36 Hour Work Week: ankle monitor

ankle monitor

Showing posts with label ankle monitor. Show all posts

The yellow giraffe, a picture of my color pencil art
copied from a picture from Monday Mellow Yellows.

I remember my children when they were small and I took them to the zoo. They liked big animals—hippos, elephants, zebras, and giraffes. Now that they are teenagers, they do not care about the zoo anymore but other things excite them now.

I have not blogged regularly this month because of some events happening lately. I have been busy with my daughter. Yes, she is back. It took some police “getting” her, sending her to juvenile hall, her appearing in court for failure to appear, me bonding (her) again, and placement of, yet another, ankle monitor. She cut off the one previously before she ran away. But most importantly, she returned home, and my new insurance this year has better coverage for mental/behavioral health.

Hey, hey, hey. It is another thankful week. I look forward to writing this post because of this upbeat thankful blogging group who inspire me. Here are my reasons to be thankful (and hopeful).

Receiving this award on my atypical no-break room lunch day made up for my exhaustion. I got nominated for the Daisy Award as an exceptional nurse as viewed by a family member of a patient. I assume a family did as we tend to get very sick patients in my unit (intensive care) where patients can hardly breathe, let alone write. This made my day and the next. I hope I can make more patients and family happy.

Daisy Award Nominee

My teen thinks "I know nothing." Years ago she asked me
questions on everything, yes, even math. Now
she thinks, maybe,I fast-forwarded into senility.

tupid. Ridiculous. Brainless. Dumb. You name me. My teens think I know nothing. I am clueless as if I lost my brain overnight. In addition, my daughter said to me, “you don’t remember because you had chemo. . .”

My goodness, my teens believe I am a complete idiot. Both of them also blame me for whatever undesirable is happening in their lives like getting some poor grades in school, missing the bus . . .

Huh?

But, but, I wasn't the one who did not turn in homework, or wake up early . . . All my fault?

Shifting Gears in Parenting

I choose not to get mad anymore. I am reading the book by Dr. Leman, remember, The Have a New Teenager by Friday? I do not have my son back from the Juvenile Hall yet. I choose not to bail him out this time. He will likely get out next week, anyway, after the sentencing. For now, I can use the new parenting skills I learned with my daughter. One kid at a time.

I should stay calm, keep my cool, and maintain sense of humor even though part of me wants to take my scarf off and wrap it around . . . Just kidding. See, I am smiling. :)

And another thing that he said in the book . . . “This too [stage of my teens’ life] shall pass. I hope he mentioned in the book exactly how many days do “this” last.

In an attempt to stay positive and put emphasis on the good, I took my daughter out to eat after volleyball practice yesterday. She did perfect serves. IN ADDITION, she actually had good attitude towards me except in her manner of speaking, sometimes, I sense that she really believes I know nothing. Oh, well.

We both had a good time yesterday, just her and me. It is the first time we ate out since her ankle monitor was removed.

I am looking forward to practicing more parenting skills with my daughter tomorrow.

Yesterday was cold, low = below zero. High = 7 degrees. It was nice going out
though and view more than the outside of my window at home.

Guess where we ate?

Too cold in the beginning
to remove my hat and coat.
At least, I removed my
gloves.

Related Post: Parenting Defiant Teens: Have a New Teenager by Friday

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It started out fair, my day, that is. I just lost a day’s pay. I called in to work that I cannot make it today.

My daughter needed to go to the orthodontist for a loose bracket and wire poking the inside of her cheeks.

It had been two weeks. Between my schedule and Dr. Ortho’s who works for Perfect Teeth Monday and Fridays only (not even that, more like sporadically for me, I just found out), I could not get her in earlier. Dr. Ortho has vacation (like twice a month), has meetings, works in no-one-knows-where-other office. Whatever. Her supposed-to-be back up orthodontist in another location refused to see my daughter earlier because it was “not an emergency.”

“So what is emergency in orthodontia?” I asked the receptionist on the phone.

“Tootache, infection, bleeding . . . “

“Oh, so brackets or wires poking in the cheek is not one of them?”

