Real Modern Family

During foster class, they told us that often, the birth family becomes like your extended family.  Foster parents invited parents to their homes for holidays and birthday celebrations; they would carpool to school events.  This just seemed weird to me.  I mean, sure, it seemed like a good idea on paper, but was it really feasible?  Did you really want strangers in your home?

The answer:  it really depends.

Since I didn't know Baby O's family, the answer is no there.  But I had Erin and Ibro over all the time when they came to see Bram.  I would hang out during his visits to their house too, not to supervise, but to shoot the shit with Erin's mom or to play with her other sons.  

(On one such occasion, her seven year old son and I spent and hour just sending emojis to Tiernen.  The weirder the emoji, the better!)

I really did feel a connection to her boys, and I started to invite them to family-friendly events at the high school where I teach.  We saw a few plays and musicals and attended science demonstrations.  Sometimes we would bring Bram, but more often than not, he would visit with his mom during that time.  Admittedly, it was initially a bit odd to have to explain:  these are my foster sons brothers...  no, they aren't in foster care

Just as I became a part of their extended family, they became a part of mine. 

We used to joke that this whole foster gig had evolved into co-parenting, that we were like a lesbian couple who had broken up, married men, but stayed friends to raise the kids.

Talk about your modern family...