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Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Need to make some decisions

I am deeply saddened to say that I am starting to rethink this placement and maybe fostering.....I really hate to face the reality of it for John and Elizabeth. I just feel like I am drowning in puke, pee, poop and snot. Not to mention the never ending doctors' appointments and medical testing, and then there is the horrible child welfare system that we are all subjected to be a part of. This system is not designed for the welfare of the children but instead how the government can cut costs at the expense of the kids. The rights of the parents outweighs the interests of the children by 10 to 1.

Last week we found out that the kids' case manager had quit her job (not that I blame her) and to date no one has been assigned to take her place. I have been told that they are extremely short staffed due to budget cuts and people quitting as their pay has been cut. Tomorrow is court and I am really not sure who knows this case well enough to represent it to a judge.....but the reality is that I don't think it really matters. Mom is going to get these kids back at some point and will never be the mom that these kids deserve! I am feeling so down right now that I really don't care if John is ordered back tomorrow but I know that won't happen because 5 weeks after mom moved, no one has done her homestudy yet so it cannot happen.

John continues to have more accidents than I can handle, I think even Don is tired of clean up. The daycare that I finally got them both in is not sure if they will allow him to stay because they don't want to clean them up. No one has an answer how to help him and make the regression improve anytime soon. He continues to be hyperactive, rude and bossy but then again sweet at times. I totally see in him the domestic violence that he witnessed, to him that is the normal way to treat people. He has gone from not being able to count to 3 just 6 weeks ago to consistently counting to 12. He is quickly learning his alphabet too! But then John does something terribly disturbing and I find myself dreading being with him. Not a proud thing to admit.

Elizabeth really is a mess. She screams more than anyone wants to listen to, hours on end if not the center of my attention. She does this to her daycare lady too! Her feeding issues are better! However, we went to a pulminologist last week and he is suspicious she has cystic fibrosis. If you are someone who has known me long you know that this disease is near to my heart. A fellow classmate of mine from elementary through high school (he was also a neighbor) had it and also a close friend of mine in high school had it. They both passed away at young ages and I know the really sad reality of it. I am praying constantly that it is not Elizabeth's future. She has all the symptoms and today the pediatrician seemed to agree with the pulmonologist:( Nothing less than heartbreaking.

I would like to recap my last day and a half so you all can see what a day in the life is and please be honest if I am not being right to question my decision:
Tuesday
6:00 up and at am to shower, etc
6:50 get kids up and fed
7:10 nebulizer for Elizabeth, dress boys brush teeth
7:35 leave to take John to school
8:00 drop John off
8:20 return home to pack Elizabeth food for feeding therapy
8:45 leave to drive to South Fort Myers
9:30 therapy for Elizabeth and Oliver
11:25 a.m. - leave PT, OT and feeding for Elizabeth with bio-mom and grandpa/speech for Oliver in South Fort Myers (Healthpark)
11:25-12:15 drive back to North Fort Myers to drop Elizabeth off at daycare/feed Oliver and I McDonalds in the car on the way
12:30 p.m. - pick up John
1:00 - arrive home and fold two loads laundry
1:30 - John mental health counselor arrives for play therapy/try to put Oliver down for nap
2:15 - guardian ad litem arrives to talk to counselor
2:45 - everyone leaves
2:45 - 5:00 - clean up house, entertain boys (Oliver never napped)
5:00 - leave to pick up Elizabeth
5:30 - return home
6:00 - dinner -John throws up during dinner and goes to bed with many tears, etc. and is running fever
6:30 - bath Elizabeth and then Oliver
6:50 - 7:10 Elizabeth nebulizer treatment
7:15 - Elizabeth bottle and bed
8:00- Oliver to bed
9:00 - Don arrives home
9:30 - Brynn arrives home and I get to eat dinner
10:00 - off to bed for me
Wednesday
5:30 a.m. Don gets up and I start stirring
6:00 up and in the shower
6:30 boys are both up on their own, Don gives them breakfast
6:50 wake Elizabeth and feed her breakfast
7:10 nebulizer for Elizabeth and get John to get dressed
7:35 out the door to take John to school
7:50 approaching the school when Elizabeth pukes up her breakfast in her carseat
7:55 drop John off
8:20 arrive home to bathe Elizabeth, clean carseat, pack bags for day and eat breakfast myself and move laundry around and then locate old carseat for the day
9:15 leave to drive back to South Fort Myers for Elizabeth's speech therapy
10:00-30 speech therapy
11:00 Elizabeth's 15 month well baby visit, turns in to sick visit due to fever and ear infection
12:00-12:30 drive to pick John up, eat Wendy's in the car - told John may have head lice
1:00 drop John and Elizabeth off at daycare (probably shouldn't have)
1:30 call to come pick kids up
2:00 back home

Am I crazy??? Or is it really a lot to do? In between I am cleaning up all the bodily fluids I can find. Elizabeth's nose runs 24/7 for the last 6 weeks. Maybe I am just a whiner... (could be!) I did call today and say "I need help" only to be told they are too short staffed to do much more than move the kids to a new foster home. I am hoping something will happen in court tomorrow or at John's school meeting Tuesday or something or we may be moving the kids......

5 comments:

Donnadman said...

Sweetie, you know how I feel! I love you and am proud of who you are. You don't need anyone to say what is right for you and what is ok...you know. Bless your heart! Love forever, D

Jackie and Richard said...

Oh Tanya! You forgot to schedule in 3 minutes somewhere in there so you could go potty!!! Yikes!

I'm so sorry that Elizabeth may have cyctic fibrosis. That's just terrible!

However it ends, you aren't going to like it & it's going to be hard on you, even though you may be really ready for this chapter to come to a close. But I greatly admire how you've given 110% through such extremely trying circumstances!!! You're a far better woman than I am!!! :)

Jenny said...

Tanya, you need to do what is best for YOU and YOUR family. You have dedicated so much of your time to these kids, but you also need to remember to take care of yourself. God will lead you in the right direction and help you make this difficult decision. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers! Let me know if you need anything or just to talk!
Jen

Amy, Jeff, LM, SC, & Ashton said...

Tanya -- you are doing so so much, and the schedule sounds insane -- i have no doubt that both kids issues and behaviors are solidly linked to their past; that john has reactive attachment and CF would NOT surprise me w/ E althought shouldn't she have ahd a newborn screening?????
I agree w/ Donna, Jackie, and Jenny-- you need to do what is right for you -- unfortunately, you are 100% right -- they "system" is about budget and parent rights - NOT child welfare -which is a darn shame b/c the cost/benefit analysis would clearly show if the system FLIPPED to focus on child welfare, we all know things like juvenile arrests, teen pregnancies, etc etc etc that all COST MORE MONEY would be reduced. but, what do we know? we are ordinary citizens trying to be good parents and trying to make a difference in our society (insert sarcasm here)... you are amazing amazing... while these kids may not be the best fit (and it is OK if they are not), you fully have to focus on yourself and your permanent family -- and see where you land after these kids are gone.. you mentioned a great option when we last talked on the phone... that is surely still there for you.. I wish I could do something for you --- HUGS HUGS HUGS..
Amy

Amy, Jeff, LM, SC, & Ashton said...

are you OK?
i am going to call you this week and hope we can connect timing wise..