Tired.......

Last night, I made a last minute trip to a city 2hrs away -

took Max to stay with Laura for a while (pre-arranged) - for some reason, he's always respected her, when he's respected no one else. It was like this from the day he came home to us. We hadn't seen Laura for 2 years. When we finally did last month, Max responded to her just like he always has. And, so, for the benefit of EVERYONE, we arranged a few weeks' stay for him with her and her little family.

took Katie to stay with Grandma (not pre-arranged....in fact, so un-pre-arranged that it went like this -- phone message "Mom, Katie is coming to stay with you for a little bit. We'll be there in 2hrs. Call me back to let me know where you want me to drop her off."). Katie's behaviors and escapades of the 24hrs previous to our leaving stepped way over boundaries in several ways. She needs to make some serious choices - but she can not stay IN the home like this. I couldn't get any feedback from her about it all -- somehow after the stunts she pulled, combined with intense disrespect to both parents and some sibling issues, too....she declined to speak even one word to me. Katie, Katie.

Abigail called to see if she could stay in TX longer, to watch her birth sister graduate. It might be okay. But she called during the drive with "the sullen and the mean" and it was just a bad time to think of not seeing the girl for a longer time. I told her I'll call her back today with an answer. It makes a lot more sense now that I'm feeling objective and not so discouraged.

Steve got home at 1am - when the kids were supposed to be asleep and the caregiver was also sleeping on the couch. Alas, two young men were in the driveway and one teen daughter was awake. Instead of just saying they were friends and talking - which might have merited a "you need to make sure people know if you go outside so late" - the stories that these three made up bordered on hysterical. The boys claimed they were out for an evening run (at 1am?)....when they say Steve pull up in the 15 passenger van, they thought it might be the police (in a van?!) and being that it was past curfew, they ran into my home to hide from the cops. (Can you imagine sitting to watch TV late at night and 2 teen boys run into your home unannounced?!?) My teen daughter claims she didn't see them there in the room with her.(yeah....). I was hearing this via my cell phone on the way home - Elena (with me) overheard and somehow KNEW the 2 boys' names, without even having been there (hmmmm - she said the teen girl knows them very well also). Steve asked teen girl if it was Carlos and Goober (not real names, lol). "Who??" she asked, as if she didn't know them. Steve waited it out, not responding. Finally, she says "Ohhh! Gosh, I don't know. I didnt' see them."

This is not so much a funny story all by itself. What is worth noting is that THESE are the conversations we have all day, every day......many, many times. Sometimes Steve and I start second-guessing common sense and reality. The kids are pretty convincing sometimes.

I got back at 4am. Had to get up early to meet with an attorney this morning. Now, I'm wiped out.....wish me luck at getting an afternoon video to sound like a good idea for me teen crew!