2 days until vacation

Happy Wednesday, everyone! We are leaving for the chilly and rainy beach in 2 days, and even though the weather may be ominous, I am looking forward to a relaxing week. Yesterday, while I was buying a car pillow for Liam, my cell phone rang with a number I had not seen before, but with everything that has been going on, I decided to answer it anyway, and I am very glad I did. It was a woman who works at the place where Sky is. He made us a card and she needed our address. She said he is doing well and trying hard to be good. So, that's good news! She did admit that she just feels like it's that he hasn't been there too long yet, but that so far they had no complaints. I was very glad to talk to her. Still extremely annoyed that he is still there and NOTHING is being done, but at least while he is waiting for the help he needs, he is in school, trying hard, and behaving for the most part. I was worried he would be so angry and closed down that it might be the end of any potential he ever had, so apparently, he was in a better state than we thought. I feel like him still having us as a family may be that consistent thing he has been lacking. Even though he is in a new place, we have emailed them about him, and now talked to them on the phone. Hopefully he can see that we are here, and it will make him keep trying to improve, and not feel like he will be back at the honeymoon stage all over again. Who knows!
In the meantime, I am getting my tire fixed, going to the gym, and doing a million other things I haven't made time for in the past 5 1/2 months.

4 days until vacation

After a very fun and very busy and VERY fattening weekend, I am ready for a week to relax, pack and get ready for vacation!  After all the turmoil of the past 5 + months, then the craziness of the weekend and all our awesome company, it will be amazing to have a week to be a cozy family!  I keep being tempted to keep Liam home from school just to have some time with him, but with vacation only days away, I think we can make it through.  He has his school play this Thursday anyway, and I am sure he needs to practice. 

Still no news on when the treatment portion of the removal will kick in.  As far as I know nothing has been accomplished since the abrupt (but overdue) removal a week ago today.  How's that for "the best for the child."  Way to go CPS.  Fortunately, I think he is fine there, probably resentful and feeling like the world has wronged him once again, but otherwise, I think he is probably OK.  I have emailed the people where he is, but haven't heard anything back.  Likewise with his caseworker.  So, I guess that is how it is going to be for now.  Awesome.  My favorite part is that he is 2 hours away, not receiving treatment, in an attempt to "show us".  Yup, that really showed me.  Dummy.  Showed me that people in the business of helping people occasionally just serve their own agenda.  Not always mind you.  I have met some incredible people as well, including our own case worker.  But then, there are the ones who seem to have just wanted a job, not this job.  And you know who is suffering because of it?  Not me.  I am great!  That makes me less of the good person I thought I was, but I am OK with that.  I am great.  The kid who is now 2 hours away confident that once again he was proven right, he is the one who will suffer in the long term.  Not me.  So, good job there bureaucratic bratty pants.  You really stuck it to that 11 year old child born into abuse.  Way to be, girl friend!  

As soon as I hear anything about anything I will let you all know.  In the meantime, if you are about to be on vacation, enjoy it!  I know I will love a week at the beach!  My niece Molly is coming with us too, and I am SO glad she accepted the invite, she is one of my favorite people!

(Star Wars Theme Music)

Liam and Brian are playing Lego Star Wars, Guthrie is chasing his tail, I am peeling glue off my hands, and we are all trying not to think about where Skyler is right now. After everything we have been through together, his case worker came and got him from school, on a day both Brian and I were impossibly stuck at work. Erin had to pack his suitcase for him. She (the caseworker) didn't even make it so he could pack his own things or say goodbye. But, I did talk to her a little while ago and she did make sure to tell him that we would see him as soon as he is settled at the RTC, and that he is going to treatment with the support of his whole family, even though we were not there to see him go.

So, that's it. The end of this chapter, but the beginning of another one, and a longer one. We will see what family therapy and visits bring us over the next year - 2 years, and we are all optimistic that he is in our lives for a long time, even though we don't know what the outcome of all of it will be just yet. In the meantime, it's sort of like having a kid at boarding school! Sort of....

Anyway, I am freezing and thinking that now might be a great time to snuggle up on the couch with Brian and Liam for a little while before bed time. Don't think that just because he is not living here, the blog will end. I will keep updating with reports of the visits and of how we feel things are or are not progressing, but the updates will not be as often, but will probably be longer.

Thanks to all of you for your support and advice over the past 5 month. I can't believe that just like that, I came home after a long day of work to a home that felt like the last 5 months may have just been a scene in a snow globe.