Answers, part 4

I suppose I should save some of these questions for later, rather than inundating you with--what is it?--six? posts today. But that's too rational for me.

Sarsmile asked what I'm going to do about Christian holidays. I alluded to this way back in the beginning in a post that no one would be expected to remember or, more importantly, find. I could only find it because I had tagged it with "Christianity" and until this one, there were only two posts with that tag. Oh, you want a link to it? Here it is. It's way down at the bottom, the second footnote.

So yes, Christmas is definitely going to be done. I've got some decorations already and am looking forward to a party to decorate the apartment. We might have to go without a tree, but the kiddo will just have to deal. (The callousness is intended to be sarcastic.) Honestly, I just don't know how to buy a tree, put it in the stand, make sure it isn't a fire hazard...

Specifics of church vs no church vs which church will have to be addressed on a kid by kid basis. Obviously, it would be nicer if the answer is no church. Not having Saturday for errands and such, if half of Sunday were then taken up by church, things could be difficult. The time that we could spend going to museums and the park and having play dates instead will be spent grocery shopping and cleaning and being boring. But it will depend on the kid's church-going background and any direction from the kid's biofamily, though as long as the kid actually is Christian, we'll undoubtedly end up going to church on occasion for cultural reasons.

Faith

[Disclaimer-type intro #1: The topic for this post came to me as I was thinking from one thing to another on my way home from work. Chalk it up to my active brain, and perhaps a little boredom due to a religiously motivated lack of music. Don't bother asking.]

[Disclaimer-type intro #2: I even started writing this in my head as I was walking home. It was brilliant and insightful. I can't promise that I will be able to replicate it, as I got distracted by cake and ice cream as soon as I got home.]

Frequently, especially in more Orthodox settings, the expression of one's Jewishness comes through actions--keeping kosher, going to synagogue, fasting on one of the many fast days, wearing a kippah--rather than through statements of faith. (Setting aside the ubiquitous-in-some-communities "how are you?" "thank G-d" greetings.) And I expect, though without re-reading my previous posts to see if this applies already, that this will come through in this blog. Why is it important to have a blog dedicated to "frum fostering"? Because of the practical, action-related issues. Can the kiddo/should the kiddo go to shul with you? What happens when the kiddo wants a cheeseburger? What do you do about Christmas? Less often is the question "my foster kiddo is out of control; I don't know what to do, and I'm questioning G-d." Or maybe I'm just making assumptions. Okay, I probably am just making assumptions.

But the point is that we generally don't get all sappy mushy when talking about G-d and faith.

So I hope that my portrayal of Judaism as all action (and by that, I mean action of the type suggested above, rather than Action to bring goodness/repair to the world) and no--or almost no--faith doesn't mislead you to think that I don't have a strong faith or that I am acting for show. It's just the way we talk.

Cautious Optimism: The Lead Saga Continues

Of course, since I only started this blog a week ago and this is only the fourth post, you don't know about the lead saga. Quick version of background: I moved into my lovely apartment last summer when friends moved out of it to move cross country for work. This apartment building is one of two with reasonable rents in this part of my Big City, meaning that a 2-bedroom apartment is approximately the same rent (or less) than 1-bedrooms nearby. Reason for the reasonable rent discovered during licensing process--lead-based hazards. No problem, just get it remediated, right? (No abatement, since that can only be done if the apartment is vacant.)

Easier said than done. And to this point, to their credit, the problem is NOT the landlord. And thus begins the saga. The problem is The Agency. The inspector comes, writes a report, I get it a month later, the inspector calls to come again, he writes a report... I talk to the Lead Person at The Agency, she says "but you passed the inspection." First of all, I didn't. I read the report and it clearly said that I failed. Second of all, if I had passed, shouldn't the licensing worker have called me? Or was I supposed to be psychic and called her to tell her? So after she looks back and discovers that "oh, you're right" she says that she will send me the report. Three weeks go by, nothing. (Yeah yeah, I know I should have followed up sooner. I'll take the blame there.) I email the Lead Person--"I haven't gotten the report yet, could you fax it or scan it and send by email?" No response. Another week goes by, "I'm coming to The Agency for a meeting this afternoon, can I stop by your desk to pick up a copy?" No response, so I decide to skip the meeting.* Another week goes by, I email the Lead Person. She calls, "You need to talk to the Licensing Worker." I call the Licensing Worker. "The Lead Person doesn't send those reports." Wha...? Me: "She said she'd mailed it to me, and it is supposed to contain the directions for my landlord." LW: "Let me call her." Finally an email: "You were supposed to give your landlord the first report. And by the way, here's the informal email from the lead inspector that says what needs to be done."

So I was nervous that the landlord wouldn't be receptive to making the repairs, since none of the paperwork went through the "official" channels that would start a clock running for legal enforceability of his responsibility to remediate the lead. But I spoke with him this morning, and while everything has to run through his boss, he sounded quite willing to get someone to come in and fix my windows. So again I am cautiously optimistic. Maybe I'll be licensed by Christmas.**


*I work for The Local Government and thus this was a meeting for work. I had other priorities that day, and my participation in the meetings isn't all that valuable. In my opinion.

**What does this post have to do with Frum Fostering, you ask? Here it is! I'm definitely inappropriately excited about decorating for Christmas. I went to my favoriate Big Box Store after Christmas and bought a bunch of decorations when they were on 75% off sale, and hope to be able to use them next year. Holidays (mine and the kids') are--and have been--an area of introspection for me as I move forward with the fostering process. Do the kids come to shul with me? Stay up late for sedarim? How to observe Easter? And so on. More to come.