Charley gets a bath every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 1:30 pm, sharp. No exceptions. He has just gotten home from a visit with his bio parents, and quite frankly he wreaks of cigarette smoke. First of all, let me say that I have nothing against smokers. Some of my best friends smoke, and I have even "lit up" a few times. (sorry Mom and Dad! I AM 39! :-0) I do, however, have a problem with people who smoke around children. They don't have a voice, so therefore, they don't have a choice. They can't ask you to stop and they can't leave the room. And, unfortunately, there's not a law against smoking around children. For Charley, spending 15 hours a week in a smoke-filled house is something he HAS to do. Hence....my "soapy" box.
This picture was taken around 1:35 pm on a Friday, while Charley was getting a bath. He's never too happy about bath time after visits because he's sleepy and hungry, but it's a must. No matter how much I "soap"him down and scrub, it takes at least a day to get the smoke out of his hair and skin. It's sad, but it is what it is. I have advocated for change to caseworkers, lawyers, service coordinators, physicians, and just about anyone who would listen. So far, I've just made some people angry or uncomfortable, at the very least. Some were offended. I will continue...for Charley.
So, I will step down from my "soapy" box, and end on a happy note. Since Charley has also been dealing with some severe congestion lately, he hasn't been sleeping through the night. That means very little sleep for Charley AND MoMo. This morning, however, was perfect nap time. A storm blew through with lots of wind, rain, thunder and lightning. Charley had just finished a bottle and was ready to head back to sleep. I swaddled him up, laid him in the bed beside me and we curled up together for a couple of hours of sleepytime.
Heaven on earth...
Love to ya!
Shell
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