12-01-2005, 12:47 PM | #41 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Moderator Emeritus
Location: Chicago
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Quote:
It's gonna be one heck of a ride you are going on.. Enjoy it - take it day by day...
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Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.
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12-01-2005, 07:13 PM | #42 (permalink) | |
Psycho
Location: so cal
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Quote:
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The hardest thing is to be honest with yourself, especially if that means completely redefining the world you've come to know. Don't look too hard, I'm right in front of you. |
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12-01-2005, 10:12 PM | #43 (permalink) | |
Location: Iceland
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Quote:
You are truly superhuman for making this decision, for having this kind of integrity. Don't EVER forget that. And these girls owe you their lives, even if you only have them for a short time. You remind me a lot of my stepdad, who raised me with no legal obligation to me or my mother. We are still close; he came into my life when I was 2 or so and my father had died before I was born, and he was 24-25 then. Now I'm the one in the mid-20s, marveling at how much maturity/bravery/insanity he had to step up to the fatherhood plate with no blood or legal ties whatsoever. Even after he split with my mom, he has always been my dad. He has made lots of mistakes, believe me, but not one of them would cause me to feel that he is anything less than incredible. You will be the same way in those girls' eyes, I know it.
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And think not you can direct the course of Love; for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. --Khalil Gibran |
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12-01-2005, 11:46 PM | #44 (permalink) |
Banned
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Just be careful of the "Parenting" classes. It's very much akin to those people who claim to have all the answers, whose opinions and advice are always correct, etc. Just take everything with an open mind and a grain or two of salt, and decide for yourself how you want your kids raised.
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12-02-2005, 07:21 AM | #45 (permalink) | |
Still Free
Location: comfortably perched at the top of the bell curve!
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Quote:
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Gives a man a halo, does mead. "Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly." |
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12-05-2005, 11:44 AM | #46 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Buffalo NY
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Well I am picking up my new 4 door GMC Jimmy on the way home from work. At which time the the camaro will be placed in the garage for storage. Its ok i was lookiing for an excuse to get a 4x4 anyway.
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own. |
12-05-2005, 05:35 PM | #47 (permalink) |
Mine is an evil laugh
Location: Sydney, Australia
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No one has mentioned the ultimate parental accessory - the second pair of eyes. Maybe the nanny counts as this anyway.
Also, think about child proofing your yard - specifically make sure they can't escape if you are all out in the back yard together. Make sure the fences are secure, there aren't any holes and that the gates are lockable (at least so that a child can't open them by themselves). You are almost at the stage of meeting other parents via school, but in the meantime it may be worth seeing if there are organised groups of parents with similar aged children. For example - my wife takes our son to "playtime" at the local church on Mondays, where a horde of pre-school aged children cause havoc for a couple of hours, and the parents get to have a coffee/interact with other parents. All the children sit down and share fruit (each parent brings one piece and it is all cut up...). The older kids do craft. Don't go too overboard on buying clothes/shoes - little ones grow so fast. Also, there is nothing wrong with buying kids shoes and clothes second hand - most are still in quite good condition. My wife regularly visits a local charity shop and also has found and sold some quite good things on ebay. (Note though - my son has also trashed some things that really are no longer sellable...). Edit - forgot to say - congratulations! You are doing a most noble thing. As others have said, you will make mistakes - don't worry that is normal. If you feel like you want to learn more about parenting, I suggest pick up any parenting book and start reading, but don't think you have to follow the steps - any literature or course you read/do is a guide only - otherwise, use your common sense. Also - make sure you pick up some child friendly pain killers - you'll understand the first time they have a howling fit that nothing seems to fit (especially the smaller one, whose communication is probably not great yet).
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who hid my keyboard's PANIC button? Last edited by spindles; 12-05-2005 at 05:42 PM.. |
12-10-2005, 02:04 AM | #48 (permalink) |
Drifting
Administrator
Location: Windy City
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Just wanted to bump this and say I've been wishing you good luck with the girls... any updates about the last two weeks??
