MORE WONDERFUL ADVENTURES

I MUST blog soon about "What we did on Summer Vacation."

BECAUSE it really was a wonderful trip filled summer, but a MUCH BIGGER reason is...

We've planned a trip over Christmas break to spend 24 days in London and Paris. If I don't blog summertime before London, I'll never get back to it.

But first, a little about the upcoming trip - Last spring, Lee Ann, my daughter-in-law got a job offer to spend 12 months in London. She went in May. Tom, Sarah and Ben followed in June. Casey followed in July.

When Lee Ann found a 4 bedroom apartment in northern London Tom announced to his church that, "Lee Ann found a 4 bedroom flat so we have a guest room and would like any and all of you to visit." A woman came up to him and said, "Tom, does that mean that I now have a bedroom in London that I can trade for my apartment in Paris?"

SO - with a free place to stay in London and an apartment in Paris, we decided this was, as Tom so beautifully put it, "the opportunity of a lifetime, or at the very least the opportunity of a childhood for Emily and Andrew."

We've bought the airline tickets and I'm working on line to buy "Wicked" tickets because we couldn't afford them in NYC last year. Yeah, we couldn't afford NYC theater prices, so we'll see it in London instead.

NOBODY ever said I was a logical person.

You've probably gotten tired of hearing this, but

MY GOODNESS, I love Salem,VA.

The high school has a published zero tolerance attendance policy. Miss 10 days in a semester or 20 in a year and you receive 0 credit, regardless of your grades. I talked with the Vice-Principal. He said, "Give me the dates when you have them and we'll work something out. I'm certainly not going to be the one to tell a 14 girl she can't go to Europe."

Salem Schools' motto is "Children First: Every Child; Every Day."

It should be, "Common Sense RULES !"

God is GOOD and LIFE - in Salem - is GREAT !

I'M BACK

It's been months since I've blogged - not because nothing exciting has happened, quite the opposite. I just couldn't bring myself to write when so many things were in a constant state of turmoil, with no end in sight. An ancient Chinese saying, that you use to curse someone is, "May you live in interesting times." The past few months have been very, very interesting.

Well, SOME of the turmoil has subsided and it's time to get back to "Tomsgreatadventure".

As you know, my great adventure of a single guy living and traveling full-time in my Airstream trailer ended on April 14, 2009 when I started an incredible new adventure by marrying Carol, Emily and Andrew.

I just re-read my blog from November 13, 2007 where I said, "They've found a place in my heart that feels like I have a new family." Little did I know then - I'm so happy, and thankful that God had different plans for me. As Mary Ann used to say, "There is a God and She has a sense of humor." I could almost hear Her say, "Looks like you're getting WAY too comfortable. Let Me stir things up a little."




Last February Emily's Dad convinced her to file assault charges against me. Then he filed Abuse and Neglect charges against Carol and me, filed for full custody of the kids and tried to get a Child Protective Order that would prohibit Carol from having any contact with Emily until she was 18. He kept Emily in violation of the court ordered visitation schedule and prohibited Carol from seeing or talking with her for 7 weeks. Carol was able to see her at school, once a week or so, in the guidance counselor's office.

We went to court at the end of April. At the end of my criminal trial the judge said, "I find the defendant innocent of all charges. Mr. Cook I'm very sorry you had to go through this." Then while looking directly at Michael, Carol's ex, he continued, "And I'd like to think that all the adults in this situation truly had the welfare of the child at heart." It was obvious to everyone, except maybe Michael, by the look on the judge's face that he didn't believe that had been the case.

All the other charges were dropped, too. But Michael's petition for full custody was continued.

When Carol told her boss about the charges, she had no choice but to suspend Carol. When you're working with toddlers, or any children for that matter, any charge of Abuse - no matter how unfounded - means suspension. Actually in most cases it means losing your job entirely. BUT - Carol was put on administrative leave and told her job would be waiting for her after the charges were dropped, as the church knew they would be.

So why no blog, even after the court findings ?

Because of the still hanging specter of custody.

Why Blog now?

Because the custody hearing was October 6th and it's almost all good news. Michael did NOT get full physical custody of the kids. He had also petitioned for alternate week custody and that was denied as well.

Carol was granted Sole Legal Custody which means Michael no longer has ANY say in the children's schooling, counseling, medical treatment, religious training, discipline, etc etc etc. He did get some additional visitation. But the bullying, threatening and messing with everything Carol tries to do for the kids should be OVER.

So I can blog again and easily say,

"THANK YOU GOD. LIFE IS GOOD !"