It's Quiet Around Here

Friday morning, we went to court and the judge ordered Evie and her brother be returned home, with a review hearing to be held in three months.  There were lots of conditions, including that mom would keep up with the kids' medical and counseling appointments, as well as counseling for herself.  Court lasted about 5-10 minutes, and then the judge said, "So be it" after the DSS lawyer, the Guardian ad Litem, and the mom agreed to all the conditions. 

I came home and packed Evie's things (with TT's help!).  I had been organizing all week, but didn't want to pack her things - one, because she would know that something was going on; and two, because if I packed her things, it was me saying that she was going home - and I couldn't handle deciding that, and then have her NOT leave.  I originally had in my head that I would have at least several hours to get the packing done, but then they said that the transport worker would come get Evie after she picked up her brother and his stuff and got him to their mom.  I panicked because that meant I had to get things together quickly, and thank goodness TT was available to help. 

Then I went to pick Evie up from daycare.  When I told her she would be going back to her mom that day, she said a pretty unenthusiastic, "Yay!"  (I think it just didn't sink in right then, because later she told me, "I thought you meant I was going to see my mom today.")  She said she thought she might be going to cry, and I told her that it was okay to cry and that it was okay to be happy and sad at the same time. 

When all was said and done, the van was almost completely filled with Evie's stuff and she left to go be with her mom.  It was definitely a bittersweet moment.  I was so happy for Evie and her family that she would be able to go back to live with her mom; but also worried that they might not stay there forever.  It was time for her to leave, but I was sad to have my first child, the one who had lived with me for the last thirteen months, leave my home.  But it definitely is what's best for all of us right now. 

I have been out of town this weekend, so it's just been tonight that things are "back to normal" without Evie here.  It's definitely quiet in the house!