We were thrown in at the deep end today. What had been planned as a day with the foster carer turned into us taking the children out for the first time on our own - several days ahead of schedule. The change-around was caused by a call from the social services asking the foster carer to pick up a newborn baby from the nearby hospital.
After a bit of quick polling of friends with children, and hasty fitting of car seats this morning, we set off for a farm that’s open for visitors nearby. We saw rabbits, goats, cows, chickens, pigs - you name it. We climbed on hay bails, swung on swings, climbed on assault courses, and did a hundred other things. We also went to toilet about fifteen thousand times, and ended the day with a wellington boot buying trip.
I think the social services are shocked at our progress. Perhaps they forget that we are intelligent adults, and are surrounded by friends with young children who we regularly look after. The foster carer seemed to notice from the start, and has given us far more trust than is usual. Both we and the professionals expected us to make some glaring (and hilarious) mistake at some point, but it hasn’t happened so far.
The main thing I am taking from today is a realisation from both myself and W that we don’t see these kids as we have our friends children. While watching their antics in the playpark this afternoon I suddenly realised I didn’t want others to think badly of them, and was quietly annoyed when other people’s children pushed them aside. The attachment between us is growing day on day - we have already become a constant in their lives, and it is showing massively in their behaviour towards us.
The foster carer is losing them, in front of all of our eyes - thankfully this is her favourite part of the process, and she has done her job wonderfully. We are greeting with beaming grins in the morning (cheers of “Yay!” today), and depart with huge hugs with hopes for the morning.
We put them to bed for the first time this evening - saying good night before coming away. For the first time we really realised how little they have in the world, and the urge to provide it has exploded within us. Lets hope we find brakes to avoid changing their wonderful characters for the worse.