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TN, you are doing great.

Right for kids is love, stability and more love, oh and food. They really are pretty simple and easy to get it right with.

Prayers for all of you, including mom. Hopefully, she will stop being so selfish and do what she needs to to get stable.
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SendHelp, the mother knows where I live; she was a neighbor. I have a good home security system. Both kids have memorized my name, address and phone. I knew the ballgames were a "weak" link but the boys enjoy participating so much I don't feel I can deny them such a normal part of childhood. I do contact the law enforcement working the event and provide them copies of my court orders and a photo of their step/mother prior to the event. Older son has been told to never leave the younger alone and retreat to law enforcement, which he did last night. I kept my eye on them and was moving before she had a chance to coral them. CPS is getting a restraining order to try to add another step to keep her away from us; don't see that working anymore than the judge's order changing custody. We have talked about ways to get back if they are ever taken someplace they don't want to be but I avoided addressing the mother as having taken the younger boy. Physiologist thinks I'm doing okay.

The mother is apparently enraged the state is paying me to care for "her boys"; they should just give that money to her.
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TNtechie,
You may have already done this:
Add an emergency phone number to a piece of paper, inside the shoe inserts.
Vary your routines and parks that you visit.
Don't get paranoid, but always be aware of your surroundings and if you are being followed.
Let the boys know that you or law enforcement will always come to find them, if ever they are forced to go with non-custodial mom.

I have known two sets of foster moms. You can get help teaching the boys safety, and how to notify safe people if they have been taken.

One interesting 'story', maybe not true, but a good idea: A child taken wrote in crayon on the menu! Amazingly resourceful, imo.

It is hard just to think about! The boys are being traumatized by their own mother!
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I'm sure trying. They're out of school today so now we're at the trampoline park for a couple of hours, then maybe we'll go by their favorite public park.
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TNtechie,
You are doing everything right!
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(((((techie))))) tough situation. I'm glad it wasn't worse. Poor little tykes. Prayers.
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I'm sitting in a child physiologist's office while my foster sons visit with him. The younger's mother tried to take him last night at an away ballgame. On the physiologist's recommendation, she only has an hour of weekly supervised in the CPS office. She tried to take him while he stood in the concession line with his older brother. The brother took him by the hand and stepped over to the sheriff's deputy as I headed up the hill to reach them. Sent the boys to the men's restroom as the mother argued she should be able to take her son. After she was escorted out, the deputy got the boys and I just hugged them and told them I was sorry they had that experience. We left and he held on to his brother all the way home.

Icredibility difficult. I know the court has ordered I keep them separated for my foster son's benefit. I try to make those visits as pleasant as possible, taking school papers and fast food and homemade cookies for them to share. He loves his mother and he's afraid of living with her again. This morning he thanked me for keeping him. This is harder than any of the caregiving challenges I faced with my parents. I feel more pressure to "get it right" at the same time I don't know what is "right". I try to explain his mom has some problems and not express any hostility toward her. To leave him okay and not needing to "choose" between us. He's only 9 years old! Pray for us.
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96!
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Becky, sorry things did not go well today.

Glad, I'm also sorry you are sad.

I'm also suffering with the blues. I know I suffer from depression but I just don't want to go on another SRI. Initially they work with me but inevitably the side effects start and that's another uphill road to climb. I've tried all the so called natural antidepressants but maybe I'm just too sensitive to things cause they all give me problems as well.

So, I'll just plod on. I can't wait till January when all the holidays are over. An early bah humbug from me. Yeah I know we haven't even had Halloween yet but my sister is already sending out the "Come to our Place" e-mails so that's why I'm thinking about it.
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glad - (((((hugs)))) Sorry you are sad.
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Becky: Feel better.

glad: Hugs.
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Today, mom's 94th.😔😔
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Feel better Becky.
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It was one of those days. Dialysis did not go well. I’ve felt terrible all day. Going to have soup and go to bed. It’s unusual for treatment to make me feel bad. Usually a little tired and a short nap fixes me up.
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techie - sad to see the decline and a difficult time for family to make the adjustments,

glad - you never know. Tomorrow is not guaranteed to any of us.
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Hug your loved ones tonight. A neighbor woman (63) lost her husband, suddenly, today. He was 59. Don't know the cause, but reminds us all.
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TN, I am sorry that your heart is heavy for your cousin and for her trials.

