Oh What The Heck

So life in our new home began. Our licensing worker from DHS came out to check the house, make sure it was safe and unbeknown to us thought it would hold a few more kids. Within a few weeks the phone started ringing. We got calls for children all the time. Some stayed longer than others, an emergency placement for the week-end, a few day till relatives could get into town, a week until they could make sure the dad is really the dad, stuff like that. In September of 1994 we received a call from a foster care worker wanting to know if we had room for 2 sisters ages 7 and 9. It would only be for a few months until an arrangement could be made to get the girls to their uncle in North Carolina. Sure that would be fine, a couple more kids for Christmas this year would be fun. Bring em on over. Well first we would have to meet them. The supervisor wanted us to be sure because the girls were bi-racial. Well I was a mom and they were kids, I was sure, what more did they want.
So the next day Anita from DHS came over with just one of he girls, a beautiful 9 year old named Nicole. When I asked about the other, Anita said she was having an x-ray on her leg. She had a bone infection and they wanted to start her on antibiotic. Nicole was fascinated with all the kids and after trip around the block with Heidi told Anita to just get her sister she wanted to stay. It wasn't quite that fast, a few days later she brought both the girls. On September 27, 1994, the girls came to stay. As I looked out the door the 2 girls were all smiles coming up the walk. But the little one, Courtney had a big white brace on her leg. Anita told me Courtney had an appointment with the orthopedic doctor the next day. She gave me the info and the girls went about getting settled. And I of course, had to figure out yet a new system for the laundry, from 3 to 8 kids in less than a year. Bunk washers and dryers would have been great. So I took another 2 steps up the pile! But when you have so many girls it is actually more, cause girl do the put on, take off, throw on the floor clothing changes. So I wash more clean clothes than dirty.