An odd title if you don't know what I'm referring to. These are the nicknames for our foster kids. Actually we've had 17 all together. Most of them short-term (overnight to a couple of months), but these three we had for nearly a year or more, and they will always be our kids even if they don't live with us anymore. We no longer do foster care - conflict of interest with work - but have an agreement that if any one of these three kids came back into care, that they would be able to come back to our house.
Peanut: Sweet little pipsqueak of a peanut, who I introduce here, is actually in the best situation now. Our first foster child. We opened our hearts completely to her, while trying to keep in mind that she may go home, which she did nearly a year after she came to us. She is 8 now and lives half-way across the country with Bio Dad and Mary Poppins (who is now his wife, but was previously known as New Girlfriend). Reunification was heartbreaking in so, so many ways for her and us, but she's doing well now. Peanut still says she wants to come and live with us when we see her, which we are fortunate enough to do once or twice a year, but she no longer has body-racking fits that entail tearing off her clothes and holding onto us with a death grip.
Prancer: Our little dancing boy. Came to us when he was two and left at 3 1/2. This child is a ball full of unrestrained energy. He dances even when he is trying his best to stand still - even now at 6. His mother used while pregnant, and in doing so did no favors for Prancer who struggles with processing the happenings around him and with concentration. His father loves him and he loves his father dearly, and so we felt really good about him going back to him. His mother is no longer in the picture, hasn't seen him since before he was reunified, but we see him once or twice a month.
Buddha: Chub-a-lub-a-baby-boy. Came to us as a baby and left as a talking-walking ball of tender-hearted love. Reunified to his mom in the most tenuous of circumstances. Maybe because this is the newest heartbreak, because he was just a baby when he joined our family, or maybe because of the fragility of the situation, and certainly because we no longer see him, but I find myself close to tears every time I really pause to think about him. I know his mom loves him, but we love him too, and he lived with us for twice the amount of time he was with her before he went back - I guess there is a (large) part of me that feels that we are where he is supposed to be.
As I explained previously, we can't show photos of the foster kids to protect their privacy (and I'm not sure I'll be showing recognizable photos of the Boy either), and I'm leaving lots of details out, but I wanted to do a little introduction to them as they are part of our family, even though not with us.
And then again, life is funny sometimes. Through the grapevine we hear that there are problems here or there, and all we can do is say little prayers that the kids are safe. And be there for their return if necessary. So if you pray, or chant, or meditate, or just want to send some good thoughts out there, these three need all of your good thoughts and prayers. Thanks.
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