This evening at 5:55, Laura was at her friend's for a sleepover (she has the whole week off from school), Matt was in the basement working, Hank was finishing his first supper in the dining room, and I was walking in that mom circuit from the kitchen to the laundry room to the living room to the dining room. Do you have that circle in your house? I've worn a groove.
The doorbell rang. I opened it to see my two little foster children from two houses over, Conspiracy Guy's daughters. I greeted them. They never say anything at the door, like "Hello," until they're prompted. They just stand there with faces of mute expectation. After a moment they let it be understood that they wanted to come in and play with Hank.
Now, at 5:55 at my latitude today, it was dark. So I said, "Girls, do your mom and dad know you're here? It's dark, don't they want you at home now?" The little one shook her head. "They said we can stay until 7."
Oh, well that's all right then. Super, if your dad says that you can show up here at dark and stay for an hour, then what concern could I possibly raise?
Hank scrambled down from the bench and led them to the trampoline. After they'd jumped for about ten minutes, they all three filed through the back door, ready to begin the indoor play portion of the visit. I said, "Okay girls, it's nighttime. Time to go home!" And so they did.
(I probably would have let them stay out on the trampoline longer, but lately I have developed an intolerance for seeing able-bodied children sitting around on my furniture.)
Reader, if you had told your child that she could set out at dark to a neighbor's house and stay until 7pm, and then your child was sent home again in ten minutes, would you take any sort of lesson or mental note from that experience? 'Cause these people won't.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
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9 comments:
I love hearing about these neighbors -- what does he look like? And she?
One of these girls will probably name her child after you.
did they get sent over for a feed?
Elizabeth: if you do a Google Maps "street view" of his house, you can catch a glimpse of him in his front window. Staring at you with binoculars.
Christian: You're right. But the child's name will be "Trampoline Sandwich."
Have they started calling you mom?
That's tricky. I think I would have walked them back home, though, to differentiate between the expectations of day + night. Also, to see if they were doing it. I'll stop typing now xo
Doing it?!? OMGZ.
Jenni, after 5+ years of our living here, they still call me Hank's Mom. Like, in direct address, "Hank's Mom, can we have a juice box?"
Jo, I don't think they're missing meals, as they're satisfied with just snacks at my house. Also, their dad told me that the older one has some food allergies and please not to give her food. So I didn't, then one day she sneaked some peanut butter crackers and I FREAKED OUT and was about to call 911 and I called her dad and he was like, "Oh, it's no big deal, just a behavior issue." Thanks for giving me all the info I needed, fellow adult.
Elizabeth, they look normal. Actually I never see their mom. I saw her a few weeks ago for the first time in probably 18 months.
Great blog fodder, though, eh?
They might be getting the hint, it's whether they care that's the question! I'm still of the opinion that you are providing some much needed normalcy for the Foster Kids, but I also think it's good that you have boundaries. I wonder though...when Hank starts school next year and isn't around so much, what will they do then?
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