The long-awaited(?) update
"Here I sit, chalk outline upon the wall, I remember tracing it..."
Yes, I'm in a strange mood.(Anyone recognize the quote?) I've been cooped up for too long, I think. Christi got sick this weekend, so I've been running mostly non-stop with the kiddo since Friday.(I took him up to game night, which got cut short because having sent me up there, she needed to recall me early) I'm sure it's been frustrating for her, too. I know I *hate* being sick myself.
Matthew is doing well, although he's in a strange mood. He always is right after a visit with his mother. It's not as though he looks forward to the visits. He has no clue who this woman who sees him every couple of weeks really is. He treats her much like he does other friendly adults that we see on a similar time-frame. She, on the other hand, is counting on those visits. He just hates the long drives involved, the change in nap and mealtimes, and the strange places.
So what has happened recently?
We had another status hearing for Matthew on Wednesday the 15th, at which CPS told the court everything about Kristen that still bothers them. She has come through clear on mental health screening, though, so either she's bright enough to fool them, or she's marginally sane. I suspect the same could be said about most people, though. She did not speak to me much at all - she wasn't rude, but she was far from cordial or polite. I drove to Lubbock that morning, and drove all the way back that night, just so that I could sleep in my own bed.
We had game night on Friday, at which I played briefly until things with Christi's health progressed to the point that she needed me back home. She spent all evening, and most of Saturday feeling like death warmed over, and I carted Matthew everywhere I went, buying paint, etc, unless he was napping, at which point I ran over to Cory's to help him work on the table legs, which are coming out really, really nice. I'm pleased with his work so far, and I'm looking forward to our dining-room table.
Sunday morning came around, and Christi wasn't convinced she was healthy enough to travel, so I made the trip to Brownwood alone. It is difficult to travel alone with a child to see someone who isn't allowed to be alone with him. I had to take him with me every time I went to the restroom, which basically meant I challenged my bladder to hold things until I needed to change him. He didn't do especially well with the long drive, as expected, but I think he's getting used to the idea a bit. He IS teething - cutting a molar - and fussed a lot on the way there and back as well. The visit went ok - we ate lunch at Chili's again, then since the weather was foul we went to Wallmart, figuring that it was a large space that he could walk(run) around. We coralled him to the book section, and spent an hour either reading to him(she tried to keep him occupied on super-easy books, and he dragged out more interesting stories to bring me) or chasing him down the aisles. I left promptly at three when the visit was officially over.
He still treats his mother like a friendly stranger. He's been warmer to several complete strangers that we've introduced him to, but at least he doesn't seem afraid of her. He has not had a visit without me there, so he has consitently had the comfort factor. I have no clue how he'd now react to her completely alone. She has refused to arrange another visit with him under CPS supervision.
In the midst of all this, my laptop(only computer) crashed and died. It went into hibernation mode after losing all battery power(yes, there's always one last thing you try to do after it tells you the battery is in need of charging again) and never came out. We think the hard drive controller failed, as it would do a ROM boot, but never progressed past that. It would also start or shut off without the normally-necessary five second power button push.(Of course, should anyone out there have a suggestion as to how to fix this box super, super cheap, I'd love to have it as a backup again) David and Greg came over and helped Christi get all the data files I care about off of the hard drive while I was driving to Brownwood,(Thank you, thank you, thank you) and I came home and bought a new laptop. All good stuff is now back on the new machine! Life could be much worse, but d*mn it's frustrating having so many things all flop in the same week...
And today I'm home alone with the kiddo again. I'm really sorry for the weather, which continues foul, as he can't get out for his normal hour in the park. Sigh. I can't wait for the house, which will give him a lot more room to run around, even on nasty afternoons.
Yes, I'm in a strange mood.(Anyone recognize the quote?) I've been cooped up for too long, I think. Christi got sick this weekend, so I've been running mostly non-stop with the kiddo since Friday.(I took him up to game night, which got cut short because having sent me up there, she needed to recall me early) I'm sure it's been frustrating for her, too. I know I *hate* being sick myself.
Matthew is doing well, although he's in a strange mood. He always is right after a visit with his mother. It's not as though he looks forward to the visits. He has no clue who this woman who sees him every couple of weeks really is. He treats her much like he does other friendly adults that we see on a similar time-frame. She, on the other hand, is counting on those visits. He just hates the long drives involved, the change in nap and mealtimes, and the strange places.
So what has happened recently?
We had another status hearing for Matthew on Wednesday the 15th, at which CPS told the court everything about Kristen that still bothers them. She has come through clear on mental health screening, though, so either she's bright enough to fool them, or she's marginally sane. I suspect the same could be said about most people, though. She did not speak to me much at all - she wasn't rude, but she was far from cordial or polite. I drove to Lubbock that morning, and drove all the way back that night, just so that I could sleep in my own bed.
We had game night on Friday, at which I played briefly until things with Christi's health progressed to the point that she needed me back home. She spent all evening, and most of Saturday feeling like death warmed over, and I carted Matthew everywhere I went, buying paint, etc, unless he was napping, at which point I ran over to Cory's to help him work on the table legs, which are coming out really, really nice. I'm pleased with his work so far, and I'm looking forward to our dining-room table.
Sunday morning came around, and Christi wasn't convinced she was healthy enough to travel, so I made the trip to Brownwood alone. It is difficult to travel alone with a child to see someone who isn't allowed to be alone with him. I had to take him with me every time I went to the restroom, which basically meant I challenged my bladder to hold things until I needed to change him. He didn't do especially well with the long drive, as expected, but I think he's getting used to the idea a bit. He IS teething - cutting a molar - and fussed a lot on the way there and back as well. The visit went ok - we ate lunch at Chili's again, then since the weather was foul we went to Wallmart, figuring that it was a large space that he could walk(run) around. We coralled him to the book section, and spent an hour either reading to him(she tried to keep him occupied on super-easy books, and he dragged out more interesting stories to bring me) or chasing him down the aisles. I left promptly at three when the visit was officially over.
He still treats his mother like a friendly stranger. He's been warmer to several complete strangers that we've introduced him to, but at least he doesn't seem afraid of her. He has not had a visit without me there, so he has consitently had the comfort factor. I have no clue how he'd now react to her completely alone. She has refused to arrange another visit with him under CPS supervision.
In the midst of all this, my laptop(only computer) crashed and died. It went into hibernation mode after losing all battery power(yes, there's always one last thing you try to do after it tells you the battery is in need of charging again) and never came out. We think the hard drive controller failed, as it would do a ROM boot, but never progressed past that. It would also start or shut off without the normally-necessary five second power button push.(Of course, should anyone out there have a suggestion as to how to fix this box super, super cheap, I'd love to have it as a backup again) David and Greg came over and helped Christi get all the data files I care about off of the hard drive while I was driving to Brownwood,(Thank you, thank you, thank you) and I came home and bought a new laptop. All good stuff is now back on the new machine! Life could be much worse, but d*mn it's frustrating having so many things all flop in the same week...
And today I'm home alone with the kiddo again. I'm really sorry for the weather, which continues foul, as he can't get out for his normal hour in the park. Sigh. I can't wait for the house, which will give him a lot more room to run around, even on nasty afternoons.