Dear White Truck,

(I am reposting this for my letter post because it happened again yesterday but it was a red truck this time.)

Please do not stop in front of my house anymore.

I understand we live way out in the country and there is not a store for 10 whole minutes but please, just keep driving.

I know that sometimes children can not help themselves but the person that got out of you was no child.

My daughter was really concerned you had broke down until you then drove off. Then she was just wondering why you chose our driveway as a good "spot". She is 5 and already knows what is and isn't a good "spot" in a time of need. If you can see a house anywhere, it is not a good "spot" much less at the end of someones driveway.

In the future, about 10 seconds up the road is a good "spot". I suggest you try that one next time.

I hope you choose to take my advise because I fear next time, my dog just might show your passengers the same courtesy that she showed us. He has often thought a leg was a good "spot".

Sincerely,
The house where you stopped so that woman could pee

For more letters go visit ShortMama.

Sad and disturbing

Edit at bottom.

Tuesday night I couldn't sleep so I was just flipping threw the channels. Now, I don't have satellite or cable so I have about 4 channels. Sometimes 5. Anyway, one I always have is PBS which is great because my kids love PBS Kids.



Anyway, Tuesday night on PBS they were doing this thing I think was called Lifeline. They were basically documenting what the severely (chronic) mentally ill people go through. It was hard to watch yet I couldn't tear myself away from it.



Basically what they said was there are not enough state mental hospitals and the ones that are there, are so crowded that they have to release patients KNOWING that they will relapse and end up back in jail within weeks or months. They said out of 100,000 released, 90% will be back within months.



The sad part is, there isn't many places that will help the mentally ill without insurance or lots of money. They are expected to walk out, get a job, house, stay on meds.... basically all by themselves. Most of the time, that's just not going to happen and they know it. One nurse actually said about one guy, "He will be back within three months and we just pray he doesn't hurt someone before he comes back."



The disturbing part is that they release these people KNOWING they are a danger to society! But, they say they have no choice. Once their meds are regulated, out the door they go. One lady said that "Prison is the best place for them (3 hots and a cot plus someone regulating their meds) and what does that say about our country?!"



One guy had been through the jail, state hospital, release, and back to jail scenario 18 times in 2 years! Scary huh?



I don't know what would be a good solution but what they are doing now is not working and hasn't for a LONG time.

I would like to add that a few weeks ago, I posted about how if the mentally ill CHOOSE to not take their meds, then they should be responsible for what they do while "crazy". Like my cousins ex-wife who does have a job, home, and insurance and still chose to not take her meds. A lot of theses people I am talking about in this post did not have a choice because they had no means to get their meds. Just wanted to add that so I didn't sound like a hypocrite.

Blog material

I have had some funny stuff go on lately. I can't believe I forgot to tell you about this.

The other weekend (meaning not this past one) we were looking at campers because Benny is going out of town for 10 weeks for work. Sucks! I know! Anyway, we pulled into his friends place to check out his friends sons camper. Still with me? OK, good.

Anyway, Benny's friend doesn't live there. He will one day, but not yet. Just a shop and a bunch of land with a fence ALL the way around it with a gate at the front.

OK, now Benny has an F150. BUT, it is also a crew cab with 4 wheel drive. Not a small truck by any means.

We pulled up to the camper (right by the front gate) and went in said camper to check it out. Kids were asleep so we left them all of 15 ft away from us. I liked it, got back in the truck, and we turned around to leave.

Problem!

The gate was shut! Benny told me to get out and open it hoping it was just "dummy locked". (For those of you that are lost, that means it just LOOKS locked but really isn't) How the guy didn't see us is what was weird to us.

It wasn't dummy locked. It was really locked!

So there we are, locked in this guys property, and we don't have his number. Told ya we were smart!

After about 5 minutes. Ah ha! Number on the camper! Call him, he rescues us, we live happily ever after! After a good laugh and a couple of beers!

Prayers are needed

Update at bottom.

I got a call last night and it made me so mad and so sad all at the same time. I just don't get some people. Warning, it gets kinda graphic.