I think it would be helpful to keep track of his overall well-being with lunch delivered. Perhaps she would be able to see that something needs to be implemented to keep him safe and healthy.

I can't imagine how deep the water feels for her right now.
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Sad today. Visited with my first cousin yesterday. She just turned 50 and has two lovely daughters in middle school. She also has a husband 2 years into a early onset alzheimer diagnosis. He has been staying at home alone while his wife works and the kids are at school. I tried to get my cousin (the RN) to understand he doesn't need so much time alone. The weight drop is because he doesn't eat or apparently drink when alone. I worry about the pool, could the girls come home from school and find him in the pool? There's an ADC program with the local senior center but she is resistant to looking into it. He also qualifies for a program at the local VA. She reminds me of my mother immediately following my dad's vascular dementia diagnosis; it's not so bad yet.

I'm considering offering to bring lunch by their house on the days she works. Would I really be helping or just enabling a potentially dangerous situation to continue? I can't stay until the girls get home because I need to be home when my foster sons get home. She is already under so much pressure trying to keep things going. Her parents chauffeur her girls (their grandchildren) around to their functions but health concerns limit how much help they can offer. Most of the cousins and her brother are in the their late 40s or 50s and have busy lives with the their own families. So many things similar in early onset to what we deal handle with older parents... and so many things are different.
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The Avon lotion has arrived. I don't like it, but maybe the mosquitos won't like it either.

There are hummingbirds feeding on the blooming cape honeysuckle near my front door. Found out that hummingbirds eat mosquitos and other insects.
That is a good thing!
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glad - I'm sorry. Workplace politics are the worst!!!
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I think I am completely through with public sector work, too much nonsense with governing bodies, especially when they are strong majority women! Politics enough to drive me nuts! Adjusting to slowing way down! Just the unknown..... 😏😏😳😳

Just call me "fall guy"
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Becky have a wonderful visit!! Our trip to see my Aunt went great. Pa is so beautiful right now, the leaves are ahead of ours and it was so pretty. Great to spend time with Aunt and some cousins. Her new condo is lovely and she brought enough things from her big house to make it still feel like her home.
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Ready for my company. Started out with my friend from Florida and has grown to 7 more of our friends from WV. I've had two guest cottages cleaned and beds made. Grandsons filled the wood boxes. I've done a little baking myself. Having dinner delivered. It's supposed to be in the low 30's overnight. It will be a busy 5 or so days.
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glad: Thank you on that recommendation.
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Thank you all for the mosquito bite info and recommendations!
And the cures.
Much appreciated on this ghastly evening, failing to receive my Instacart order, failing to get dH to the store, just a fail.

I can take it. Just stopping everything, resting, seeking entertainment on T.V. We will have a yam to split for dinner, already had a quesadilla, and dH won't even notice as he is super glued to internet things and his cell phone tonight. It was already super hard for him to eat all day as he is sooo distracted.

Deep breaths, and peacefulness!

You all have a good night, wherever you are! 💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💞💖
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That Skin So Soft Avon product is a huge migraine trigger. Luckily, I haven't smelled it in decades.
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ITRR: Thank you on the Emu oil recommendation. My brother has similar reaction to mosquito bites. Fortunately, I do not.
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Send: Thank you; my DD does use mosquito repellent. I haven't heard of the clothing. She does not get physically sick and just has the welts that I'd mentioned.
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Today is my parents' 70th wedding anniversary and I'm letting go of a pair of seving bowls. My great-great-aunts (yes, my grandfather's aunts) gave my mother a pair of large "fancy" serving bowls for a wedding present. There has been a lot of chicken gravy, soup beans, green beans and corn served in those bowls over the years. My oldest nephew expressed interest in the bowls when we were emptying mom and dad's house. His wife is not interested in the "old" bowls but I'm putting faith in my nephew and his sons and passing procession on down the line.
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LL, I have found Emu oil to help with this reaction, it calms the allergic reaction and takes the itch out, for me. Worth a shot to try.

I can get anaphylactic shock from getting bit, so I have been blessed to find ways to mitigate the biting and how to relieve them if I get them.

My heart goes out to your daughter, that is pure torture.
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