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Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna |
12-15-2005, 05:25 AM | #49 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Buffalo NY
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No not really. Things are going semi-smooth the girls, and I are getting along ok. The nanny is a big help. I am sorry I have not had time to post I have been super busy with the girls, work, and the holidays. Sometimes I feel like I am being split in two. In the last few days I have noticed the 4 year old (Hayley) has taking to lieing and acting out. Not sure how to handle this. The 2 year old (Megen) is getting into everything. On that note it was a good call to get the anti-kids devices thank you for that one.
When would it be a good time to start potty training Megen?
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own. |
12-15-2005, 05:30 AM | #50 (permalink) | |
Junkie
Moderator Emeritus
Location: Chicago
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Quote:
Potty training? I'm no expert but generally the kid will let you know when they are ready...
__________________
Free your heart from hatred. Free your mind from worries. Live simply. Give more. Expect less.
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12-15-2005, 06:27 AM | #51 (permalink) | |
Devoted
Donor
Location: New England
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Quote:
__________________
I can't read your signature. Sorry. |
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01-06-2006, 06:36 AM | #52 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Buffalo NY
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Just thought I would hit you with an Update. The girls and I are doing fine. I know this is going to sound corny and very much like a TV show, but I think I am falling for the nanny, not sure how she fells but i have cought her flerting.
Xmas was a blast. With the friends and family I have the kids had a mountin of toys. No lie it was about 5 feet around and 4 feet hight. It took me and the nanny 5.5 hours to wrap all the stuff. And 2 hours to open it all. And the sentance of the day was "Oh my Gosh" from the 4 year old. On a down note there is a good chance that Trisha will be getting out of the hospital at the end of this month. An now I am not sure what i will do with myself if/when CPS ever says that she can have the kids back. I can't picture myself with out them now. Oh and I did decide to get the puppy after all. I know you all told me not to do it. But I couldnt help myself besides everything seems to be going well.
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own. |
01-06-2006, 08:10 AM | #54 (permalink) |
Insane
Location: Hawaii
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WOW...that's all I can think to say. You are a good man, and I wish you the best of luck. It sounds like you and the girls are off to a wonderful start, and hopefully they will stay yours in till some Jerk of a significant other takes them away from you.
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Freedom is NOT Free. |
01-16-2006, 07:13 PM | #55 (permalink) | |
Mine is an evil laugh
Location: Sydney, Australia
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Quote:
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who hid my keyboard's PANIC button? |
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01-17-2006, 02:56 PM | #56 (permalink) |
Four of Wands
Location: Somewhere entirely too hot.
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Holy crap, you are amazing. I'll be watching this thread for an update. Please do update if you get the chance.
Outstanding... I wish there were more people in this world like you.
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A hard man is good to find. ~Mae West |
01-20-2006, 09:22 PM | #57 (permalink) |
Upright
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Chriswin8....I just want you to understand how amazing you really are. I am newly )6 mo) seperated from my husband of four years and we have two girls, Emma 3 1/2 and Ally 22 months...so I am very familiar with your situation. I was married to a true deadbeat dad. He worked out of town most of the year.. like 8 weeks at work 3-4 days home and back again...and when he was home he considered it to be "his" time to do with it what he pleased. I moved to the other end of the state when we split because my family would be closer and I needed that support system...you'll find it's the MOST important tool you have. He moved down here so that he could be close to the girls..."great" I thought this was an improvement. He spent two weeks with them from 8am-5pm because thier daycare was on vacation, then he took them to his parents house for a week after Christmas so that he could ski and they could see Grandma & Papa. Anyway...this was all looking up until three days after he got back he decided he hadn't had enought "play" time for himself so he drove back to his parents...this is 2500 miles away from Alaska to Canada...to spend a month. Completely shirking any responsibilities he has as a parent.
So, to me for a man to take PARENTAL reponsibility of two children, close to the ages of my own, who are not his flesh and blood...simply makes me weak in the knees.....You give me hope that there are men out there who truly care and center thier lives around a greater purpose than searching out the best powder! Thank you ....you are truly an inspiration!
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Catch 'em if you can! Delivery Girl |
01-23-2006, 11:10 AM | #58 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Buffalo NY
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Me
Well lets see. Things are going ok i quess. I am still getting the moron moments as i have coined them. But they are getting fewer. Yes i am getting very smitten with the Nanny (Ashley). And i am trying to hide it becasue i am just afraid she will leave if i do. The reasons i dont say anything are: 1) We can't afford to lose her, the girls love the hell out of her. 2) I injoy spending time with her. 3) Boy can she cook. So on the nanny front i am not sure what to do. As for the girls and I. I look forward to bed time I like reading them stories and bath time (I tend to be as wet as them). So i start spalshing wars so that i never win, so what. Ashley just shakes her head and smiles. She said to me friday that there are times she is not sure that she is helping me with the 2 of them or taking care of the 3 of us. I said there are times that you are doing both. Then she said well then i guess its your bed time to. I said yes nanna and went to bed. It was 9pm, I was making a funny point. The next morning when i got up she was like what happend to you. I said I went to bed. She just laughed. Now we have this little game the two of us are playing, along those lines. Hayley (4 year old) I picked her up to put her in her booster seat the other day and i managed to smack her head on the roof of the truck. She didn't cry she just gave me this look. So I said i was sorry and walked around the other side of the truck and made a point to hit my head getting in the truck as well. I didnt make anything of it but as i am starting the care i hear this giggling comming from behind me. And i just smiled. She is really starting to miss her mother i think. I almost cried the other day she asked me "Does mommy not love us anymore?, Is that why we dont see her." I tried to expline that mommy was sick and trying to get well again so she could see them. But i am not sure i got my point accross. I kept fumbleing over my words. I need some advice what would you say (Please be detailed) Megan (2 year old) Is starting to act like the dog (Willy). She wants to eat dinner off her plate on the floor. We let her lastnight it was amusing and i got it on Tape. LOL She tries very hard to "Help" Walk the dog. But in the end its funny to watch the dog pull her around. And she is becoming a bit of an exabisonest (forgive misspelling) She doesnt want to keep her shirt on for some reason every time i turn around its on the floor, its getting annoying. Tricha (there Mother) She will be released from the hospital on friday (27th). I am not sure how i fell about this. I guess if i had to put a name to it i would call it conserned. I have taped all the CPS visitation rules to the wall in my house as you walk in the front door its the first thing you see. I am now very much afraid of losing the kids. CPS is telling me that Trisha's first visitation is on the 1st. But i have the girls on a scedual now. And that is going to interfear with it. So i have request they be moved from Wensdays to Saterdays, i am just waiting to hear from them. I have a log book i am going to keep for the visitations. For the first few visits CPS wants to be there. The end of next month they are having a eval heiring to see if she is eligable to get the kids back. in my opinnion its too soon. She is just getting out of the hospital. I am afraid for these kids. Well that is all for now. I have to get back to work.
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own. |
01-25-2006, 10:49 AM | #59 (permalink) |
Psycho
Location: Right behind you...BOO!
