School Is All Ironed Out.

KidThree is going to stay at the continuation high school. This for so many reasons: her emotional stresses right now, her educational gaps, the ability of the staff at this school to watch for strangers and so protect KidThree from anyone who tries to harm her. And the reality that she is just not going to graduate with her age-mates next year.

When KidThree and I got in the car and headed out, she hadn't known that the meeting was at the continuation school instead of the big high school. She only realized that when I turned left instead of right at a particular corner. By the time we got in the conference room with all the others (counselor, nurse, psychologist, teacher, principal), she was utterly unable to say a word when she was asked a question. Too many memories of her friend who died, too much stress from the weekend, etc. So, I hustled her out of the room into the staff room in the back, got her tissues, and went back to talk to the others myself. I was able to explain everything that was going on, KidThree's frantic weekend on the phone trying to keep her mother and sister from killing each other, the stress of the looming trial, the overwhelming nature of KidThree's memories of her friend at that school. All were blown away by the family kerfluffle. All the professionals except the psychologist knew us and have known us for some time, so they were shocked but not shocked--so understanding of how KidThree was so devastated by fear and love for her family, and understanding that KidThree, despite all her issues, was really the most functional person of that particular bio-clan.

We have goals for the year. Get holes in KidThree's math education plugged up, so that the next school year she is ready to start math at a junior college, albeit math at a high school level. Get her able to put down on paper the complexity of the thoughts she can verbalize--KidThree can see the most complex psychological minutiae in things that she reads, and can explain her understanding, but she can't get those complex thoughts organized well on paper. She can certainly get down an approximation of what she wants to say, just not anything that represents the depth of her understanding.

Our goal for September is just to get her to school every day and to keep her protected through the trial. I was so relieved at the end of that meeting. There was such real care and concern in that room for my beloved KidThree, for her well-being and her future and her safety. All seemed truly dedicated towards using this coming school year to best prepare KidThree to continue on her rocky, halting road to adulthood and self-sufficiency and an education worthy of her excellent mind. Thank goodness for people who truly love their work with kids.

An hour and a half after that meeting, PastorJ came over to talk with KidThree. KidThree wasn't quite sure why he was coming over, so I reminded her of the conversation where she had expressed the desire to talk with someone, to get her head straight, to get right with God. KidThree still is sometimes surprised that I am paying attention to everything and taking action wherever I can to make things better. She was a little annoyed with me when I asked PastorJ over the phone what I was to call him, Pastor or J or something else, and with my explanation to him that I didn't know the etiquette, as with Catholicism all priests are Father and that is that. PastorJ didn't mind a bit, he laughed and told me he preferred to be called J, but that yes, some congregants did call him Pastor.

I cleared out and went to the library after his arrival. KidThree does tell me most things, but I know she tries to shield me from the worst and no one should have their conversations with ministers overheard. After he left and I came home, I just asked, "did you like him," "are you glad he came," and "would you like me to take you to his church?" The answer to all was a slightly surprised "yes." So, church on Sunday for KidThree. I told her she could get every second Sunday there with me; she also wants to try to get into a truck or SUV to see if she can get rides to church with someone else on the other days.

At the library, I had fun in the biography section. I found the new biography of Charles Schulz, which I had been wanting to read, as well as several other interesting books. The prize, though, was Bill Bryson's "Shakespeare: The World as Stage." I was so tickled! Bill Bryson is one of my favorite authors, and Shakespeare, of course, is not even on the favorites list--he is way off in the stratosphere above all others. Bill, you're one of the few authors where I will buy your books new, retail--you actually get royalties from me! Let me tell you, there aren't many authors out there who get royalties from my purchases. (My definition of rich is having enough money to buy every book I want, hardcover, full retail price. The heck with cruises and fancy cars--I want books.)

I was so tickled at the chance to see what Bill would have to say about Will, and it was a lot of fun. I finished the book in one straight read. Bill was very circumspect, making it clear that what we truly know about Will is so limited, but putting very clearly the magic that was Shakespeare's ability to waltz and jig and tarantella his way through the English language. But Bill, I really do want to believe the Shakespeare poached something from that august neighbor. Having a deer park set up the year after Shakespeare's apparent disappearance doesn't mean there weren't deer there before, just that they weren't formally parked, and then there were those funny, lewd, disrespectful couplets about that august neighbor. I know we can never really know, not unless something else is dug up from the treasure trove of old documents not yet scrutinized, so I am going to keep myself happy and believe that Shakespeare really did get into trouble from poaching and adding insult to injury with the disrespectful poems.

You know what would be seriously entertaining? To have Will meet Bill. I think Will would like our Bill, and that the two of them together in a pub would be priceless. I would never clear out to give that conversation privacy--I would be all ears. And wearing a wire.

Necessary flashback here to the kerfluffle in the 'hood. It appears that KidThree's bio-mother and bio-mother's wife will be going back to jail on parole violations and that KidThree's younger brother, already a career criminal, is destined for a group home, if he doesn't choose to go on the run instead. KidThree's sister and 'brother-in-law' are still in hiding with their baby, and there have apparently been payments to various people for them to find and then kill the brother-in-law. Neither KidThree nor I are particularly concerned about the brother-in-law, but we don't want the sister or the baby caught in any crossfire. What a stupid, stupid, stupid mess.

Last night KidThree and I watched coverage on the Democratic Convention. We saw Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg's speech about Teddy Kennedy, then Teddy Kennedy's speech, and then Michelle Obama's speech. I thought all were utterly excellent. Of course, this is the group I want to win the election, but I think even objectively all the speeches were excellent. I'll also be watching the Republican Convention and hope I can be objective about their presentations.

KidOne came by for several hours and watched the speeches with us and told us about her first day of school. She is in a class that she has been waiting YEARS to get, literally. Man oh man, is California's junior college system underfunded. I do so enjoy our visits with KidOne. She is such a poised young woman, so beautiful and articulate and vibrant. I look at her and think back on her difficult adolescence and am awed to see how she has triumphed and to think that I had anything to do with the creation and development of her utterly marvelous self.

Today various administrative concerns to address, and KidThree has an eye exam. That is all. A good day to relax a little after the stresses of yesterday. I may even buy chocolate.

A