Yesterday, we had made plans to do something with the kids and our student. 

On Friday when our student came home from dinner with his co-ordinator, he asked if we had plans for Monday (Victoria Day Holiday).  He said that his co-ordinator would be doing something with the students whose families weren’t doing anything.  I understood this to mean that they would prefer us to do something with the students.

Jon and I talked about it and threw out a bunch of ideas.  We settled on a few things to do.  Honestly, we would have preferred to do nothing on Monday.  Jon had been working 14 hour days all last week, and we were exhausted.  We also understood that part of the homestay program was to take care of our student. 

We all had breakfast together on Monday morning, and over breakfast I shared what our schedule for the day was going to be.  I didn’t tell them specifically what we were going to be doing as I needed to confirm whether or not a few of the places were actually open on the holiday Monday.

About 5 minutes after we got up from the table to spend a bit of time tidying the house (the kids had to tidy their rooms and help with a few easy chores) the phone rang and it was the Korean Co-Ordinator who wanted to talk to our student.  A few minutes later, he came to me and told me that he would be picked up at 11am.  I was shocked and blown away.  We had plans!  I told him we had plans.  We had spent the past few days trying to come up with plans suitable for all of us to enjoy.  I was so upset!  I asked him why when we had plans as a family to do and do something would he not tell the Co-Ordinator that we had plans.  He mumbled something about having more fun with his friends.

I told him that I was going to call his Co-Ordinator and then walked away.  When I called her, I asked what was going on, as I had just told him that we were going to do something as a family.  She didn’t realize that we had plans.  He hadn’t told her.  I understand that this was not something on her part, but on his.  It still doens’t make any of this easier.  This whole situation has been awful.  The student is a nice kid – sometimes, but right now I’ve almost had it.  It’s almost at the point where I just want to say, “Take him and place him somewhere else for the last month.”  This has been a very frustrating couple of months.

i didn’t keep him from having fun and going out with his friends.  It actually made things easier for us as a family, and we scrapped the other ideas, and took the kids out to a movie.  It was a nice relaxing day for us.  As it turns out, the students went to Red Robin’s and the mall.  I think that he might have had more fun with us either way, if we went on the outings, or even just to the movie.  Oh well!

A lady from the Canadian Homestay Program called me this morning to talk about the whole stealing issue.  I explained that I was so frustrated with this particular program.  I felt bad because I don’t want to be unleashing my verbal direahea of frustration on her or any one.  I told her that I had talked with the student, and I thougt that things were okay.  I re-hashed the whole situation with her.  She is going to have one of their Korean assistants talk to our student in his native language to make sure that things are okay, to make sure that we understand the same things, and are on the same page. 

I’ll keep ya posted, ’cause i know you’re on the edge of your seats with this gripping thriller.

The kids have a school holiday today.  We are just kicking it backand relaxing at home.  Yesterday, I was able to tidy a bit of the house.  I vaccumed the TV room, including the couches, and behind the couches, and in the edges and corners.  It feels nice and clean in there.  Jeremy’s room got cleared out as well.  I still need to go through his room and weed out anyting he’s not playing with anymore.  The girls cleaned their rooms, and vaccumed.  Our student even tidied his room with a lot of help and co-ercing.  Xan tidied the front hall.  OUr house is looking not too badly.  I’m almost in the de-clutter zone.  You know, where your house is tidy enough that you can actually attempt to weed out some of the garbage.  Oh well, a friend just showed for coffee so I gotta go.  Peace out!