January 2003 - Hilary Price

Wahoooooo and we’re off!

2004 has burst on the scene with a hiss and a roar and the only analogy I would use to describe recent events is, I’m riding a roller coaster during an earthquake equivalent to 8 on the Richter scale.

As explained last month, our House Parents were leaving - and they have - which left us rather thin on the ground staff wise. However we had been dutifully recruiting staff for respite and had a fabulous couple ready and waiting in the wings to take over when trouble hit - they had to withdraw due to family circumstances – now we had a problem! But God is an 11th hour God and literally the day one lot walked out another couple arrived on our doorstep.

A couple recommended and known to me 2 years previously were returning to Tauranga from Auckland and they were CYFS approved (miraculous as this training, screening and assessment usually takes a minimum of 3 months!) Enter stage right – Jane and Owen. Awesome folk who have taken to looking after the children like ducks to water. Ruth, our stalwart and ever-faithful Support Worker, helped plug the dyke and Colleen (a Homes of Hope director) and I rotated shifts whilst things settled. It all worked, despite the change in personnel, the children have remained settled, in their routines, their neighbourhood and their home.

Did I say settled?! This month…my laptop completely died, necessitating the purchase of a new one; Jon (my sane half) ended up in ICU Cardiac Unit with arrhythmia, type yet to be identified; Colleen fell and broke her right foot; Hannah (Colleen’s daughter) came down with Glandular Fever big time, two of my children had birthdays, and a young’un who we care for has been in trouble with the law! So that was January!

At this stage I feel like I’m coming out of the corner of the ring for the 15th round, game was over a long time ago but the ref hasn’t cottoned on!

Hilary

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