Continuing Ed. Class #2
...was "20 Things To Do With Your Kids This Summer".It was fascinating, albeit of little use to us with a 6-month old. It made me a little more appreciative of life in Lexington, and the mnay opportunities for adventure that this place holds.
This group is actually "ASK": Adoption Support of Kentucky, and the leader is a very spirited woman with much foster and adoption experience. She pulls no punches and does not suffer fools. I like that in a woman. She and her husband are adopting children #2 and 3 this month. She emphasized that problems that these children have do not vanish after those papers are signed - many are just beginning.
The second hour of the meeting was spent with two researchers from the school of Social Work here at UK. They were conducting a focus group study to find out about why people attend the meetings (DUH - for the required continuing ed credits, dummies!). The questions were pedantic (and a few rather leading), but the off-topic conversations that ensued were the ones I found to be the most interesting.
People mentioned the benefits of group support whenever there is an investigation into you home as a result of allegations. Everyone there (except us) had been investigated, and the words they used to describe the process made my stomach churn. Clearly, it is agonizing. Yet, here these folks were still doing foster care, and still adopting. Indeed it is not a matter of IF, but a matter of WHEN. It is no wonder it is hard to recruit good families. Who would knowingly put themselves into these situations?
Oh wait, WE would.
Cookie went to the meeting with us (child care was supposed to be provided), but the child care person didn't show up, so she ended up sitting on our laps at the table during the meeting and trying to grab everything in sight to stick in her mouth. But she didn't cry (although a few whines did escape) and everyone had to admire her and comment on the myth that there are "no blonde-haired, blue-eyed kids in foster care". They said she was a "good baby". We smiled and took a little internal credit for that. Props to us - ours is not a monster-baby.
We came home, crashed, and managed to get Cookie into the crib and asleep by 10, where she slept soundly until 3 am, sucked down a bottle and fell asleep again until 6. This sounds like a lot of waking up and not a lot of sleeping, but for us it is an accomplishment. The Cookie does not like the crib - she longs to be in bed with us. And, well, I'd like to be an adult again and enjoy bed with my husband. (*wink, wink - nudge, nudge).
posted by No Longer In Crisis @ 6/21/2006 11:21:00 AM
<< Home