And We're Off....

Housekeeping Items:

 Aly at Bridge Work Blogs emailed me today and is working on the header to my blog design.  I can't wait to see it and unveil it here!

Now..what you all have been waiting for:

Last night (Valentine's Day) was our first home visit for our foster parenting home study.  It lasted roughly two hours and after my nerves settled, it was fun and very easy.  I also realized I should have listened to all of you who via Facebook told me not to stress it's now about perfection. 

We got a lot of paperwork to complete, read, and sign.  We had our fingerprints taken and will receive a phone call from them when we have to go to the state police to get our other set of prints taken (one set are the old fashioned finger/ink/card and the other are digital.)

He said with the size of our home, we'd be approved for up to four children.  I about died.  I know I can't handle four children.  Going from no children to one child is going to be quite an adjustment.  We think we'll start with one but two at the most but never more than three. 

We got a lot of our questions answered and a lot of our concerns addressed.  I had printed out the posting (I hate using that word because it sounds like I'm trying to get a kid from Craigslist or something) of Robert and showed him who we were talking about and expressed our great interest in him.  He gave us permission to go ahead and click the "Express Interest in this Child" button on the state's website and the person at the state will contact him and he will express our interest and where we are in the process.  It won't secure him to us, but it puts our desires out into the universe for positive energy and prayers to be answered.

We start our first class next Tuesday and pending everything coming out okay he firmly believes we can be open to accepting children (hopefully Robert) by mid May.  I will want to wait until the school year has finished as to not disrupt a child's final weeks of school. 

We stated in some of the paperwork Jeff and I completed tonight it asked us the minimum and maximum age we'd accept.  We indicated we'll take ages 6-18.  We also went thought the child inventory of things we are willing to accept as far as medical/physical/emotional/intellectual deficits in a child.  That was a very hard form for me.  I felt bad when I would mark we were unwilling to consider certain behaviors but we had to tell ourselves that if we know right now we are unable to handle then it saves us and the child from a potentially bad placement.

There is a lot more to share with you but right now I'm really tired.  I think the emotions of the past several days as really caught up with me and I'm ready to crash.  So, off to watch Survivor and surf the net for a bunk bed and dresser!