Sunday, April 03, 2011

Time for an Update



This morning I woke up around 6:15 and couldn't sleep any more. That hasn't happened on a Sunday maybe ever. Got tired of lying there so I got up at 6:45 and came down to get a few things done on the computer.

Apparently Mike was out of jail for a day or two but is now back in. John went back on Friday night and he and Courtney have had a big fight so she and Isaac moved out while we were gone. She is going to have us taking care of Isaac while she works a couple times a week so we will get to see him.... whew! I've missed him. In fact, he is coming over today! Yay!

The night before we left for vacation John had a complete meltdown and refused to do what we say. Thus he has his girlfriend and his parents both fairly unhappy with him. He is calling from jail but we aren't accepting the $9.99 for 20 minutes collect calls. He has asked me to write, which I probably will do today -- simply to explain that we aren't going to take any calls.

He was hoping that Courtney would bring Isaac over to see him every week, but I'm not sure she is going to do that and he may spend the next sixty days with nothing to think about. He knew he was going to jail but he didn't save any money to buy even paper and stamps while he was there. As far as I know he went with nothing and I"m not giving him anything because he borrowed money again that he didn't pay back. So I will probably let him know my intentions and then let him spend the next 60 days coming up with a plan other than taking advantage of us.

We have heard very little from Salinda, though she texts once and a while. She keeps saying they are coming to visit but we have yet to see that happen. I bought an outfit for Gabby on vacation so if she doesn't come down for a while maybe we'll take it up to her and spend a bit of time there.

It looks as though Rand has a job! All he has left to do is pass drug test and a criminal background check and it's his. He will be working at Lowe's.

Jimmy is anxiously awaiting to hear details about remaining at MSU in their cafeteria where he has been all year as part of his special ed work program at the high school. I may have mentioned before that they have mentioned they want to hire him.

Sadie is supposed to have a Taco John's interview this week. She really wants to be working again.

Ricardo has no plans to work or even play a sport this summer, but this past week he was more engaged with us than he has been in years so we're hoping it will be a jump start to get his act together. Before we left on vacation he was having a really bad time with attitude and behavior at school. And we recently had to movee him from the track where he might be able to at least go to a community college on an IEP over to a work program. He simply cannot read.

PCA hours will be over for Dominyk on June 30th unless something changes. And Tony will be staying here this summer though he doesn't know it yet. He was hoping to return to Bart's mom's, but his behavior last year was too awful and she has too much to do to have him coming there to "help her" when he isn't very helpful. But his PCA hours go until October, so at least we will have some breaks from his incessant attempts to drive us all nuts. His words to me a few weeks ago were, "If I can't go to Grandma Mary's this summer I"m going to stay home and torture you every single day." Lucky, lucky me.

Sadie and Leon both got their licenses the week before we left for vacation. They were quite excited and we are now happy to have two more people who can run errands. However, we still only have two vehicles, so their licenses add complexity to the ever changing juggling act of our lives.

I convinced Bart to grow out his beard while we were on vacation but he shaved it off this morning. :-( Thought you might like to see how grey it is. :-)

I took this picture on my phone on our last day at the beach and Bart laughed at me. "Are you taking that because they are so rare?"

But no, I took it because I wanted to remember that hour that he and I sat together in silence. Eyes either closed or watching the seagulls and dolphins, the sun shining bright on our faces as we ended a wonderful week with some of our kids. I'm remembering it now as I look out at the snow that still remains by my window and contemplate the snow that is forecast to come down here today or tomorrow.

My sigh is one of both contentment and foreboding as we dive back into two very busy months. April and May are PACKED with trips, trainings, and special meetings in addition to babysitting for Isaac and parenting the kids. But after that we are going to have a very unusual summer as Bart is taking a sabbatical and thus I am from church responsibilities as well. It will be very strange for us to be able to be away for a weekend as a family -- or even partial family-- and not be at our church for a few months.

SO there you have it, a brief update on my Sunday morning. Are you glad I awakened early?

No comments: