February 10, 2016

An ortho appointment for the kids at 9 meant I got to sleep in an extra 45 (in good times) to 30 minutes (lately).  It meant the world to me.  

The ortho appointment lasted a while, so I brought my laptop and got prog notes finished whiel I was there.  Mags was finished first (why didn’t I give them ibuprofen before the appointment?) and 45 minutes later Ethan rambled out.  I have to make a statement right now which has nothing to do with this segment.  I really, really hate the fact that I have been singing certain Pat Benetar (or just about any other 70s/80s artists) songs one way since I was a kid  and my daughter, who has only heard these songs because I play them, actually sings them correctly.  That bites.

Dropped kids off at school and raced to work for supervision.  My agency caseload is not very large at all and the clients have been with me a while.  My JH caseload are the ones I’d love to talk about, but…

After supervision, I headed to Juvie, and after some time there, headed to pick up a list of items at the store.  I had made a list and then had Maggie tale a picture of the list because I knew I’d lose it.    Sure enough, I left in the care, so I whipped out my cell phone and..shopped.  My plan is to enter the chili contest this year at Hipnic if I feel I can come up with something that would wow the judges I got home and started cooking…only to realize that there was an ingredient I hadn’t purchased (to be fair, it wasn’t one the list), plus I had forgotten Ethan’s pop tarts, so I headed back to the store.  Had this been a regular attempt at dinner, no big deal, but I was trying out a chili recipe for Hipnic, which changes everything.

At the store, I learned with glee that I had purchased enough items to start playing the Safeway Monopoly game.  I am ashamed of how exciting this was for me….  I was driving home when I realized I hadn’t purchased cheese – dammit.  THREE TRIPS TO THE STORE for one batch of chili.  To be fair – it was pretty damn good.  There are some changes I’d make, but all in all, excellent first start.

Pictures:  Look what was left at the ortho's office 3 visits ago!!  Reunited!!; It begins....

January 21, 2016

5:13 and I’m up.  I gathered the candles, the incense and laid out my yoga mat upon my sacred blanket.  It felt good.  I’m not as bendy, but it will come back, I know, provided I continue.

It was an Erasure kind of morning and I sang loudly.  Dropped the kids off at school and was finally presented with a key at the hall.  I love it there. Worked all the way through…

..until it was time to pick up the kids from study hall, and drop them back at home.  I had put a pot roast in the crock pot and it smelled so good as we walked in, yet I still needed to complete supervision hours, so I turned around and headed back to the agency where I glad to see a co-worker so I could get more info.  Supervision ended with Elena and Susan begging for show tunes, so I closed us out with “Matchmaker, Matchmaker” from Fiddler on the Roof.  Mazeltov.

 

Walking to my front door, I saw a face peering out of the window and noticed a sign on the door: “Welcome to Super Formal Land, plus some Supernatural”.  The door opened before me and Ethan, dressed in some nice clothing, reached for my work bags and led me inside, where Maggie was dressed in a lovely dress, with the table nicely set in preparation for a family dinner and episodes of Supernatural.  What a glorious Tribe I have been graced with.

I received the final packet 2 days ago from Libby regarding my Montessori education  which I shall scan and email it off tonight.  Then, I wait.  I do have many additional schools to contact, beyond the one in which I interviewed, and then there is work to start on my psychology degrees.  I have been wondering what to do with no school, no homework, and my question has been answered: start working towards the next phase of my life, if that is where I am intended to be.

Pictures: The lovely announcement of tonight's festivities; the way to work; tonight's cranberries.

Septmember 30, 2015

I had a perfect night of sleep.  No freaky dreams, no alarm clocks, no warm temps, instead my duvet cradled me in its arms and made sure I slumbered.  I enjoyed my coffee, my eggs and spinach (it’s a way of life now since the possibility of mouse results in no bread for my PB bread).  The dogs were happy, the clouds were gray, and life was good. 

Life got much, much better with the soft yet persistent tapping of rain on the roof began.   This was a dream come true.  I sat outside and recorded the sound for a bit – I have to have it on a soundbite to soothe me when I need that little peace.  I headed to work for group supervision.  We were close to being done when I got an email.  There was “an incident” with Ethan at school and it broke my heart.  Not really such a big deal, but his reactions show me that there is a self-fulfilled prophecy and he is damn sure doing his best to make sure it comes true.

I couldn’t stay at work after group was finished and headed to school as I figured talking to him and the teachers in person would be the best thing to do.  The front office called for Ethan and we headed to my car, where we sat and talked.  Correction, I (mostly) talked. Ethan listened.  And then I stopped talking.  Why?  Because it isn’t my problem.  How he behaves and the consequences he received are his problem.  I need to learn my job as facilitator better, so I can help support him in the choices he makes (both good and not-so-good behaviors).  One thing I won’t do is ignore it.  Just because it isn’t my problem doesn’t mean it doesn’t affect me tremendously:  this is my kid and I remember those same horrible teen days very, very well.  Constantly making the wrong choices and then having to clean up the mess (and oh, my – they were HUGE messes). Ethan and I made the rounds – first to the dean of students, then to the teacher involved with “The Incident”.  I don’t know if that was good or not, but I feel you have to go back and cross your t’s and dot your I’s and that is what this is about, approaching the issue, not just going home and hoping it goes away.  I want to teach him to solve problems.

I left him in his dad’s care (with a lot of coaxing to dad about his powerful body language and how intimidating it is) and headed back to my work tribe since I had a client at 5.  I also made phone calls to our county rep who handles homeless youth. After the client, as we all sat in the office with the beautiful overcast sky looking at us from outside, I felt Joy.  There we were, all paperworking, but it was so beautiful.

This carried on into my trip to the store…it was almost like walking in a slow-motion film - you notice the smallest of things and those sites are so Perfectly Life.  The smile from the pharmacist as he talks on the phone, a women smiling at her three year old son, who is sitting in the shopping basket .  I headed home, where I ate some fruit….which was in a tart, and felt all-the-healthier for caring for my nutritional needs.  Yay, me.

Pics 'n flicks: CBT notes for Weber (ugh); Horses by Ethan's school; The Clouds looking in to our office; Raindrops <3 i="">