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Chris, I'm glad that everything is working out with the girls being with you. You seem to care for them very much and I personally feel that is something lacking very much in a lot of families where I'm from at least. I know that a lot of people might disagree with me here as Trisha hasn't shown many motherly qualities, but the fact remains that she is their Mom and they miss her and no matter what happens they will always need her in their lives. If you want to be able to see these girls should she get custody back, then you need to be open to Trisha being in your life more then you might like. I'm not saying you will have to live with her, date her or even like her, just that bring with these girls comes with being around their mother. If you trully feel scared for these kids, you need to put those fears in writing with lots of detail as to your experience with this situation and explain what part of her lifestyle is putting the kids at risk, not what you could do to make them better. The things you have done for them are amazing and beyond what I would have thought possible for someone in your situation, so please don't think I'm being mean. But when CPS starts looking into placing the children back in their mothers care, they aren't going to care about what great things you will provide them with, they are only allowed to see what would keep their mother from giving them the basic needs they need to survive, that is just how it works. If you really want these girls to be a part of your life, then maybe there is a way to request visitation. That or you have to prove that she isn't fit to care for them. This is a hard case to fight from all of the things I have experience with friends in similar situations.
As for the 4 yr. old asking if Mommy doesn't love her anymore. You have to let her know all the time that Mommy does love her. Little reminders like "I bet your mommy is thinking about you right now." and sharing with her stories about her mom they she might recall that were good and happy for her. There is no way of knowing what kids are really thinking, the best we can do is try. You told her the truth, which is what matters most in my eyes. That she is sick, but is going to get better and maybe let her know that you are positive that she is thinking about her all the time. I think that's it for now. I trully hope I didn't bring you down with this post, but woke you up to a few things you can do to make this easier for everyone involved. Brightest Blessings.
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Smile It makes people wonder what you're up too! |
04-29-2006, 10:06 PM | #60 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Buffalo NY
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Hello everyone... Sorry i have not been around things have been a bit crazy... God I dont even know where to begin.
Well Trisha never got out on the 27th she had to stay for another 2 weeks. 2 weeks after that she went for her first hearing. They told her that she had 3 months to comply with everything on a list that they gave her. You know appartment, stable job, some other things. Mommy Days : post hearing... For the first week she was always on time to see the girls. Trisha seemed to be be doing alright, untill one day megan got scared by her and ran to me. The next mommy day she never showed, and didnt call. I called her no answer, i left a message. I called the worker and told her she didnt show. Two days later I am at work and about 11 or so i get a call from the worker, trisha had killed herself. I guess Megan running to me made her snap or something. There was no note, I really hope it wasnt my fault. The girls are doing ok, I still have them... I am glad that the girls didnt understand what was going on. Or at the least I hope they didnt... I tried to explain that god needed her to help with the kids up there. Hehehe... Hayley asked if she could go to gods playtime. I almost lost it. Its taken me this long to get over it myself. I am conflicted, if i would have forgiven her for cheating the second time none of this would have happend. Trisha and I would be married and the girls would have there mother. Am I a bad person... I am in the process of adopting the girls, and about that i couldnt be happier, and that makes me feel guilty. Its funny what having kids can do. One day your thinking of getting a boat the next you have 2 kids and the thought of a boat is laughable. Here is a bright star... I don't have the nanny, she kinda turned into my very serious girlfriend that lives with me. Last week she called and quit the agency... I was in the mall the other day and relised I was looking at engagement rings again. Its funny how somethings work out. let me tell you if not for Ashly and my Mother. I think i would have lost my mind with all this. What do I tell the girls when they get older about there mother.
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own. |
04-30-2006, 08:47 PM | #61 (permalink) |
My own person -- his by choice
Location: Lebell's arms
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Wow Chris -- I've followed this thread off and on and never felt like I had much to add -- everyone else is so right on.
But this time no one has said the obvious -- Trisha's suicide is NOT your fault! People like her are going to do what they are going to do! You are now responsible for living and loving. Love yourself, your girls and your woman. They are a blessing. Take care of you for them -- they need you and they need you healthy, not guilty. You are an amazing person. Be sad, feel the pain, but don't allow guilt to take over! You deserve what you have! Best of luck and keep us posted, as always.
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If you can go deeply into lovemaking, the ego disappears. That is the beauty of lovemaking, that it is another source of a glimpse of god It's not about being perfect; it's about developing some skill at managing imperfection. |
05-01-2006, 02:35 AM | #62 (permalink) |
Drifting
Administrator
Location: Windy City
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I gotta chime in with Sexymama, you cannot control what other people choose to do. It seems this is all working out in the girls best interest still ... and you have found happiness as well, it seems.