The family next door to my brother-in-laws house is a very quiet family. On the day my BIL moved in, the man of the house, John, came over to introduce himself. The first words out of his mouth were "We are Pentecostal and don't drink or smoke." My SIL was like Ok, that's nice. He seemed like a nice enough guy and we went on with unpacking.

Over the past year, I have seem him almost every time we are there but have never met or even seen his wife. I have met one of his son's and he is the most well behaved, sweetest 10 year old child I have ever met. He's very small (smaller than my 7 year old niece) for his age. John doesn't allow him to play with any other children but said that it was his wife that would not allow it. When John is a work, she allows the little boy to go to my BIL's house and play so it is obvious that she isn't the one that wont let him.

Two weeks ago I noticed John drinking a beer and was shocked. He said with 2 neighbors that drink, it's too hard not to. Ok, I guess we are back in high school and using the 'peer pressure' excuse. I also have NEVER heard anyone ask him if he wanted a beer. We all respected his wishes. He always seemed like a very controlling man and I often felt sorry for his children.

Then last night Hubby called me after work and told me what happened. John (who is built like a football player) had beaten his 10 year old son with a belt buckle. His lip was busted, face was all swollen, and his butt was bleeding from the severe beating. The little boy ran three houses down, naked, to try and get some help. When he found a neighbor home he finally got some help.

That neighbor took him in and helped him with his wounds. They called the police and John was arrested. CPS came out to see about everything going on. My BIL gave the wife the code to get into his house in case they ever need to hide from John. I haven't heard what has happened since then. All I know is that this family needs as many prayers as it can get. How someone could do that to a child is beyond me. I hope he is jail for a very long time.

Update: I talked to my SIL and she said he wasn't arrested, that the cops just made him leave. Apparently, the little boy got a bad grade at school and that's why he was in trouble. My SIL asked the sheriffs office today if CPS (child protective services) was called and the woman said she didn't see it in the report. So, my SIL called and reported it and then called the little boys school and told them what happened (and they will see the bruises and cuts) knowing they too would call CPS and report it. Also, last night she and my BIL told John's mother that everyone knows what he did and that their street would not tolerate a child abuser and he should just pack up and leave now. The woman said "I'm sorry you feel that way." My SIL then said, "We are not the only ones, EVERYONE feels that way." I hope it gets better and that something is done to stop this.

Still a Stay at Home Mom and happy about it

Well, today was the big day. The day I decide to work or not to work (outside of my lovely home). And I decided not to work. There is a couple of reasons why I chose this path.

1. I didn't see Toot all day and I am not going to do that 5 days a week. That can begin when she goes to kindergarten.
2. I wouldn't put Smiley in that class with or without me.

Let me explain. In the interview she said a lot that this is not daycare but a day school. Sounded great to me. That's why Toot goes 2 days a week. Well, the 3 year old and 4 year old classes have wonderful teachers that really do their job great. Not so much in the 2 year old class.

They didn't do anything except play and then at one point they gave the kids a piece of paper with glue all over it and then passed out other scraps of paper to stick to it. That was it. No education at all. I finally started talking with all the kids about the different colors. Then at one point a little boy was throwing a full blown tantrum and trowing cars at the other kids. You know what the teacher did. NOTHING!!! So I asked her if they discipline the kids and she actually said, "Not so much." Ok, that's real good. They only changed diapers when a kid smelled but never checked to see if they were wet. I was in shock. And one little girl just kinda sat in a high chair most of the time watching everyone else. They said she liked it. Ya, I bet she does. I bet her parents would love to know what their $300 a month is paying for.

I told the director all of this and she was in shock too. She pulled out the lesson plan of what they were suppose to do and they had only done the one thing. I told her I really hoped she could find a teacher that really cared about teaching these children and that Smiley would not be returning until next year. She was very sweet (and a little embarrassed) about it all and when I left, she was heading down to have a talk with the teacher. But the kids were actually wonderful (except that one throwing the cars) and I wish them all the luck in the world. Right now, they need it. I feel guilty about not working there and fixing these problems but I just can't be away from Toot that much right now.