Monday, March 30, 2009

What's Happening?!

Over the last few days I’ve gotten a couple e-mails from people keeping up on my foster adopt blog wanting to know what the latest news is, so I guess maybe it really is time for an update even though it feels like my days have become pretty repetitive lately (hence, my not blogging very much).

Last Saturday we had Orientation in which we received about another inch’s thick of more papers, everything from a Foster Home Compliance Checklist to a Provider Policy to how to handle court situations to a gazillion forms to fill out; my references will be getting the easy ones compared to the ones us foster adopt parents have to fill out. I guess in one sense I knew this would be a lot of paper work but I don’t think I ever imagined this much. I’m up to around 3 to 4 inches thick at this point and suspecting I’ve not seen the last of it! We also got our finger prints taken and submitted two forms for both a state and a federal criminal investigation to be completed on us. I’m betting this ends up being the easiest thing ever asked of us!

Tonight we’re supposed to have our 9th and final session of the PRIDE training series. It was originally scheduled for a week ago but we had several inches of snow and school was called off for the day which also meant no class either. Today the schools are having a two hour delay which I’m pretty sure still means class, though I’m double checking before going out in the weather tonight. I’ll be glad to have these classes over with, though we’re still required to complete at least 12 more hours of in-service training every year that we need to be recertified for.

After tonight’s final session, I have several things to gradually get checked off my to-do list: completing all the forms (over a good half-inch thick of them), distributing the reference forms (I already have the references lined up, I just need to get the forms to them), getting both cats vaccinated, registering for both first aid and CPR courses, finishing preparing the apartment for inspection, and scheduling the first at-home interview.

To be honest, emotionally, last Saturday a part of me felt like throwing in the towel when I thought about how tired I’ve been feeling lately and looking ahead at how much I still have left to do. Right now, I’m watching the squirrels struggling as they’re crawling upside-down along the telephone wires outside my bedroom window because the wind is blowing them off-balance; knowing that they can’t stop where they are and if they let go, they’re history! As funny looking as they are, I feel for them! As tired as I feel, and as discouraged as I felt being handed a half-inch thick of forms to fill out and being told I still need roughly another $100’s worth of stuff to complete my home study requirements (between a two-story fire escape ladder - about $80 - and two plastic mattress covers - about $20), and not knowing where on earth it’s going to be coming from, if I quit I am probably never going to see my daughter and that is a priceless dream for me.

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