12.5 hour day

Yes you read that right I had a 12 and a half hour day at school today. I am tired, but wired.

I signed into school this morning at 7:08, and signed out tonight at 7:48. We had a Reading First meeting that was from 3-5. Then we had a PTO/Open House/Title One meeting at 7, which made it pointless for me to come home.

Especially with Jerry's colonoscopy tomorrow morning and needing to make sure everything was ready for the sub.

Luckily Jerry was able to come out to the school and pick up the kids.

Of course I got home to a freaked out Natalie. Her friend decided to run away from home, for the second time (that I know of, maybe more than that).

The girl had come to our house and gave Natalie a note to give to her mom, and Natalie hadn't been able to get to Jerry before the girl left the house, nor able to stop her from leaving before I got home.

This girl needs help, and I have done everything short of hauling her into the police station and turning her over to them to get the help. When I talked to her parents I was interfering with the way they are raising their child. Of course that was after they called Natalie a little B*tch, so I wasn't quite rational.

I have contacted people that I thought would help, but I think my contact was ignored since she did this again.

Tonight I took the note she gave Natalie down to her mom, then the kids and I went out looking for her.

The part that aggrevates me is that when I asked if she had seen her daughter in the last 45 minutes or so, the mom's answer was no that was why she was on the phone with her mom. Why she was talking to her mom, instead of out looking for her daughter, or at least calling all of the numbers she can think of to call, ticks me off!

I explained that I had just gotten home and that Natalie gave me the note as soon as I walked in the door, and that we had a couple of ideas as to where she was so we were going out looking.

Her mom didn't seem overly concerned. Which makes me think she just doesn't give a damn. Because god knows if one of the girls friend's parents came to me with that note, and said she isn't at our house (the "safe" house), and was out roaming the streets around here I would be on the phone to the police for help.

The kids and I drove over to another of the girl's friends(K's) house, because thats where the BF said she was going.

K's dad happens to be a counselor for a program that works with kids in crisis, I knew that even if the BF wasn't there, he would be willing and able to help us. And even though he was ready for bed, he got dressed and went out looking in their van.

K's dad was the one that found the BF.THANK GOD! He brought her to our house, so that we would know that she was ok, and then once we got home, volunteered to be the one to take her home, talk with her parents, and help them deal with it all, since this is his field.

When I think about the areas that we have to drive through to get to K's house from here, and the people that were out and about in those areas, it scares me to death to think about what could have happened to the BF. Especially seeing how the BF had been stopped by a woman who was asking her questions about where she was going and what she was doing. I am sure that the woman was trying to help, but what if she would have snatched the BF?

I really hope that K's dad gets through to the BF's parents that this is serious and needs to be treated as such.

The girls and I had a very good discussion about the entire incident, how they handled it, and how they could have changed things.

Kelsey didn't know about the BF coming by until right before I got home, so she is out of the occasion.

At first Natalie thought I was picking at her and mad at her, but by the time we got home she realized that I wasn't mad at her, I was just as scared for the BF as she was. But we talked about how if this was to happen again she needed to convince the BF to come in and talk to either Jerry or I, or if we aren't home just come in the house and cool down. I told them both that had I been home I probably still would have gone to K's dad for help, since thats his job. I know thats not following the proper channels but he knows what he is doing.

Tomorrow after Jerry's appointment (or maybe during if I can get to a phone), I have to make a few phone calls about it. Maybe this time something will come of the calls. Mandated reporter stuff.

If you are the praying sort, send up a prayer tomorrow at about 7 am Eastern time for Jerry. That they figure out what is going on with him, and that it is something that we can deal with emotionally, finacially, and spiritually.