Sunday Morning at Home

So we had our 1st training day for adopting/fostering on Thursday. It was a very Andy and Bonnie moment. We got a letter about going to one in the town where we live on Tuesday the 15th. Then we got a letter, only DH saw, about it being on the 17th. I called our social worker to tell her we had lost the rsvp, but that we would be there on the 17th. So, DH took the day off and we showed up in our town on the 17th (all the time thinking the date had been changed). Umm...yea. The training in our town was on the 15th. DH misread the letter. The 17th training was in the town about an hours drive North--the place where we did our information day. After some confirmation between the social workers we headed up North. Oddly enough, we weren't the last ones there. Ha!

It was a great day. We did learn a lot. Probably shared too much. But we have been consistently surprised in a positive way at how helpful the social workers are and how nicely the respond to us. You'd understand our surprise if you'd heard the horror stories we've heard, or been through what we have in the past. Our first adoption effort failed in part because the Black social worker told the Black birth mother something to the effect of "you don't want White people raising your baby." Yup.

Anyway, all is going well. They tell us that we should be through training in about 6 weeks. During that time our application will be be processed. We should be approved (or not) in 8-12 weeks. That's amazing! So, conceivably we could have a baby or babies in 3 months.

We are going to apply to do foster care as well. Sometimes babies are placed through foster care and then later adopted by their foster parents. We're praying!

Also praying for the perfect job. I've just decided to make a list of what it would look like. Here's my list:

• clear between $30-45 an hour (the rate for counselling with the state agencies is $86 an hour, so it should be easy to clear this amount. Amazing, I know.)
• work 10-16 hours a week, with hours that will fit with my child care options
• the employer will pay my continuing professional costs (registration, annual fees, continuing education, conferences, etc.)
• the employer will offer me insurance
• the employer will contribute to my Kiwi Saver plan

This would be the ultimate job for me! Working within this framework we would be debt free in a year. Be able to go to Texas next July and another 15 months after that have enough for a down payment on a house. I think I could handle this work schedule even with a new baby or babies. I know it would be hard, but it is such a blessing to me that my training and education is actually useful here. And that I can help our family in a financial way.

Saying all of that tongue-in-cheek, about the being able part, since I just killed my foot last week. On Monday I stepped on a big hard plastic toy and nearly killed my foot. The toy dug into my arch and cut the skin. I jumped up and landed on the ball of my foot really hard. Well, three years ago (nearly) I had a stress fracture in that foot in the 2nd metatarsal where my 2nd toe joins the foot. I think I either re-injured it or aggravated it severely. I can't really walk on it. I saw the doctor Thursday and she ordered an x-ray, but said I should wait until 10 days to see if it got better on its own, or if not so that they fracture would show up on a x-ray. Well, Friday it hurt so bad I called the doctors office back. They are going to put me in a boot tomorrow through physio--so I don't have to go through the hospital system and pay for it. And I have to go get the x-ray tomorrow. Since I don't have the luxury of sitting around with my foot up for weeks until it heals, the boot is the next best thing. We shall see. Hopefully, I have just aggravated the old injury and it will be all better very soon.

A little bit thankful that I only have two little kids right now and no job to go to while I hobble around on a sore foot. Ha!

That's all I know for now. I didn't go to church today so I could stay off of my foot somewhat. DH even taught my ladies Bible study on Friday for me. Wasn't that nice?