either from a consignment store or, in some cases, new stuff that was on clearance at kids' stores. The clothes also help in that, when a child outgrows clothes, we already have the next size ready to go and we don't have to run out and get a bunch of new stuff at the same time.
The Waiting Place...
For people just waiting.
On a baby.
Still.
Don't get me wrong, I would much prefer that people take care of their kids on their own so they don't have to come into care, but we're all set up and just waiting for a baby. Look! We even have a little nursery area set up in The Kid's room.
We got our temporary permit a few days ago and I even made the call to the agency to let them know that we are ready for a baby placement. We can't take any other ages right now, because we still have Leonard and Penny and we only have room (and a crib) for a baby. Plus, three kids full-time and four kids for a few days a month should be plenty sufficient for us. When we were first licensed in July, we waited a couple of weeks and then we were told to just call the agency and remind them that we had space and were licensed. That was at about 9:30am on a Thursday. At 3:40pm on the same day, we got a call to take Leonard and Penny. I called the agency this past Thursday also, but we haven't heard anything yet. Hopefully in the next few days, we'll have some news about a little one coming to us.
On a baby.
Still.
Don't get me wrong, I would much prefer that people take care of their kids on their own so they don't have to come into care, but we're all set up and just waiting for a baby. Look! We even have a little nursery area set up in The Kid's room.
We got our temporary permit a few days ago and I even made the call to the agency to let them know that we are ready for a baby placement. We can't take any other ages right now, because we still have Leonard and Penny and we only have room (and a crib) for a baby. Plus, three kids full-time and four kids for a few days a month should be plenty sufficient for us. When we were first licensed in July, we waited a couple of weeks and then we were told to just call the agency and remind them that we had space and were licensed. That was at about 9:30am on a Thursday. At 3:40pm on the same day, we got a call to take Leonard and Penny. I called the agency this past Thursday also, but we haven't heard anything yet. Hopefully in the next few days, we'll have some news about a little one coming to us.
11.10.12
You Can't Always Get What You Want
That was the theme of our evening tonight. After dinner and baths, the kids put on their pajamas, brush their teeth and then watch cartoons (if they've been earned through the sticker chart system) and then it's time for books and bed. This is the way it has been since they came to us 12 weeks ago today... except for the newly implemented sticker chart portion of the evening. Since our normal routine is that The Wife handles Leonard and Penny in the morning, getting up and ready for daycare, and I take care of the evening from bath time on, we have recently discussed how the kids are doing with taking care of themselves. Leonard is a professional toothbrusher at this point, while Penny is slacking as much as possible. When not given instruction on when to keep brushing or when to stop, Leonard brushes for about five minutes, while Penny brushes for maybe thirty seconds... which could explain the fact that we are only a little over a month removed from having four cavities filled. Tonight was no different. As I was brushing their hair and waiting for them to finish brushing, Penny stopped and started to put away her toothbrush. I then informed her that she needed to keep brushing, like her brother was doing. She shut down. I told her that she needed to keep brushing again and she decided to fiddle with a headband that was laying nearby. I immediately informed her that she would not be getting a sticker this evening and that meant no cartoons and that it was time for bed. She completely melted down. We have only seen her lose it about four times, but when she does it, it is in spectacular fashion. I picked her up and carried her to her bed, as she was kicking and screaming and crying. When I put her in bed, I told her that it was time for bed and that she needed to calm down. That, of course, went real well. So well, in fact, that The Wife came in to take over for me so I could see to Leonard getting done with his teeth and things, so he could get to his cartoon watching. As Penny was screaming from her bed still, The Wife informed her that if she could not get herself under control, she would be staying home from gymnastics on Saturday. About five seconds later, that became less of a threat and more of a reality. Upside... we get to sleep in a little bit. She continued to scream about not wanting to go to bed and not wanting to lay down. The Wife told her that maybe tomorrow would be a better day and she would be able to join her brother in cartoons after bath time.
In other news... visits with the parents are tomorrow... can't wait to see what aisle of the grocery store they try to send home with us this week.
In other news... visits with the parents are tomorrow... can't wait to see what aisle of the grocery store they try to send home with us this week.
