Two!

I'm not going to lie, I'm nervous.  One of our parameters was to avoid fostering a sibling group, because we don't want Charlie to feel like the odd man out in his own family, but I got a call today that our sweet 20 month old L from a couple weeks ago and his six year old sister, J, have to move homes at least temporarily.  I'm hoping that with Charlie already loving L, and J being so much closer to his age, maybe it will work for a while.

The situation is really tough.  Their foster parents are wonderful, but from what we understand, J was at a playdate and got in a fight with another child in which she was scratched.  Her biological mom saw the scratches during a scheduled visit and is accusing the foster parents of something.  The entire incident is documented, and apparently the bio mom has a history of trying to disrupt J's placements, but at this point Bair's hands are tied.  The goal is to return both children to their current foster home as soon as everything is cleared up, but I don't think anyone has any idea when that may be.

So here we are.  Sometime this evening our family of three will grow to a family of five for an unknown duration -- possibly until we go to Seattle in a couple weeks...and maybe even when we come back (but Jason and I haven't even discussed that yet...)

J will be away for sleepaway camp next Monday through Friday, and L will be able to go to daycare tomorrow while we take Charlie to the orthopedic doctor (broke his arm Monday night in Branson), then again next Tuesday and Wednesday mornings when I go in to school.  At this point, I haven't really figured out what other days I'll be taking L to daycare...or what we'll do with 3 kids this weekend!

I do need to email church and see if they can split Jason's and my Sundays to serve, so one of us can be with them, and I really should have bought milk on our way home from Splash Zone.  I opened a new carton this morning, but L went through a whole gallon the weekend he was here.  Ummm...yep...nervous...

The craziest part is that we were already on standby for a 15 year old girl whose foster family is going to North Carolina this weekend.  DSS hasn't been able to reach her bio mom to get permission for her to go along.  We were kind of nervous, because she is deaf and none of us knows sign language (other than Jesus Loves Me and the alphabet), but now that seems so easy.  There is just such a tremendous need for safe, loving homes for children, how could we say no?  But on the other hand, will this be as big of a mistake as taking in a long-term child Charlie's own age was (our other key parameter)?

By this we know love, that He laid down his life for us,

and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.

But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need,

yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?

Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

(I John 3:16-18)