Saturday, August 15, 2009

So far so good!

This past week we had 3 visits/inspections:

Monday 8/10- Fire Marshall inspection- No violations!

Tuesday 8/11- Home lead test w/ our home study case worker- No lead!

Wednesday 8/12- Sanitation/Health inspection- Only violation that I know of so far (still waiting for water test results which take about a week she said) is our hot water temp was 130 degrees so we have to turn it back to 110.

All in all we are thrilled that that is all that went 'wrong'.... When the case worker was here she said once she gets our reference checks finished and the reports from this week's inspections she will finish writing our narative and then schedule a visit for us to 'read' it.... Then we should be certified... She hopes to have us completed by the end of Aug/ begining of Sept!

Wow, sometimes it's crazy (in a GREAT way though) to believe that we will soon be done this process.... We have been working on this since January and with in the next month (hopefully) we will be certified and could accept a placement if one becomes available!

So, so far so good.....

Friday, August 7, 2009

Inspections scheduled!

We finally got the calls we have been waiting for! We have our health and fire inspections scheduled for next week! Monday afternoon will be the fire inspection and Wednesday afternoon will be the health inspection.....

I have a few finishing touches on our house to prepare for both this weekend (finish child-proofing the house and finalize our fire escape plan) and hopefully both will find our home fit for a child and then once our case worker finalizes our paperwork and reference checks we will be certified soon!

Maybe by my hubby's birthday in September we would be available for a placement when one comes available :-)

Monday, August 3, 2009

You know you are getting old when......

We are still waiting for the fire and health inspectors to call and set up our appointments.... Since nothing new has happened since I last wrote about the Foster Care/Adoption home study process I though I would share this story with you..... I hope you don't mind!

About 10 yrs ago when I was new to the area I now call my home, I was working at a daycare. A family at the daycare was looking for a baby sitter and one of the administrators (whom I had done some baby sitting for too) suggested me.... We talked and I began sitting for them.... I got very close to this family and for a couple of years would take the children from school (where I worked) to either their house or one of their parents @ work and also baby sat on weekends.... When I decided to leave the daycare and pursue another job opportunity I lost touch with them and didn't baby sit for them anymore... I have always thought about them and wondered how they were..... but, after some time I let life get busy and didn't keep in touch. The last time I saw these children they were 8 (a girl), 7 (a girl) and almost 4 (a boy) yrs old. That was in December 2001....

So, over the weekend I was on Facebook and saw a 'suggested' possible friend and it was a 'baby/child' that I knew from the daycare.... Last time I saw her she was about 4 yrs old.... Now she is old enough for Facebook? No way! Curiosity got me so, I looked @ her friends and saw 2 other 'babies/children' from the day care... These 2 I knew when they were just a few weeks old... Wow! I can't believe it... These children probably won't remember me as much b/c I spent less time w/ them so, I didn't/don't plan on contacting them....

So, it got me thinking.... Does anyone in the family I was so close too have Facebook pages? Guess what? 3 out of 5 of them do! The Dad and the 2 oldest. I told my hubby about finding them and took 24 hrs to decide if I should contact them or not.... It's been almost 8 yrs since I saw/talked to them..... Would they remember me? Would they care? I did promise them I would keep in touch and didn't.... Would they be angry? Would they be glad?

I decided to contact them.... If I got a negative response back I would leave it alone but, I just had to know! So, last night I friend requested them and sent them each a message (reminding them who I was) and all 3 have accepted my friend invite and 2 (the Dad & the middle child) have sent me a message sounding happy that I have gotten back in touch with them....

Why didn't time stand still? How come these children are pre-teens & teenagers? The middle girl told me she is Oh my gosh!-- starting high school this year! Yikes!

So, here are 2 answers to my title:

You know your getting old when.... the kids you used to watch Disney movies with now have Facebook pages!

You know you are getting old when.... the kids you used to babysit could now babysit your (future) child/children!

I lied... I still don't 'feel' old! But, I still can't believe that the children I once knew are growing up and not still 8, 7 and almost 4 like the last time I saw them :-)