More Respite

I forgot that I was doing respite this weekend. I mean, I remembered about it on Monday and on Thursday, but completely forgot about it on Friday until Mandy showed up unexpectedly to drop off two girls.

Olivia, whose real name is the same as my real name, is Mandy neice. Mandy would not normally take her because she is not a "high level kid" but, being Mandy's niece and all, she's in. She asked me about the sort of kids I take. She is a candidate for our house, but only if she gets into the program for which I work, which is unlikely as she fully (and reasonably) expects to go home. Besides, she is in a kinship-placement so even if they decided she wasn't going home the state would not want to recommend her for my program. Too bad, since she seems to be a really good kid.

There is no reason that Mandy knows of for Pam to be in the behaviorally-challenged program either.

Other than Evan, these are the first kids I have had in a long time who have not spent most of their childhoods in and out of the system. I don't know their stories, and won't ask, but they have recently been with their families and expect to go back soon.

I hope it all works out for them. But it looks like they will be easy to have here. They get along and really just want to hang, play video games, and chat. It's good to have more kids in the house, even if it is just for the weekend.

Jackie, by the way, is past her 18th birthday and so does not need to be in respite. She is spending the weekend with friends while Mandy and her husband take their weekend off. She is working on a plan to move out, but not working as hard on it as Mandy would like. It's tough, being 18 and suddenly expected to be an adult.

Although it isn't really more as both Brian and Andrew have deserted us for freinds.