Thank you, I needed some validation. I don't know how she's kept them either. And thanks for the nice comment, at least a total stranger on the internet appreciates what I do for these kids.

Looked it up and I think it's going to turn out to be candidiasis, not scabies. But that is one of the possibilities I saw. Do you have experience with it? I don't see the little formations of scabies, but I do see the whitish powderlike bits that seem like fungus. Around the open red lesions.

Thanks. I was hoping there'd be some good wisdom here. Maybe we'll start keeping that on hand. Since these kids never bathe, maybe we'll just start dipping them in a vat of that every night. Dump it on them as they sleep.

Yes, poor kid. It will spread and get secondary infections lickety split without medical intervention. I do care. He is a sweet little boy. And he is always kind to me and even concerned when I am sick. Too bad his mother can't be bothered to do anything but stuff him with sweets and chips and call that mothering.

Ah, these are great tips, thanks.

As for cutting back on carbs, sorry, dear, you have unleashed my second rant. Kid is autistic so he has food issues. I get that. I really do. But I personally have been successful at getting him to eat a more varied diet when he's under my care. I make sure he gets protein and veggies/fruit/fiber with every meal. EVERY one.

By contrast, his mother stuffs him with giant bags of potato chips, cookies, french fries, french fries, and more french fries. He is a bit chubby and has diabetic grandparents on BOTH his mother's and father's sides. So basically she is fast-tracking him to his own case of diabetes. The info on the candidiasis says it's a common and difficult problem for diabetics and anyone with blood sugar problems.

So, awesome, let's give him more french fries and some chocolate ice cream. She would never put a green bean on his plate cuz I'd be shocked if she even buys them for herself. So he whines and tantrums at my dinners, but he's learned to negotiate (helps his language skills and emotional control) and always does find out he is capable of eating a few bites of vegetable. It's really not that damn hard! What does he want? Ok, in exchange for eating vegetables and behaving calmly, he gets it. Parenting 101. But not BM. She must cram the M&M's down his throat just in case he was THINKING about crying. Over anything. Grrrrrrr!!!!

So, anyway, I'm heartsick to see that the diabetic troubles are creeping up on him already. And, sadly, there's no chance of "cutting down the carbs" as you so wisely suggest because I ain't his mom. Stupidhead is.

Thank you! Apparently she told him "not to itch it." Give her an ffing Nobel Prize. Open red lesions. Discolored obvious infection. Yeah, I won't itch that, mommy, thanks for the fabulous care. Damn her!

That's an excellent point! She was here 2x in the 24 hours leading up to my discovery playing MOTY in my living room and never once mentioned to us the boy had fungus all over his hands? Never once said, "Hey, son, how're your hands doing?"

Thank you for your rant toward our bm. I enjoyed it very much. When these things happen, you just need to hear other people stand up and shout, too.

No, she does not know any shame. None at all. She's disgusting.

Loved your line about her job is to make me look good. Shared it with dh, we both had a good laugh over it. She excels at this job!

Since marrying dh I've pondered often how the greatest decision you will make in your life is who will be the other parent of my children? BM excelled in that task, too. DH, however, fell flat on his face, poor man. He is certainly paying for it now.

Oh, my goodness, thank you for your kind words, too. As all stepmothers do, I take quite a beating. Such an elixir to hear some praise. Gracias.

Clinic said tinea = ringworm/athlete's foot. Also contagious. Hygiene is your friend.

We see to it the dog gets medical care. She never thanks us. Seems to think it's, oh, what's that word again? Oh, yes, seems to think it's her ENTITLEMENT.

That's how the County license ended up coming to my house as in my house I owned before I met DH. Because I took the dog to get his shots and though I told the vet (they knew me from before my own doggie went to live in heaven) that he belonged to BM, I think they turned in the rabies certificate with my name and info anyway cuz they know people like her and they knew the only way pup would get his license is if I handled it.

I was just going to pay it and turn in the paperwork with her name and info instead of mine but this was a chance to make her do it herself. We had to cross out my name and addy on the form and put hers in. I made sure to sign it myself to make sure the County got it right.

We always end up taking the dog when she asks because, frankly, I'm afraid of what would happen to him if we refused. Leave him locked in her apt for 2 days straight? Something worse? She couldn't get him boarded properly because no license! And no current bordatella vaccine! (those only last 6 months, iirc, so you have to get them done every time you want to board usually)

We do what we can for the dog. She does feed him. We see to it he gets a haircut from time to time. The one thing I refuse to do is take the dog completely off her hands, which she wants us to do, because I fear she'll just got some other pet we'll have to watch being neglected and then rescue. No thanks.

If it was up to me, I probably would have. Sadly, not my monkey. But I am very curious to see what the school will do.