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Calling from deep in the heart, from where the eyes can't see and the ears can't hear, from where the mountain trails end and only love can go... ~~~ Three Rivers Hare Krishna |
05-01-2006, 02:58 AM | #63 (permalink) |
Upright
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in this age where a lot of men wont even care for their own biolocical children, i think you are wonderful, a true credit to humanity, you will make mistakes, you will have days that you feel you lost yourself, you will be ready to cut and run at times, but fear not, thats parenthood, we have all been there, best of luck to you. i hope someday those little girls realise just how lucky they are.
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05-01-2006, 05:28 AM | #64 (permalink) |
Unencapsulated
Location: Kittyville
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I'm so sorry, Chris. But it's not your fault. If you had taken her back, it would have made a bad situation worse, and more than likely, just postponed the inevitable. Now the girls have a father, a person who can care about them properly. Trish was clearly not able to do that. You've done the right thing. And it's not your fault.
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My heart knows me better than I know myself, so I'm gonna let it do all the talkin'. |
05-01-2006, 08:31 AM | #65 (permalink) |
Location: Iceland
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Holy shit, man. I am very sorry to hear about the girls' mother, but as prevous posters have said... her decision (remember, it was her conscious choice to cope with her struggles in that manner) was utterly beyond your control.
All you can do is be the best father to those girls right now, and hope that they will understand the whole story once they are older and ready to hear the facts. Given what a cool dad you seem to be, I have a feeling they'll turn out okay. And I'm glad it's working out with the former nanny... take joy where you can find it! If you want to start a family with her and those girls, no one will stop you. We will be here to cheer you on! It's funny, isn't it, how life is really just made up of one seemingly random event after another, and how we react to those events. Thinking about your story, there's just so much that "happened" to you (it wasn't planned ahead of time)... and yet you have been able to roll with pretty much everything. That takes serious character and integrity. Good work, Chris.
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And think not you can direct the course of Love; for Love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course. --Khalil Gibran |
05-01-2006, 05:37 PM | #66 (permalink) |
Mine is an evil laugh
Location: Sydney, Australia
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I want to add my 2 cents worth. You sound like you are doing a great job. I echo what everyone else has said - the mum's suicide is not your fault at all. Imagine how %^&#ed up the girls would be if you weren't around - there are way more positives in this situation, than negatives.
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who hid my keyboard's PANIC button? |
05-05-2006, 11:48 AM | #67 (permalink) |
Crazy
Location: Omaha, NE
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I wish you the very best of luck and I hope that one day you will see that Trisha would have done this anyway. Imagine being married to her and having to deal with suicidal ideation on a semi-regular basis. It wouldn't have gone away because you forgave her, trust me on this one.
I'm a mom of three and a foster mom to boot (about to adopt a baby girl!), so if you ever need anything just PM me; I mean it! There have been some pretty negative comments on here about foster parents, and I'd like to think that's not the way _everyone_ feels! Most of us are just like you, taking in children we love for various reasons to assure that they have a safe haven during a difficult time. But the best case for any child is to have a family member (or someone as awesome as you!) whom they are already familiar with and who already loves and adores them!
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I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be. --Douglas Adams |
05-14-2006, 04:09 PM | #68 (permalink) |
I want a Plaid crayon
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You really shouldnt blame yourself for anything. Think about it this way if you forgave her and did get married the girls mom wouldnt have changed and most likely the kids would of ended up in some bad situation with a mom they couldnt count on. most likely she would of cheated on you while you were married then after a while you would of gotten a devorce and the kids would end up being raised in a broken home at best. If you ended up getting devorced most likely she would of got the kids just because she was the mom and the system favors moms. then they would of been raised around her and who knows who else she would be with. in the end i really think everything you did was right well except the pull ups.
