Longer version ... The judge finally set up visitation schedule so that we (family members) were able to see the children twice a week and have a week-end visit every month for myself and another for their maternal grandfather. He took the case under advisement and scheduled an "in camera" visit with my 13 year old grandson. As a result of that interview (I like my school and friends and don't know that I want to move anywhere) he gave custody of the children to their step-mother. Five weeks later, the state office that is in charge of children came knocking at the door. Stepmom went to jail and the children were made wards of the state. Their grandfather was scheduled to pick them up for the weekend anyway, so CPS named him as temporary guardian. There were several months of strife as step-mom tried to get the kids back in her hands, but she finally decided that the scrutiny required wasn't worth the cash she was losing, and signed papers giving grandpa full rights to the children. CPS was invaluable in helping grandpa get the services that the kids need and walked him through a lot of the paperwork mazes required.
Today, my granddaughter is 13 and getting the professional help she needs. Her verbal skills have improved dramatically and her attitude is wonderful. As her physical problems are dealt with (she's back in braces and learning how to stand and walk with help) her personality comes shining through. Her favorite phrase is "happy, happy!", and she is.
Grandson is 15. In the more than a year that I didn't get to see him, he got tall and his voice changed! He will be entering 9th grade this fall and this week thinks that he might want to be a policeman after finishing school. He's also indicated an interest in being involved at the farm with an eye to future life. If he ever gets off grounding, he might get to spend some time at the farm with me.
As for stepmom, she has been charged with felony child neglect, and giving up the kids didn't make that charge go away. Her court date keeps getting pushed back, but eventually a jury will decide whether she's going to be a visitor at a state institution for a year or two. On other news, we still have a court case pending, regarding the property I own that her family members occupy without benefit of rent.
