Stuff-Gathering

As we intend to be foster parents, but don't know what age or gender our child will be, we're collecting up things as folks offer or we come across good deals. Since I know there's going to be some folks who want, (over the course of holidays or whatnot), to gift us things, I figured a list of stuff we already have - or specifically need - may be helpful. I'll try to keep it updated as we go along.

Clothes:
*Note: clothes may, in many cases, go home with the child so we may need to have a continuous supply in each category. With that in mind, even if we "have some" we may still need some eventually.

Unisex Winter 0-6 mo. - needed
Unisex Winter 6-12 mo. - needed
Unisex Winter 12+ mo. - have some
Girl stuff Winter 0-6 mo. - have some

Girl stuff Winter 6-12 mo. - have someGirl stuff Winter 12+ mo. - have some

Unisex Summer 0-6 mo. - needed
Unisex Summer 6-12 mo. - needed
Unisex Summer 12+ mo. - needed
Girl stuff Summer 0-6 mo. - needed
Girl stuff Summer 6-12 mo. - have some Girl stuff Summer 12+ mo. - have some

*Note - have not sorted past 12 months; will be also needing toddler clothes.

Socks - have some, but mostly pink. Need boy socks.

Onesie extenders - have

Other stuff:
baby swing - have
plastic cups w/ sippy lids - have
car seat newborn-20lbs - needed
car seat 20-40lbs - have
bottles - needed
high chair/booster seat - needed
crib - have
crib sheet sets - have
diapers - needed (we're doing cloth, so I'll post specifics later)
toddler/preschool toys - we have plenty
infant toys - needed
board books - needed

Recommended Foster Care Reading List

I don't think I've put this here yet, and I keep forgetting to put it in a central place, so here we go.

This is the recommended reading list from experienced foster parents at Foster Care Central.

• A Guide to Foster Parenting: Everything but the Kids! By Mary Ann Goodearle
• The Five Love Languages of Children, By Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell
• Bad Childhood---Good Life: How to Blossom and Thrive in Spite of an Unhappy Childhood, By Dr. Laura Schlessinger
• Parenting Your Out-of-control Child: An Effective, Easy-to-use Program for Teaching Self-control, by George M. Kapalka
• 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child: The Breakthrough Program for Overcoming Your Child's Difficult Behavior, by Ph.D. Jeffrey Bernstein Ph.D.
• How to Talk So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk (How to Help Your Child), by Adele Faber , Elaine Mazlish
• Fostering a Child's Recovery, by Mike Thomas, Terry Philpot, and Mary Walsh
• Robbie Rabbit's Trail through Foster Care (and the Trail through Adoption) www.robbietherabbit.com [for kids] 
• Mulberry Bird (if going through adoption only), by Anne Braff Brodzinsky and Diana L. Stanley [for kids]
• Forever Fingerprints, Maybe Days, by Jennifer Wilgocki (highly recommend) [for kids]
• Beyond Consequences, Logic, and Control by Heather Forbes
• Adopting the Hurt Child, by Gregory Keck
• Parenting the Hurt Child, by Gregory Keck 
• Telling the Truth to your Adopted or Foster Child: Making Sense of the Past by Betsy Keefer & Jayne Schooler 
• Twenty Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew, by Sherrie Eldridge 
• Another Place at the Table, by Kathy Harrison
• Three Little Words, by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
• The Connected Child, by Karyn Purvis, David Cross, and Wendy Sunshine
• Nancy Thomas CDs (audio)
• Amazon.com Foster Parent Reading List

October 9, 2006

Well, we're supposed to go get our bloodwork done as the last bit of our physical exam. One of the things Dr. Mike was going to check was my white blood cell count. Last week I had a teeeeeeensy nasal drip that he didn't even notice during the physical. Then Friday we went camping, and the lows hit upper 30s. *coughcough*hackhack* If you couldn't have guessed, I'm now back to the 'really sick in my chest' cold thingy that I always do. I'm SO SICK OF IT. It also means that there will be a delay in my paperwork. *GAH* I wanted this to be done with.

In the meantime, I guess I'll sit with some tea and start to plow through this Big Pink Adoption Book. (it's actually The Adoption Resource Book by Lois Gilman, but it's known by its bright pinkness.)