Alternative Title: We have a new niece and are determined to meet her!!
Alternative Title: Thank goodness for good secretaries.
Alternative Title: If you understand all the hoop-la in this muddled mess, congrats. You are probably also a foster parent.
I am a planner. A deep down planner. I texted Pearl a few months ago in January asking if the gifts I had for her boys next Christmas would be to her liking as well. She texted back an eye roll. We can all agree it was deserved.
We are headed to Missouri on Tuesday to meet this cutie:
The plan to get to MO and hold baby cuteness has been in the works for a while. Approximately 6ish months when we got these shirts.
I'll tell ya what will throw a wrench in your travel plans, though. Not knowing if you should be planning for a family of four or a family of six, or a grumpy week stuck in Lubbock.
We tentatively started planning MO spring break before the J's were with us. After the J's we figured we would take them, and started planning this trip with four kids. The first ten days with the J's was no sleep city, so we decided that we would get respite and resumed planning with our two kids.
We set up respite with Family 1, but they work full-time, so Family 2 was lined up for daily babysitting. Then Family 1 Wife texted and said Family 1 Hubby set up a little surprise vacation for Family 1.
By this point, everyone is sleeping well in Motsinger compound, so we figure what the heck. We will take all of 'em.
Then the beginning of last week, our social worker with Buckner starts to mildly freak out because the judge for the J's hasn't approved out of state travel. Which, for the record, is totally unusual. So we all figure it's in everyone's best interest to line up respite. Our Buckner Buddy is totally on the ball and calls everyone she knows, but it's hard because it's spring break and tons of people have travel plans. Finally we get Family 3 set up, but they can only take one J, and Family 4 plans to take the other J. This falls through faster than I typed that last sentence.
Family 5 is then secured. But, Family 5 can only keep the J's until Friday afternoon, where upon Family 6 will keep them Friday night and Saturday night. Then our Buckner Buddy finds out that Family 6 is going to Ruidoso, New Mexico for the weekend and just planned on taking the J's with them. Well, that brings us back to the original problem, out of state travel still has not been approved, so obviously Family 6 is out. We toy with using Family 5 in conjunction with Family 1, but surprise vacation has also been extended and Family 1 is completely out.
At this point, Jon and I start praying harder that the judge will just approve travel. This has long since turned into a logistical nightmare.
It is looking like Family 5 is the winner, and four of us will travel, but we will have to cut our trip short.
You know what's going to happen next, right?
Yep. Family 5 is out because they just found out that the girls they currently have in their house are not going to be reunited with family as quickly as they were once told, and now can't take the J's at all because of state ratios.
By some miracle Family 7 is contacted and they can do the whole dang week for both J's. I want to cry, I'm so grateful. At this point, the trip would have to be cancelled, or as Jon said, we would take the J's out of state anyway, then just lose our foster license and be done with all this madness.
Family 7 tells me that after 10 years, she decided to stop fostering. I'm surprised, because I know she had a couple of boys as recently as December. I find out she needs to do a couple of things to get her house back in compliance. It really wouldn't be any big deal, but I don't hold my breath.
By then our usually calm Buckner Buddy is getting pretty worried. The J's are not from Lubbock, so she does not have all the usual back doors available to her to figure out what in the heck is going on with this judge.
In the end, she googles the judge's secretary's number, calls and explains the situation, the secretary digs up the papers, the judge signs them, and this most helpful secretary does this all while on the phone with our Buckner Buddy. Two business days before we leave for MO.
Whew.
I'm too tired to pack or plan now. :)
But look out KC! Mots, party of six, are headed your way!!!!
Alternative Title: Thank goodness for good secretaries.
Alternative Title: If you understand all the hoop-la in this muddled mess, congrats. You are probably also a foster parent.
I am a planner. A deep down planner. I texted Pearl a few months ago in January asking if the gifts I had for her boys next Christmas would be to her liking as well. She texted back an eye roll. We can all agree it was deserved.
We are headed to Missouri on Tuesday to meet this cutie:
Lily the Darlingest!
The plan to get to MO and hold baby cuteness has been in the works for a while. Approximately 6ish months when we got these shirts.
I'll tell ya what will throw a wrench in your travel plans, though. Not knowing if you should be planning for a family of four or a family of six, or a grumpy week stuck in Lubbock.
We tentatively started planning MO spring break before the J's were with us. After the J's we figured we would take them, and started planning this trip with four kids. The first ten days with the J's was no sleep city, so we decided that we would get respite and resumed planning with our two kids.
We set up respite with Family 1, but they work full-time, so Family 2 was lined up for daily babysitting. Then Family 1 Wife texted and said Family 1 Hubby set up a little surprise vacation for Family 1.
By this point, everyone is sleeping well in Motsinger compound, so we figure what the heck. We will take all of 'em.
Then the beginning of last week, our social worker with Buckner starts to mildly freak out because the judge for the J's hasn't approved out of state travel. Which, for the record, is totally unusual. So we all figure it's in everyone's best interest to line up respite. Our Buckner Buddy is totally on the ball and calls everyone she knows, but it's hard because it's spring break and tons of people have travel plans. Finally we get Family 3 set up, but they can only take one J, and Family 4 plans to take the other J. This falls through faster than I typed that last sentence.
Family 5 is then secured. But, Family 5 can only keep the J's until Friday afternoon, where upon Family 6 will keep them Friday night and Saturday night. Then our Buckner Buddy finds out that Family 6 is going to Ruidoso, New Mexico for the weekend and just planned on taking the J's with them. Well, that brings us back to the original problem, out of state travel still has not been approved, so obviously Family 6 is out. We toy with using Family 5 in conjunction with Family 1, but surprise vacation has also been extended and Family 1 is completely out.
At this point, Jon and I start praying harder that the judge will just approve travel. This has long since turned into a logistical nightmare.
It is looking like Family 5 is the winner, and four of us will travel, but we will have to cut our trip short.
You know what's going to happen next, right?
Yep. Family 5 is out because they just found out that the girls they currently have in their house are not going to be reunited with family as quickly as they were once told, and now can't take the J's at all because of state ratios.
By some miracle Family 7 is contacted and they can do the whole dang week for both J's. I want to cry, I'm so grateful. At this point, the trip would have to be cancelled, or as Jon said, we would take the J's out of state anyway, then just lose our foster license and be done with all this madness.
Family 7 tells me that after 10 years, she decided to stop fostering. I'm surprised, because I know she had a couple of boys as recently as December. I find out she needs to do a couple of things to get her house back in compliance. It really wouldn't be any big deal, but I don't hold my breath.
By then our usually calm Buckner Buddy is getting pretty worried. The J's are not from Lubbock, so she does not have all the usual back doors available to her to figure out what in the heck is going on with this judge.
In the end, she googles the judge's secretary's number, calls and explains the situation, the secretary digs up the papers, the judge signs them, and this most helpful secretary does this all while on the phone with our Buckner Buddy. Two business days before we leave for MO.
Whew.
I'm too tired to pack or plan now. :)
But look out KC! Mots, party of six, are headed your way!!!!
That was stressful just reading it! Can't imagine living it! You totally would have been packed 2-3 weeks ago--I'm remembering you using then repacking your toothbrush each night even though you didn't leave for a Honduras trip for 2-3 days, 2003:) Have fun!
ReplyDeleteNext time, we got your back ;)
ReplyDeleteI told Lily Girl to be on her best behavior so all that head aching is worth it. She cried and then barfed which I think means, "Anything for you mom," in baby language.
ReplyDelete