Life update :)
2004-11-21, 12:54 p.m.

I have a lot of catching up to do. Not for me, so much, as to what all my D�land peeps are up to. I�m so behind on diaryland reading its not funny. If you could each send my the cliff notes version of what�s been going on in your life over the last few days, that would be great. Or limerick it, if you�d like :). Nothing new going on in my life. Actually, that�s not true.

Last Wednesday a mother walked into a classroom and began screaming at her daughter, one of ours. (Well, not on our caseload, but ED and therefore one of ours, dang it.) The quick thinking teacher cleared the classroom. The mother yanked on the jewelry off the child and ripped the weave right off the girl�s head. She then left the room. Security caught up with her and escorted her out. Now, if this woman is going to come into the school, into a classroom with a big, burly teacher, and treat this girl like that, what the hell is she doing behind closed doors?

I found the girl after school in the office trying to get someone to meet her in front of her apt. so she didn�t have to stay there. I started talking to her, then the teacher I work with comes up. We were asking the girl what we could do for her and she kept saying �nothing�. The other woman said, �We can help you, but you need to let us know. Now. What can we do?� and the poor girl lost it. Well, long story short, the mom is nuts. She�s on about 14 different medications for depression and other things. The girl has been going to night school, as well, to try to graduate this year and get out. The mom has been making her stay up when she gets home from night school and clean their apt. This poor gal goes to school all day, then night school four nights a week, THEN comes home and cleans until nearly midnight. The mom has been beating her, with a broom and with an electrical cord. She had marks on her arms from the electrical cord. Social services arranged for her to stay with a family member, and our school officer pressed assault charges against the mom for the attack in the classroom.

Thursday the girl came to school wearing the same clothes as the day before. She came to my class during her lunch and sat with me. She didn�t want to talk, so we just sat together. I tried to get her to take some of my soup but she said she wasn�t hungry. I went to the cafeteria and bought two of those giant cookies and did get her to take one. I know it�s not a healthy lunch, but it�s SOMETHING anyways. She wasn�t at school Friday. I�m worried about her. I�m not really a violent person (I haven�t killed my husband yet), but I would seriously like to punch this women smack dead in her face. There�s an 8 year old at the house, too. How the hell do you do this to your kids? Depression or not, I don�t care. There�s absolutely no excuse. I don�t know how social workers do their jobs, I swear I don�t. Because so many times, they have to return the kids to the house. I couldn�t do it.

So, in other news, my stepfather gave me a proposition. (Ewww, that sounded gross.) He said after we sell the house Amanda & I could go live with them. I would quit my job, invest my proceeds from the home sale in my step-dad�s company, and live off the interest. Meanwhile, I would go back to school. I�m am so freakin� torn. It sounds great, but live w/ my parents for 4 years? Or even 3? Ugh. I just don�t know. I really and truly don�t know what to do. Not that I�m thinking along these lines at this point, but what happens when I meet some guy? �Oh, hey, let me tell you a little about myself. I�m divorced (uh, twice), living w/ my parents and grandmother. I don�t have a job. I�m a full-time student at age 36 (almost 37). I couldn�t afford to live on my own, and even if I could have, my credit sucks far too much to actually qualify for an apt. I�m a real catch, so act fast!� That�s so depressing reading that. Wahhhhhhh, I really am a loser! ;p

I�m still really leaning towards going out on my own. I would be set for the first year. I�m thinking about applying to the police department 911 operator training thing. It pays pretty well. The worse thing would be if I got the midnight shift, which is probably what I would get. I don�t know. I really, really don�t want to quit my job. I love these kids so much, I don�t know what I�d do without them. If I could stay at this job and go to school at night, maybe. But the bottom line is I just don�t make enough at it. I would have to get a killer paying job during the summer to supplement my income. AAAAAHHHHHHH! (That�s my frustration.)

Oh well, there�s still time to decide what to do. If anyone out there can help, please do. I need advice, a good-looking rich man, a winning lottery ticket, or a great summer job offer. Anyone?

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