It's getting better...

So Bean actually SLEPT last night and has now been sleeping for almost 3 hours for his nap!  Hallelujah!  I had this moment when I thought "I wonder if he's used to sleeping with the t.v. on?"  Thank you Holy Spirit! I turned Disney Jr on and gave him his bottle of water (also used to sleeping with it...I'll do water!) and he was out in 5 min flat!  Being a foster parent in the initial few days of a placement is like being a detective....how do they like to go to sleep?  what do they like to eat?  what toys do they like to play with?  and so much more!  He's starting to get more comfortable and engage with the other kids :)

I love to see my kids process foster care through their eyes.  The first morning they met him they had a ton of questions and were like little missiles firing one after the other asking what they wanted to know.  "Where are his dad/mom?  Why can't he be with them?  Why is his sister in the hospital?  Why did you have to give him so many bathes?" and the list went on!  Andrew always jumps to "I hope we can adopt him!" Michael is stuck on our last placement Squirt.  LOL!  He's still asking where he is.  When I tell him (AGAIN) that he went to live with his Grandma he says "Uhhhh...that's not fair!  I wanna live with Grandma!!" He then gets this little pouty face.  If you know Michael then you can probably imagine his little pouty face and my intense urge not to laugh!  He totally thinks that Squirt went to live with OUR Grandma not making the distinction that there are MANY Grandmas here on earth (even though he met Squirt's Grandma)!

This morning I took all 4 boys (Baby is on a visit to aunt/uncle) to the pool.  My kids are very used to this and loved it of course.  I have a strong feeling that this was Bean's first time in a pool though and he absolutely loved it too!!!  He was sitting on the side of the pool and would "jump" off into my arms and want to zoom around in the water.  He practiced going up and down the stairs and even putting his face in the water!  This is the "fun" part of foster care!  We get to be the ones to introduce children to new opportunities and experiences that they probably wouldn't have in their previous environments.  We live in a state with LOTS to do!  We make sure to take lots of pictures to send along with them :)

That leads to me another email I got this morning.  Perhaps I was wrong...perhaps she IS getting the mental health help suggested to her for over 2 years...perhaps things are sinking in and I was wrong in my last post about Michael's mom.

Aww that's neat beach and chocolate cake yummy
I'm glad you guys are all having fun
I am happy that Michael has a better chance of doing a lot of things with you that I'm sure I wouldn't be able to do.it makes me smile inside to know that he is with you rather then anybody else.I wish I could just hear his voice maybe when he is Luke five or so he would start to understand a little bit at a time of y he is there well I'm glad all is going well. How is school or daycare going could you have him send me a picture that he made or he could make one for me it would really mean a lot to me.OK talk you later love you Mikey always and your a awesome mom. Love anna


Very interesting that she complimented us again and realized that this is a better placement for him.  Oh and she simply signed her name this time...and no I of course did not say anything about that to her.  I will definitely be sending her some recent pictures and a picture from Michael :) (for the record I would do that anyway...she moved so I didn't have a current address).  Perhaps we can have a nice semi-open adoption :~)