Trying to Get Back Into a Rhythm and Frustrations

So today marks the first day of back to normal. Laura left yesterday afternoon after being here for two weeks. She was supposed to leave early Sunday morning, but her flight leaving Gulfport was delayed by 3 hours which meant that she was going to miss her connection and they couldn't get her on another flight until way late, which is against the Unaccompanied Minor policy. So we got her for another day.

So everybody is back to school. I kept Jack out of school most of last week just so he could spend some time with Laura and Brandi, who was out of school on spring break also. Ihave no idea why Jack's spring break had to be in March when every body else had it in April. But it is very nice to be back to normal.

We had some major drama yesterday around here. Laura could not find her cell phone when she was packing up. She and I tore the house apart looking for the thing. I had a sneaking suspicion that Brandi had taken it, but I really did not want to think that. So I had to take a very upset Laura to the airport without her cell phone. She was literally in tears because of what her mother's reaction was going to be. Her mother is downright cruel and won't give it up until she has belittled Laura. So Laura was scared to death to get back to California and tell her mother she couldn't find her phone.

So after I saw Laura off, I went to the High School and picked Brandi up and confronted her about the phone. She looked right atme and said she did not have it. I went through her pockets, bag and everything looking for it. We get home and Jim has to call Laura's mother and tell her about the phone. We both know that Brandi took it and wanted her to fess up. So Jim is telling Laura's mother to get the texting activity today because he is pretty sure that somebody took the phone. Brandi tells me that she wants to tell me something in her room and sure enough she stole the phone and gave it away to a friend!!!!!! I do not think I have ever seen Jim so mad in all the years I have known him. I have no idea what she was thinking. We do not let her have a cell phone. She has no phone privileges and no computer privileges and she can't go anywhere except to school and church. I do not know how to punish her for this. She continues to lie to me saying it was an accident. But I know different, because all day yesterday she was turning the phone off and on and knew exactly what she was doing. She has yet to apologize for it. She stayed in her room most of the night last night.

I am truly at my wits end with her. I am having second thoughts about whether we can help her at all. Can we change 15 years of neglect and abuse and having no consequences in 3 months? I was letting her get on Myspace when she first got here. She promised she would not talk to anybody but her friends. Well I later found out that she had been giving our home phone number out to strange men and talking to them. She also had Jack's picture on her page and claiming him as her own child, along with a bunch of other lies. Which is so dangerous considering that Jim is a cop and has probably arrested some of these people she was talking to. We live in the threat of somebody finding out where he lives and coming here with revenge. I was so mad at her that I was shaking uncontrollably that night. That happened about a month ago. And now the cell phone theft. I am really doubting whether we can do this whole foster thing. I thought we could change her life, but now I am not so sure. It is all very frustrating and disappointing.

Easter Pics

Another Crazy Busy Weekend

First of all, thanks for all the birthday wishes. I had a great day. I took the kids shopping and got the girls easter dresses, yes even Brandi as shocking as that is. I will have to post a picture of her on Sunday. I got Jack a new pair of pants (I can not believe he is into size 6 now!) that can double as part of school uniform for next year and a shirt and a pair of shoes. Since we get 98% of his clothes as hand me downs, it was actually kinda fun to shop for the boy.

As for me, I got myself a pair of fancy jeweled flip flops that I can wear to church, but man they just are not as comfy as my croc flip flops are. I also bought myself a Nintendo DS with the brain age game and a Mario Bros game. HA! With all the kids in the house, yeah I might be able to play it sometime at the end of the summer, who knows. But it is cute and pink when it is being played by some child of mine.

It is so not like me to spend money like I did yesterday. Laura was looking at me like who has possessed this woman. But it was really fun to just say what the hey.

This weekend is yet another crazy busy weekend. We have plans to get together with the whole Clayton family today for Easter dinner. Of course the last minute family plans meant that I had to tell them at church that I would not be able to help out today at the Easter festival for the kids. Can't be at two places at once.

And of course tomorrow is Easter and that is always a busy day. But I promise to post pics of the kids all dressed up. Fun times.

Happy Birthday To Me...

Today I turn 42. Wow that sounds old. My big plans today are to take Brandi and Laura shopping for Easter dresses. It will be worth every penny if I can get Brandi into a dress. The girl who wears nothing but Aero jeans and Aero tshirts. Then next on the agenda is to take them to the Hannah Montana movie. And Jack will be tagging along for all of this too, which will cause him to complain and whine mightily about how bored he is while shopping. Should be fun....

Tee Ball ... The Ultimate Frustration

Jack had his third game of tee ball last night and I just have to say that it is sooooo frustrating for Jim and I to sit there and NOT yell at the boy. He is on the 5/6 year old team and since he just turned five, he is one of the youngest on the team. Some of the boys are almost 7. So there is a wide variety of abilities.

But that is not what is so frustrating for us. It is the total and utter lack of concentration on Jack's part. When he is on the field, while all the other boys are paying attention and fielding the ball, Jack is in the outfield turning around in circles, shuffling the dirt with his feet, playing with his hat, throwing his glove in the air, pretty much everything BUT paying attention to the game. In fact, the coaches had to go out and tell him to go into the dugout at the end of the inning, when every other player was already in the dugout, except Jack who was turning in circles.

And this is not a laid-back tee ball league, no they keep score, count strikes, have an umpire, the whole shebang. It is the real deal. And for Jack to be in LaLa land is quite frustrating and quite frankly embarrassing. He doesn't seem to care. Even after we had a talk before last night's game when I told him that if he didn't pay attention, he would lose his PS2 game for a week. Well he has lost the game and I just don't know if that is enough to make him care about the tee-ball.

Sigh. Maybe he will get into Taekwondo this summer. So far we are 0-2 with soccer and teeball.

It Helps to Have Pediatricians for Friends

We have friends who are married pediatricians, who goes to our church and lives in our neighborhood. It comes in handy, like when Jack was having a strange rash and I just drove him over to Nichol's house to make sure it was nothing serious.

Well last night I talked to them about Jack's testicles, which by the way is kind of embarassing to be talking about. They were saying that a boy's testicles should be fully dropped by the time he is two. When I told them about Jack's having to be pulled down, but pop right back up is not that bad of a thing, as long as they can be dropped. If they couldn't be dropped, it would probably mean he would be sterile, but since they can be pulled it is a good thing. However, the fact that they pop up, means that they will probably have to go in and "tack them down" or release the muscle that is holding them up. They were a little surprised that this is the first time a doctor has mentioned anything and should of been mentioned during the two-year or at least the three-year check up. The fact that they waited till now to mention anything does worry me, but they seemed to think it is not that major of a deal, but is something that needs to be addressed.

Five-Year Check Up

Today was the day for Jack's five-year-old check up. Jim took him this morning, so everything that I am reporting is through him. It seems like he is a healthy boy. He is 45" tall and 46 lbs. Good grief that is only 3 inches away from four ft tall! Geesh.

I guess they checked his eye sight and Jim said that he did pretty well except for the really small letters, which is much better than I can do. Ha!

There is one thing that is of concern though. It seems that his testicles have not dropped the way they should of. The doctor can force them to drop, but they just pop right back up, which I guess is not a good thing for a five-year-old boy. I guess they should have dropped by now. So we are getting a referral to a Urologist in New Orleans at the Children's hospital there to see if any surgery is needed. Yeah slight flip out on the word surgery, but not too bad. Hopefully everything is okay and that won't be needed.

But other than that he is a very happy and healthy five year old boy.