Fostering Update---and others

We've gotten a lot of questions on the fostering front so I decided to write about it where everyone can see.

I think we left off that we had finished our classes and were preparing for our home study.

So we scheduled our home study and cleaned the house top to bottom, shampooed the carpets, scrubbed windows and doors. She arrives, and doesn't look at anything! I dragged her to rooms because I was so proud of our cleaning progress. Nada.

So we are thinking it is going well and Bryce was super friendly (albeit hyper because he thought she was a new person to play with)....complete with him putting himself in the dog cage. That was nice :/ Totally got points for that spectacle I'm thinking.... but then the preliminary report came back...

She was putting a halt on us moving forward because she had active concerns about our lack of discipline in our home and Bryce's not listening....

Excuse me what?

Yes, so it seems that because Bryce wouldn't listen to us telling him to go back in his room while we spoke to her that there was a lack of discipline and that foster kids need structure. (We learned in our class that it's a case by case basis and some children need rigid structure and others need a lax environment...totally case by case)

At first I got angry. At first I was going to write a scathing email 'how dare you, jerks!'... but then I thought about it and we didn't want to burn our bridges. Fostering is important to us! So I wrote on how I didn't think it was right to judge a 4 year old on his/her listening skills as it is an age trait, not a personality trait. Having someone new in the home was exciting, etc.

It was determined that her supervisor would come within the next few weeks instead.

This went a LOT better. She came, she sat, she talked. She has kids (which she was supportive of her colleague but her colleague did not have children). After this we were deemed fit as foster parents.

Then we were scheduling our finger prints and moving forward with the process....but then decided to pursue buying a home. This put another wrench in our fostering plans because they don't want to put effort in to certifying us and doing the home study if we are moving shortly.

We are moving very soon and to a different county to boot. We've contacted the fostering department there and are all set. We don't need to retake the classes, just their 2 hour orientation and then continue with our paper work, re-fingerprinted, and then home study again!

That's where we are at currently :)

We also just finished our 2nd unsuccessful month of fertility treatment. I know it's taboo to talk about but it really shouldn't be. If there's any updates on that front in the next couple months y'all will be the .... well, not the first to know...but soon after :)

Bryce is about to turn 5!!!! He's growing like a weed and so super smart. He's requested his birthday be Charlie Brown and Snoopy themed...Retro it is!

Ah* additionally and finally---if anyone has the hook up to FRUITY HOOPS Bryce has shown an interest and being that he never eats fruit, this could be an awesome thing for us. I'd be happy to do a review on my blog for them if anyone can steer me in to getting one!

Hope everyone is well- don't hesitate to ask any questions about fostering or infertility. I'm an open book!