9.10.12
We're Official... Again... Sort of
We got our new temporary license today from the agency. We still have the official state inspection pending, but we can get another placement now.
Obviously, I called the agency right away to let them know that we were ready and willing to take a baby. The only exception is that the baby has to be at least six weeks old, due to the rules of daycare. The last time I called the agency and told them that we were ready, it was about six hours before we got a call. I don't know how this one will go, but they're on the clock now.
Obviously, I called the agency right away to let them know that we were ready and willing to take a baby. The only exception is that the baby has to be at least six weeks old, due to the rules of daycare. The last time I called the agency and told them that we were ready, it was about six hours before we got a call. I don't know how this one will go, but they're on the clock now.
7.10.12
He's a Trend-Setter
We have discovered, in the last few weeks, that Leonard is very interested in clothes. He always wants to pick out his shoes to go with whatever clothes he's wearing and he gets super excited about new clothes. The Wife decided that Leonard would be going hipster style this fall and winter, so his closet contains both green denim jeans and skinny jeans, as well as sweater vests and some very fashionable shoes. Here he is from yesterday, rockin' the green jeans.
At the same time as he enjoys the daytime fashions, his favorite pajamas are the ones with feet in them. When he sleeps without footie pjs, he usually enjoys wearing his slippers to bed. When he wakes up, he always seems to be surprised that one (or both) of his slippers have fallen off in the night. Apparently, in his mind, they should still be on twelve hours later. Last night was a footie pj night. Penny threw a massive fit during the day, so there were no cartoons for her before bed, but I did manage to get a cute picture of Leonard curled up on the couch with his lion, watching some Dora.
At the same time as he enjoys the daytime fashions, his favorite pajamas are the ones with feet in them. When he sleeps without footie pjs, he usually enjoys wearing his slippers to bed. When he wakes up, he always seems to be surprised that one (or both) of his slippers have fallen off in the night. Apparently, in his mind, they should still be on twelve hours later. Last night was a footie pj night. Penny threw a massive fit during the day, so there were no cartoons for her before bed, but I did manage to get a cute picture of Leonard curled up on the couch with his lion, watching some Dora.
6.10.12
I've Been Slacking
I was doing so well on keeping up with a blog a day. Not so much since this whole moving thing came up. I finally got pictures of the new playroom and the kids' new room... so here they are:
We basically have the most amazing landlord at the new place also. Not only did he promise to not tell us that we'd need to move in three months, he's been taking care of things for our new inspection. In our state (and many others I'm sure), we have to fill out the paperwork and have the people from the state come out to the house for the new inspection. We haven't had to do much, but our landlord has volunteered to do whatever we need in order to have everything in line for the state. We have a chimney cleaner coming on Friday and there were two guys out today, for about ten hours, adding a railing and replacing boards on the back deck. Even the guys working on the desk asked if we needed anything else done to meet licensing standards.
Leonard and Penny have adjusted well to the move and still refer to this house as "the new house" from time to time. We have reassured them that we are not going back to the other house. Over the course of the last week, they have traded personalities to some extent. The always outgoing and happy Penny has taken to not using her words and not listening to us, whereas Leonard has been maintaining fairly well (at least for him) and not breaking into tears at every turn. Penny lost it today when I told her to leave Leonard alone and then removed her from the situation. Leonard continued looking at the book that he had been "reading" up to that point. We were moderately amazed that he held it together. When they first got to our house, they were so co-dependent on each other, that he would get upset just because she was upset. Now it has reached the point that they actually enjoy going places without the other one (occasionally, not always) and they don't even play with each other a lot of the time. Sure, they'll both be in the room together, but they aren't always playing with the same toys or even talking to each other.
It's been quite a turnaround from where we were a little over two and a half months ago, but this has definitely been good for both kids. We know they aren't here forever, but while they are, we are trying to help them learn things that can continue to help them once they leave our house.
We basically have the most amazing landlord at the new place also. Not only did he promise to not tell us that we'd need to move in three months, he's been taking care of things for our new inspection. In our state (and many others I'm sure), we have to fill out the paperwork and have the people from the state come out to the house for the new inspection. We haven't had to do much, but our landlord has volunteered to do whatever we need in order to have everything in line for the state. We have a chimney cleaner coming on Friday and there were two guys out today, for about ten hours, adding a railing and replacing boards on the back deck. Even the guys working on the desk asked if we needed anything else done to meet licensing standards.
