Wow. A pretty eventful morning already. The new school starts at 8:30 a.m., which is a pleasant change from last year. We got up at 7 a.m. instead of 6:30 a.m. this morning, and everyone was in the car and ready to go by 8:00 a.m.! We arrived early but the parking lot (TINY) was already full, so we parked across the street at a public park, as ( Read more... )

Ericka asked if she could come by and play video games with the kids for an hour or so. I said NO. (This isn't her week, and the fact that she only saw them once during her week isn't my problem). She said then could she bring by some tennis shoes for Selah, she'd just drop them on the porch and ring the bell so the kids wouldn't get excited. ( Read more... )

Alex has lice. The good news is it seems to be a relatively mild infestation and it doesn't look like the other kids are inhabited ( Read more... )

So, last week we got a slip under the door, from our rental agency, notifying us that the lender is coming to inspect our house today. I stayed late both Saturday and Sunday this weekend, so Jimmy did all the cleaning. I straightened up the bedroom this morning - I think we've done the best we can do ( Read more... )

Ericka just called. Said she can't take the kids tomorrow, which would normally be her day for visitation (Wednesdays). She's sick. She doesn't know whether she'll be able to take them at all this weekend. Never mind that we made plans.

How nice it must be to have so many choices, and no significant consequences either way.

I've realized something: I only use the phrase "that woman" with distaste. And I bet you already know who I'm applying it to this time. There's nothing extraordinary about this particular situation. In fact, it's totally, totally, totally typical and normal. *sigh*

Ericka wanted us to pick all the kids up yesterday morning, (she had to drive ( Read more... )

After today's court date, Ericka called and seemed more mellow than usual. She asked that we see if we can't get the doctor to see Rachel again. We agreed. So, the doctor's appointment for tomorrow is out in the open. Jimmy pointed out to her that so far, we've only been defending ourselves against her, but we could go on the offensive and that ( Read more... )

Ericka scheduled another dental appointment for Rachel for this morning. She told us over the phone on Saturday that last time Rachel had spacers put in, she was groggy and out of it for two days afterward, from the anesthesia. Jimmy asked her why, if she knew this, she didn't schedule the procedure for a Friday instead of a Monday where she ( Read more... )

I spoke to Jimmy's lawyer directly this afternoon; I wanted to ask which of the documents we've accumulated could send him to help set up the case next week. He told me that I could write a declaration of my own(!) since Ericka has brought me into all this by accusing me of abusing the children. He said I should say what happened at the CPS ( Read more... )

Just got off the phone with Jimmy. He spoke to his lawyer, and apparently Ericka has filed another document accusing us of neglecting Rachel back when she had double pneumonia at the end of February. The kid is fine. She's not dead, nor is she even having any medical problems or lasting effects from what transpired. She's a normal, healthy kid ( Read more... )