Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Emergency Placement

Not even a week later we got a call from 'unknown caller'.  This is DHS. Friday at 4:30. DHS was closing in 30 minutes and they had a sibling set that needed placed for the weekend. Until they could find a longterm placement for them on Monday, or Tuesday - or as it turns out - more like Wednesday or Thursday.

It is amazing to me how things add up. How timing is just right. I know that is God's hand. If there was anything that He is more aware of, it is these foster children. And I know, there are horror stories. I know that. But for each horror story I could tell you a story about the things that just add up beautifully. That happen just right and no one else could have planned the circumstances and coincidences better. And not just ones from blog posts. But real ones. Real ones that I have seen and know of with my own two eyes and ears.

The pieces that have added up for this case just right were 1) C was all moved in with Kellie 2) I hadn't had a substitute job all week except for Friday 3) The house was actually clean (this one is kind of a big deal. Living in a two-bedroom apartment, it doesn't take a whole lot to clean it good. It does however, take a good deal of effort to keep it clean. So I often let it get really, super bad, before spending a day working on it. It's just annoying how one bucket of toys can clutter the place up. One day of bringing mail in clutters the place up. One meal clutters the place up. So I just let it set for a few days to keep myself from going crazy. Marinating the clutter, as it were. And often when I clean, as of recent, I can only get to the living room or only the bedroom or only the bathroom. I can't do it all in one day like I used to be able to. But you know what? That week without my schedule being filled with working, I had the energy to do it all. My room included. Which never happens. 4) The day had been pleasant with the kids at school (subbing for my dad) and the weather was nice. Alaska and Talmage and I were even outside at the park in our apartment complex, playing with some other kids from the complex and I had my current book out there, reading off and on between watching the kids and we had already eaten a big snacky dinner after school. Life was pretty dang good. Things were calm.

My phone rang, "Unknown caller" and I answered. a 2 year old boy, a 5 year old girl and a 7 year old girl. I explained that we only had room for the 2 year old boy. Literally. Our bed management left us with a portacrib open. I had already moved Talmage into C's place - not even bothering to wash the sheets first. "Oh, well we were hoping you could take the girls. We've already found a place for the boy and that home can only take one of them" They dropped the name of the mom that had already said yes and I knew her. I knew she only had room for the one. I replied that no, I didn't have bed space. I could possibly take one of the girls. Move Talmage back to his portacrib. "You couldn't keep them together? They have been through a lot and could really use each other." And my mind just spun. Almost coming up empty. "Well, we could blow up an air mattress, I guess," I heard myself saying. And bam. I was placed with two girls.

I hustled Alaska and Talmage off the playground with a quick explanation that we were going to have two new friends coming to spend the weekend and we needed to get to the store real quick to pick up some lice shampoo (yup, they were coming with lice) and a treat for them. Alaska was excited, she was ready. Talmage came along for the ride but picked up on the excitement when I let him and Alaska pick out whatever treat they wanted. They both chose bubbleiscious. We walked out of there $50 later, a double lice kit in hand, three coloring books, a bag of suckers (because it's really boring to have to sit in the tub while that lice stuff sits on your head) and 4 containers of bubbleiscious. Quick-drove home to do some switching of bed sheets and we were ready. The calm before the storm. I was pacing, waiting for them. Finally ahead of the game. Ready for it. So unlike our experience with C where we were up until midnight getting things ready while the kids entertained themselves.

And you know what?!?!?! We still stayed up until 12! I used the suckers to bribe the two girls into the tub, because, really, they wanted to run around and explore and there was no way I was having that. Around 9 things were just too crazy. Steven put Alaska and Talmage to bed and that left us up with the job of setting up a movie for the two girls while I poured over their heads in the cruddy light that is our apartment late at night. Steven shone a flashlight on their heads while I pulled through their hair. 3 hours of pregnant, swollen feet and a sore back standing bent over or kneeling on my knees. I was so done and ready for bed. Good enough for one night. The star that hung in the darkness of my tiredness was the 7 year old. "I'm sorry we came to your house with lice." Melted my heart. And the 5 year old, "Are you going to be our new momma?" I had to explain that, no, they would just stay here a little while and then go to a new family. That hurt. That hurt bad. But I just don't have it in me. I cannot do two girls and a pregnancy in this tiny house where each cm my belly gets bigger this apartment gets 10 ft smaller. And I just don't have the energy, besides that. And after my speal, the 7 year old "Well, if we stay here too long, then you'll be like our aunt." And I smiled. And yes. These two sweeties have already climbed into my heart and nestled up in there and I would love to be their aunt. Doing respite for their new placement - having them over when I could to play with Alaska.

Into bed everyone went, 12 am, I read them asleep. The next morning they were up at 6:30. Too early. Got them breakfast. Stripped beds and got things going through the wash. Did another bath for the two of them and pulled through hair again. 2 hours on each head. This process repeated itself on Sunday, too, though thank goodness everyone stayed in bed until 8. It was ward conference that week and my mom came out early to help me to get the kids ready. Thank goodness for her or I never would have made it to church on time. Lice hunting always takes longer than I think it will.

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