Home Visits

Life is quiet here. Patches and Michael are both living in different facilities. We are waiting for Michael to be moved to the one Patches is in. Patches has already begun weekend visits home because she shows absolutely no signs of anything. She is perfect. She happily cleans, reads, showers, and participates in therapy. They know she has issues. They have seen her interact with me on video and were shocked she was so hostile. She is honest with them about her behaviors at home, too, and that helps. They were able to see how much work it is for me to help her maintain her deep anger towards me. It is work for me because she makes no effort. I had to dance and distract constantly.

Right before she entered the RTC, she began an anti-depressant called Celexa. We have tried others in the past and didn't see much difference. We were more focused on her psychotic symptoms, at the time. Now her symptoms are under control and the biggest issue is her aggressive, homicidal crap that she focuses on me. Anyway, new med took a few weeks but we are seeing a huge difference. It seems a lot of her anger may have been coming from anxiety. We have always worked on naming their feelings and she could only name sad, happy, and mad. Turns out, she was nervous, too. Once the anxiety was calmed, she is able to think through, with help, situations when other big emotions happen. Twice last weekend, she was able to take criticism from me and respond like most people do. You know, without having an urge to kill their mom. LOL She approached me several times for hugs, too. She admitted she just wanted to hug me. That NEVER happens.

School starts here on the first. Yes, you read that right. We start Wednesday. Kids are thrilled and so am I. Cyr will be doing online high school at home for 10th grade. Patches is entering 9th grade, Ruthie 8th, Emma 6th, Michael 6th and Ella and Ava 5th. Kiki is finally old enough to enter Pre K but we were unable to get her enrolled here because we thought we'd be moved before school started. She will go into a program as soon as we move. She is writing her name already and insists she is ready. I know I am.

We are still waiting on the IRS to give us our money. I swear, they are the slowest of slow. They agree we are owed yet still "resequencing" our file. I'm irritated but there is nothing we can do. This could go on forever. (It better not bc I have big plans to go visit my stalker in NY in a couple weeks!) I think we have decided to buy our home "off the courthouse steps". It's so much cheaper but requires so much more work upfront. It's a risk I think we can manage. I have been learning how to do title searches so we won't have that financial burden/risk.

(On a side note, Patches is reading to Kiki! No one asked her to and usually this is a HUGE trigger for her. Watch out folks, the sky is falling!)