Dont ever tell anyone they arnt your kids or ever let the kids hear that. even if they are not biologicly yours they are your kids. Glad to hear you do like reading to them i really think more parents should do that. try to get them to read along with you or at least point to where you are reading from untill they start to learn the words. I know thats what my parents always used to do then when i got to kindergarden i was shocked to find out i was the only one that could read. As far as telling them about what happened to mom... tough call but whatever you do do not tell them why you think she did it. Megan running to you when she was scared didnt cause her to kill herself. you shouldnt think that or ever repeat it for megans sake. She killed herself because she was a failure and couldnt handle what she did to herself. All the kids ever need to know is she had a mental breakdown. When they are older you can tell them she killed herself but dont even hint at why you think she did it. It sounds like they have a good home and a loving family and really thats all kids need. |
05-16-2006, 05:14 PM | #69 (permalink) |
In Transition
Location: Sanford, FL (between Daytona and Orlando)
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Sounds like the girls are in the best of all possible situations. You being their dad is the best thing for them. Even though you're not their biological father, and whether or not they call you Dad, you are their dad, and that's not going to change. It only takes a dick to be a father, it takes a real man to be a dad. Tell the girls every day that their mom loved them, and tell them every day that you love them. Give them lots of love and affection, cuddles and kisses. Spending time reading with them at night is a very valuable contribution to their education... my mom read to me every night, when I got old enough to read, I read to her, and because of all that, I was reading at a fourth grade reading level in first grade, and I still love to read to this day. Teach them to be independent and strong, and to always be themselves.
Oh, and the whole acting like a dog thing... does the dog get more attention than Megan sometimes? My baby sister did that sort of thing... the dogs were my step-mom's first "babies", so when they got my sister, it was an adjustment. My step-mom always treated the dogs with kid gloves, and they could do no wrong, while my sister was always getting in trouble. She started acting like a dog figuring if they could do no wrong, then neither could she. Didn't work, but got my step-mom's attention that she needed to change her ways.
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Don't trust anything that can bleed for a week and not die. Oh wait, that's me... nevermind... you can trust me. |
09-09-2010, 08:35 AM | #70 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Buffalo NY
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For those of you that fallowed this back then, now that i am back on the boards i thought it might be time for an update.
First of all the Girls are fine and living with there biological grandparents I still get to see them from time to time. So what happened. As you all know I was in the process of adopting them and at the 11th hour Trisha's parents swooped in and took them from me, But not before a long drawn out court battle. In the end the courts ruled as they where blood they should be with Trisha's parents. So i only had the girls for just shy of a year. I do however get to see them from time to time. I do miss them a lot. Hayley just turned 9, and Megan is 6 about to be 7. As for the Nanny we were engaged for a short time. However once the kids where gone the relationship ended within a few months. At that point I think she was only with me for the kids. She cheated on me, and i was in no mood to handle that so I tossed her out. That became another interesting situation she became a stalker would fallow me around. She told me one day that she would do anything in her power to sabotage any future relationships I was in, because I belonged with her, and she would spend the rest of her life proving it to me. But by that point i was a bit afraid of her. I mean she came up to me in a movie when i was on a date, and yelled and i quote "So is this the hussy you have been seeing behind my back." Yeah that not only ended the date. It got me slapped 3 times and tossed out the theater for making a scene. In the interim time she has met some one but she told me that if i ever wanted her back all i had to so is way the word. At the moment i have no one, I am kinda afraid of woman at the moment, i know i am working on that. I have had a few short relationships, but nothing major. I have often wondered what might be wrong with me that would make woman want to cheat on me. I have never figured it out though. Um my parents now live with me. They Lost there house a wile back and I took them in. The economy has not been that great to them, or i guess any of us. I am unemployed and kinda looking for work just for something to do to keep me from going insane, even though i don't need to. Remember money was never really an option. Is funny how you can have everything you have ever wanted some you never new you wanted and then have it all taken away from you. Sorry it took so long for an update I have not been myself for a wile... However I feel that i am changing again. Kinda freaking about 35 but i think thanks to anther post i think i will be OK. Well that is all i can think of for now. If i think of more i will let you all know. If you are interested. Is there a way to change the title of this thread as its not really a cry for help anymore?
