We are down to only a couple of weeks left with ss's. I still don't want them to go. Dh says he is going to talk to BM to see if we can keep them a couple of additional weeks, but I already know what the answer is going to be. But hey, if Dh is going to take the step and call to ask her, kudos to him. I am so proud. This also means, I only have a couple of weeks to plan 4 birthday parties and a late 4th of July celebration as we didn't have any money to get fireworks on the 4th.

We have been having an absolute blast, minus a couple of incidents of SS's wanting to hit and fight, but other than that we have stayed busy with camping, swimming, 4-Wheeling and stuff like that. Needless to say, with all the outdoor fun we've been having, ss's look like they have been beaten. They have scratch marks, cuts, bruises and bug bites from all this fun. I know what is going to happen here. BM will either call demanding to know what we did to her children, even though they can explain to her every mark they have, or she will say we have abused them. I tend to think the latter of the two will occur. Oh, well. Stuff happens. They are boys, up in trees, juping off stuff and the occasional 4-wheeler wreck (They ALWAYS wear helmets).

They are starting to act us as they know it is close to time to send them back to the house of horrors. They seem to believe that because their mother threatens them all year with if they don't mind or whatever, that they will not go to dad's, so I think they assume if they are naughty here, we won't send them back.

We did have a wonderful talk with the boys about their situation and I think they may understand the need for them to talk to a school counselor about the abuse and neglegt going on in their house of horrors. All we can do is support them and let them know we are still fighting for them and that the things that go on in the house of horrors are not normal things and need to be told to someone that will actually listen to them. The point really is moot as BM just has everyone convinced that the boys are liars and we tell them things to say so we can get custody and not have to pay child support. Hell, I would pay her every month if she would let us have the kids. Rent-a-kid, on special now, only $400.00 plus per month. Gets one today!!! I even tried to let the boys know that we understand they love BM and that is how it is supposed to be and that it was ok. They just gave me that look and said they didn't want to be with her. How sad is that.

Yesterday, I called from work to check on them, to see how their day was going and ss9 answered the babysitter's phone and said "Hi Mom" we talked for a minute and then he yelled to the babysitter, "My mom is on the phone for you." I cried so hard that he was calling me mom, that I couldn't even remember what I had called for. WHAAAAAA!!!

AAAAHHHHH. I feel so helpless, they don't want to go home. They get no affection, they have to fight off their brother and step father, their mother does nothing about these boys being hurt and no one believes the boys but us. I guess all I can do is hope that someone will finally believe them and at the very least, make the family get counseling and teach BM how to protect and love her children. It's sad that someone needs that to be taught to them when they have such amazing sons.