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.