Just Another Pissy Night

It started off as a very good night. Tobias came over to visit with the kids, and they were very surprised. I didn't realize he used to be their teacher up in Maryland - the kids have a lot of respect for him. He was really a very nice man, and it made me miss Ron even more because I could easily see how well they must have gotten along. We ordered pizza, Katie, Tony and Tatiana came over, everyone played basketball outside for a little while - all the while Chris worked upstairs in the bathroom trying to get it done for Gwen's visit the next night. (The bathroom looks awesome by the way)

Now - those of you who faithfully read this blog know why we had to re-do the bathroom. The kids overflowed the toilet and there was pee and poo everywhere - including in the floor and ceiling to the kitchen (from draining down to the first floor).

A little after 10pm, Chris and I sat down to watch a recording of American Idol. We had told the kids to go to bed at 10, things in the house were quieting down, it seemed like the end to a good night. But nooooo... things don't happen like that now that the kids have moved in with us! About 10:30 Justin comes running downstairs - "Uncle Chris, the toilet!".

You see, they use our bathroom now since Chris is working on the main bathroom. Chris had already told them that if it ever began to overflow, come and get him right away, not to flush it again. The reason for this is because it's a 3 gallon toilet, and if they flush it once and see it doesn't go down, the toilet will hold all the water in the tank without spilling onto the floor. Unless you try over and over again to flush it. *can you feel what I'm about to say?*

As Chris runs upstairs I hear water running in the kitchen. I go into the kitchen just in time to hear Chris screaming upstairs "I told you already! why didn't you get me? why didn't you get me?" The water is pouring down the ceiling through a light fixture in the kitchen. The last time this happened, it just kind of dripped down the walls quietly. This time, it was like someone had a bucket of water and was just pouring it into the ceiling. There is probably a good 8 gallons of water in the kitchen and outside. Outside you say? Tina, what do you mean by that? Well this bathroom is next to the wall outside, and apparently it leaked not only directly into the ceiling downstairs, it also went into the wall and puddled outside on the patio.

Yes, piss everywhere.

Chris plunges the toilet and it works fine after that. Now the cleanup begins. Of course we bleached out everything we could, but there is still water in the floor, ceiling and walls. Chris is crying - yes crying - because he's not ready to 1) do all that work on yet another bathroom and 2) sink yet another thousand dollars into yet another bathroom. And frankly, I agree 100%.

Chris was really yelling at the kids, but trust me when I tell you - they deserved it. We asked them, "didn't you own a toilet when you lived with your mom??" All three of them have no regard for other people's property or picking up after themselves. They will brush their hair in the bathtub, have a wad of hair, and just flick it down the drain. (Now, you have to realize how much hair this is, not like something I ever had to worry about as a kid, these girls have HAIR!) They leave in the mornings with crap everywhere, knowing I'll come home at lunch - not be able to stand it - and clean it up. Oh, you'll love this one - I was cleaning the kitchen yesterday at lunch - and I noticed on the wall, by the phone, someone has drawn hearts and X's on the wall. I'm thinking they must have been bored while on the phone talking and picked up something and began to draw. I grabbed the bleach bottle and try to clean it - it won't come clean. They drew in pen. PEN! My father in law was walking by at that moment and mentioned something about the fact that you might expect that from a 2 year old, but to see that from a teenager was inexcusable. Of course, when I asked them, nobody did it. Just like nobody eats and leaves things out. Nobody ever does anything when we find something wrong. In this particular instance, we have talked to them about what they are flushing down the toilet. Some of them use a TON of toilet paper to wipe with. Now, I know I sould like my dad there, but - you really do have to understand, I raised 2 kids and never had to have 'that' talk - these kids use a TON. Not to mention plastic applicators and misc other stuff being flushed down the toilet that's not supposed to go down there.

So - we talk to the kids about the toilet. They deduct that - because they have never had this happen to them before, it's not possible that it's their fault. Thinking I can still 'get through' to them, I point out that - if it had happened in just one bathroom, it might have been a fluke. But then they moved to the other bathroom where the exact same thing happened! Again, they say it's not their fault. *sigh*

After cleaning up, I was exhausted and went to bed. Chris worked in the other bathroom until about 3am - poor guy. Next time you see him, give him a hug and tell him what a great man he is.

This morning the kids got up and Justin and Jonathan were fighting again. They've been arguing more lately, and it's getting a little old. Justin wants to move out of Jonathan's room and Chris and I don't want him to.

As you might can tell from this blog... I'm a little frustrated with these kids. I have sunk so much into them - and I hate feeling it's unappreciated or useless. We were NOT in the position to remodel the bathroom, we HAD to do it, due to their lack of ownership for mistakes.

I suppose that I'm most frustrated because - you can't fix what you refuse to acknowledge. Using a simple daily arguement - cereal bowles in the sink. Before I go to bed, I make sure the kitchen is clean. I come home for lunch - 5 cereal bowls in the sink. One I know belongs to Doug. The other 4 - quite obviously - are from the kids. I mention it to them, and nobody ate breakfast that morning. Not one single one of them. This is just one example of the many things that go on throughout the day. Julie used to talk about the ghosts in her house - they weren't ghosts, they were kids refusing to say they did something. And, ya know, if I found 2 bowls in the sink, and I asked everyone, and - lets say - Jonathan and Kayla both said they were theirs -- I'd simply say to them to make sure they put them in the diswasher. It's not like they are going to be punished! I just want to know who to correct - because - if you don't correct the problem, it will always be a problem.

Of course, I know I'm also a little perturbed because I got reports from Karen (the woman who refuses to talk to me or call me back) where she wrote how great Julie was doing and that Julie was working to get the kids mental help. That really bothered me becasue Julie ain't doing shit! I called and made an appt for Kayla to be seen, I called and got the authorization from her insurance company - all while Julie was still in bed sleeping. Karen also noted how well Julie got along with the kids - but, she hasn't seen them fighting, or that whole 'cuddle with me' thing. On all the papers she put that the kids really wanted to go home and that Julie seemed to be much better. She told Julie that - if everything continued, she'd have her kids back soon. I really really need to start preparing myself for them leaving. I know it's going to be very hard for me, but I need to focus on getting my life back once they are gone.

Another long blog - sorry. I really need to run. Please leave a comment and let me know that you are thinking about us - praying for us. It really helps.

Love you all.