Updates

[CatherineM]

Was requested to update. We took possession of the suite next door May 31st. Not without drama of course. The drunk trucker who was living there decided that he didn't want to move out. The lawyer had given him 6 weeks notice, and he had already lived there rent free for 6 months, so I didn't have much sympathy. When we got the keys, I changed the locks. He came back that night with half a dozen other drunks to cause trouble. Dealt with.

Nasty smoke infested carpet and furniture gone. Many trips to St. Vincent with clothes and housewares. Bottom cabinets and tile sledgehammered. Door between the units cut and installed. 90% of painting done. All baseboards and appliances removed. All electric outlets and light fixtures replaced. Electric line run from new jetted tub illegally in baseboard, rerouted properly through the wall to panel. GFIs installed. Concrete floors scraped, sanded, sealed, and coated in a rubberized membrane to install the fiberfloor.

Left to do, repair drywall after electricians and plumbers get finished. Cut and install all new baseboards. Backsplash in old kitchen/new laundry room. Finish painting. Install new base cabinets and bar sink. Tile new countertops. Paint doors and reinstall. Install new security cameras. Drapes, door knobs, and washer/dryer have to be installed, then I can buy furniture.

[CatherineM]

As to the boys, Zach's doing pretty good. He just had another medication change, but we are blessed that he accepts that he has bipolar like the rest of his family, and will need to take meds for the rest of his life. I'm not sure of the name of this week's girlfriend, but he's got his eye on one of Austin's summer student interns. She's Polish and really tall.

James is just about to lose his job. He's not capable of getting to work on time. His old manager understood his developmental disabilities. The new one doesn't and doesn't care to. She's actually been treating him hostilely. The union can't help him because he is actually late. We're trying to get him on with an employer who is okay with having disabled employees.

Gandy got beat up at doggie day care by a chihuahua. He got a little bite on his side and his feelings hurt.

We had to kick Will out because he fell off the wagon, and now have a kid named Apollo. He's working as an informal apprentice for an electrician until he gets enough hours to qualify to be a real apprentice. Barely makes enough money to feed himself, and was tempted to just go get a better paying job in the oil patch. We encouraged him to stick with it to eventually earn his electricians ticket. Free rent in exchange for some chores. We fill his larder when things get tight. He makes a good roommate for Zach. He doesn't do drugs, and never has.

Austin has 12 students this summer. We've been giving at least two speeches a week. I got elected a diocesan officer in the catholic women's league. We finally moved to a more handicap accessible parish. 15 minute drive, but I don't get locked out or pushed into walls. I decided to go back and do some more work on my Masters in Theology this fall. Got over being mad at them, mostly, for changing my requirements midstream.

[AnneLine]

Thank you for the update, CatherineM!!!   We've been praying for you regularly, and it's nice to have some specifics to pray for!!!!

 

Give all of our good thoughts, encouragement & prayers to the guys!!!!

 

And... no wonder you don't have time to update!!!!!  (but we do love to hear from you!)

[Gabriela]

I, for one, would really like to see pics of that place when it's done. :-)

[CatherineM]

Here's a picture of the flooring. Gandy is getting to look out to the front of the building. He can't go on the patio yet because there's too much construction junk out there. Soon though.

[CatherineM]

No idea why that posted upside down.

[AnneLine]

I was just going to ask if Gandy was having an interesting day... or if that was roofing you were installing... ;)

[Gabriela]

LOL. Nice ceiling-floor! 

[Lil Red]

love to hear updates about you & your family. i keep seeing your facebook posts about giving speeches here and there, it's cool see where (and to whom) you're giving talks! :) 

[CatherineM]

So another update. James did lose his job. We filed a protest with his union. He got a nice severance, and the manager who had been calling him names like dummy and retard got fired. He is starting work next week at Habitat for Humanity's restore. It's only 5 blocks away, and they are excited to get to employ someone with his disabilities.

Apollo is gone. Turns out the reason he was homeless was because his parents kicked him out because he refused to work. His replacement, Chad had no trouble working. Got him some work boots and he went to work as a gopher on a framing crew. He worked himself up and made enough money for his own place. We now have a single mom with a 5 year old. She's got OCD and depression. She has a sister with schizophrenia. The little girl's father is in jail for domestic violence assault. Her room is painted purple and hello kitty pink. Going to be my first Christmas in many years with a little one around. I wish she wouldn't call me Grandma Catherine though.

