Well, we had received a call about a week ago asking if we could take on another proctor kid. The family that was going to take her had to bow out at the last minute for health reasons. So we thought about it and just thought we have a lot on our plates right now and adding another girl to the mix would makes things even more crazy. So we got a call about a couple of days ago and it was the director of Redwood Therapy. He said he has only asked 2 favors of any family in the program in its entire history and this was his 2nd attempt to see if we would take on another proctor daughter. It was only for a temporary placement, the longest she would be staying would be a month. She was located in Ogden and he was also trying to expand Redwood Therapy up to that area because they really need help with the troubled kids in the area.
Before we said anything we all sat down and had a family council about it. I think Layne and I were hesitant because we didn't want to infringe on Erika's space and make it inconvenient for her. But to our surprise she was all for it. She was willing to help in any way she could and wanted to have someone her age to hang with. So Layne and I both knew we couldn't say no. Again, it was a big adjustment to our already crazy life but we were up for the challenge.
We were given single beds to accommodate both girls. Redwood Therapy really stepped up and helped us get everything ready to go. Erika was okay with sharing a room and was really great about rearranging a few things in her room. Kameron showed up on Friday, April 18th. She is 17, just like Erika and let me tell you they hit it off great. An instant bond was created!
2 weeks passed and we got a call that a family was ready to take Kameron. So again, we all sat down and had a council. We told Kameron that we were willing to let her stay but it was up to her. We told her to be selfish, with regards to her goals and what she wanted from the program. A new family meant her own room, more one on one with proctor parents, etc. We knew how hard it was for these kids to adjust and Layne and I both knew we just didn't want to have her start all over with someone new. Kameron thought about it for a few minutes, made a few calls, and then let us know that she would be staying. I think everyone was happy and relived.
So we have 2 new proctor daughters living with us. Its been interesting. I'm not in the realm of dealing with or let alone talking to teenagers on a daily basis and its a whole new ball game compared to littler kids. They are really into boys and music! They both love school and they get along great! We do have to remind them to keep the music down and to be quiet because kids are sleeping. Not to many incidents have taken place. Both Kameron and Erika are very respectful and work hard when we ask them to! It's nice to have them here in our home.
It's also interesting to see how different each girl is. Erika is more open and talkative with me and Layne.She is more outgoing and Kameron is a bit more closed off and puts up her defenses. Kameron is a lot like me in that she likes her alone/quiet time. A little bit more introvert compared to Erika's extroverted nature. But not that that is bad, I'm just saying it's different and it all works out really well for our family dynamic. Building trust with both of them is crucial to their success and happiness.
Schedules are crazy. We usually have something scheduled every night of the week. Its hard to balance rides and pick up and drop off times, but we are making it work. I think this is just preparing me for the teenage years with my own kids. Crazy times!!
No comments:
Post a Comment