As My Fostering World Turns

[TheOtherMe]

Sept 18, 2014 8:43:52 GMT -5 zibazinski said:

Roots then wings. Good job, Later.

Same as a parent does.

[zibazinski]

Yup. You should pat yourself on the back. Too many foster parents don't want teenagers but, to me, they are the ones that need the most guidance to get on and stay on the right track.

[Deleted]

Thanks guys

[tcu2003]

Awww, I can't imagine how bittersweet this will be for you, but great job, later! And yes, you'll still be in touch with her, so that will help.

Does this mean you'll get another girl sometime later this fall?

[Deleted]

Probably, or into the new year. Getting someone just before Christmas is awkward.

[zibazinski]

Yes and no. Probably the first real family Christmas for them.

[TheOtherMe]

Having a teenager for their first real family Christmas could be a great gift.

[taz157]

Sept 19, 2014 21:50:29 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

Having a teenager for their first real family Christmas could be a great gift.

[Deleted]

So NGW moves out on Wednesday into a basement bachelor apartment with ceilings that are 6 ft in some places and she thinks she is moving to Buckingham Palace lol

[mmhmm]

I wish her luck. You've given her so much. Now it's time for her to put it to work for her. Hopefully, Buckingham Palace won't be full of nasty critters, leaky roofs, and endless noise.

[zibazinski]

And if it is, it won't matter to her because it is HER first place. When I got mine, I couldn't wait to have my parents to dinner. My dad came and bitched like hell because he had to bring his own chair. Mom actually told him to shut up and enjoy the dinner. What a role reversal that was!

[TheOtherMe]

Oct 27, 2014 14:50:29 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

I wish her luck. You've given her so much. Now it's time for her to put it to work for her. Hopefully, Buckingham Palace won't be full of nasty critters, leaky roofs, and endless noise.

She will think it's Buckingham Palace.  Wait till she catches her first mouse or has the sewer back-up.  The sewer back-up is the worst thing that has ever happened to me in terms of where I lived  since leaving mom and dad's home.

[Deleted]

Tonight we sent out GW's university applications. The 3 schools that have the course she wants are out of town. I'm both proud and sad

[TheOtherMe]

You sound like my parents when I applied to grad schools, all out of state.

[zibazinski]

[murphath]

What do the acronyms GW and NGW mean?

[taz157]

GW - Girl Wonder, her 1st foster kid

NGW - New Girl Wonder, her latest foster kid

You may see LGW, which is Little Girl Wonder and the foster girl that she had between these 2. LGW is now with another and doing well from what Later has said.

[Deleted]

What does she want to study Later, if you don't mind my asking?

[Deleted]

She has applied to Child and Youth programs that will help her get into an advocacy role. She isn't interested in social work or counselling. I was hoping she would become a lawyer that focussed on family law and representing youth but one law class she took scared her off. So now I'm secretly hoping she gets one of these Child and Youth BA's and then is brave enough to go to law school. Her tuition would be paid.

[Deleted]

That's great Later! You must be so proud of her! 

[TheOtherMe]

You must be beaming! She wants to help kids who will be in the position she has been in.  

[Deleted]

GW's grandmother has been having problems with her liver for a while now. Her health has been bad for most of the year. She finally got a transplant last month but it was too little too late. She passed away this evening. There goes GW's Christmas.

[taz157]

Dec 22, 2014 19:28:44 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

GW's grandmother has been having problems with her liver for a while now. Her health has been bad for most of the year. She finally got a transplant last month but it was too little too late. She passed away this evening. There goes GW's Christmas.

I'm sorry. (((((Hugs))))) for GW.

[tcu2003]

Dec 22, 2014 19:29:38 GMT -5 taz157 said:

Dec 22, 2014 19:28:44 GMT -5 laterbloomer said:

GW's grandmother has been having problems with her liver for a while now. Her health has been bad for most of the year. She finally got a transplant last month but it was too little too late. She passed away this evening. There goes GW's Christmas.

I'm sorry. (((((Hugs))))) for GW.

This.

[TheOtherMe]

Give GW ((((hugs)))) from me.  I'm so very sorry.  

[shanendoah]

Just discovered this thread, laterbloomer. I love it.
In this adoption round, we have seriously considered a couple of older kids. C is concerned that if we adopt a 16/17 year old, it might become addicting, and be a cycle we just keep repeating. This is NOT a bad thing, accept that one of our goals in adopting a second kid is to give Pop Tart a sibling to grow up with and have a sibling connection with. That's harder when kids aren't in the house super long or there's a significant age difference.

*hugs* for GW. It just breaks your heart when they have one more loss on top of all the losses they've already had. At least she has you and stability, that counts for a lot.

Did GW2 or NGW join you guys for Christmas?
Is NGW still liking her place?
And is she in school to become a police officer?


For those who commented that they tried to give their kids an alcohol experience at home, while still underage, please remember that foster parents have rules that parents don't have. I can't speak for Canada, but here in WA, if I were to encourage, or even knowingly allow, a foster child in my care to get drunk, I would lose my foster care license and possibly face criminal charges. So while I completely agree that it's best for them to get drunk the first time at home, in a safe environment, that is one of those things that parents can do that foster parents can not.

[mmhmm]

I'm so sorry for GW's loss, later. How is she doing?

[Deleted]

GW is doing well. We'll see how it goes with the memorial service, but that's not happening until the new year.

NGW is still in school but is switching her major. She is not sure if she is going to become a PSW for disabled people or a Pharmaceutical aid. She likes being out on her own but a few of the realities of it are starting to set in. GW2 is in school as well and she wants to switch into Police Foundations strangely enough. They both stopped in on Christmas Eve but spent most of Christmas with the foster families they had for years before coming here.

[Deleted]

Dec 26, 2014 18:45:55 GMT -5 shanendoah said:

For those who commented that they tried to give their kids an alcohol experience at home, while still underage, please remember that foster parents have rules that parents don't have. I can't speak for Canada, but here in WA, if I were to encourage, or even knowingly allow, a foster child in my care to get drunk, I would lose my foster care license and possibly face criminal charges. So while I completely agree that it's best for them to get drunk the first time at home, in a safe environment, that is one of those things that parents can do that foster parents can not.

You type in haste? Bio Parent cannot do this. They get arrested if child given alcohol underage.

[TheOtherMe]

Dec 26, 2014 22:39:03 GMT -5 @taliare said:

Dec 26, 2014 18:45:55 GMT -5 shanendoah said:

For those who commented that they tried to give their kids an alcohol experience at home, while still underage, please remember that foster parents have rules that parents don't have. I can't speak for Canada, but here in WA, if I were to encourage, or even knowingly allow, a foster child in my care to get drunk, I would lose my foster care license and possibly face criminal charges. So while I completely agree that it's best for them to get drunk the first time at home, in a safe environment, that is one of those things that parents can do that foster parents can not.

You type in haste? Bio Parent cannot do this. They get arrested if child given alcohol underage.

It's very commonly done around here, must to the dismay of the police and sheriff.  A law was recently passed that the homeowner (not necessarily a parent) is responsible for any damages caused by underage drinking or noise violations.  I don't think it's helped.