Thursday, April 23, 2015

Stuck in the Pound and Stuck in Jail

I only hear from her when she WANTS something. I've been hearing a lot from the 4 kiddos' mom lately. She was calling me multiple times a day from jail. I couldn't answer every time. It costs me $5 a call. She wanted someone to post bail.... The bond was only $250, but NO one was willing to pay it because none of us believed it would be in her best interest. The charges were stolen vehicle and a burglary, etc... It's all drug driven. At the last moment she found someone to pay it. She is a great manipulator and at court she convinced someone she would do good even though her rap sheet is as long as my arm.  She promised to go to treatment, but her promises are nonsense. A few days later she called me again. Her dog had been taken to the pound and it would cost $190 to get it out and she wanted me to go get the dog and she would pay me back later....  Before the day was over she was back in jail for 3rd degree theft. I did not go get the dog and felt some guilt about it, ugh, I did not want a wire-haired terrier who might chase chickens and is 8 yrs old and has seizures. Her Ex was willing to pay the $ if I would take the dog, but Steve and I agreed we didn't want it and who knew when the gal would get out of jail to claim it again.... so I didn't. Surprisingly she got out of jail the next day (three pending charges) and called to get her dog from me, which I didn't have.  When she went to see the dog at the pound someone had already adopted it.  UGH! I feel bad. She loved that dog more than she loved her kids. She is slowly being stripped of everything of her own doing but she accepts no responsibility for any of it. It's always someone else's problem and this time it's my fault she lost the dog.  It feels yucky, but we're walking a fine line of helping and enabling and sometimes it is hard to know which is which. Here's hoping the dog is with a good family who wants it and will care for it.  I'm pretty sure her old master will be back in jail for a long time soon. One of these days her manipulations will no longer work for her.  It's a sad, sad, deal....  The thing she needs to do the most she will not do.
The view from my garden.

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

MORE OT

Today was OT again. James' new goal is thirty minutes of continuous play on the obstacle course to increase endurance. He lasted 5 minutes. He was COMPLETELY winded. Done.  He is so weak in his upper body, arms and hands that he is FAR behind his twin in this area.

Missy continues to blow through all the goals.

This is really surprising to me. She's  the one who can swim best, ski best, jump the highest, etc... but I thought it had to do with her mindset and his total fear of everything. Intellectually he seems more on top of things, but apparently, according to the therapists she has WAY fewer struggles physically and does not have so many UN-integrated reflexes. That is a real surprise to me because we've always been told otherwise, but she is proving quite strong and determined.

My sister's kids are here. Today they were riding mountain bikes and doing jumps. Missy joined them... Let's just say she came out a little damaged and learned that 15 year old style of bike riding is seriously beyond what she should be attempting. :-)

Sunday, April 19, 2015

Gardening Season

 is here. We are busy. I have, as usual, many tomato plants. More than ever, really. We are trying new things in the garden and increasing our plantings by quite a bit. We ordered a new greenhouse, but it won't arrive until the middle of May. It took us too long to decide on which one we wanted, apparently so our limited space has been a real challenge.


My nephews are living with us for awhile so we turned the laundry room into a bedroom with bunk beds.

The twins are doing fairly well. I went to Texas for about a week and it was a rough re-entry with James. And a very, very hard reality to be faced with for me. He usually does well, but when he loses it he can be physical and I usually take the brunt of his crazies. He got in a good punch to my face... but He's not strong or big yet and thankfully on the fearful side yet, so if he threatens me with a stick I will usually use it for my protection once I get it away from him. Either that or I grab the broom and just hold it. No need to use it. Just hold it as a sign that he can't try anything. But it certainly feels like a hostage situation. He zeros in on me and I can't get away without paying the price of a dent to my car or damage to the house. Thankfully, this is not often. I recorded the last tantrum and showed it to him many hours later. He couldn't bare watching it. It upset him and he cried like a baby and was remorseful.  Our quest is to avoid going there in the first place.

The kids are both doing well in therapy. MIssy is especially making strides. Her core strength and abilities are improving very impressively. James needs it for sure. I think he is being helped by it, but it is not so obvious. I take them every time there is a cancellation call, so they get to go about 3 times a week. It's rather disruptive to school, but at this point this is more important.

I learned some concerning things about what is being promoted and taught in Missy's Montessori. It is upsetting enough that one Christian teacher is leaving... (so the gossip goes and I don't have a backup on that.). I have had no issue with Missy's teacher. She's a very sweet gal with an unusual ability to deal with kiddos. I like her a lot, but it is a small school growing too fast (in my maybe not so humble opinion.) And perhaps the number of kids is not conducive to having a special needs kiddo with some behavior issues??  But more importantly, I am really bothered by the New Age-y feel the owner seems to lean towards and seems to be growing stronger in. I haven't spent a lot of time there, and Steve hasn't been there much at all, but he's had this sense that it isn't exactly what we were hoping for. And so...... Oh dear. I don't even know what to write about the turmoil we are in thinking about next year and what we should do....



We had Missy's class here for a picnic on Friday. The balsamroot, lupine and phlox are in full bloom and the kids call our hill Sunflower Heaven. We live on Flowery Divide... the blossoms are incredible. We had the kids collect the eggs and enjoy the chicks and I had them each transplant a tomato seedling and take it home. It was a good field trip for Missy to "host" for her "friends". Poor kiddo doesn't actually seem to be friends with any of them. Same for James at his school.

My kiddos think they are on vacation or something, so I best get off this computer before the behaviors get out of hand. Besides, the tomato plants are calling!

here's a link to the youtube advertisement Brianna made for me: Drakie is our star!  Be sure to watch it on HD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4I6qoYcQKY&feature=share