Getting Here

I guess we have to start with the back story.  Kristin and I met through a friend a long time ago (2004 maybe –we aren’t really sure).  We eventually started spending more time together, through the friend, and moved in together in her city house in 2006.  Kristin carried our first son who was conceived through a known donor (who has become the best father any kid could ever want) and ML was born in January 2008.  We moved to our “suburban farm” (we have seven chickens, a cat, a dog, a rabbit & a garden) when ML was 7 months because I couldn’t take the city anymore.   

I gave birth to our second son, same dad, in the spring of 2010.  When JC was not quite a year we became foster parents, at my coaxing.  Our first placement was for three kids ages 2, 3 and 4. We had five children all born within two and a half years of each other.  Needless to say we were completely overwhelmed and they were moved after 3 months.  Our second placement, BJ, came one week later.  He is nine and has been with us for eight months.  He may be returning home in November.  We had one three day respite placement for a 13 year old girl, and one respite placement for brothers ages 12 and 14.   

With every placement we learn what we cannot handle; five children under five, teenage boys.  I don’t want to believe that your biological children have to be the oldest but what we have learned is that having children with such wide age ranges forces us to compartmentalize our family in a way in which we are not comfortable. So that is how we got to the place where we are now.