Week Five-Seven: Monsters vs. Aliens

Daniel's dad moved back in state when a seasonal job was done. He was homeless so he couldn't offer his son a living but they were together every evening at least for a couple of weeks. We set up plans the next couple of weeks, but a kid starved for attention from his dad forgot I was coming. I didn't mind. It was never my intention to replace his dad. It mostly affected Jared. I wasn't technically his "Big Brother" so to speak and he missed the outings.

The foster mom was trying to tell me that I should just change who I mentored, as if it were that easy. Daniel was assigned a mentor before he had foster parents and even though he had been given several different case social workers who had now kind of lost track of him, I knew he needed me with or without his parents in the picture. Plus, Jared wasn't even part of the mentor program yet. I told her to get Jared signed up. I also hadn't told the mentoring program that two boys were coming to each activity, anyway. So this was becoming a little precarious.

Nonetheless, both boys were excited for a dollar movie showing of Monsters vs. Aliens. We went to an all you can eat pizza place first. I learned something more about each of them. Jared doesn't spare food. Being in tne foster system as long as he had been you eat what you get. Daniel on the other hand doesn't like eating the crust. This particular eatery had a rule, however; eat everything you take or pay an extra few dollars for any food left on your plate. I told Daniel I wasn't paying for more and it would have to come out of the money his parents freely threw at him for his love (He had been given $30 that week just because [which turned Jared into his beggar]). Daniel promptly shoved the pizza crusts into his pants pockets and went to the bathroom where he could throw the food away. Yeah, I had to compromise a little. I was at least able to explain to him about how an all you can eat business can't afford to provide more pizza than is going into your stomach. Can't say I was sure how to stop him from running off with the remains in his pockets either. Lesson learned for both of us: we wouldn't be back to this place together. Jared wanted to sit in the front row and Daniel wanted to sit in the back of the theater. I elected for somewhere in between. Jared would have had to squint if we sat any farther away Daniel told me later, but Jared was too embarrassed to tell anyone he needs to see an eye doctor. Jared saved his ticket stub of Monsters vs. Aliens. He doesn't get out much. Daniel didn't! His dad had brought him to a movie nearly every night over the past couple weeks. All and all, it was a good day!