Well, as I'm now on my third day home with a different sick child every day, I thought I'd take a minute to update on this week. Craziness pretty much sums it up.

Little One turned one on the 30th. He is making huge progress, and is sooooo close to walking!

Saturday we had a combined birthday party for Little One and Braeden, who would be turning three on the 7th. It was a great party! We did the whole cowboy/horse theme since Braeden is ADDICTED to horses!!! (Pretty much anything farm related actually.) We had cute cowboy plates, cups, and napkins, the boys wore cute Gymboree cowboy hats and shirts that have a cowboy and say "Giddy Up", we had a cake that looked like a pasture and field, separated by a fence, with mini Breyer horses, they made "stained glass" horses, got sticker sheets to create a coyboy scene, were given horse finger puppets, had cowboy related candy packs, which were like sweetarts in shapes of hats, boots, spurs, etc, played pin the tail on the donkey, and had take home bags with Breyer magnetic horses. So fun!!! My friend and her 3 year old foster daughter came, as well as my friend who has Braeden's 5 year old brother and 4 year old sister and will be adopting them soon, and our friend who does there day care and her 3 yr old she just finished adopting.

Monday night the CASA worker came to see Little One in his "home" setting and meet us. I was all prepared to talk to her about some issues with the caseworker, visits being during naptime, etc. She got here and I fond out that she is retired from computer work, has never been exposed to foster children or the system in anyway, and Little One is her first case. I kept my complaints to myself, for now anyway. I talked to her about what he was like when he came and what he can do now, about her role, etc. I asked about court, which I knew was in mid Jan but hadn't heard anything about what happened, and you could tell she was very worried about what she should and shouldn't tell me. I didn't want major intimate details, just the general outcome which I knew was ok for me to know. She said it seemed that there wasn't progress being made and she didn't know if he would be able to go home. Little One was pretty shy while she was there and was mostly sitting with me the whole first part. He did start opening up and being more himself after a little bit. She then told me she couldn't believe how animated he was. I thought, animated? this is nothing. She said that when she saw him at the visit he just sat and stared at everyone, no interaction, no smiling, nothing. She had asked the worker who transports him and supervises the visits if he ever smiles and he told her no! I was shocked! It makes me sooooo incredibly sad to think what he must have gone through in his short little life to act like that with his biological mom. He hasn't lived with her since he was four months old, but he's been visiting her every week since. Why is he so timid around her????? That scares me. She said again she couldn't believe how different a child he is in this environment compared to what she saw. I hope that is a great thing for Little One and that come this next court date in July, she is able to share that with the court and that that will make an impression on where this little life should be permanently placed.

Tuesday, I was planning on calling in sick. Long story, but our administration has been kind of jerky about leaving early for appointments lately. The kids at our school get out at 2:35, and teachers are to work until 3:20. Once in a while if we have appts around 3, 3:30, they will allow you to just leave early. Lots of drama lately and Little One had his first Dr appt with a physician, not the health dept, at 3:30. I was planning on calling in sick because I could not change his appt and there has been a lot related to this appt with the cw and I was taking him no matter what. Anyway, called in sick Mon night and Tues morning, out walks Olivia crying that her stomach hurt!!! God, what are you telling me???? She was sick. She stayed home and threw up a couple times. By afternoon she was doing much better and I thought, yay, I'll get back to school tomorrow and preserve my one and only sick day I have left for the year. Went to pick up Little One and Braeden just layed his head on my shoulder. He was hot! I couldn't believe it. I called in again for Wed. Mind you, not only are these my last sick days, but we have internal review at two of our three district schools and are out of subs too!!! Wed was home with Braeden, on his birthday, but luckily he seemed to be doing great and we would all be good to go for Thursday. This morning I went in to get the boys at 6:30, to get them ready to leave by 7. I had been up, showered, eaten breakfast, etc. I walked in the room and thought, what is this smell???? Little One had covered his crib in vomit!!! I could not believe it! He didn't cry or anything during the night, I never heard him getting sick, nothing. I called in right away and got everyone ready to go since I had to write out lesson plans again. They are allowing me to use my only personal day so that I don't have to take a day without pay. Let's pray no one needs a sick day again between now and June 1!!!!!

Tonight I have a sitter coming. I was going to cancel, but need the break. I think Little One is running through what they did, he's been ok since, so unless anything major happens, I'm going to play bingo tonight!!!! :) A friend and I try to go twice a month, but we haven't been since fall. Another friend is also coming tonight. I need to get out of this house! :)