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It's something I can't quite put my finger on, perhaps what seems the rather unique way the women do their hair and makeup. They definitely seem to me to have their own fashion sense. But maybe it's the close-set, calculating beady eyes, lol. You'd have to take a look at that 60

Minutes segment. My suspicions were already up when I first saw her picture: They said she moved around a lot, had an alias, was involved in organized shoplifting, was driving an expensive SUV, her little girl was all dolled up. One of their scams is to buy a nice new car on credit, never make a payment, then move around frequently making it very difficult to recover the vehicle.

Interesting, wasn't it, that Toogood's hair was now brunette?

I must admit...last night, while listening to her press conference, I was heartsick listening to her pleading for help regarding her daughter being taken into CPS custody, and placed in a foster home.

What this woman did was wrong, horrific, calculating, and probably just a glimpse at the truth. This 4 year old deserves to have this mother investigated by outsiders who will hopefully ensure her future safety.

What I don't agree with, is adding to this (or any) child's trauma, by placing children, especially this young, into the home of a stranger if there are other options. Maybe a relative who's been checked out, or a neighbor, or a school teacher? Anyone, but a stranger would settle my mind. I'm just saying that the lasting trauma of being stripped from a family, which includes siblings, friends, etc., is adding to the harm that's already there. It just ripped at my heart to hear that the little girl insisted she take her Daddy's cap with her, because he would *be coming back* to get it. Just awful...

So now, the morning after, my heart still breaks for the fear this little girl must be feeling, and I've already prayed that our Lord's gentleness is manifested through the hands of this foster family. But in having many hours to reflect on Toobad, and thinking about what little I have heard about the Travellers, I'm just going to post some of my thoughts...

One glaring observation from the press conference, was the desperation I saw...the stuttering, the inability to speak clearly and succinctly, the lack of eye contact, the seemingly unremorseful tone. I am bothered by her pleading to keep her family out of her "mistake" as she called it. Coupled with the media reports that the extended family has been mighty uncooperative...

I guess if I were a Traveller in her shoes, I'd be awfully terrified that this were Pandora's Box starting to open. I'd've probably been through days of dealing with enraged family members fearful of their cover being blown; endless nights trying to come up with stories to cover up all the illegal activity. It's not really even about this little girl to any one of them...I think the family and Toogood are in fear of their lifestyle being exposed. And I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Toogood has endured quite a few belt lashings herself in recent days. And given all this, maybe a foster family is the best choice, given the fact a lot of Travellers are married to cousins, and their inner circle is also their outer circle.

Just my gut feelings, is all. Glad I've had no personal interactions with folks like these, but am just as interested to hear from anyone who has!