I don't FREAKING believe it!

Well, I think I wrote somewhere that the from CPS in Texas found Mamaw's phone number and LIED to her in order to get our new phone number.

Well it's down to her, Chris's crazy aunt or his Dad's wife as to who reported us AGAIN!!!!! I am so beside myself I would like to put a hole through the trailer wall. It is most likely Aunt Sheila or Granny Phyllis who did it this time. The complaint was that the trailer was filthy, there was no food and there were holes in the floor.

At least this agent was half-human. We let her in to see the place was NOT filthy (although there are still boxes and unpacking all over), there was PLENTY of food (so much that we can't fit it all in the cabinets and fridge, and that the only holes have been plugged or have HEAVY furniture over top of them.

The only people who could've known about the holes are someone who had been in the trailer or been told about them. Chris's two aunts and Granny qualify on the first count and Chris's Mom would qualify on the 2nd. His Mom called the aunts, both of whom deny it. Sheila was actually our first "suspect". I mean, we're already 2nd class citizens to her because we live in a trailer. She came up with her sister a couple of weeks ago for a family reunion (both sides of Chris's family are from here) and they brought us some food (without us asking or them having been here first). MIL, of course tried to throw it on Phyllis (FIL's wife), whom Chris says is a little "out there", but I've never known her to be as far out as Sheila.

I have rarely been this angry before. I could spit nails. You know how you feel when anger bubbles up inside of you like lava from a volcano ... but it absolutely CANNOT go anywhere for a while?

Brian was already freaking out when he found out "social services" was here.

Thank God (and that is not blasphemy in this case) the case worker was half-decent and non-accusatory in her manner. Maybe I'll hitch myself up to a piece of farm equipment and plow a field or two by pulling it behind me.

FIRST OF ALL, thanks y'all for your support. Y'all ROCK!

Chris can talk to his mother and father BOTH about this, but y'all are my only outlet for this. My mother and brother have enough problems of their own right now. Mom will go into an "assisted-living" facility probably in August as she can no longer walk unaided or use her hands.

Well, Sheila did threaten to call CPS on us when Brian was about a year old because he had a diaper rash...but then she has paranoid schizophrenia, so we kind of discounted it then. We couldn't leave her alone with the kids in Texas because we never knew if she would think we were us when we went to pick them up. (She believes everyone has a double, and "they" are always watching her, and doing bad things to children.) Actually that she has been able to function in society at all despite this problem has always amazed me. And besides that her life hasn't been a picnic.

And if she did this, she is STILL off my Christmas card list.

I guess part of Chris is hoping it is Phyllis, because she is not a blood relation. But wouldn't she then be partially in trouble for "allowing" us to live in a "substandard dwelling" that is owned by her husband?

I can't even count out Chris's mother, because of her trying to get custody of the boys a couple of years ago. And she was (I don't know if) upset (is the word) when she found out we would be living by Chris's Dad's (her ex's) family, that he would be seeing the kids more than she would.

I know that CPS's records are "confidential" in terms of who reported us, but don't we have a "right" to be protected against these at the least harrassing and at the most false re-curring allegations?

Chris had expressed to the case worker that a lawyer in Texas had advised us NOT to let them in. She said she could go get a court order, which she seemed to think would be kind of automatically granted due to there being a "referral" to their agency. Excuse me - don't we get representation in that hearing as to whether or not they should be allowed into our home?

I had been talking to Lenora about possibly calling the Kentucky CPS because I was sure they would be involved eventually anyway. I had expected that the Texas worker would call up here. But the fact that the Kentucky worker KNEW about the "holes" in the floor (can we say two missing floor vents - such a horrible unfixable offense) means it has to be "family". My personal "pick" would be Sheila. She is quite capable of lying, especially if she feels it is her "duty" to protect the kids from possible abuse (by our "doubles"); on the other hand, she has no trouble speaking her mind and telling you whatever she happens to be thinking/believing at any given time.

Shoot. Maybe I'll set up webcams around the trailer so people can watch us online...or maybe send out a weekly newsletter to every Child Protection Agency in the UNIVERSE in hopes that the next time someone gets a bug up their a$$ to report us, CPS will already know what's going on and will tell the "reporter" what to go do with themselves. Apparently WE will never have that satisfaction.

*grumble* *grumble* *kvetch* *kvetch* *moan* *moan*

I'm going off to play with power tools for a while (and finish that dang computer desk).

I can see that in some cases, for the safety of the person making the "referral" it would be better to not reveal the name. I don't believe that we would take retaliation in any way against the person. So what if we would not let the kids see her. All that not knowing for sure is doing is that we have to be "careful" around more people.

Isn't there something in the constitution about having a right to know who one's accuser(s) are? And is there ANY investigation on possible motives behind the referral? I don't think any of that is taken into consideration when CPS gets involved. And this going to the courts to get an order to enter the house...what about OUR representation at that hearing, or don't we get any? It seems, in a CPS case, you are guilty until and unless you can prove otherwise. Can anyone say "Salem Witch Hunt"?

Well, we haven't seen her since that first time. I did call the office last Friday to ask her to come on Monday (she had said she would come one of the two days) as Chris was out of town. By like 3pm Monday she hadn't shown and we had things to do. If she came the rest of the day, I don't know.

And I'd want to do the asking in such a way so as not to arouse suspicion on the worker's part. She's seemed nice so far, but you never know what will set a CPS worker off, , KWIM?

We haven't heard back from that woman.

Thanks for that info Tammy on the "report abuse". It makes me feel better.

to all y'all!

Oh, for pete's sake, Elizabeth! I can SO totally sympathize!

Thanks Yentush. We haven't heard back from CPS, so I don't know if they've resolved their problem with us (although that would be hard to believe). Or maybe they investigated Chris's Aunt and found out she has her own "issues".