Our Almost Placement

Yesterday, we had just sat down with our "nutritious" meal of pizza [$10 deal from Pi.zza H.ut!] when the phone rang.  Since we had just gotten home from running errands and needed to eat before Tim to a nap before work, I let it ring.  Mythbu.sters was on the background so I tried to listen to the message being left, but couldn't hear it very clearly.

... have a possible placement... 3 years old and almost 5...

We paused the show and really began to listen.  Our licensing worker was calling with a possible placement for us.  A sibling group, a nearly five year old boy and his three year old younger sister.  She said she thought of us even though they were a little out of our age range, but because they might be looking for a pre-adoptive home.  This means they are anticipating the parents' rights being terminated and like to have them in a home that would consider adopting them.  It would be less moving for the kids and faster for the adoption to be finalized. 

I called her back immediately, got more information, but unfortunately Tim had to take care of J who had just woken up from a very short nap due to a dirty diaper.  So once I got all the info I could, I said we'd talk it over and I'd call her back.  The next two calls were to our primary caregivers, making sure they were up for caring for two additional little ones.  Meanwhile, as Tim and I were discussing things, we were also beginning the massive rearrangement of rooms trying to figure out where, before the kids came in a few hours, we would be setting them up for the night.

I called the worker back, told her yes, she gave me the name of their caseworker and said she'd call once she was out of court with more info, but to expect the kids that day.  Crazy!  Our lives were about to change... from 1 child to 3 children... from only an infant to little kids one of whom was even in school part-time.  All of a sudden I was thinking about car seats, transportation to school, seats around the kitchen table, clothes, all these things were flying through my mind. 

Then the phone rang again.  I expected it might be the children's caseworker.  It wasn't.  It was our worker again.  Apparently the courts decided not to remove the children from their home.  They wouldn't be coming after all.  I'm glad a family is able to stay together.  And perhaps this was just to get us thinking and more prepared for the next phone call we get... maybe in the near future?