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own. Last edited by chriswin8; 09-09-2010 at 08:38 AM.. Reason: Added question |
09-09-2010, 09:28 AM | #71 (permalink) |
Still Free
Location: comfortably perched at the top of the bell curve!
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chriswin8,
I have thought back on this thread countless times. You have no idea the affect it had on me. Your selfless act inspired me in ways you could never imagine. Because of this thread, at the beginning of 2006, I quadrupled my charity work and have continued to do so every year. chriswin8, you are directly responsible for around 100 orphans receiving beds, clothes, school supplies, and Christmas gifts each year. No joke. You want to know where you are in life? You just think of those 100 orphans' faces every Christmas morning. You did that, through me. You are the salt of the earth, man.
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Gives a man a halo, does mead. "Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly." |
09-09-2010, 12:18 PM | #72 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Buffalo NY
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Wow, I am humbled and honored. I am speechless, I don't know what to say. I had no idea it all had that big of an effect on others. Back then i can't tell you how you all helped me.
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own. |
09-09-2010, 01:22 PM | #73 (permalink) |
Still Free
Location: comfortably perched at the top of the bell curve!
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I'm serious. There's a charity organization partnered with DSS which provides everything to children in foster care because of the burden the foster parents immediately take on. When I decided I needed to do more, I sought out this organization because a similar one would have been what you needed at the time.
First I got involved, then I got my company involved, then I got my customers' companies involved. I created honor system soft drink stations at my customers' offices where 100% of proceeds buy uniforms and school supplies for foster kids. When I started, I sponsored 4 foster siblings for Christmas. Those were the ONLY christmas gifts those kids got that year. Now, the branch of kids that started through your inspiration totals just over 100 kids! We gave 20 beds to foster kids last year, who would have been sharing or sleeping on the floor. We gave 75 kids school supplies in August. The organization as a whole has grown 35% since 2006. It helped 515 foster kids at school time feel like normal kids. And it all started with me going, "Shit, if chriswin8 can take in two fosters on a moment's notice to live with him - give up his camaro for a mini-van - give up his boat for some diapers...I can get some orphans something for under the tree, can't I? It's grown from there. ...and I forgot to say, "Thank you" to you. The very best time of my weeks are counting the money going to Angel Tree from the drink stations. The very best time of the holiday is pulling 3 carts of toys out of the store for a marathon wrapping session. The best pictures I take every year are not of my family, it's of the 600 sq. ft. conference room that we STUFF to the gills with bikes and gifts on December 7th. So...thank you. All I have done and will ever do started with you - and yet, it's only a fraction of what you did, and were willing to do for those two kids.
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Gives a man a halo, does mead. "Here lies The_Jazz: Killed by an ambitious, sparkly, pink butterfly." |
10-29-2010, 12:00 PM | #75 (permalink) |
Tilted
Location: Buffalo NY
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You know Cimarron I think you are a better man then i am for what you did when you read my story. I mearly helped 2 children you help hundreds. I think you need more props for what you do then for what I did. I am honored that you did it due to how my story made you feel but you took those feelings and channeled them in a very constructive way. I aplaud you for that, I wish there where more people like you in the world.
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I reject your reality, and substitute my own. |
11-05-2010, 05:07 PM | #76 (permalink) |
...is a comical chap
Location: Where morons reign supreme
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Best thread on TFP. I can't add anything else.
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"They say that patriotism is the last refuge to which a scoundrel clings; steal a little and they throw you in jail, steal a lot and they make you king" Formerly Medusa |
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