That's not how the song goes?!! Ah well, that's how I'm feeling now. We got another letter in the mail. Lets just say this shit got real y'all! Ok, I really need to watch my language. We will get a call in about a week to schedule a time for a "Licensing Specialist" to come meet with us (aka home study) and start the process. So I had already had a list of what we need to do, but now the list went into gear! Also I have been trying super hard to implement lists into my daily life since I am currently unemployed/housewife/whatever and slacking on the general house upkeep. So this post will kinda cover two topics.
So I absolutely hate cleaning, hate it. Ok I guess I am ok with dusting, but vaccuuming and moping and floor sweeping are so yuck in my book... Anyone who has come to my house would probably say "Oh her house was clean," but little did they know it takes me about 8 hours for the deep clean that i do before I have anyone over. Now don't take this as I am a slob and sit in my own flth, no I don't do that, but I often don't dust, vacuum, mop, ect until it is absolutely necessarily. I am a casual person and actually enjoy and am comfy in the lived in environment. Although I must admit our condo looks pretty nice when the cobwebs are gone and the clutter is put away!
So, I know the week is half over, but I have made a list of stuff I/we Need/want to do this week! It will be hard to get it done since the hubbs has after hours work today and tommorow, but here is my list, not all is in prep for the home study but enough of it is!!
-Clean up Master BR, seriously lets get it clean already...
-Finish painting closet of 2nd BR (closet doors, wall, ceiling too...)
-Put 2nd BR back in order(clean up paint & put tools away)
-Clean bathroom closet & go through meds to get rid of expireds, ect.
-Clean Bathroom drawers out (same as above)
-Put kiddie locks on cabs & drawers in bath
-Kiddie locks on half bath too
-Install at least one of the smoke/CO alarms (2nd br one)
-Design two more cards for etsy store that I WILL OPEN THIS SUMMER!
-Clean up LR & DR (dust & vac) have hubby vac couch & blinds (again... those dang cats)
-Clean up FR, put clutter away
-Make appt for cats to go to vet, make sure updated on vaccines. Call new vet... (oh yeah and get em registered with the city)
Ok, so that is a pretty intensive list! But I can and will do it! I know we don't need the place with everything we need in place yet, but eventually. And the cleaning will be in prep for our party too! I am excited that we keep moving on in the process for F2A. It is kinda scary at the same time, I mean I really am serious with the above comment about shit getting real. So if our application is deemed complete by the CSSW we will begin the long and probable hard journey to become parents! There are alot of things I wonder about now about if our application is deemed complete. Do they contact our references before they set up the next step? Do they look at your finances and have a preset decision no matter how much you do/dont make? do they predetermine if they want to pursue your application if you have mental health issues in your past? I am such a worry wart, I just need to let it go to God and let him deal with it. It is SOO much easier said than done.
They just mailed a letter/questionnaire to me. It will be in tomorrow's mail! Don't worry, I said nothing that will lessen your chance of becoming a parent!
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks Em!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the second set of paperwork! Get your good pens out because there's a whole lot more coming.
ReplyDeleteSo far, If I were to give advice, it is that the process has been much smoother than anticipated. They really walk you through it and tell you what they need every step of the way. Don't worry about the whole picture--just what you need to do for the next two weeks.
The financials are pretty much to make sure that you are not going to use foster care money to meet your expenses. So you show copies of all your income, and then copies of all your expenses. It's not that you need to make a certain amount or anything.
I wrote about the mental health piece on my blog a bit (and I've seen it on several other blogs) First of all there is such a high need for foster parents--they aren't looking for only A students, but people who can provide safe, loving homes. If you work with a therapist or psychiatrist they may want to talk to that person--do they see any barriers to you being a foster parent? any barriers to you parenting a traumatized child? They may ask you questions about your mental health--what you have learned, how you deal with it now, how you will know if it is worsening, what you will do.
Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!
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OH, and totally don't worry about your smoke alarms, kiddie locks, medications, etc. yet. We are a few steps ahead of you and haven't done that yet. At our initial meeting we were told not to change anything in the house until we got the approval from the caseworker. We have lighters by candles, no safety locks, etc. Our caseworker said as long as we were aware we needed to do those things, and did them before the kiddo came to live with us. Don't stress!
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