So what have I been up to????

I guess I must be the worst blog keeper ever. These last few weeks have been very hard and at times overwhelming for me.
It's always tough after a vacation. As soon as we came in, it was time for school to start and that has really kept me busy. Jacob's virtual school had already started (last Wed) while we were on vacation, so I've spent the last few days catching him up on what he missed.
Monday, public school started for my foster son and that has been very hard. He doesn't like taking baths. He doesn't like getting dressed for school. He doesn't like wearing shoes. He doesn't like doing school work. He doesn't like riding the bus. So as you can imagine he and I are constantly battling. I really don't know what to do. I've tried grounding him, setting him in time out, putting him in the corner. and I've took away things that matter to him (computer, cell phone, and game systems). But, nothing seems to work. I made him a schedule of what he HAS to do everyday and I was hoping that would make it easier for him to understand what steps he has to do everyday, but it hasn't.
It goes like this...
1.Get up at 6 am.
2. Get on clothes...plus socks and shoes(which he hates) I put them on and he pulls them right back off. Most of the time he throws them across the room over and over and screams at the top of his lungs about how he hates socks...he hates shoes...etc
3. Eat breakfast (which he never wants to do first thing in the morning). I know he must get hungry at school, but what can I do???? I can't force feed him.
4. Brush his teeth (He really mostly puts paste on the brush,sticks it in his mouth, pulls it right back out,spits, and he calls it brushing) He will not let me brush his teeth. He closes his mouth and will not open it. I've explained to him and so has the dentist about why he needs to brush his teeth.
5. Pick a school snack and put it in his book bag. The one thing he does do.
6. Go to the bus stop. Which he hates. He stomps, crosses his arms, throws himself down, etc Most of the time he won't even get on the bus. So far this week he has only made the bus twice out of five days...grrr Which means I have to take him in...late
7. Go to school
I don't know what to do. I called his case worker and I'm waiting on her to call back. Everyone says send him back. That is what everyone does to the foster kids they give up on(that's why so many bounce house to house). I don't want to give up like everyone else. But, what can I do?
Everyday is a battle. Once he gets home all he wants to do is play on the computer,cell phone, or game system. I've taken these away and that has made him even worse. He is suppose to be reading a book each night, but he refuses. So I told him that I would not sign his slip,saying that he had read if he wasn't going to read. He can read. Yes, he is only in first grade, but he is a gifted student and on a third grade level. So he knows exactly what he is doing. I told him the first of the week, if he would be really good that I would give him $1 for Ice Cream Friday (that they have every Friday at school). But after, we battled all morning and he refused to dress himself, wear his shoes(and threw his shoes 2 times across the room), brush his teeth, brush his hair, etc I refused to award him with $1. So on the way to the bus stop, he threw himself down on the ground, in the dirt, and started screaming and crying, because he wasn't getting ice cream. He wasn't going to get on the bus, but I told him he wasn't going to his birthday party(that his mom is throwing). He finally got on the bus ,but he was dirty for the second time this week(He done the same thing yesterday).
I thought it was just me. I thought maybe he just hates me. But, he gave the foster family that kept him last week, some of the very same problems. They agreed that I have my hands full.
Anyhow, other than that, I've been busy trying to plan my new school year (Yes, we homeschool), buying my new books, organizing old school stuff, creating a schedule for each child to go by, and trying to get on a daily routine that I myself can stick to. I started babysitting 2 new full time kids. I'm glad because they are full time kids. I'm trying to get away from keeping any part time kids, because it's just to hard to plan my day and change around my schedule to meet everyone else's schedule. I want a set schedule that I can go by, so that every one's needs are met and everyone knows what to expect everyday. So far, it has been working. I had to change a few things around and add a little less time or more time here or there, but overall this week has run more like clock work than it has in a loooong time. I hope by the time we start our new homeschool year (Sept 2) that we will have an organized daily schedule that works for all of us. Here is a portion of what I do...
1.I wake at 4:45 and get Brent up.
2.I eat breakfast, get dressed,clean house, etc
3. 6 am I wake up the foster child.
4. 6- 6:50 I devote to getting him dressed, fed, and off to the bus stop.
5. 7:30 Babysitting kids start arriving
6. I wake up kids, feed kids,get out school stuff, clean up from breakfast. start laundry, etc
7. 9:00 Jacob starts school and so will the older homeschooled kids starting in Sept.
8. 10:00 take a break, snack time and diaper changes
9. 10:30 back to school for mine.
Babysitting kids watch their shows, and play(inside or outside), etc
10. 12:00 -lunch break and diapers changes.
11. 12:30-nap time for little ones and back to school for mine ...ahhhh it's quiet!!!
12. 2pm- diaper changes, snack time, and school day ends(except for those who haven't finished their work they keep on until they are done).
13. 3pm- school bus gets home with foster child. After school snack. Babysitting kids start leaving. Older kids finish school work, do homework, go out to play, etc
14. 4 pm-7pm, I start dinner, eat, clean up dinner mess, check school work, etc
15. 7:30 pm- we start baths like an assembly line...one after another
16. 8pm-9pm-bedtime for the little ones (sometimes earlier if they need it).
I'm still working on this schedule. Alot more than this happens in my day, but pretty much this is what I do...everyday. I'm trying to come up with better chore charts and more responsibilities for the older kids, to take some of the load off of me. I'm also trying to come up with a laundry schedule, but that one is tough because we go through so much laundry.
Anyhow, that is about it for me. I'm really trying to keep my head above the water these days and it is hard...very hard. I just want to get organized so that it's easier to stay on top of things and so that I can manage my time better.
Anyhow, I guess I should be on my way. I have so much to do and so little time.
Have a great day!

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