My worker called and she has finally talked to the kids SW! The files went out TODAY! She wanted to schedule the meeting with DFCS and our agency for next week. My worker said hold off until we get the files and have our presentation of the files. We expect to do that next week and meet with everyone else the week after. I asked if it would be ok not to take the kids until school is out and she agrees it would be awful to move them with only a couple of weeks of school left.

Their SW is comfortable with us working out some sort of openness in the adoption even if we have to do it ourselves. They discussed the kids many counseling and PT/OT appointments. The kids are also still having supervised visitation with their parents that they will have to continue less frequently once they move in.

Our worker suggested we get a photo album together for them to see us and our home and any extended family we want them to see. I guess it is time to get the video camera fixed so we can talk to them. I am so excited to take a ton of pictures and get it all together for them. It will be a nice project for spring break.

Emma has pink eye. Oh lovely day! She is the cutest kid around with an oozing inflamed eye.

She is turning into such a big girl. She loves to try things on in the store and she is developing her own taste and style. What a cutie. At 4 she needs jewelry and fancy shoes.

We have decided to send out our homestudy for other sibling groups. The SW still has not sent out the files of the children and we have been matched for over 2 months. Our worker suggested we continue and not give up on this group but keep our options open while we are waiting. She thinks we are just not her priority right now and maybe we will find another group we like that will move faster. We agreed and she is looking at 2 groups that we had discussed in January. One has 4 girls ages 5 - 12 and the other has 5 girls ages 3 - 11. The last group has one child with severe emotional issues. We should hear something in a few days.

The SW still has not sent out the files on the kids! She has given us excuse after excuse. I think she was waiting for the family to be denied and then she forgot to do it afterward. I am becoming increasingly crazy. Maybe we should be worried. Maybe she is a crappy SW and does not follow through with everything. Does she even know the kids? Is her opinion accurate? What are we getting ourselves into?

I have been decorating the kids rooms and the rest of the house for that matter. It is so slow and I am to the point that I need DH to help me with the rest so it has slowed way down. He will do a couple of small things for me at night but that's it.

Nichole has come and gone.

She called Saturday night around 11:30 from her Mom's and did not leasve a message. I called her back first thing in the AM and she was already back with him. Monday her Mom called me and I convinced her to go over to her house and get her to leave and see if she was ready. She claimed she was and they called me to meet them and get her.

We met in between our homes and she looked horrible. She was once such a beautiful girl and now the drugs have taken their toll. Her teeth have turned brown around the edges and are stained from smoking. I have heard that Meth does a number on your teeth but I was not prepared for what I saw. Her hair has become very thin and she is once again covered in sores form picking when she is high. I see her face in my daughter's every day, they look exactly alike except Nichole has straight hair. How could she let herself go at 24?


She did not call him the first night but did the second day. She was so depressed. This morning, while I was out briefly, the boyfriend's parole officer called my house (her Gma called the officer b/c he had threatened Nicole at her house Monday and she felt she needed to notify the officer and gave her my #) she questioned her about the incident Monday and told her he needed to come into the office or a warrant would be issued. She must have called him b/c about 2 hours later she went out to smoke and never came back in. She left with him.

I called the officer and explaine she had left and they were both using Meth lately and the correct address where he was staying. She was not aware that 2 police reports had been filed in the last month about the domestic violence issue.

This afternoon Nichole called screaming that he had been arrested and it was her Gma, Mom, and my fault then hung up. I then received a call from the worker warning me that her was arrested and making threats. He will be released April 6 b/c he gets off Parole then and they had to let him go. He is a violent man that has been in and out of jail for violent crimes and drugs many times. Now he has it out for me and her family.

I called Nichole back and let her have it. I deserved to be told she was leaving and to just step out on the front porch and disapear was offensive to me and her daughter. She needed to grow up and be a Mother and stop being so selfish. How could she continue to put her children in danger and come in and out of all of their life w/o thinking of them.

I am so upset with her!! I said my part and hung up on her. I am done. She needs to get herself together. She is so drugged up and her relationship with this guy is so dangerous. She will not see Em until she leaves him. She is welcome to call but I will supervise conversations. Her Mom and I will continue to talk and visit but I have to protect our daughter from her right now.

On a better note, my worker called and the relatives were denied. They said there were many reasons but they are not an option. Yeah!!! I can move forward and decorate. We still have to read their files and meet with the SW, therapists, and foster parents but I don't think there is much in there to stop this from moving ahead. Our worker feels they have been very open about the children's issues and we are comfortable with all so far. Hopes are high, I hope this moves fast b/c we are ready now.

Well, The kids SW was supposed to call and let us know about the families evaluation by yesterday. No word. She promised no more than 2 weeks until we would have the answer, it has been well over 2 weeks. I gave her a couple of exra days b/c she is so busy. Maybe Monday.

I just found out my potential children's SW has been out for a week. She still does not know about the family member's evaluation. OMG! Maybe she will make this a priority!?! Probably not. I hope she is not stringing us along so she will have a family if things don't work out. She has told our worker over and over this evaluation of the family is a requirement she has To do and that we are the only REAL option she has. Our homestudy is on hold b/c we have been selected, so we can't continue to look at options if we wanted to during this time. We have to wait for someone else to decide to do their job and get around to us. I feel completely out of control of our future. Not a good feeling.

I've got the beds, linens, and SUV so where are my kids? The SW is supposed to call by this Friday with the results from the evaluation of the relatives. They went a week and a half ago to their house, so why haven't they called? Just let me know, is it too much to ask?

Back to the linens. I found the best deal on comforters and sheets. JC Penney had basic solid single color ones for $11.99! Anna's Linens had jersey sheets for $9.99! Perfect color for the beds.

The 3 older girls will have their room in bright orange and green with accents of yellow and purple. I know that sounds weird but it is pulled together by a rug and soooooo cute. The younger 3 will have pink and purple. Real simple. Our son will have SpongeBob SquarePants. They will all be able to add to the rooms their special touches to make it feel like theirs.

We bought a small sectional sofa that is pretty old but in great condition. I bought it from a super nice lady that offered us her twin mattresses. We need them bad. I will be pleased when it all is in place. The kids will have a great room for TV, video games, and their own computer. It is in a very public part of the house so we can keep an eye on things. They have their own sofa and chairs. Their playroom is downstairs off the LR.