The Best Things In Life ARE Free

My husband and I are CASA for a 13 year old boy and today was his court date. We go together, but because I need to bring our granddaughter along my husband does the talking with the judge.

As we were waiting to go into the court room I was telling Scout that she needed to be quiet in there. She is not quite 11 months old so I was not sure how much she would comprehend, but she gets a lot more than many kids her age so I thought I would give it a try. We sat outside the court room door and I told her in a whisper "shhhhhhh we need to be quiet in here. We can't talk". She looked at me and started to talk. I again said "shhhhhhh we have to whisper, we can't talk in here". With that she she put her bottom lip under her top lip and somehow made a shhhhh sound (it was more like a sssssssssssssss with a little bit of h in there). So I repeated it again and she did her version of shhhhh once more.

We went inside and she started to look around, so I reminded her of the shhhh rule. She was really good, but I knew she got it when the couple behind us began to talk in a normal voice. She stood up, turned around and very nicely told them "shhhhhhhhh", then smiled at them.

We ended up having a good day after court by going to Austin and running around the thrift shops. I love thrift shops and need a computer desk. Some of these shops have things so cheap. I had no luck on the computer desk, but a lot of laughs with Scout. She wanted to go into the "tore" with us. She would ask for a "tore" Then we heard her saying something in the back seat, and finally realized that "tocks awv" meant she was taking her socks off.

Watching a baby eat a donut hole for the first time was a delight. She was not sure what to do with this ball, and I told her to put it in her mouth and eat it. She did and we got a great big "mmmmmmmmmm"

I was getting a bit housebound lately. Just felt like there was 4 walls and the only time I got out was for things that had to get done. I don't know about you, but being in the house with a baby can get to you after a bit. I wanted so much to get out and have nowhere to go, but just go. We did a bit of that today and, even though I bought nothing, I had the best of times. God knew what He was doing when he gave us kids and we can see the joy of discovery on their faces and it brightens ours. Ahhhh simple pleasures. The best things in life are free.

CASA

Children beaten, left hungry, born on drugs because their mom was a user while she was pregnant or just unwanted. This is our world. The foster system is filled with kids that are left to the system. Some dumped by their parents, others taken away because the parents are not fit to care for the child.

You think it is not happening in this day and age, but it is a growing problem, yes, even in your town.

To complicate the matters more, our social services do not care for the children as they should. They do not find out what is really going on at the foster home, school etc of the child and they certainly spend little time with the child to find out what is going on inside them.

The system. Children caught in it for years, some sent home too soon and they end up back in it again. Others would be adoptable, but the system is letting them down.

I want to make a difference in these children's lives. As a result, my husband and I became Court Appointed Special Advocates. The judge appoints volunteers to work with the child, spend time with them, see that the courts and the social services are doing what is best for the child.

My husband and I have a 13 year old boy that we oversee. He has been in the system off and on for some time, and has been given up for adoption last year. He has social issues, trust issues etc because of all that has gone in this boys life.

I urge you to check out the CASA website and see if there is one where you can get involved. You can make a difference in a child's life.

This works for me!