Our foster care to adoption story...

Last week I finalized the adoption of my son Super Boy. This is our story which I previously posted on the foster parent support board, but now that the adoption is complete, I think our story needs to go on this board too. In October of 2012 I attended the TPR hearing for Super Boy and the end result was that I was going to be a Mommy again at age 54. This has been an unbelievable journey and because of how easily everything fell into place I believe it was somehow meant to be, crazy as it seems. Four years ago I was licensed as a foster parent with the intention of fostering only, but willing to adopt if there was kid who became available and was meant to be part of our familyӔ. I wanted kids around my sons age and so was licensed for 6-12 year olds. I then waited six months to get my first placement who was with me for about two months before being moved to a behavioral placement. Then I waited for over a year and a half to get my second placement, a sibling group of three for 8 days. After that placement I agreed to take a teenage girl for two weeks as a short term emergency placementҗit ended up lasting 5 months and I realized I really enjoyed this age and it worked well with my son, so I permanently upped my range to 17. I started watching too much television and after becoming addicted to Teen MomӔ and often saying---that girl could come live with usӔ I talked to my worker about taking in teen moms. I received another 17 year old and two months later got a call for a teen mom and her 7 month old son. They were with me for three months and when she turned 18 she was able to get custody of her son. They moved out a year ago and are doing great to this day. I was placed with another 17 year old girl (my specialty) in October of last year. Then, last February, I got a call pleading me to take another teen mom and her two year old son. No one would take them. Mom was incarcerated and scheduled to be released on intensive probation. She has spent her teen years in juvenile. Super boy was in another foster placement in another county and that placement refused to take mom back, so they were looking for a placement for them to be together. They had already blown through 4 placements since coming into the system and she and Super Boy had lived a rather chaotic life prior to his being brought into care at 8 months. Teen Angel was barely 15 when he was born. I dont know why, with all that build up, but I said yes and thought is serendipitous that we happened to be going to the other county that very weekend, so of course I would pick up Super Boy myself. Teen Angel lasted less than three months before being re-incarcerated. She was detained for four months before earning an early release and returning to my home. Two weeks after returning, after a day out to the park with Super Boy, she came home and told me ғI cant f&*^ing do this! ғ When I asked what she meant she told me she cannot parent Super Boy and she was going to sign papers for me to adopt him. I told her it was not that simple, that he is an ICWA kid, that there is his Dad who was recently who wanted custody and that there was her father who also wanted custody. I told her it doesnt just happen like that. Well I was wrong. A month ago at a review hearing she told that judge that is what she wanted and a TPR was scheduled for yesterday. End result everyone (Teen Angel, Dad, Grandpa, Tribe, attorneys, etc.) agreed to the termination. Everyone agreed to the exception for the ICWA preferences. Everyone agreed to adoption by the current placement. So here I sit today, amazed and delighted at what life can throw your way. I had so desperately wanted to be a mother and then at age 39 I miraculously, after giving up fertility treatment, gave birth to my son who is now 15. We wanted more but my son was followed by two miscarriages. My husband died when my son was 22 months old. I had a hysterectomy at 45 and then ғknew I would never have another child. I was planning to retire after my son is out of high school and spend my time traveling. What is that saying--- ԓMan plans and God laughs. Today I am laughing with him in joy as I celebrate my first Mother's Day as SB's mom.