Why Foster?

Foster Care Awareness Month

May is Foster Care Awareness Month.  I got this video off of another foster parent’s blog – she put it together with some friends of hers.  I love the video – it’s really well done, and it only serves to make me more passionate about fostering and loving these kids. (You didn’t think that was possible, did you?)  I pray that it moves hearts.

My posts the last couple of weeks have been honest.  The majority of the last two weeks have been rough.  But I don’t want to make you think for a second that this is not a blessing.  It is a blessing, and a privilege to get to be a part of these kids’ lives.  Even during the rough times, I would not hesitate to recommend fostering.  It will change your life, and will forever impact the kids you come to love.

 

 

The video lists some ways of helping other than licensing to foster, like:

• Becoming a CASA advocate.  As a CASA advocate you are assigned to kids in the system and help to advocate for them in the court system.  GREAT program.
• Becoming a respite provider in order to give foster parents needed breaks.  To be a licensed respite provider you take the same classes as a foster parent, but kids only come to stay with you for a few days at a time.  In some states you can babysit for foster parents simply by having a background check done.  To learn more, contact your local state agency.
• If you’re a Harley fan, you can join BACA (Bikers Against Child Abuse).  The kids LOVE it when a bunch of bikers show up for their court hearings.  It also serves to make them feel safe if the perp is at the hearing.  This program was great – the kids on my caseload loved it.
• Donate clothes, bikes, stuffed animals, hygiene supplies, journals, schools supplies, or new toys to your local fostering agency.
• Adopt!
• Tutor a child, or sponsor a child through Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America.
• There are so many ways to help these kids!  What’s your gift?

 

{ If you have any questions about fostering, or the other programs that are listed, please let me know!  You can leave questions in the comments, or e-mail me.  I will do my best to answer or point you in the direction of someone who can!}

Dadadadadadada.

Here’s a video – mostly for those who have, or have had, the last name Popp or Reed – or for anyone who likes watching cute babies.  (I’m not biased.)  Toward the end Sylvie displays her newest trick – babbling.  Brian is extraordinarily proud of this, mostly because her first sound just happened to be dadadada.  He swears it’s on purpose.  I keep telling him it’s just the easiest sound to make – she’ll make more sophisticated sounds later – like mamama. 

 

 

 

 

Oh, and,

 

Thank you for your ideas and prayers yesterday.  I called our worker and told her that we would be happy to have three kiddos this weekend.  The more I thought about it, the more I realized I wasn’t trusting God in this.  I’ve just been so anxious to get another long term placement that I didn’t want to wait for His timing, and I wasn’t being open to how He was deciding to use us.

So unless we hear otherwise, we’ll be lovin’ on three beautiful girls this weekend (in addition to Sylvie.) ages 2, 4, and 6.  That sounds crazy doesn’t it?  Yup.  Crazy.

God's Heart

Love this video. I am so excited for the day that we are able to adopt one (or more!) of our foster children. But until then we'll foster! Foster parenting definitely doesn't get the air time that adoption does, but it is so important. Children in foster care need homes and love!
I believe God's heart is grieved by these children with no one to love them.


Let's love them. Who's with me?

X-man on the Move

Here's the promised video of the X-man in motion. He's walking more on his own now (we don't have to hold a carrot out in front of him anymore), but he still crawls a lot because speed is more his thing. He is so proud of himself.
He also now likes to put things in the baby's mouth. This is a fabulous new trick. Just today I'm pretty sure she's tasted the puzzle piece, a mega block, his finger, and he might have even shared one of his boogers with her. ...At least he's sharing...sharing is a good thing, yeah?
X-man has also discovered his operatic voice. He sings while doing everything - pulling all the books off the book shelf, emptying the trashcan, eating lunch. This is how I know he's awake in the morning now. I hear him singing himself a beautiful song - and it really is one of the best sounds in the world.
His court date was reset for February 18th, and we're fairly certain he will probably move shortly thereafter. Of course we've been told he'll be moving soon for 4 months now, so we're not placing any bets.

Anyway, without further ado - X-man, mobile style.

Baby Steps

So we had a big moment yesterday, Mena took her first steps! Enjoy the little video below. Camerawork compliments of Cassandra. We were so excited we all took a celebratory trip to...McDonalds.



And an oldie but a goodie (taken a couple months ago, but trapped on the camera until now. Yes, that's right, this is never-before-seen footage):