The more things change the more they stay the same

It's funny how so much can change in a mere four weeks.

The good news is that we don't have that obscene amount of paperwork to fill out anymore. We were in the process of adopting an 11 yo boy we know but his foster family finally stepped up to the plate and decided they'd keep him. I wanted this child and we would definitely be the better placement for him but the state... yeah, they don't always get it right do they?

I got the big pots planted outside. I should take pictures and post them with this writing but that would entail effort I'm not willing to expend this very minute. they are pretty, though, and I have to say I done good. I can see them from my front porch so maybe I'll enjoy them enough this summer. I miss having a garden.

After having 10 days of meltdowns and not getting anywhere with the mental health facilities in all of Denver and the surrounding towns and after finally threatening a lawsuit - and that's not an idle threat - I finally found an agency willing to get us the help we need for our 8 yo daughter. We used to have a psychiatrist we could call but because we only needed them for medication management and because the dianosis was only - only adhd (the kind of adhd that was intense and impulsive and dangerous to her well-being) - we were cut loose about a year ago. Well, whatever the behavior issues are, they aren't only hyperactivity. We, her doctor, and even the psychologist suspect bipolar dissrder and if that's the case she's on the wrong meds. And the only doctor that can determine and monitor the right meds is a psychiatrist. Which we haven't been able to make an appointment with because apparently there aren't any openings anywhere in this city of 1.5 million people.

Amazing, huh?

We lived this life a long time ago. Our oldest daughter (biologically the mom to this child of ours) is bipolar with schizo-affective disorder. She wasn't diagnosed until she was in her mid 20's but she's been bipolar for a lot of years. It wasn't a mental disease of childhood or even adolescence when she was those ages. It's only been a short 11 years since the professionals said "hey, maybe these kids can have this afterall". What we know for sure is that we can't live it again without help now. So I've become the crazy parent trying to advocate for my child.

And - no surprise here - the Hero hasn't exactly been a strong tower in all this. I'm having to teach him how to pick his battles with this child, how to effectively discipline this child (no small task in and of itself), and how to believe that this child will be able to grow into an amazing woman before we die.

At least the dog stays the same. Once a terrorist... umm, terrier, always a terrier.