“No, sorry.”

The fix took five minutes of the dental assistant’s time. The orthodontist did not even come out to see her so I asked the assistant to tell the Dr. Ortho I need to speak to her in private. “I am very upset,” I said.

When I turned "Incredible Hulk"

She came out shortly. She talked to my daughter, not recognizing my presence, asking how my daughter was doing . . .

I guessed we were not speaking in private so I spilled my anger in the common room with other patients and parents.

I told her in not-so-calm voice it was not acceptable to leave my daughter without help when she was not available. In short, she apologized and told me she will talk to the other orthodontist who refused to help my daughter. I will also get a discount, she says, for my daughter’s discomfort and trouble.

My anger turned to sadness when I got home. My son’s probation officer notified me that he would have my son arrested for violating his bond and probation requirements (not leaving the house). My son wears an ankle monitor, so he has a record of my son leaving out of range. It was beyond my control. I wish I could handcuff my son to the wall as I sleep or work but I could not. So back to the Juvenile Hall he goes as he wait for his court date. *sigh*

So at home I pray. I pray for my son’s safety and healing. I include my daughter as well.

Since I joined the Catholic Health Association’s (CHA) 100 Days of Prayer, I included this prayer too. Please pray with me for the 2015 100th anniversary of the founding of the CHA. 100 Days of Prayer is the inaugural event of the association's Centennial observance.

Here is the prayer for the week of Nov. 10, 2014

For Persons Suffering from War

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.
John 14:27

Gracious God, we pray for all persons suffering from war. May they be held in your loving care and protection and given the strength to endure great suffering and hardship.

Transform the hearts and minds of all those who perpetuate violence and oppression. Grant wisdom to world leaders in advancing efforts toward world peace; May they not be compromised by self-interest and blind indifference. We ask all this through the intercession of Our Lady of Lourdes and in the name of your Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever. Amen.

Calming Negative Feelings

I did not do much today. I just made comics. Comics calms me down as well as tweaking this blog. Sounds immature? Well, it works for me. Better than drinking alcohol, yes, or crying like crazy.

May you all have a good day. What are you praying for today?

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T
oday, I decided to join the Blogher’s NaBloPoMo, (National Blog Posting Month). This month’s topic is crunch. I hope that with this group, I get inspired to blog daily for the whole month. I heard that NaBloPoMo rewards exceptional bloggers in November. I am no near being “exceptional” but the thought of blogging together with great bloggers is a reward in itself for me.

Not much of falling leaves yet in
Lakewood,just a few, and not enough
for stepping into to make the
"crunch, crunch" sounds.

First thing today, (well, after saying the joyful mysteries in rosary) I walked my dogs around the neighborhood. Our area has not been hit with extreme cold yet so the leaves pretty much are staying where they are--up there in the trees. No carpet of dry leaves cover the ground yet--just a few leaves here and there. Needless to say, I have nothing crunchy to write about.

How Not to Worry

Later on, I drove to Longmont to meet with my soul mate. He has been moving to a new house for two weeks now. He still is not done. I helped him last week with cleaning. This time, I offered no cleaning but I brought him lunch—burgers. We had an easy time and his border collie played with me as if he has not seen me for ten years. He wrestled me to the floor. He thought I came there just for him following me around even to the bathroom.

Paul and I just ate and talked. Of course, I have to mention my son a lot, the majority of the time, so the talk did not remain all “that” joyful.

The social worker assigned to my son’s case called again today. She will recommend in home placement with extensive in-home therapy for my son and the family. I hope it works. One thing for sure, and I told her, my son will not willingly stay home. There needs to be some kind of restraint like an ankle monitor, house arrest, whatever it takes, less than out of home placement. We will see. Will the judge take her suggestion or the district attorney’s which is a minimum of twelve months out-of-home placement?

I think about my son a lot. . . It is time to put my worries in my worry file.

Oh well, at least, I get to do something a little fun. I saw Paul for a couple of hours. He and his dog are always happy to see me regardless of the sad stories I bring.