Blaque Diamond - A Temporary Home for Stacey: A Book about a Foster Childs Journey Through Foster Care

To Pie, I know you would have if you could have!

Copyright 2015 by Blaque Diamond. 708073

ISBN: Softcover 978-1-5144-0766-0

EBook 978-1-5144-0767-7

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 10/14/2015

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

A Temporary
H ome
for
St acey

A book about a foster childs journey through foster care

Blaque Diamond

Illustrations by Joel Ray Pellerin

If I could talk, I would tell her she was beautiful and her eyes look like cinnamon cookies with gold specks. She had a wide smile with half a dimple on the left side of her face; it looked like a half moon. She felt so soft; she even smelled like that pink stuff they put on my bottom after taking a bath. When she held me in her arms, she introduced herself to me as Mrs. Penny, my foster mother.

Mrs. Duncan, my social worker handed her my diaper bag. She told her that it had my diapers, bottles, bibs, baby formula, baby wipes, and my health record inside. She said the rest of my belongings were in my suitcase.

As Mrs. Duncan left, she told Mrs. Penny that she will meet us tomorrow morning at the pediatricians office for my twenty-four-hour well baby care appointment.

I guess a twenty-four-hour well baby care appointment is for all children who enter a new foster home said Mrs. Penny as she carried me down the hall.

Would you like to see your bedroom? Mrs. Penny asked. I hope you like it, she added.

Mrs. Penny opened the door and showed me a room with a crib, three drawers: a closet for my clothes, a chest full of toys, and letters on the wall that spelled S-T-A-C-E-Y.

The next day, Mrs. Duncan drove us to see the pediatrician. When we arrived, the nurse asked, were we there for my well baby care appointment? She then gave Mrs. Duncan some forms to complete and told us we should wait in the patient waiting area, but as soon as Mrs. Duncan finished my paperwork, the nurse called my name.

Stacey! The doctor will see you now, she said.

As the nurse walked us through two big doors we entered a room that had a chair, a sink, and something that looked like a table with a mattress. The nurse told Mom that she should get me undressed so the doctor could examine me.

Just as Mrs. Penny began to undress me, a doctor with a scrappy thing around her neck and yellow hair walked through the door. Hey, look! My doctor is a girl, just like me. This must be Stacey, Hello, Stacey, my name is Dr. Troy, and this must be your mom, how are you doing? she asked.

Yes, this is Stacey, and I am her mom; her foster mom, and Stacey is doing well said Mom. Dr. Troy took that scrappy thing from around her neck and listened to my heart. Mom later explained that the scrappy thing around Dr. Troys neck was a stethoscope. She said my heart sounds great! It sounds like ba pump ba pump, ba pump ba pump, ba pump. Dr. Troy counted my fingersone, two, three, four, five. Wow, I have five fingers on my right hand and five fingers on my left hand, she even counted my toesone, two, three, four, five. And guess what? I have five toes on my right foot and five toes on my left foot. Dr. Troy told Mom that I was doing well and she will see me in twelve months for my next appointment.

Mrs. Duncan came for a visit today and told Mom that my case was being transferred. She said my case was going to the permanency unit where I will get a new entrant Social Worker.

Do you know who it will be? asked Mom.

Not yet, said Mrs. Duncan, but I will return and introduce you to your new worker this afternoon once the case is transferred. When Mrs. Duncan left, Mom took me for a walk through the park after lunch, she said her mother used to watch her run and play and watch the squirrels climb the trees.

Later that evening, Mrs. Duncan introduced me to my new entrant worker, Mr. Jones.

Nice to meet you, he said.

Mom shook his hand and said it was nice to meet him as well.

We will meet at least once a month, said Mr. Jones.

That will be fine, said Mom.

How is Stacey doing? asked Mr. Jones.

Mom was happy to tell Mr. Jones that I am doing well and that we were going to celebrate my first birthday next month.

Mr. Jones said he was happy I was adjusting to my new placement and will see us next month.

Today Mom and I went food shopping. She said we needed apples and oranges from the fruit list and broccoli from the vegetable list. As we walked down the aisle, Mom said she was going to teach me how to bake a cake from scratch, so we needed the ingredients for the cake.

First, we will need the dry ingredients. Salt, flour, baking soda, and baking powder, then we will need the wet ingredients: vanilla, eggs, milk, butter, and sugar, but before we go home we need to get the frosting and candles to decorate the top of the cake, said Mom.

Mom and I were putting the grocery away when we heard someone at the door.

Ding dong! rang the doorbell. I wonder who is ringing the doorbell, said Mom.

When Mom opened the door, she saw it was her sister, Aunt Dot. She was here to celebrate my birthday. But she wasnt alone. Aunt Dot brought her three sons, Durrell, Aaron, and Ryli, to my birthday party. As we walked to the backyard we saw balloons, paper hats, potato chips, cheese puffs, fruit punch, and gifts on the table. Mr. Zoe, our neighbor, was even playing the music.

Later, Mom asked Aunt Dot to help her in the kitchen.

When Mom returned, she and Aunt Dot were carrying my birthday cake and singing Happy Birthday to me. At first, I couldnt believe my eyes. My birthday cake had a big candle on it and a lot of frosting.

Everyone counted one, two, three, and I blew out the candle.

Today, Mr. Jones came for our monthly visit. He wished me a happy belated birthday and asked if we had birthday cake and lots of balloons and presents. Mom told Mr. Jones we had balloons, presents, friends, and family who sang Happy Birthday to me. She even showed him a picture of me blowing out my birthday candle.

Mr. Jones asked Mom, Is Stacey up to date with her immunizations? and Was that a tooth he saw in my mouth?

Mom told him I was up to date with all my shots and I had my first dental appointment last week!

Mr. Jones explained that he spoke with my lawyer, Mr. Waters to develop and review my progress report.