Hair-Grace

If you are a foster parent then this story will not surprise you one bit.  Not one.  Since we are certified foster parents for the state of Tennessee and have a sweet foster daughter in our home currently this means her caseworker or our caseworker can show up at our home at any moment completely unannounced.  Did you read that?!?!?!  Any moment.  Unannounced.  Holy geez.  Like even when I am losing my mind on an older Kelley kid who is just acting a fool.  Or let’s take the other morning for example.

On Friday’s Josh Kelley has to leave early so I am solo getting everyone ready and to school.  The kids don’t start school until 8am so I’m typically just rolling out of the bed around 7/7:15ish on Friday mornings.  But this Friday morning decided to be super snarky and sassy.  Solomon and Hudson we’re up way too early and Amon was apparently wreaking all kind of havoc throughout our home…as in getting every single toy out, throwing legos all over the floor and throwing all the pillows and cushions off the couch.

Also Josh and I were right in the midst of an intense stale mate on who was going to break down and load the dishwasher first.  This can only mean 2 things: 1) The kitchen smelled bad.  And 2) The sink was literally overflowing onto the counter tops with dirty dishes.  The struggle is real people.

I was abruptly awakened from my slumber by Hudson yelling…”Mom, mom!  Someone is knocking on the door.”  In my groggy sleepiness I rolled out of bed very confused…A) By the state of our house and B) By who on Earth was at our house at 6:45 in the morning.  I looked out the side window and did not recognize the car in our driveway.  Harper and our littlest came strolling out of their bedroom awakened by the commotion as well.

I open the door and there stood our foster daughter’s case worker.  “Good morning.”  Ummmm, no.  No this is not a good morning.  I tried to act like we’d been up and at it for hours.  “Hahahahaha.  No, we always wake up at 5am sharp to kick our day off right.”  Then my brain started processing what was taking place and I casually start putting the cushions back on the couch only to notice Harper had no pants on.  Oh geez, oh geez.  Sometimes the girl gets hot and off go the pants.  The whole visit was just awful, but I imagine she’s seen worse.  Or heard worse while creeping outside someone’s house unannounced.

She bid us a happy Friday and then went on her way.  I stood there for a moment super bewildered.  What had just happened?  I walked around the corner towards our bedroom and thats when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror.  Then I just stood there staring at what was the glory of my physical appearance.  And snapped a picture because this was just too much of a train wreck not to share.

Harper walked up behind me as I was just in awe of myself in the mirror.  She’s always been spot on for picking up our emotions and feelings.  She simply said, “You should probably write her a sorry note.”  And then I laughed so hard.  And text Josh Kelley.  And then text my friend Courtney, told her the whole story and told her I was thankful for grace…because most days I’m just a hot mess in need of ample amounts of grace.

Here’s to it people…to grace…and a smelly house that’s a wreck, kids with no pants and bed head hair in the best kind of way.

Happy Tuesday.