We had a great two days/night at a statewide adoptive/foster family event. We rented a cabin, went to the beach twice, went bowling, ran on the grass, ate with a huge group of families, etc...
The time away was just what Mama needed. I can't tell you how refreshing it was. However, add children to any trip and there is always excitement:
1. 1:09 am Saturday morning - I awake to a boy over me and something wet on and around me. Z's first time puking was IN the bed. Chocolate cake, bean salad and pasta. Chunks. OMW! I didn't know where to start. He cried. I remained really calm but could have puked myself. We were in the cabin without a change of sheets so...
I had to rinse his blanket out and hang it in the shower. removed bottom sheet. Made the top sheet the bottom, washed him the best I could and then placed a clean towel under him "just in case there was more", etc.
Of course, that towel was replaced 3X with more towels, hand towels and eventually the bath mat. Poor guy. The place stunk, he was sad. 1 -5 am was puke management. The morning brought sunshine and a SHOWER for Mama.
Some of the Z quotes:
Mama, I need a towel = I'm going to puke.
I want a bath (fromt he kid who hates baths) - made every time he threw up :(
My belly sick. My belly in the toilet. (This one had me laughing outloud at 130 am - He really thought his belly was in the toilet because of the puke that kind of made it in/on the toilet.)
2. Morning came and all seemed resolved. No fever. I thought - hmmm...he'd never had choclate and he'd had a huge piece of chocolate cake for dinner and that was certainly part of what came up. There was nothing left in him body and the chocolate could have been the problem. I struggled with what to do with him during the 2nd day of classes. After 4+ hours of no throwing up and successfully keeping down his breakfast, I took him to the organized children's program.
Then, it happened:
~1030, I got my first call from a nurse about my child.
I said - Do you have a puky boy. Nope.
He was so tired he was lying on the floor during snack and eating the goldfish with his head on the floor. They thought he was tired so they took him to the nurse and now he was sleeping in her room.
I went to check him at lunch. He woke up. Felt warm. We took his temp and yup - 101 temp BUT...what does that mean. Nothing. He came with me for the afternoon to a class. He entertained himself by sticking literally 25 bandaids on his knees/legs. He was a good boy but then started whining so we left with ~30 mins to go. Picked up sis, went to the beach, threw rocks, stopped in to Uncle's house, headed home.
He came home and immediately peed on the floor 2X after 4 days of successfully training without any accidents. Bedtime. He was out immediately.
The conference was great. Sessions were good. I felt like it was a good use of time. However, I didn't really connect with other families. I just happened to pick the wrong tables both meals and the sessions/conference didn't promote meeting others. That was the only negative.
I did offer to teach a haircare class next time as I saw a number of little girls "of color" who had unkept hair. Only one other girl had braids/beads and the rest were just...sad. Their Mama's need help and they knew it. Me teaching haircare...hmmmm.....
Oh, and I learned on Friday from one of the licensing workers (not mine) that I was considered for a very young baby last week but they decided that my kids were too young for a child that young or perhaps with the issues he/she had. Who knows...
-I was excited to learn that they were talking about/considering me.
-I realized that things are really different on this journey in that other people get to decide which child I bring home...not a birth mother. Someone else. That didn't feel good BUT then I quickly remembered, God is in charge! The social/licensing workers are his conduits.
The time away was just what Mama needed. I can't tell you how refreshing it was. However, add children to any trip and there is always excitement:
1. 1:09 am Saturday morning - I awake to a boy over me and something wet on and around me. Z's first time puking was IN the bed. Chocolate cake, bean salad and pasta. Chunks. OMW! I didn't know where to start. He cried. I remained really calm but could have puked myself. We were in the cabin without a change of sheets so...
I had to rinse his blanket out and hang it in the shower. removed bottom sheet. Made the top sheet the bottom, washed him the best I could and then placed a clean towel under him "just in case there was more", etc.
Of course, that towel was replaced 3X with more towels, hand towels and eventually the bath mat. Poor guy. The place stunk, he was sad. 1 -5 am was puke management. The morning brought sunshine and a SHOWER for Mama.
Some of the Z quotes:
Mama, I need a towel = I'm going to puke.
I want a bath (fromt he kid who hates baths) - made every time he threw up :(
My belly sick. My belly in the toilet. (This one had me laughing outloud at 130 am - He really thought his belly was in the toilet because of the puke that kind of made it in/on the toilet.)
2. Morning came and all seemed resolved. No fever. I thought - hmmm...he'd never had choclate and he'd had a huge piece of chocolate cake for dinner and that was certainly part of what came up. There was nothing left in him body and the chocolate could have been the problem. I struggled with what to do with him during the 2nd day of classes. After 4+ hours of no throwing up and successfully keeping down his breakfast, I took him to the organized children's program.
Then, it happened:
~1030, I got my first call from a nurse about my child.
I said - Do you have a puky boy. Nope.
He was so tired he was lying on the floor during snack and eating the goldfish with his head on the floor. They thought he was tired so they took him to the nurse and now he was sleeping in her room.
I went to check him at lunch. He woke up. Felt warm. We took his temp and yup - 101 temp BUT...what does that mean. Nothing. He came with me for the afternoon to a class. He entertained himself by sticking literally 25 bandaids on his knees/legs. He was a good boy but then started whining so we left with ~30 mins to go. Picked up sis, went to the beach, threw rocks, stopped in to Uncle's house, headed home.
He came home and immediately peed on the floor 2X after 4 days of successfully training without any accidents. Bedtime. He was out immediately.
The conference was great. Sessions were good. I felt like it was a good use of time. However, I didn't really connect with other families. I just happened to pick the wrong tables both meals and the sessions/conference didn't promote meeting others. That was the only negative.
I did offer to teach a haircare class next time as I saw a number of little girls "of color" who had unkept hair. Only one other girl had braids/beads and the rest were just...sad. Their Mama's need help and they knew it. Me teaching haircare...hmmmm.....
Oh, and I learned on Friday from one of the licensing workers (not mine) that I was considered for a very young baby last week but they decided that my kids were too young for a child that young or perhaps with the issues he/she had. Who knows...
-I was excited to learn that they were talking about/considering me.
-I realized that things are really different on this journey in that other people get to decide which child I bring home...not a birth mother. Someone else. That didn't feel good BUT then I quickly remembered, God is in charge! The social/licensing workers are his conduits.
