Playing Catch-up

So ... Friday was a good day, and today is Monday. A few things to catch up on ...

My boy Je- the little black boy who regularly greets me with, "FUCK!" every morning and then turns around and walks back out of the classroom (he comes back after a few minutes and continues along the same line), did not go to his court appearance last week. He came to school instead. So I pre-emptively struck him by offering him breakfast before he could yell out his daily greeting. Je is always hungry! So that morning started out differently for him. He also started taking his meds that day. The next day Mr. B, my big aide, taught him how to comb out his hair and make a fro. "You pick then you flick." It was a really cute scene. And honestly, a kid should not have to wait until he is 12 to learn how to comb out his hair. Apparently the process was somewhat painful for Je as the pick has yet to make a second appearance and his hair is getting quite nappy again. But since that day the meds have started working and he has said other words to me in the morning instead of fuck. It's been quite nice.

On Friday the new baby class came on compound and so the heat was finally off the Junior class. Yay! It was really cool for Josh and the other recruits too because they got to start seeing the more instructional side of the TAC Staff, which they really enjoyed. They also realized how over the last few months the TAC Staff have slowly eased up on them because they were shocked at how the TAC were yelling at the new recruits at full volume non-stop the whole time. They talked it over on Saturday morning and said, "Oh, yeah, they really did used to yell at us like that, didn't they?" It was rather amusing to me to watch them realize that, because from the way that they complain I would think that the TAC Staff had carried on just as brutally as they started, but apparently that is not the case. Hmm ...

Saturday morning Josh had a mandatory voluntary "fun run" ... which was actually quite fun for me! It was so freak'n cool and impressive to see all the recruits lined up, yelling jodies, marching together in step, dressed out and respectable. They were an impressive awesome sight, and it was really encouraging to me to see them because it helped me realize more and more that the work that I've been putting in on their behalf actually does have fruit. It was really cool to, to see the crowd's reaction to them. Everyone in the crowd was really impressed. Mothers, grandmothers, and fathers told their kids about how those people there are the heroes who protect us and complete strangers said, "hey, get out of my way lady, I'm trying to take a picture of these guys," to me, and when I asked them who they knew in the group they said no one, that they just wanted to take a picture of the cool sheriffs. Ha. I'm cooler. I know those guys. It also really brought to mind all of those stories I have read about the Napoleonic wars and how the armies had tons of wives (and whores) following them around. I got to be one of those wives on Saturday. I met two of the other wives on Saturday as well, merely by bumping into them over and over (all of us were taking pics of our awesome cool men) and finally I introduced myself to them, and we fell in beside our troops, talking about our common and different experiences. They were wives from class 178, and Josh is class 179, but as one of the wives put it, "you're still family." So true.

Seeing Josh get to be part of a big awesome group like that on Saturday also made me jealous. Although he is working hard, going through the program like he is, at least he had all the support of his fellow recruits. Us wives have nothing like that. I was also jealous because I still really regret not joining the military after high school. I've always wanted to march around in step in a big group of people all having a common purpose in life. It is such a neat way of belonging.

One thing that was hilariously funny about Saturday was seeing all the other recruits make fun of Josh's marching abilities. They are a really funny bunch. (Some of them did try and help him learn how to call the marches though, after they laughed along). He really is bad at it! This inspired us to spend an hour last night marching up and down our street. I played the part of the platoon, and he played the platoon sergeant, calling out commands and seeing if he could get me to stop at the correct spot. I can't tell you how many times he called out "left" when I was stepping down with my right foot! By the end of the hour he was better though, and his calling went a lot better today, although he still says that he sucks at it. I think that in our hour we also provided the neighborhood with a lot of amusement. Yup, we're serving the community already, in our own special way.

Today was an odd day at school. The morning was really good and peaceful. Apart from being called a slut by Co and a bitch by Ju, (Je actually didn't cuss all morning! I'm telling you, drugs are wonderful!), and my new kid Ru was being his great new self, my kids were really good this morning. He wasn't in class today, because he had a court appearance to see if he could go back and live with his father who now has a job and an apartment. I don't know how the judge ruled on that one. It would be better for the other kids if he went, because he is an incredibly distracting person, but I think that it would be better for He if he stayed because he is convinced that if he leaves that he will get into a lot of trouble out on the street and start running with the gangs again. So ... maybe I'll find out tomorrow what our fate will be. But this morning was really peaceful and easy (comparatively) without him.

Also cool is that the other teachers have started referring kids to me when the kids have a spiritual question, which I think is really just plain neat. Co, a few hours after calling me a slut, wanted to know more about if Jesus really purged the souls out of Hell when he died and before he rose. If Co doesn't end up in jail (or maybe when he's done being in jail) I could see him being a really awesome pastor/theologian someday. It's really fun to get all those religious "Miss. Yoshi questions" that a lot of the other staff really don't know how to answer. See, a minor in Bible really does pay off!

The afternoon, however, was not quite as good as my aide, Mr. B. decided to tell Ru that he was, "going to kill him," and then Mr. B. tried to call Ru out, like he was going to fight him. I was shocked. Thankfully Ru did not get up out of his seat (thank you Lord!) and then Mr. B. left immediately for his lunch break. I told the principal what happened, had Mr. B. apologize when he got back and talked with him about being the bigger man ... and we'll see where the dice land. Mr. B. may not get hired on as a permanent staff after that little incident. Sad, because it was really nice having two aides. But I do not want an aide that is going to threaten my kids. (Also not cool is that one of Mr. M.'s aides, Mr. T, made my boy Is cry during lunch for the second day in a row. Not cool. I've been talking to the school psychologists about it).

Josh had a good day today, despite getting four R. I. R.'s (remedial instruction reports). He got three of them in a row in the TAC office. Nice. =) But he and I are both in good spirits. And yay! I have Spring Break next week. The only really sad thing about it is that while I am looking forward to it with anticipation, my kids are looking forward to it with dread. They do NOT want to stay at home all day. As much as our school is a "shithole," it is apparently much better than being at home. Why? Because they are lonely at home, where no one cares about them. ::Sigh:: Hopefully none of the will O.D. over break or get into any serious trouble! Something to pray about. Well, I have written more than enough. How are you?