A Vent Session or Something Like That

I am a bit stressed, so this blog entry may come off as complaining. Leave now or enter at your own risk. haha

My son is being a jerkface lately. He never wants to do his homework, and has been getting a real attitude. Probably hormones/puberty related on the grumpiness, I'm sure (he is fourteen, after all). I just don't know what to do about the homework. Last night, I asked him how he was doing on his homework and if he needed help - he told me no, he was almost done. I asked him periodically through the night how he was doing and he would say he was doing great. At bedtime, I asked to see his assignments and he had literally done 0 homework. Really, dude? Ugh.

Then there's my brother who is 16 and lives with my mom and stepdad (his bio dad). He's trans and my mom/stepdad continually call him she/her still which pisses me off and I have called them on it. Apparently they are consistently having behavioral problems with him with him like skipping school, coming in past curfew, arguing, physical fights with them, etc. I'm assuming because they're jerks to him but... I don't know. I'm not there to see it all. I knew I grew up with them and moved out when I was seventeen because they were so emotionally abusive and made my life so difficult. Anyway, my mom called me last night saying he can either live with me or go to a local home for kids. So, I was on my way to pick him up but she told me while I was on the way that she ended up calling the police on him, who were taking him to the hospital again (psychiatric unit). In the past, I have offered to take him in but my mom always says no while making me feel like a bad guy and now the one time that she gives me permission to, she sends him back into the hospital instead. I'm so frustrated with the whole situation and feel so helpless on what I can do to help. 

Now, I just got a call about an hour ago from the ENT that I took my daughter to. She has a lump in her cheek and they did an ultrasound yesterday. They said she has a swollen lymph node but also cysts that they've only seen in adult HIV patients. They said that they haven't seen a pediatric case like this so now I'm losing my mind. They don't know what is causing it, so they're researching and going to contact some other people in the field to try to help and we may have to do more imaging. I know that I don't have HIV because I have been tested within the past couple years. I don't know what is going on but my baby better be okay!!! (She is 7)

Ugh. That's a lot. I know. Thanks for reading. We are also working on selling our house and buying a house, so I'm going to try to focus on that for the next 24 hours. My son is grounded from video games, and I don't know what is happening with my brother or my daughter for the time being. My brother is in the hospital and my daughter is as safe as she can get until we know what to do. I think maybe I need a hot bath and a glass of wine tonight. 

I am going to remind myself today - life doesn't give you rainbows without the rain. 

-Rachel