Good Surprise, Bad Surprise

The bad surprise today was when Latte's case worker called shortly before she arrived. She informed us that it does not matter what anyone else involved in Latte's case plan thinks. Without her permission, nothing happens. So Latte was not allowed to move in with us today. She wasn't even allowed to spend the night. She only got to visit for two hours.

Her case worker feels that Latte needs a chance to see our house and then come again some other time. So she has to make a couple more trips where she drives almost 3 hours down and back to visit us because the caseworker thinks that will be "easier" for Latte. Personally, I think the caseworker should be the one to drive her both directions each time. So instead of spending the night Friday and being here for Glory's party Saturday morning (which starts at 10:30 am), she'll wake up at 6 am and be on the road from 7ish and, I'm sure, arrive cheerful and ready to join a crowd of noisy excited kids.

The good surprise was for Latte. She came into our house and was happily surprised to see all her things in her new room. She jumped up and down on her bed and ran around to look at everything, even inside the closet. She loved it! She told her foster brother, "A", that he could sleep in the top bunk. We said maybe he could visit some time. She loved the rest of the house, too. She especially like the girls' dollhouses and Barbies. After she checked out the house she rode in the girls' princess car to the park. We played a little and then she was ready to drive it. She loves the car! We all wished she could stay.

Tonight after AWANA was really hard for me. I had been looking forward to tucking her in, reading bedtime stories, singing our lullabye, and saying bedtime prayers all for the first time. We're all hoping that the caseworker will relent and let Latte stay on Saturday instead of dragging it out another week. I'm afraid that Latte won't understand why we can't see her for the next couple of days. I hate confusing her like this.