SistersHelp

Thanks winnie. Not that I'm glad to hear you've been through this nonsense too, but it's nice to hear that other people understand it. Like you, I was sort of disappointed that there wasn't going to be an investigation because I want to prove our innocence! Still, I'm glad that they can see through it and know it's not worth their energy, time and money to do the investigation in the first place.

laurie6781

A few years ago, I had my grand children (3 at that time) for 8 days while my daughter and SIL took a vacation for just them (#4 was conceived at that time and he is 2 1/2 now, rofl). My SIL's father (a practicing alkie) was pizzed that they didn't leave the kids with him and his 2nd wife (they would never do that) so he called CPS on me, telling them I was an alcoholic and that I had vicious dogs and that the kids were in danger. Sheesh The Social Worker that got the complaint, called me laughing. She knows me (we see each other in meetings and she has been out here for lunch, coffee, etc) and after she got done laughing on the phone, said when she got the piece of paper with the report on it and saw my name, she laughed so hard she had to run to the bathroom to keep from wetting her pants. She knew it was just a "spite" call. She had already seen how my dogs are with the grand kids, etc

And she is usually the one I talk to when calling CPS about some kids (yes I have done that and will do it again if I see a child/ren in danger).

I suspect this was the same, and am glad that your CPS saw it for what it was.

Of course, your first instinct was to 'prove' how bizarre the report was, but HP took over and CPS already knew it was fiction.

You just keep on doing what you have been doing, including making a note of this complaint in your 'on going log' of events.

Your niece is certainly in a safe place and receiving lots of love that she so desparately needs with you and your husband. You definitely are your niece's GUARDIAN ANGEL!!!!!!

Love and hugs,

Impurrfect

(((Lisa))))

I understand the anger and wanting to prove that the complaint is wrong, but the more I read Laurie and Winnie's posts, the more I realize they are right. The fact that CPS won't even investigate, speaks volumes in your behalf.

There may be more of the same coming, but isn't it nice to know that the OFFICIALS who are in charge of all of this know how well you and your husband are taking care of your niece? They just call to give you a heads up, say "don't worry" and keep on going. That, my dear, is a huge compliment.

Brit may have gotten her first job Its at a sub sandwich shop a couple miles from here. She has to memorize the menu (it's short), take a test and make a 90. Unfortunately, her best friend is trying to talk her OUT of it because she doesn't have a job and wants Brit to hang around with her all the time. I keep focusing on all the good things having a job will bring, so we'll see. When I told her how much money she could make in a week, she was ecstatic! Heck, the way MY work has been going, she'll be making more than me!

My niece is the hardest job I've ever had, but has the the biggest benefits I could ever imagine!!

Hugs and prayers!

Amy

SistersHelp

Thanks Laurie! How hilarious to hear that there are so many others who've been in this ridiculous position. At least I'm in good company.

Amy, I have my fingers crossed that Brit goes through with getting (and keeping) the job in spite of what Slacker Sally is telling her. I bet when she sees how empowering it is to make a bit of cash and have control over her own money, she'll enjoy it.



*

I think something weird is up with my sister. She hasn't phoned her daughter since August 1st now, and that's eight days ago. We did get one rather strange call from her on Friday afternoon (the same day I got the call from CPS) while we were out. She left a message on the answering machine, talking to her daughter, crying and telling her she missed her and wished she would call her back and promising to call later. But she never did. She was kind of whispering like she didn't want someone to hear the call.

I'm wondering if Hairy Scary won't let her call for some reason... if he's the brains behind the "call CPS and make false claims"... and if he thinks that not letting my sister call her daughter for awhile is going to help in some way... ? It's just weird because my sister is sooooo obsessive, she very rarely misses a call.

Impurrfect

((Lisa)) - unfortunately, there's no way to tell, but I'd just document it in the novel. The sad thing is, I don't know which one is worse, your sister or Hairy Scary!

I sent Brit a text last night and haven't heard from her since. I guess if she loses this job, she will get a lesson in consequences, which is what I've been trying to teach her all along (she never has gotten that from dad or stepmom). Every other place she tried to apply to said she had to be 17 to apply. Guess things have changed since I was young because we could apply at 16.

