One Phone Call before Week's End

So, I got a call from CHOR before the week ended. Not for a placement, but for a respite. I will have a 15 year old girl staying with me over the weekend. Wow! I mean, 15 is a vast difference from nearly 2 and just turned 4. Good news, no diapers. But, no naps (and therefore time to myself) and I doubt she will go to bed by 8 pm. On Saturday, I have plans to go to a yard sale in the morning and meet a friend at an art festival later in the morning, so I guess my new friend will tag along with me. She will also go along to church and visiting with my parents. Unless the activity is not age appropriate, I just take foster kids along with me when I am out and about in the world. It will just be strange to have an older child with me, even for a short period of time. And, this is going to sound odd, but I feel kind of weird with the older kids. I’m not really old enough to be a “mother” (yes, technically I am 17 years older than her, but still!) but I’m not cool enough to be a cool big sister. I guess I’m like that weird aunt you get sent to, the one who really, really, really looks forward to having you and plans all these activities she thinks will be fun, but you would much rather sit at home and veg – that’s how this situation feels to me. I tend to over-compensate a lot more when I have the older kids. So, I guess it just feels more awkward to me, versus the little dudes who are a lot more work but also more amenable to doing the things I have for us to do. I haven’t quite gotten the house in order yet, ugh! Tuesday I was too wiped to lift a finger, plus it was my birthday! Wednesday I did a boatload of dishes and pulled the sheets off the kids beds before sitting down and getting too severely unmotivated to get back up and work (although, I did comb the cat and then vacuum up the mess that it made). Last night I was out with a friend. I had planned to do some errands after work and then knuckle down and get the house in order, but now I have to alter those plans. Eh, it all works out eventually, right? I wanted to keep busy and I was hoping I would get calls for respite, so there you go! I’m not gonna lie, when I got the call and it was so-and-so from CHOR, my heart began beating a little bit faster and I’m pretty sure I was holding my breathe. But, it was short-lived once she announced that she was calling to see if I could take a respite case this weekend. It’s ok – “that” phone call will come.