The Kids

Okay, so the past week went by. Spent time after school doing phone calls for D and F students (had to stay at school 'cuz my vpn still isn't working from home anyway, that's how I'd access most phone numbers). Ms. Ecklund's car's been in the shop so I gave her a ride home many of the days (she lives just down the street anyway). One day right after turning on the side street a block over from her place behind the IHOP, a car came around the corner and right after turning swerved the fuck over towards me and almost ran into me head-on. Luckily we weren't going fast on the small street and I stopped in time and he corrected himself in time. But that would've sucked, eh? I had my last regular observation on Wednesday, still haven't had my post-conference, but it was weird 'cuz Mr. Evans came in at the beginning of class and was observing and in the middle Ms. Newman came in and I thought it was weird there were two administrators in the room. But Ms. Newman was doing just an informal drop-in and I got the feedback from that pretty immediately and it was pretty good so that gives me some good feelings about the one that counts. The black history program was yesterday. So that was a long time in the auditorium. Okay, so now the big news from yesterday. I got a text from my dad and then talked to him on the phone: my sister just lost custody of her oldest son (and they're pushing for the youngest now too). It starts from his school. She pissed on the principal who then began making a case against her. Jason has 25 absences and 25 tardies. They said he wasn't getting proper medical treatment 'cuz he came to school with some scrapes on his finger (which my dad tried to testify that they were treated by my mom who used to be a nurse, but they wouldn't allow him to testify). They got someone from the state to interview Jason asking him if he's left alone with his brother to take care of him (he said that he takes care of his brother all the time...but he's a little kid and brags about that to my parents while they're in the room "I'm taking care of my brother, I'm in charge" the way kids brag...don't see how that can be a primary source of evidence as kids can be gotten to say anything...anyway...) There are also thing like my sister being late for the hearing to keep her kid and always saying the worst thing when being questioned (like, when asked why she was staying in certain hotels in the midst of being accused of being a negligent parent, "to have fun" and not being able to tell them her address where she's staying "I don't know the address but it's over there by etc etc..."). So she's been labeled as unstable. Jason's other grandmother (in Mississippi) has custody of him now. They're trying to get this stuff overturned and if that fails at least have my parents get custody (and fight to have the two brothers taken apart). Mary Beth and I went over to my parents' last night. My sister then came over with the kids (it was apparently her every-other-weekend). So at least I got to see them. Hopefully things will work out. Feel really bad for the kids, especially Jason. You just know he's going to have some major issues seeing all he's been through. After that Mary Beth and I saw the Veronica Mars movie. It was okay, some things felt like they worked, some didn't. Anyway, for now.