Its Been a Year of Foster Parenting

July 13, 2010 - the day we got our first call!  Of course, we accepted the placement of those two half-siblings, and you can go back and read about that time in other posts.  I don't regret a day of foster parenting, although there have been multiple challenges - personality conflicts, rule challengers, health issues, no time for hubby, no time for myself...just to name a few.  But challenges are temporary and God helps us overcome.

We have had our current foster children, ages 6 and 4, for 2.5 months.  They are still sweet and cute as can be, and get along well with our son, also age 6.  I have been doing some catch-up schooling with the girl (FD), mostly reading and math.  Not daily, but a few times a week.  As a group, we have been doing Bible stories and Spanish videos, which is fun - lots of singing and sometimes I can get them to dance, LOL.  I think their favorite is "Father Abraham", since it has all those motions with it.  With my son, he's a bit more reluctant to do the reading and math, even though he's further along than FD is.  They were a bit more gung-ho about "playing school" at the beginning of the summer, and when they were in the library summer reading program, than they are now, but we'll hang in there, even if its at a slower pace as "real" school looms closer.

So what have we done with the kids?  Swimming, cookouts, firefly catching.  Fishing, nature walks, making potholders.  Watercolor painting, glitter markers and crayon creations.  Play-dough, stamping and stickering up things.  Imaginative play - "dogs", "king and queen", "pets", "mario and luigi", "star wars" and more.  Daily computer games (30 min. per 6 year old).  A movie or tv show most days while I work on dinner.  Going to church and VBS.  Playing in the sprinkler, catching frogs, crickets and grasshoppers.  Picking blackberries, watching the garden grow.  Climbing rocks, swinging on the tire swing, making s'mores.  Going to every park in the county multiple times.  We also went to the TN Aquarium in Chattanooga, and I would like to go to the Creation Museum, Mammoth Cave, Children's Science Museum in Louisville and more, but I'm afraid time will run out on us now.  Next week the plan is Library Day Camp in the mornings and the United Methodist Church for VBS in the evenings.  Then only 1 full week will be left before public school starts!

I think so far its been a good summer.  I've only heard "I'm bored" about twice, and after cleaning the toilets, that stopped *grin*.  Now that the Wii is back in working order as of last weekend (was hit by lightning in April), I'm sure it will be getting its fair share of use as well.  Can't say that we've missed it like I thought we would!  Now I need to look into getting Just Dance (after my ribs heal) so we can really have some family fun with it :)

Happy Foster Parent Anniversary to us!