Helping a Friend

        This title is sort of boring, I will admit but the entry is going to be full of stories. I love spending most of my weekends with a friend of mine and the children that she has in her care right now. It is giving me some experience of what it is like being a foster parent by myself and seeing if I want to do that. I can also go back to my past and remember the children I had from the shelter and share experiences with her that I experienced there. It is strange that I have someone who understands me now and that I also understand back. I love hanging out with her and her kiddos. It also lets me see all the different places around NWA for children.
         With that being said, I got some new ideas for me one day, if I ever start a business of my own or something like that. Like yesterday we went somewhere indoors because it was raining outside, that place had puzzles glued to the wall. Not just any puzzles but the lock and unlock kind and some that also opened up to see what was inside. I never thought about anything like that before. While that part of it is fun, it isn't the most important of the hanging out at all. I am very thankful that she includes me with her and the children when they go out places because I enjoy children so I enjoy seeing the children play places. Is that strange?
         I love see her children play in those areas that they are taken too. I love seeing children happy even though they life is a mess. It just seems to give us adults something to think about in life. We could have everything we need yet we aren't happy about it but these little kids have nothing and look how happy they are. I also love seeing changes in children of any sort that is why I want to be and am a teacher. Yet foster children you can see the most change in because it isn't just the learning part but the emotional and physical too. My friend has had the 2 children now for about 3 months and they have changed so much. The little boy is happy all the time now. He smiles and laugh more then he did when she first got him. He also walks now instead of scoots.
          The little girl is getting bigger everyday and also getting more hair everyday. She has happier too. She seems like she is able to trust my friend like a mommy too along with the little boy. My friend just started leaving the little girl in the nursery at church two Sundays ago and I think she does fine in there. I feel like I am more then just there are the places to play. I do help some if not a lot. Yesterday, we went to a place where they had place centers and the little boy just walked around to each center. I got to hold the baby girl for awhile because she just wanted to be held. She would cry if you put her down at all. It was a pretty small place with her loud cry so I held her for most of the time. She (the baby) talked me into it.
            Then at the little boy's party I was there and I watched him while the other parents were talking about their children and other things that parents get together and talked about. Dads with the dads and moms with the moms. I had a fun time watching him some. I just feel like I am a service to my friend sometimes and I don't mind it at all. It is another way that I can use my passion for children. It is a different way and I wold never have came up with this way but it is a fun way at the same time. Getting to help all three and sometimes four people in just a few hours. I even got a smile from the little girl yesterday and that was the first time she smiled at me.
             It does get me behind on my housework some and other things I have or would like to do but I don't care. I love hanging out with children and friends especially the foster children. I'm giving them my time and that is something that they are not use to. Like I said it is a strange way for God to be using me and I'm not quite sure how much He is using me but I know He is even if it is just a little bit. That is something. He wouldn't given me this opportunity if He didn't want me to have it for something. It is all a part of His Plan for me in some way. I also like how it is outside of the shelter because comparing the two now that I can it is very different for me.
           I don't have anyone to tell me what to do expect my friend and that is okay because she is in charge of them but it is one person not a whole company of people trying to get more then caring for the children. It is more personal, I guess you can say, in a nice way and I am more of a personal person so it fits my style just right and God knew that. I have been to a lot of places with her and helped her out with the children like the children's museum and even the big art museum. We have been walking on trails a lot too. It is just fun to play with other people's children when you don't have your own or at least it is for me.
           I will be honest and say though when I hold that baby girl, I do get the feeling of wanting my own children back again every time. Those thoughts come back to me every single time that I hold her. It is hard but I am still holding on to that dream of someday. Anyways, it is fun to help a friend especially when they have the same dreams and passions as you do in life. Never quite experienced that until here recently and it is a great feeling.