"He ain't wrong, he's just different..."

"They'd rather give you a song than diamonds or gold." That works well for me. I'd much rather have a song than diamonds or gold. Think I'll be a cowboy when I grow up.

I like Willie Nelson's music. I also like his hair.

OK, on to more mundane and depressing things. Like, for instance, I am home again. And depressed again. It's true, this place sucks the life force from my soul. To accomplish anything I must climb a steep hill of sand.

"Sand" was the first word I ever saw Light read. She was 4, I think.

Last night's saga: Diva asked us at 6:50 last night if she could go over to the park at the Civic Center, not far from our house. She said she'd be back at 7:30. Superman said she didn't have time, she'd have to turn around and come back as soon as she got there in order to return by 7:30. "I'll take the shortcut." Whatever. Go on. So of course she wasn't home by 7:30, but I didn't expect her to be. I did, however, expect her to be back by the 8:00 curfew. But she wasn't home then, either. She finally schlepped in at 9:30, having been out with her friend. When informed that she was grounded for the weekend she was shocked, shocked! to receive such punishment. Child, it's very simple: break the rule, suffer the consequence. But for some reason only her twisted mind understands, she doesn't think she deserves the punishment.

So she slammed her bedroom door lots of times. Superman told her to quit slamming the door, and she said "it's already broken so who cares?" Well, she broke it even more. I can't remember the exact words that set it off, but she got up in Superman's face and threatened him and he moved toward her in response. I was on the phone with my Mama but aware of the discord. Sproing came running in to me and said "Mom! Come help!" I was afraid one of them had hit the other, but thankfully it didn't come to that. Superman was walking away from her room when I approached. Steam blew out his ears, his head was red. I told him to take a walk. Diva finished getting ready for bed and was tucked away by the time her dad came back. At one point in there I told her to do something and she snapped "You ain't my mama." I said "I'm the only mama you have right now." Received a lovely scowl for that comment. She managed to get through the evening without physically attacking anyone, and so did Superman and I.

I worry about Sproing. As Superman commented this morning, we think he is afraid of her. Not just afraid of her, but scared, fearful of being harmed. I know her extreme behavior upsets him. I started to make some comment to her this morning and he looked at me with wide eyes and mouthed "don't!" shaking his "stop" hands for emphasis. As aggravated as I was with him yesterday (another story I'll probably not get to) he really is a sweet kid and I feel for him.

But it's time to pursue other living arrangements for her. I know, we've been talking about that for months, nay years. Our service coordinator is supposed to be able to help us arrange to put her in a group home or something similar. That means lots more paperwork, but boy, will it be worth it!! This child is trouble.