Since my last post in November of 2015, we moved within the Northern Virginia area, then moved to the greater Atlanta area, quit homeschooling, took new jobs, and settled down. We've been in the same house, same school district, same jobs for two years. Which is when we start to get an itch. The kind of itch that causes complete uprooting, shifting, boxing, and changing everything.
But we made a promise to our kids that they could all (ALL) finish High School in this district. That gives us six more years.
So we are starting a new adventure. One that made me dust off the ole' keyboard and get up at 6am on a Saturday to deliver the news to you. Who am I kidding? I get up every Saturday at 6am. It's quiet and I can sip my coffee in silence.
Foster Care.
When I said that, did your heart skip a beat? Did you start cold sweating? When we mentioned this idea to our kids, they were unanimously supportive. One child said, "Hey, at least we aren't moving!" But wait, let me go back. There's more to the story.
When we moved to Georgia, I asked my husband to buy us a house. He and I have moved together 11 times. He knows what I like. He also knows that most of our houses are temporary and I'm not too fussy if it's not going to last forever. But this time, wow, he nailed it! Each person got to pick one thing they might like in a home. Here's the list:
Husband: An unfinished basement so he could have an eternal project for weekends that adds value to the house.
1: A fireplace where she can curl up, read a book, and drink her tea. Her spirit animal is a cat.
2: The same distance or less than we were to the school in Virginia (2.6 miles) for easy activity participation. His spirit animal is a dog.
3: Her own room. The only TRUE introvert in our whole family. Trust me, we did the Myers Briggs and tested everyone!
4: A flat driveway where she could roller blade with EVERYONE in the neighborhood.
Me: A Gas stove. I've lived in enough places to know that electric is a pain in the butt, and frankly, I spend a majority of my life in that location.
He found all this and more. He built me a library. The house had four bedrooms, but he built a fifth and a sixth. At Thanksgiving, when 20 people are here for the week, it feels right. But most of the time, the house is just too big. As you are reading this to yourself, please do not think, "What a complainer! Who thinks a house is too big?! What's her problem?" The thing is, I know our capacity. The six of us have cozied up in a three bedroom apartment, in tiny townhouses, and shared a single family home. We know how much space we need and this house has an excess.
Also, if you know us well, you know that we rarely collect "stuff" and instead collect people from our various homes. Which brings me back to our greedy house. In the quiet of six people living here, it groans. It whines and complains that spaces aren't getting used and noises aren't being made. Please understand, I'm not pining for babies or wishing for the old days. I just like to see happy faces gathered around a kitchen table playing games, eating food, and sharing laughter.
So we're doing it. Foster Care. We've been wanting to for a very long time, but didn't have the stability. But it's finally happening. We have completed background checks, submitted applications and references, and finished 28 hours of training. We are rearranging rooms and beds and making things safe and welcoming for some new kids. Not kid. Kids. Actually, we're on the list for teen sibling groups. Because nobody else is. And they're people who need support. So, I'm back. To update, to share, and to invite you along our journey just like I did so many years ago when we moved to Russia. Hang on tight. This is going to be a wild ride!
