The Modern Adoptive Mummy

When you have panel  dates, introduction dates and move in dates things start to get very scary. We have known the potential start date for introductions to start since the Appreciation Day and last week this moved to an earlier date, 4 days earlier. this is incredibly exciting but took a weekend away from final preparations. I know how we work though, we cannot really get things done until we are at the wire, a knifes edge, the edge of the cliff- only at this point can we get things done. I certainly was always the last moment essay writer at university and life has never really changed in that respect! What do we have left to do? not a lot really- a little more de-cluttering and sorting clothes out (ours) and  giving the house a last scrub to make it as clean as possible. We do have some serious de-clothing to do in order to make some space but other than that it is no big deal to get the house into shape. It is odd, that as I type I can see a framed picture of Holmes ...

The BUMP meeting: despite the foster carers not being sure of what this day was and it being the first time the particular local authority had agreed such a thing- the day did actually go ahead. I was convinced the day wouldn't happen. We weren't allowed the phone number of the foster carers- I sort of understand this but at the same time it made any last moment changes and notifications impossible- we could turn up and the foster carers not turn up for one reason and another. We had the number of their family worker as a go between (though as it turned out he was off ill and never acknowledged our test as he wasn't in work). My excitement about this day was somewhat marred by the fear that we would not actually get to see them and we would spend a lonely hour bumbling about a playground waiting for them to never show! By the time we got there I felt very sick with nerves. We were there about 40 minutes early and the weather remained ominous- inside I was desperately hopi...

It is a funny title isn't it...I mean, how can you appreciate a child or children that you don't know? An odd concept to appreciate them for what and who they are without ever seeing them! I guess the term is used as we are invited to appreciate the wider picture around them and the journey they have already had. This day had already been cancelled once and even on the way in the car I was semi convinced it would be cancelled- much like many steps so far I am constantly waiting for things to go wrong-I can't quite believe it things are moving forward (maybe because it is taking so long?). We arrived at the office in an hour with about 20 minutes to spare. We signed in and waited (still expecting to be told it was cancelled!). So what is this meeting? Professionals involved in the children's and mother's life arrive to talk about their experiences and impart information. Some people couldn't make it to the meeting, such as Watson's nursery key worker, the...