We’re still trying, but our focus the last few weeks have been getting Hope through the end of this school year. I’ve been trying to gather together a bigger team of folks to help support her. This try has been all consuming emotionally, financially and temporally.
It’s also been really stressful on our relationship. Hope hates that she needs help; she said recently that she doesn’t want to feel broken.
I get it, but we are in a fairly precarious academic situation that really requires a major intervention in order to turn things around.
The stress on our relationship though…ugh.
Despite my desire to fully embrace what I call Serenity Parenting, I often really do want to throat chop her. Man…this teen mouth? And all this new fandangled parenting?
I wish I would just think in the tone of voice Hope speaks with; had my parents heard that tone???
It’s just too much to even consider.
So, March and April have also been about trying not to kill each other.
I mean, I suppose other tries for me would be:
- Trying this serenity thing.
- Walking my 11K steps a day.
- Eating more salads and using pre-portioned containers for my packed lunch.
- Trying to take Hope to the science and tech festival but being thwarted by traffic.
- Trying to take Yappy to the doggy park as often as possible.
- Trying to get to bed by 10pm nightly (still working on this one).
- I got a massage!
So, there’s still a lot to be done around these parts. Lots of things to try, but we need to figure out what kind of direction to go in. I could use more downtime. It’s hard having plans all the time and moving from one activity to another. Sometimes I really, really just want to lay on my couch (which frankly is a goal itself—more couch time!).
Stay tuned; hopefully things will pick back up next month as Hope and I get through the upheaval of the major interventions in our lives.
AdoptiveBlackMom 
April 25th, 2016 at 1:43 pm
Fingers crossed for y’all, and some downtime and more massages for you.
April 25th, 2016 at 1:47 pm
Big hug to you! Hang in there, lady – you’re doing a great thing!
April 25th, 2016 at 9:34 pm
Agreed more massages are in order. I know M1 abhors getting help so I can relate to some of Hopes revolting. Due take care of you though and remember to breathe.
April 26th, 2016 at 12:47 pm
I’m impressed that you are able to deal with all this while still doing ambitious tries such as getting 11K steps and eating healthy. My recent goals are more along the lines of “have clean socks for work so I don’t have to fish some out of the laundry and spray with febreze.”
I know your pain on trying to get her help with the school issues, and her hating to need it. We struggled with school for years with our older daughter and I know well how emotionally and financially draining that is. I hope your school is more helpful than ours was. If the school isn’t responding to her needs, consider getting a lawyer. that’s what finally worked for us.