I want her to get a job where she has to get up early in the morning, just to pay her back for all those times she woke me up...let her find out what it's like to not get enough sleep, because she doesn't go to bed until about 2 or 3 a.m.!

Hugs and prayers!

Amy

SistersHelp

Gah, I spoke too soon. My sister called tonight and they got in another fight, ending in my niece calling her mother a "bottom feeder" (ouch!! I SWEAR I did not teach her that) and hanging up on her. My sister says she's getting her own apartment at the end of the month and wants the cat back at that point. Here we go round the mulberry bush... ... ...

Impurrfect

(((Lisa)))

First of all, sorry, but I had to laugh about your niece calling her a bottom feeder I know, very well, they learn all kinds of names and we usually have nothing to do with it.

Secondly, I have serious doubts about your sister getting her own place because she can't seem to be without hairy scary longer than 5 minutes in quite a while.

Thirdly, even if she does, tell her to ger her own darned cat. The cat you have is your nieces and it stays with your niece. Your sister hasn't has a stable place of living in ages and the cat stays with your niece. If she has any doubts, tell her I speak fluent "cat" and would be glad to interpret I've actually interpreted "treats", "thank you" and "let me in" so far from my 3, so I am SURE I could interpret "back off b***h" to your sister from your nieces cat

Hugs and prayers!

Amy

SistersHelp

I know!! Bottom Feeder is the best zinger I've heard in a long time and although I can't claim to have coined it, I'm certainly going to appropriate it! I love that!

Oh, I think I left out an important part of the story here. Hairy Scary currently lives in his mother's house (he's only 47, so you can see how he's a bit young to have to be out on his own just yet). And tonight, in one breath, my sister said he only lives with his mom because he's a great guy who wants to help take care of his ailing mother, and then spun on a dime to say that she and he would be moving out at the end of the month.

It was later in the same conversation when she said that she plans on having her own place by the end of the month. So call me a mental giant... but doesn't that sound like she means she and Hairy Scary are planning to move out together? Guess his poor old ailing mother can get bent. Hahaha.

I dunno what to expect next, but I'm not going to be holding my breath.

As for the cat, I completely agree. It's just adding insult to injury that this evil genius feline is forcing me to fight for him to stay here after he's ripped up my new couch and my carpet and the baseboards in the laundry room. But now that we've weathered all this abuse from the damn cat, we're sure not letting him go! Creep.

Sometimes I feel like I'm on Candid Camera. Can all this stuff really be happening? It's just to ridiculous to be real.

Seren

Zippity do da! Here comes another "Day in the Life" of your sister.....??!

(((Lisa))) you and your husband have my undying admiration for your patience, forbearance, and humour as you put up with all that you have endured at the hands of your sister. You are doing such a wonderful thing in providing your niece with a loving and stable home. You go!

Hugs and prayers, HG

NeedingHelp7

Hello Sister, seems the same old stuff different day for your sister. Anyway.... I thought she went to rehab again or was she thrown out again, or did she even go? I'm sorry, I hope it all ends soon. I'm sure this is not HP plan to have her tormenting everyone.

I completely understand, it's almost a little candid camera mixed with twilight zone.
It's really drug demons. They love to make people crazy.

Praying for God to get rid of the evil of it all, and bring you and your niece peace and safety.

NH7

SistersHelp

Thanks (((HG))), thanks (((NH7)))! My sister did actually complete a 28 day program (finished at the end of July) and now she figures she's all cured and ready to resume being the wonderful parent she claims to have always been. I'm expecting to be back in court before long...

Impurrfect

Well I think it's great that she is sticking with hairy scary because then they would not only evaluate your sister, but they would evaluate HIM and I don't think that either of them would get a very good evaluation.

In all honesty, however, I don't think it will even get to the evaluation part. I think they are going to want to just keep an eye on her and do random or even scheduled drug screens on her for quite a while to see how she does.

Anyone who reads the novel you have written on her would tell her what the court told Brit's dad when he filed paperwork for custody...."you need to just withdraw your request because you don't stand a snowball's chance in hell of ever getting custody".

Hugs and prayers!

Amy

Seren

I think our Miss Amy has hit the nail on the head here!

When reading about your sister's 28 day treatment and attempts to undermine your integrity, I realized that a return to court would be coming fairly soon. I'm sending lots of positive mojo and many prayers your way for a successful outcome....but I don't think that your sister has "a snowball's chance in hell" of regaining custody of her daughter!