Leonard and Penny have adjusted well to the move and still refer to this house as "the new house" from time to time. We have reassured them that we are not going back to the other house. Over the course of the last week, they have traded personalities to some extent. The always outgoing and happy Penny has taken to not using her words and not listening to us, whereas Leonard has been maintaining fairly well (at least for him) and not breaking into tears at every turn. Penny lost it today when I told her to leave Leonard alone and then removed her from the situation. Leonard continued looking at the book that he had been "reading" up to that point. We were moderately amazed that he held it together. When they first got to our house, they were so co-dependent on each other, that he would get upset just because she was upset. Now it has reached the point that they actually enjoy going places without the other one (occasionally, not always) and they don't even play with each other a lot of the time. Sure, they'll both be in the room together, but they aren't always playing with the same toys or even talking to each other.
It's been quite a turnaround from where we were a little over two and a half months ago, but this has definitely been good for both kids. We know they aren't here forever, but while they are, we are trying to help them learn things that can continue to help them once they leave our house.
1.10.12
The Big Move
We moved on Saturday. We're only about 5 miles from the old place, but we now have a house with a giant backyard, rather than a townhouse with a mostly cement backyard.
Leonard and Penny stuck it out for the entire day. They did manage to get in a nap, but they also stayed up about two hours past their normal bedtime. While they were asleep, The Wife and I unloaded boxes and put the playroom together. We decided that having two little kids around without any means of entertainment would not be conducive to getting anything done at all. Gotta have priorities. Sunday was more unpacking and figuring out where to put all of our things. We ended up having to choose between the smaller couch and the television for the living room. As we are not a no television family, the couch was relocated to the garage... which was a pretty large undertaking for the two of us, since couches don't just slide right through doorways. We finished the living room and the little kids' room last night. The Wife is working from home today and finishing up some of the other rooms, since Marty and Kate will be over this evening for our monthly meeting.
Hopefully I can get some good pictures of the new rooms and post them later.
Sticker chart update: Penny has gotten eight stickers in a row for her awesome behavior and attitude. Leonard is holding strong at three total, I believe. He was amazing and doing really well all day Saturday and was on his way to a sticker, but then when The Wife said, "Did you listen to us today?", he wouldn't answer. The answer should have been "yes", but since he didn't use his words to tell us and just stared blankly (and somewhat angrily), that was a "no" to the next question of "did you use your words today?". At least the stickers are getting through to one of them. It's amazing how Penny straightens right up if the mention of losing a sticker comes up. Next weekend, she will get to choose whatever fun activity we may do.
Leonard and Penny stuck it out for the entire day. They did manage to get in a nap, but they also stayed up about two hours past their normal bedtime. While they were asleep, The Wife and I unloaded boxes and put the playroom together. We decided that having two little kids around without any means of entertainment would not be conducive to getting anything done at all. Gotta have priorities. Sunday was more unpacking and figuring out where to put all of our things. We ended up having to choose between the smaller couch and the television for the living room. As we are not a no television family, the couch was relocated to the garage... which was a pretty large undertaking for the two of us, since couches don't just slide right through doorways. We finished the living room and the little kids' room last night. The Wife is working from home today and finishing up some of the other rooms, since Marty and Kate will be over this evening for our monthly meeting.
Hopefully I can get some good pictures of the new rooms and post them later.
Sticker chart update: Penny has gotten eight stickers in a row for her awesome behavior and attitude. Leonard is holding strong at three total, I believe. He was amazing and doing really well all day Saturday and was on his way to a sticker, but then when The Wife said, "Did you listen to us today?", he wouldn't answer. The answer should have been "yes", but since he didn't use his words to tell us and just stared blankly (and somewhat angrily), that was a "no" to the next question of "did you use your words today?". At least the stickers are getting through to one of them. It's amazing how Penny straightens right up if the mention of losing a sticker comes up. Next weekend, she will get to choose whatever fun activity we may do.
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