The Lost Boy...Part THREE

Finally home with the Lost Boy.  I introduced him to Sprout in the car and told him what to expect at our home.  I told him about the dog, the pool and the toys.  I explained that we were going to have a good time.  When I looked at him in my rear view mirror he wasn't even phased.  He was just smiling out the window and babbling to himself.  The worker told me that he was probably on the Autis*m spectrum but he hadn't been evaluated or diagnosed.  When we got home, my goal was to keep him and Sprout busy until bedtime.  The Lost Boy babbled...a lot.  There were very few spoken works that first day.  We played with chalk, we rode bikes, had snacks and took a long walk.  By dinner time I thought he'd be starving.  When I served him his dinner he didn't even look at the plate.  He just got up from the table and walked away.  We finished eating and I asked him if he wanted cereal and he came back to me.  He ate about 1/2 of the marshmallows out of the box of Luck*y Charms.  Then asked for more.  Every tooth in his little mouth was rotten and broken.  I'm sure it was hard for him to chew.  I can't imagine the pain.  We sang songs and then it was bath time.  I took off his pull-up and sat him on the potty.  He made this awful noise and cried the whole time he sat there.  I was very patient and wiped his tears away as I explained that he's a big boy and he could do it. He thrashed and screamed but finally pe*ed.  I had the water already in the tub and coaxed him in.  He resisted at first but after a while, he didn't want to get out.  I need to mention that the worker said he was very impacted.  He hadn't gone to the bathroom in days.  There were stains in his pull*up.  Things were going so well that I wondered why someone thought he was a difficult child.  I anticipated some issues with bedtime.  I got him in his pj's and we went back downstairs for some TV time.  About 30 minutes later it was WELLLL after the 8pm bedtime the worker told me about.  (It was closer to 11:30) We read 3 books (just him and I) and I hugged him and kissed his neck, sang him a song and put him in the crib.  I put the turtle dream*lite on with the music and blue stars on the ceiling.  He settles down quickly but babbled a bit.  I sat at the top of the stairs with the door open until I though he was asleep.  30 minutes later I was cleaning up dinner dishes and the living room.  My husband took care of Sprout and got him settled in for the night.  I set up the video monitor and went to bed.  I didn't sleep well as I remembered all the things the worker said about the previous foster home.  I was on HIGH alert.  Every time I turned over (which was often) I looked at the monitor to make sure he was still in his bed.  He woke up at 6am fussing and babbling.  I got him up and brought him downstairs.  I gave him some dry cereal and a sippy cup and snuggled with him on the couch.  Hubby came down and got ready for work.  He kissed me goodbye and rubbed The Lost Boy's head.  About 10 minutes later...the screaming started and didn't stop until about noon.  I couldn't understand what the difference was from one day to the next.  It was if he looked right through me.  It made me so angry.  Who did this to him? He was 4.  One of his only understandable words was flag.  My older kids were getting angry with the screaming.  He wouldn't let me hold him and he started mimicking punching and hitting me.  I had no choice but to call the worker.  Her first words were...I was wondering when you'd call.  You lasted longer than most.  She came to pick him up less than 24 hours from the moment I met him.  My heart is sad.  There is a 4 year old in residential care tonight because his mother didn't know how to deal with her special needs child so she kept him in the house and locked him in his room.  She let him use the kitchen floor as a bathroom and fed him only 3 typed of food and tons of orange soda.  My heart is heavy even now...3 weeks later as I type this.  I wish we could have done more.  I wish he was given a chance sooner.  I wish he was taken sooner.  I have offered to be a familiar face and to visit him at the hospital as his mother has chosen not to see him or his sister since he entered care.  I was told that now is not the time.  He needs to be evaluated first.  Please pray for the Lost Boy.  Pray for healing and wholeness to his little body. Pray for wisdom for the workers.  Pray for the right family to be willing to have this boy placed with them.  Just pray.