I worked a long day yesterday. It has been a hard last few days due to some of the consequences the kids had, due to their aggressive behaviors- injuring 9 staff members in the past week. So Friday we walked one girl to the quiet room. Her response was to call us mean, and old prunes. I thought "I just turned 22, that's not old." My co-worker who is turning 30 soon was more sensitive to the insult.
We have another girl who supposedly attempted to kill herself when she was at home a few weeks ago for a visit. Yesterday I found out how. The following conversation was between her and one of my co-workers. (note: she is the epitome of a crazy child)
Her: (very hostile)" Why are you staring at me?"
Him: "Because you are picking your nose."
Her: "I'm not picking it! I have a cut up there."
Him: "You should cut your fingernails."
Her: "I stuck a butter knife up my nose when I was on my pass. I was trying to kill myself."
Him: "You didn't think that out, did you?"
Her: "No."
Finally we have another kid there who has cerebral palsy. This kid constantly amazes me. He is always willing to try new things, even though he knows he probably won't be able to do them. He walks very slow and is unable to run, however he plays baseball with the other kids and literally jumps from quite a distance trying to reach bases. Once he jumped before he started hopping towards the next base, so landed just a few feet from the base he just left. But still he tries. Anyway, he has a touch of OCD, in addition to other things including a violent temper. Last night I was sitting in the middle of a hallway with him yelling, screaming, threatening, cussing, kicking, hitting, etc. and another boy yelling and cussing and pounding the floor. So as I sat here I wasn't really listening to either one. Then something the CP kid said caught my attention. This followed:
Him: "Umgonnahelpbillyout!"
Me: "What did you just say?"
Him: "Umgonnahelpbillyout!"
Me: "You're gonna help who out?"
Him (turning around, completely calm, and speaking slowly like I was an imbecile): "No, I'm-going-to-hill-billy-hell."
Me: hysterical laughing
I turned around to see him laughing too. I walked down the hall where all the other children were laughing and told my co-worker what he said.
I walked back down to him and said, "How is hill-billy hell different from regular hell?" (I was genuinely curious) He replied, "I don't know I've never been there." We finally talked and he explained it was from the movie Cars (which I've only seen once-I think I saw the whole thing). Then he said "this whole place is hill-billy hell. Everyone!" I replied, "I am not a hill-billy." He says, "No, not you, or the other people. This building is hill-billy."
Suffice it to say, I was confused.
On another note, for those of you wondering, last week I was offered the interim position of milieu manager. I was told it would be for while another woman was on maternity leave, with the possibility of becoming full-time. The reason they said it wasn't full-time now was because I haven't been there a year, but my one year mark should be up when my interim time is done. We'll see!
5 comments:
Glad you let everyone know about the promotion! Congratulations!! I'm really proud of you and the important work you do with these kids! I'm still laughing about some of your stories!
Congratulations! That's pretty cool to get the advancement!
-B
congratulations on your promotion. What will you be doing now? It sounds like you are doing a great job. I don't know just how you put up with those kids. I have often wondered as. I read your stories of how these kids act, if they are not just spoiled brats. However there is a need for someone like you to help them. Again congratulations on your promotion. Love grandpa;.
Is that what you interviewed for a while back? Congrats!
Congratulations! And, seriously, a butter knife? I can't believe the things you put up with.
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