5 Big Snow Days / Valentine's Day Parties / 7-Month Status Hearing (in Court) / Play Date with Oliver
Tuesday 1st - Friday 4th - February brought 5 days out of school due to the weather - the most in the history of Texas. This made for lots of snowmen, snow ice cream, snow angels, etc. Sometimes it was sticky enough, but other times the snow was too dry to do very much.We started the month off with snow, then had a few days break and then back to bad weather.
5th Saturday - braving the slush that was finally starting to loosen up (and dying to get out of the house) we kept our dinner date at a very cool little restaurant with the Taylors (see January). The food was almost as good as the conversation.
6th Sunday - No February would be complete without a Superbowl party. While we did not go big this year, we made it a big deal at home with the kids.
9th Wednesday - the 5th bad weather day and home from school. It was not conducive to snow men, but made great snow ice cream!
11th Friday - X's school Valentine's Day party followed by A's lab work and doctor follow up (for his leg) and then the Dentist with bad news, "6 - 8 teeth that need capping like X." (it turned out to be 8!)
13th Sunday - Melinda and I try to attend regularly the Tapestry Foster and Adoption Small Group sessions. This lets us talk to other parents who are going through the same thing and learn from their mistakes and what they did that worked. It is also a fun time for X and A to play at the "far away church" as X calls it.
18th Friday - Drive-in Movie night again. Video in the back of the car for the kids with movies on the big screen for Melinda and Jack to watch.
24th Thursday - Jack went to court for a 7-month status hearing on the concerning X and A. These status hearing basically are checks and balances and a judge hears how things are going. They ask if the mother and father have "done their services" (meaning gone to whatever treatments, counseling or other CPS-required courses), how the kids are doing (meaning, do they need to move the kids to a new home for temporary placement). We do not have legal standing, which means we cannot speak in court and comment about the case. However, we are always told when they are and I have taken off to go to all the court hearings. We learn more from these things than just about any other source. In contrast, prior to court hearings, Melinda goes to the "permanency conferences." She DOES get to speak in these to tell what is happening with the kids (educationally and their services, doctors visits and therapies). While I can't do anything but observe the hearing, I always bring updated calendars for everyone and their photo albums. Often this is the only time the lawyers ever get to see the kids - through photos and schedules of what they are doing. Regardless of what happens, Melinda and I want to personalize this case. The lawyers have to remember that there are two kids's lives at stake and they are not just another number. The result of today's hearing was "status quo," which in this case means the kids will stay with us for now and the goal is still reunification with the parents. It will likely remain "reunification" until the point that CPS has determined that the parents will not complete the conditions imposed by CPS.
Also today - another Oliver play date with lots of fun (and mayhem)!
25th Friday - Yes, another drive-in movie in Ennis, TX. The kids really love the night out in the back of the car watching their videos and having a "picnic!"