We are all cheering you on....except no short skirts, please! :rotfxko

HG

SistersHelp

Awrriggghhhtt! My cheerleaders are back, in their long pants and ski jackets!

Yesterday my niece and I shopped 'til we nearly nearly literally dropped... found her a new bedframe, nightstand, dresser and bookshelf. And today new bed linens. Still looking for curtains and paint, and then we're done! Her room is going to be nicer than mine and my husband's by the time we're finished .... sheesh!

Anyway, she's super excited and I think it's doing a lot to help her feel like this is her real-true-forever home and that we're not going to boot her at any point.

I'm going to make her help me paint. And massage my back when we're done.

NeedingHelp7

Yay!!! You go girls!!!

You may just motivate me to do sons room too!! The Gerber abc animals just don't go for his age anymore. I got the hotwheels stickers so far, hows that for starters?

SistersHelp

Heehee! Careful with the redecorating stuff... it leads to... more redecorating! Hot wheels stickers sound fun. Maybe I should put some in my room! Careful though, your son might get the idea that you like him or something.

NeedingHelp7

I hope you both have lots of fun redecorating her room.

SistersHelp

Phew, the room redo project is nearly done. I painted yesterday, my husband hung the curtains, and he and my niece worked to start assembling furniture. Unfortunately I didn't realize I needed to buy slats for the bed separately, so I'm going to have to go back to the store yet another time to pick those up. And then I think we'll have fully functional bedroom, just awaiting my niece's artistic decorative touches. (No fair, her room is way nicer than ours now!)

Things have been reasonably quiet in Crazytown. My sister called on Friday night to say she was going out of town until Monday or Tuesday. She said this on the answering machine and said she's call later that night to say goodbye to her daughter, or that she would call on Saturday morning. She did neither, but I don't think it matters much since my niece had decided not to talk to her anyway.

SistersHelp

My sister called yesterday for the first time in six days. My niece wouldn't talk to her, so I told her she wasn't coming to the phone, and my sister said that was fine. She was just calling to tell me that she is going to have her lawyer contact mine to set up a case conference where she wants us all to sit down and work out some agreements about when her daughter will be coming home.

She said she understands it can't happen right away but that she wants to hammer out some details and have us commit to start taking steps in that direction.

I told her to go ahead and have her lawyer do that, and made no other comment about that nonsense.

Then she said that she couldn't imagine why her daughter won't speak to her or see her because she has always, even in the worst of her addiction, been a good mother and her daughter has never been hurt by anything. If anything, she said, she is the one who has suffered because she's been a victim of the court system (and her vindictive family).

I told her that the fact she was saying these things really gave me a clear sense of where she truly is in her recovery (ie: nowhere).

So, I'm interested now to see if her lawyer actually does plan on trying to set up a case conference. I just can't see wasting the court's time when my sister has no job, no place to live...

The drama continues. No getting relaxed and comfortable allowed!!

laurie6781

I am so sorry (((((Lisa))))) that you are still going through this.

I hope you added this conversation to your log.

Her DENIAL is showing very clearly. Sheesh. She 'never' hurt her daughter? Give me a break. That young lady has hidden scars that she will live with for the rest of her life. Sheesh.

NO, unfortunately when there is an A who is still quacking and in denial there is "No getting relaxed and comfortable."

However, you are handling this extremely well!!!!

By the time, any such 'conference' does take place, your niece will be able to say in her own voice, loud and clear, where she wants to live and why. She has a loving home now. A STABLE home now. She knows what to expect when she gets home from school. She knows how the weekends are going to go. She has a room that is definitely 'hers and hers alone.' She feels 'loved' and 'cared for.' I would suspect that as she has gotten her peace and serenity back, she too has gotten stronger, and will set up quite a fuss about and to anyone that wants her to move back in with her mother (that is if her mother ever gets a job and a place to live).

I personally have a 'gut' feeling, that your sister will not get custody of her daughter back. Even if she stays clean and sober, she has so many mental 'issues' that she is definitely not 'stable' enough to raise a child.

Please know that I (we) continue to walk with you in spirit, if not in real time.

Love and hugs,