Well.... I didn't even want to sit down last night after the visit to journal what I witnessed at Julie's therapist's office. I couldn't... I needed time to soak it all in. Where do I start?.....
I suppose the biggest thing I got out of last night's session is that Julie has no concept of morals, ethics or values. Now, those of you who know Julie might think she knows what they are, but she just can't 'define' them. I'm here to tell you that... she has no concept of it what-so-ever. At all. Zero. Zilch. Zippo. And, it's not that she's just 'bucking the system', doing whatever she wants to do because she feels in her heart that it is the right thing to do - she just has no ethics/morals/values at all. And, tragically, from what I could see, it goes way way back into her childhood. How to begin to explain...
Julie justifies anything that she does by pointing out that others have done it. Her kids can stay out all hours of the night and day because others do it. Kayla is okay to have a baby because others have had babies at her age - or - she's better than some because she'd be older than others were who had babies at a young age. She also kept saying that things were okay to be done because they were not "illegal" - Kayla getting pregnant, not illegal. Out at 3am walking the streets, not illegal. Listening to blaring music that starts off "Papa Smurf can I lick your ass? Yeah, lick my ass bitch" -- AND goes downhill from there -- is okay because it's not illegal. It's okay for her to kick Kayla out of her life and have her emancipated because 1) it's not illegal and 2) she was kicked out of the house at 18 so it must be okay. It's okay for her 14 year old to have a tattoo of Tigger flipping you off (the tattoo must be a foot long) and for her to take her 12yo in for a tattoo as well (same size, same area) because "bikers take their kids at the age of 2 in for tattoos". Now, I've never seen a 2 year old with a real tattoo, but maybe she has? I doubt it - plus I'm certain there would be some abuse charges for putting a 2 year old through getting a tattoo. But Julie is certain that 2 year olds have them. Then she explains away her illegal activites citing "yes, it's illegal, but I don't do it a lot" or "Other people do it too and they have their kids".
I'm going to say it again... I've never witnessed anything so horrible in my life as that visit was last night. As soon as the doctor or I said anything she didn't want to hear, it was like a lightswitch turning off, she just - shut down and didn't listen anymore. And it's not like you ask her if she's paying attention because you think maybe she's not listening. You can clearly see she has shut you off. He was talking very very serious stuff about her losing her kids forever, and her biggest concern was "watch me blow this bubble (with her bubblegum) and see how big I can get it". Totally clueless. Tragic.
When the Doctor and I both told Julie that we have been told by multiple sources that "there's a good chance she will never be able to get the kids back" she went nuts. She wasn't upset about not getting the kids - she was upset that she got a different story from them when she talked to them. However, from what I saw last night, it's clearly possible that she payed attention to the good stuff they were telling her and that she 'shut down' when they mentioned anything bad. Her immediate reaction was to call Karen and ask what was going on. The doctor told her that was the wrong thing to do. That she needed to sit and listen, not react with anger. But Julie just kept reaching for the phone, and he kept taking it from her. It was like watching a child with their favorite toy and the dad saying "not now".
Oh, and Julie told us that Karen 'gave her permission' to change Psychiatrists if she wanted to. What Karen doesn't know is that Julie has been 'fired' from all of her Psychiatrists, even Vijapurri has fired her before. Julie is a non-compliant patient. She does whatever she wants to do and no psychaitrist wants to be held liable for that. So, they give her 30 days to find someone else. Encourgaing her to change doctors at this point in the game, I feel, is the wrong thing to do.
When we were done, the doctor told me alone that Karen told him that Julie had a 99% chance of never seeing her kids again. He also told me some other stuff about the kids, but I'll elaborate on that at another time. He wants to meet with me privately, and I'm more than willing to do that. I can clearly see how the kids bad decision making came from their mom. I know... I know... surely I must have known that before, but - I'm telling you, I've never seen anything like last night. I want to do everything I can to try to not let this happen to these kids when they are older.
Oh, and you'll love this one. Julie called me on my way home. I thought it was going to be to yell at me for everything that was said/done at the doctors office. Or maybe to confront me about what exactly the case workers have told me. But no..... she wanted to know if I could pay her March mortgage payment early (before she pays me the money for me to be able to pay it). Here's the deal on the mortgage payment. Julie was freaking because 'she didn't have enough to eat and pay her bills'. I get the kids social security money only. No other assistance from the State or anybody else. Julie gets her social security money and Ron's VA benefits (the VA - for whatever reason - will not give me the kids portion of what they are due). But, I want to make sure that Julie at least has a roof over her head. The first of every month, she pays me $900 and with that money, I pay her $888.mortgage. Now, you remember from yesterday's blog that I am behind in my own mortgage. And, Julie wants me to take MY money and pay HER mortgage early? Further... this was what she wanted to talk to me about????
She is a little kid living in this adult body. I'm here to tell you now that - if Julie was on trial for doing something horrible - and any normal adult had witnessed what I witnessed last night - she would not be able to stand trial. She has a twisted concept of right and wrong and she's totally messed up psychologically.
One last thing - I got another note from a teacher who wants a conference with us on Monday. Lovely. So, 8:30 am on Monday morning, we'll be at the school. This one is for Justin and Kayla. Justin got in trouble because in one of his classes he hasn't fixed up his notebook - and - the notebook is 35% of his overall grade (grade is a low C at the moment). Now... I don't like the low C, but, how should keeping a notebook clean represent 35% of his overall grade? Yes, neatness and organization is important, but worth 35%???? Oye! Also, on a kid update note, Kayla says she is doing much better - that she has not gotten in trouble for talking 2 days in a row. Yeah! I told her to ask her teachers to call me to tell me that, I'd love to get a 'good phone call'. HA!
Okay, I better run, this blog is way too long and they day really hasn't started yet....