Zach has been going through testing for fetal alcohol syndrome. It took some time to get him in for testing because we had to have evidence that his mom drank while pregnant with him. No one wanted to speak ill of the dead so to speak. I finally convinced someone. It was actually worse than we thought. He was diagnosed with Static Encephalopathy Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It is treated best by early identification, early intervention and support services, and a stable home environment especially for ages 8-12. He got none of that.

Without those he was at a high risk of secondary disabilities such as mental illness, trouble with law enforcement, victimization of sexual abuse, abuse of alcohol or drugs, difficulty achieving independent living, or maintaining employment. He's had all that.

If his mom hadn't taken him out of first grade because the school counsellor wanted him tested, he could have gotten help. From ages 8-12 when he needed to be in a loving stable home, he was abused, watched his father rape his sister, watched his father knock all his mom's front teeth out. His father going to jail was the best thing that happened to him during those years.

He didn't even have decent nutrition during those years. When his bipolar mom was in a depression, she didn't cook or shop. They only ate instant rice. Catholic social services monitored the family, but never recommended taking the kids out of there because there were too many to keep together in foster care. They thought it was better to leave them in an abusive, neglectful home than to separate the kids.

When Zach found out he really had fasd, he had this kind of Epiphany. He's no longer mad at himself for not being able to do things. He's been very accepting like someone who finally gets a diagnosis after years of going to doctors.

So now we know what we're dealing with, and we're going to take it a step at a time.

[Norseman82]

 I'm not sure of the name of this week's girlfriend, but he's got his eye on one of Austin's summer student interns. She's Polish and really tall.
 

 

Is Austin taking applications for help?

 

So another update. James did lose his job. We filed a protest with his union. He got a nice severance, and the manager who had been calling him names like dummy and retard got fired. He is starting work next week at Habitat for Humanity's restore. It's only 5 blocks away, and they are excited to get to employ someone with his disabilities.

Apollo is gone. Turns out the reason he was homeless was because his parents kicked him out because he refused to work. His replacement, Chad had no trouble working. Got him some work boots and he went to work as a gopher on a framing crew. He worked himself up and made enough money for his own place. We now have a single mom with a 5 year old. She's got OCD and depression. She has a sister with schizophrenia. The little girl's father is in jail for domestic violence assault. Her room is painted purple and hello kitty pink. Going to be my first Christmas in many years with a little one around. I wish she wouldn't call me Grandma Catherine though.

Zach has been going through testing for fetal alcohol syndrome. It took some time to get him in for testing because we had to have evidence that his mom drank while pregnant with him. No one wanted to speak ill of the dead so to speak. I finally convinced someone. It was actually worse than we thought. He was diagnosed with Static Encephalopathy Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. It is treated best by early identification, early intervention and support services, and a stable home environment especially for ages 8-12. He got none of that.

Without those he was at a high risk of secondary disabilities such as mental illness, trouble with law enforcement, victimization of sexual abuse, abuse of alcohol or drugs, difficulty achieving independent living, or maintaining employment. He's had all that.

If his mom hadn't taken him out of first grade because the school counsellor wanted him tested, he could have gotten help. From ages 8-12 when he needed to be in a loving stable home, he was abused, watched his father rape his sister, watched his father knock all his mom's front teeth out. His father going to jail was the best thing that happened to him during those years.

He didn't even have decent nutrition during those years. When his bipolar mom was in a depression, she didn't cook or shop. They only ate instant rice. Catholic social services monitored the family, but never recommended taking the kids out of there because there were too many to keep together in foster care. They thought it was better to leave them in an abusive, neglectful home than to separate the kids.

When Zach found out he really had fasd, he had this kind of Epiphany. He's no longer mad at himself for not being able to do things. He's been very accepting like someone who finally gets a diagnosis after years of going to doctors.

So now we know what we're dealing with, and we're going to take it a step at a time.

 

Catherine, you are truly doing God's work. 

 

But face facts - you're now a busia!!

[AnneLine]

:heart: you Catherine.  Because you :heart: others....   I am so glad for Zach... not that all that happened to him, but because you and Austin also happened to him.

 

And... you can always ask them to call you Nana or Nonna or something.... Or Llama Mamma.... you figure something out!

[CatherineM]

I've always thought of myself as a Granny.

[AnneLine]

OK, Granny, you own it!   You've earned it!

[Norseman82]

I've always thought of myself as a Granny.

 

That will be official when you get a kid named Jethro or Elly Mae.....