I mentioned last week that Sam's social worker is trying to do an end run around the court order. I called the person I thought was the child's lawyer on Friday, and she was on vacation till Monday, when I called again. I called a third time on Wednesday and got a call back from the actual lawyer. We sorted that out. She had called the social worker after my first call, but hadn't gotten satisfactory information from the s.w. I told her the situation as I saw it, with the changes and decisions that were hammered out in the hallway outside the courtroom leading to the official court orders from the judge. I told her about my opinion of the best situation for Sam, which would be following the court order. (This would be adoption, not long-term foster care. There are so many children in the system, so many kids who can be moved from one placement to another at the least whim of the social worker. I assume the s.w.s are trying to make things better for the children, but they are constrained by finances and by laws, and they could also just be having a bad day. When there's an available home for a child, it's in the best interests of all to jump at the chance. In my humble opinion.) The lawyer said she would call the social worker again and let me know. Once more I am amazed that I can talk to these professionals and be listened to.

Meanwhile, Sam finished weaving the potholder for the foster-care provider. This was the envy of all the children and many adults at the libraries, where we worked.

Tutoring went well this week. Sam is beginning to recognize the sight words on, well, sight. The child had a 100% paper, opposites, to show me! Furthermore, there were coloring pages with instructions that were well done. And reading ("The Best Nest" at the moment) is also going well. It seems like there's been a big breakthrough. I suspect that we'll be stuck here for a discouragingly long time, but there's definite progress. From being a non-reader, Sam is now about mid-first grade in ability. I can see my influence in the child's new interest in reading. The kid is not stupid, so getting interested is 3/4 of the battle. One thing I showed Sam was the finger-play "this is the church, this is the steeple" (good way to learn that word) and this was all new. There are so many gaps, things that should have happened when Sam was 3 and 4, but we're chugging along, regardless. An encouraging week.

I was packing up the Christmas stuff, the wind chimes for the adult, and a couple of videos for the kids ("Green Eggs and Ham", you think the tutor goes away for the holidays? and the "Muppets in Space") and thought I'd check Bernadette's stash for tiny things. B. told me that I could do what I wanted with these two bags of Stuff. Hooray! There were enough Leggs eggs for every child in the family. I wanted the little puffball things that were the collectible before Beanie Babies, and found one for each. Then there were little toys, things that would fit into the egg... yoyos and minislinkies and little puzzles and stuff, and I was especially pleased with a mini My Little Pony, just right for the 4-yr-old. Each egg has a toy, a puffball, and a little ball in it. I fastened those up, found a Christmas basket, got some candycanes, and when I've wrapped the presents, it will look a bit like Santa spent too much time talking to the Easter Bunny, but it should be good. They have their name in with the Salvation Army, the social workers have passed out names and someone should have adopted this family, and they will be going to Sharing Gods' Bounty next week. SGB has help from Loretto High School to get lovely gifts for the kids, and so I'm sure my little family will do all right. It's really tempting to step in and distribute gifts all around, but in the long run, that is doing them no favor. Sam's biggest gift from me is my time. It's me fighting the System so Sam's future will be what I would want for my own child. It's learning to read. I have hopes that when Sam is grown s/he will look back and say "Jan made a difference. I am a success because of her." That isn't something you can wrap in pretty paper and give on the 25th.

One of the questions on the interview to become a CASA was "what is your biggest fear?" and my answer was that I didn't want to mess it up, to make the child's life worse. I think so far so good. Even though I have to make scary phone calls and scary decisions, I feel good about it.