Sibling Visits

We choose to do sibling visits on our own time, rather than have K miss more school. The group home his little brother T lives in is about 30 minutes away in a nearby town we often go to eat out.

We did a pizza mall visit today. T was supposed to stay the night tonight, but K is grounded. We had some issues with him getting written up, lying about a teacher, and missing the bus(we think purposely). We had to get on him hard, so I had to cancel the overnight visit. Visits are necessary for him(although not required), but overnight visits are a privilege he must earn. I have to know he will be on his best behavior before I have both of them for the night.

The visit was great. K treated T very well today. K got a break and played at the arcade with T and gave him both prizes he won! I'm so proud of K for this gesture. Last time he acted out and was jealous. Too bad T couldn't take one of his prizes(a shocking cell phone--that thing actually hurts!). We are keeping it for him to play with at the next visit. I then told K again that is why he is lucky and should make T feel special when they visit.

I learned today T once had an adoptive home but was sent back for getting into trouble at school. He said it was because the kids kept messing with him and teasing him because he was white.

K has some minor charges we are trying to(and probably will insist on) get dropped before we sign the adoption contract. They all are a result from lack of supervision at the group home. One was from someone beating him up, the staff not doing anything about it, so he broke the window, and the owners pressed charges! Kinda ticks me off! The 2 others were from theft of candy. I jumped his ass up and down about it. One of his friends there told him to. This "friend" is now in a juvenile detention center.

K is capable of so much more than his profile said. He was not doing well in school, because NO ONE CARED if he did his work. His grades are getting better. He can make 100% on a test if we make him study. The challege is getting him to bring all his assignments home so we know what is due. L had a conference with all his teachers and are working together to get him in a good routine.

Please talk some sense into me because I'm starting to get attached to T, almost more than K. He asked us if we could adopt him. How do you answer a question like that? We plan on building a bigger house in the next year, but now, I just can't handle another teenager, well, almost teenager.

I really need to help find T a home.