Long Time, No See..

Okay, I've got a lot to say, but before I begin...this is the look that I've been getting from my Husband for the last couple of months as he's been encouraging me to blog again.
What can I say? We've been busy...hence the new blogpost.

Let's get this party started!!!!!

Late last year, Henry and I found ourselves sitting in a room full of other couples and some singles at an orientation meeting at ChildNet.

ChildNet is the "private, not for profit organization created to manage the child welfare system in Broward County in Florida."

That night last October we got what we considered to be a lot of information on the new possibility of our adopting through the state of Florida. We learned that in order to adopt through the State that we would be required to complete a M.A.P.P.(a 30 hour/ 10 week Model Approach to Partnership in Parenting class that prospective adoptive parents are required to successfully complete). We also learned that the next of these classes was going to be starting at ChildNet in January of 2011.

We wouldn't find out whether we had been fortunate enough to make it into that very next M.A.P.P. class until just after the first of the year.

Have I not mentioned in this blog that my biological clock is TICKING?

Needless to say, we made it in.

I think that I've said it before, but I have this sense that the World moves for Henry and I. Obstacles are no longer obstacles, and the Universe provides a way.

Now, before I get too spiritual, let me say that our admission to this M.A.P.P. class would prove to be one of the coolest experiences that I've ever had.

When January rolled around and this class started, we found ourselves in the first GAY M.A.P.P. class(well, there was one heterosexual couple...) that ChildNet had ever hosted!!!

AMAZING!!!

Let's just remember, friends and followers, that last year this time, there was still an actual Constitutional Ban in the State of Florida that prevented openly gay people from adopting children...just to keep things in perspective.

Every week, we all learned something new. As a group we discussed topics like Helping Children with Attachments, Understanding the Impact of Fostering or Adopting, Helping Children with Birth Family Connections, Helping Children Manage Their Behaviors, and also whether adoption or foster care was the right route for us.

From our two Class Facilitators we learned about the System, and we learned about the children in the care of the System. They shared their own "war stories(having both been working with children and organizations such as ChildNet for many many years)." Class often descended into discussions prompted by individual questions, and I believe that the forum that we all provided one another was a tremendous comfort, both intellectually and on and emotional level, during the course of the class.

If any of your ever get the chance to read this...WE MISS YOU GUYS!!!!!!!

Henry and I made a decision during M.A.P.P.(after much soul searching and discussion) that we were going to opt for foster care as a path to adoption. We had learned that nearly all of the children in the care of the State who are cleared for adoption are older than toddler age. We might find ourselves waiting forever if we hoped for a brand new baby to adopt immediately.

They're like unicorns!!!

Henry and I had talked at length about what we wanted for our family, and about what we thought that we could realistically handle. We discussed at length the issues that could be at play with even a five year old child after having been in the care of the State for years. We also decided that we want to raise a child. We want as "whole" life as possible with a little one. Additionally, we talked about the fact that we share a belief that a child with two fathers might need a little extra confidence building before they get to school age and the world starts to push and pull at them for being different.

Yadda, yadda, yadda...so we want to be Foster Parents.

That brings us up to March of this year...stay tuned.