Custody Change

The state took custody of the girls from their parents. It’s kind of surreal. When I think of all that has happened over the past 30 months I am amazed that it has taken this long. I guess when the mom goes to jail the state decides it’s time to take a serious look and really talk to people. I still have the girls but tomorrow afternoon I am taking them to their Aunt Sabrina’s. Yes, the state asked me if I wanted to keep them but we honestly do not have the energy for two more kids. Heather was willing to take them but really wants something more permanent. Of course the other option was whoever the foster care system put them with which none of us wanted. There are people who care deeply about these little girls. Sabrina bought bunk beds today and was switching her and Jeff’s room with their little girl’s room so that the three girls have more space. She also enrolled the girls in daycare.



I took a phone call from Jenny at the jail yesterday. I let her talk to the girls. Mostly she is just trying to control things from the jail. She is not having much success. She was telling me she didn’t want the girls to go to Sabrina she wanted me to keep them. I told her that’s not an option. She wants me to keep them because I have more money than Sabrina and she thinks if I have all the kids she will have more access to me. Not going to happen. Sabrina won’t take her collect calls from the jail because she doesn’t want to spend $5 talking to her. (good call) Today Jenny called from the jail (collect) and said she was DCFS. Not really a good start to getting her kids back.


I’ve talked to the girls about going to live with Sabrina and they say they want to stay here but they are not upset when we talk about it. I told them about school and the new beds and Kylie was excited. Sabrina works for a company that teaches babies to read. She says that 90% of the brain formation is complete at age 5 so she only has 6 months to get Kylie’s brain up to where it should be. Yesterday I was driving the kids to daycare and Kylie said “look there’s an elephant.” Really, an elephant on Legacy Parkway? It was a horse. I said “Kylie, that’s a horse.” She said “oh.” I asked if she knew what a horse said and she didn’t. We then passed a cow and she couldn’t identify it or tell me what it said. Today when we drove past the horse she said “look it’s a horse and they say neigh.” Then she saw a cow and said “that’s a cow it says moo and gives milk.” She is a sponge. Last night I baked a cake and she was getting ready to eat it when I heard her say “Fold your arms, Heavenly Father, Amen, Heather said.” She also keeps calling me “Sweetheart” which must be another thing from Heather because I don’t think I say Sweetheart. It’s just so cute to hear her mimicking good behavior. This is a little girl whose first words were F### You. She has come a long way. Brie has been talking too. As a matter of fact Brie has been downright sassy. In the past she’s been such a passive little doormat I’m really not quite accustomed to the new opinionated Brie.

I took them all to daycare again today. Kylie asked me tonight “can we go to Sean’s daycare again tomorrow?” Hmm, maybe if they insist I will let them. Alika is leaving next week to work for the summer and Yellowstone National Park. I have to work every day for the next three weeks so I’ve hired one of my former students, Frida to be a live in nanny. We will see how that goes it might give me more to write about. Frida wants to marry Carter and told Grandma that she will take care of her if she needs an aide. Carter, unfortunately doesn’t want to marry her and I’m not sure he’ll be thrilled that she is living with us for three weeks.