It Takes a Village

 

"It takes a village to raise a child." Not a new phrase, but it really hit home this last week. We prayerfully accepted a placement of boys 0 & 2 the day before leaving town for Thanksgiving with our extended family. We called and they were happy for us to bring them with us. I cannot even tell you how good it did my heart to see our extended family with them. Everybody was constantly willing to help watch the boys. I hardly got to change, feed, or hold the baby because there was almost always someone else that wanted to! My angel mother-in-law even took night duty, which was a huge blessing because his big brother and our bio baby weren't sleeping through the night either. L.'s angelic aunt held and card for the baby almost constantly during the day, and all the kiddos were happy to play with his toddler brother. L.'s sister couldn't get over how sweet the toddler was and was so willing to help him whenever he needed it.

As we were leaving town, L.'s grandma looked at me and said, "Thank you for bringing those two boys. They made a lot of people happy. And thankful."

I think this year has made some of my best Thanksgiving memories so far.

I had D, I and FS2 at a rest stop and was trying to keep FS2 under control, and D&I content. An older couple saw me and said, with a smile, "Whoa, your hands are full!" Remembering a comeback of my sweet Sister in Law (with 3 littles), I replied "Just like my heart."

Coming home was hard because we no longer had this constant family support. I was so nervous. Sunday came, and a friend took care of the foster baby through the entire church service, with another friend taking care of our bio baby also. An 11 year old girl jumped at the chance to come home with me after church to help with the babies for several hours so L. could take a much needed nap. Monday during the day, a neighbor came over to help for an hour or two during pre-nap time, and that afternoon a 12 year old boy came over after school to play with D. and the toddler while I tended to the babies.

And I almost forgot our neighbor who came over right after we agreed to have the children come with her cradleboard for us to use. What a blessing this was, so I could easily rock the baby to sleep in the presence of the toddler!

Cradleboards are amazing. I kind of wish I had bought one for Baby I! If only they weren't so expensive. So generous of my friend to loan us hers.

Can you see how very, very many people came to our aid - or better said, the children's aid - to help do what they could for them? I realize that not everyone that wants to help abused and neglected children can become foster parents, but there are still so many ways to help! I also was extremely impressed at how ready L.'s family was to love and accept these children as their own even when they knew that their presence was only temporary! The entire week the children were there, I kept seeing the village stepping up to help these precious children.

I had seen this image many months ago, but this past week it kept coming to my mind!

They transferred to kinship care this week, and the night before as I was rocking my congested baby with my arms and using my legs to rock the other baby that he woke up with his fussing, surprised to not feel more zombie-like than I did, I was guiltily excited at the thought of less responsibility. But after leaving the kids with DFS, as I was walking to my car, I could not stop crying.

Love them and I love the chance to have such wonderful children in my life, even temporarily. And I am grateful with this particular placement to have seen such an additional outpouring of love from others towards them also.