Four Months with Evie

Evie has been with me for four months now.  She has had a significant increase in crying in the last couple of weeks, especially at school, and usually surrounding naptime.  The crying is almost always her saying that she wants her mommy.  I'm sure at least part of the issue is that she is tired as she only gets an hour nap at school now (compared to maybe two hours at daycare), and she is now taking 2-3 hour naps on the weekends (compared to 1-1 1/2 hours before starting public school). 

We had a meeting with her caseworker a couple of weeks ago.  She said that mom has applied for low-income housing (one of the parts of her case plan) and is waiting on an opening.  She also said that they are still waiting on the psychologist's recommendations for mom, and that she thought they would have had them by now (I believe mom went to that appointment in late June or early July).  They also may be adding some other things to the treatment plan, one thing based on something Evie said at an appointment with the counselor and maybe others based on the psychologist's recommendations.  I said based on what I was told when I first got Evie, I figured she would have been home by now.  I thought mom would have done what she needed to do and have had the kids back.  But she said something that made me realize that these people don't live in the same world that I do.  She said, "DSS's minimum standard is that you keep your kids healthy and safe.  And if you end up in a situation that you can't do that, there is probably some other underlying issues that caused you to get to that point in the first place."  Hmmm, that's true.  She also said, "I'd like to say that they would be back with mom in the next several months, but I don't know..."  Wow.  Especially for a situation where I thought Evie would only be here a month or two. 

Evie's questions have definitely calmed a good bit, but there still continue to be annoying ones.  For example, tonight we had spaghetti for dinner.  She knows what spaghetti is.  We had the same exact meal originally the other night with my mom and sister and that night she exclaimed, "Yay!  Mmmm!  Spaghetti!"  Tonight she said, "I think this looks like spaghetti..... What is it anyway?"  Ummm, spaghetti. 

And last side note: Tank's guardian ad litem called me today to set up a meeting.  I have had him literally four days, and she is calling.  I have had Evie four MONTHS and have not heard a single thing from a guardian ad litem for her.  I don't know if she just doesn't have one assigned, or if they are just slack about contacting me! 

Evie is settling in well with the baby.  She loves him and gives him a kiss in the mornings when she gets out of the car to go to school.