Mom of 10?

I feel like a mom of 10 kids right now. I have 10 kids on my caseload right now, ages 1, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, and four 16 yr old girls! Most of these kids carry some combination of the following diagnosis: fragile x syndrome, oppositional defiant disorder, post traumatic stress disorder, dissociative disorder, shaken baby syndrome, encopresis, pervasive developmental disorder, sensory integration disorder, aspergers syndrome, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and depression. I feel like a walking copy of the DSM-IV right now. Anyways, I've decided that this job essentially throws you into parenthood of 10 kids. I have to keep track of things like when the kids need new socks, when their next doctors appointments are due, who has parent teacher conferences tonight, who needs haircuts, who can go swimming, who can go to their friends house, who can participate in girl scouts, when are they big enough to be out of their booster seats, who's having nightmares, etc. Then I do the professional stuff, like think of therapeutic activities to do with my kids who are struggling, transport kids to appointments, attend important games or events, figure out what resources foster parents could use, attend numerous case conferences, consult with all the different doctors and therapists, supervise visits with biological parents, and write 10 weekly reports. I really do like this job a lot, I just feel like a mother of 10 right now. My four 16 yr old girls are really pushing limits and giving me a run for my money. I feel bad for my own teenagers someday, they won't be able to pull anything on me.

Update on Life

Well, it's been like an eternity since I've blogged. Ann pointed that out to me. So, here's an update in some kind of organized fashion.

Work:
I'm actually enjoying my job now. At first I didn't think it was a good fit, I felt ineffective, I had no supervision or formal training, and I wasn't connecting with my coworkers. Well, it really seems like a good fit for me now. There are 3 other girls in the office. Crystal does independent living, Rebecca is the foster home coordinator, and Kasey is my fellow case coordinator. I've learned to take everything that Crystal says with a grain of salt, Rebecca might seem annoyed with you but she's not, and Kasey really cares about her job even if it doesn't seem like it. I'm becoming pretty good friends with Kasey. We have spent a lot of time just talking about life and where we're at. She's not a Christian and lives a totally different lifestyle, but she totally respects me and my beliefs. God's really putting her on my heart, and I fully intend on inviting her to our lifegroup breakfast for dinner and jammies party this week. The kids are stressful, but I'm coming to love them.

Eric:
Things are still going pretty good. I've met his parents, he's met mine. The current crisis is that my parents are not at all supportive of me getting married any time soon, and are not supportive of my and Eric. It's a big learning experience in setting boundaries with my parents as an adult, and trying to come to terms with the fact that I will never be able to met their standards and will always fail them. Lots of hurtful things have been said, a few tears cried, and I'm doing what I can to move on.

God:
I feel like I'm regressing lately. A year ago, I went through this 6 month phase where I could not pray. I stopped hearing God, and physically couldn't open my mouth to pray. I'm feeling like I'm moving back to there. I haven't been hearing from God, and I don't feel like I have anything to pray. Today I really resonated with the whole "you're not rowing the boat, you're just sailing" analogy. No wonder I'm exhausted, I've been trying to row the boat all by myself. I think a lot of it comes down to my personal time with the Lord, or the lack thereof. And my inability to be quiet.

Well, I'll try to return to the blogosphere in the near future and keep you all updated.