You Know You're a Foster Parent When... - Part Three

After 3 1/2 years in Foster/Adopt Land, I am constantly coming across more "You Know You're a Foster Parent Whens..."  :-)   Enjoy!
You know you're a foster parent when:

• Your first reaction to potential real estate investments is something along the lines of "OMG!  Do you know how many kids I could fit in there?!?"  

• You have more children than available vehicle seating.

• You feel like a rebellious teenager when you leave the Tums in your unlocked medicine cabinet (in between placements, of course ;-).

• You are called to your child's school to meet with the principal because Little Timmy has been continuously loud, disruptive, and won't sit still in class, and you are secretly thinking, "You Go, Timmy!!!  Good for you!!!" and planning how best to praise him when you get home because last month he was throwing furniture and hitting the teacher.  

• You're intentionally vague when questioned about your children by random strangers simply because you get a good chuckle out of watching them squirm.  "Is he your first?"  "No.  He's my 12th."  or  "Does she (your child of a very obviously different race) look like her father?"  "I don't really know.  I never saw him."  ;-)

• You visit a new church with your five children of different ethnicities, and the church "grandmas" secretly pray for you to find Jesus because they think you're loose.  ;-)

• You are on a first-name basis with your city's police officers, and you do your best to keep them happy (because chances are they'll be bringing one or more of your kids home late one night after getting into trouble if they haven't already.)

• The 3-month-old boy that you were expecting turns into a 3-week-old girl by the time they get to your door.

• You don't know how to spell, let alone pronounce your child's name.

• You know you're going to be in the restroom longer than 30 seconds, and you bring your monthly paperwork with you so you don't waste valuable time just sitting there.

• You know every pediatrician and specialist in your area that takes Medicaid, whether or not they are accepting new patients, their estimated waiting time for appointments, and the first names of all of their nurses and front office staff.

 

If you liked these, feel free to click the links to Part One and Part Two!

 

What about you?  Do you have any that you would add?  :-)