Hound dog
Nana's are Beautiful
Well, it's only taken what 11 yrs? But Kayla and Alex finally had another birthday party.
Katie and M are really bad at making promises to the kids, promises they very rarely deliver on. (a pet peeve of mine due to my own mom) Their intentions may be good, but the result is the same and the kids are hurt by it repeatedly, have been for years.
Katie has promised the kids a birthday party for 2 yrs (this would be the 3rd) and cancelled them. She promised them a birthday bbq this year.......cancelled the plans for the one at their apartment. Then made arrangements to have it at my house, cancelled that one. Nichole was furious because Alex had requested she bake him a from scratch cake that takes time and effort.......and Katie waited until the last moment to call it off.
I put my foot down over her doing it this weekend because of starting work. I'll be working 10 hrs a day 6 days a wk with the occasional weekend free. I'm not going to have much time for a social life. I did not want to see the kids disappointed again.
It was really nothing special. Mostly a family bbq with cake. This time a store bought cake Nichole literally picked up last minute and placed the decor she had bought on top once she got to my house. She was not going through all the trouble of doing a from scratch cake and having katie cancel again. I didn't blame her. It was a scorcher today (last weekend was beautiful) so I had Travis fill up the 2 wading pools to help keep the kids cool. Katie had called and said that pork ribs that M had planned to cook might have went bad as they smelled sort of odd. I knew they were bad as they'd had them for 3 wks. omg ick (she'd told me when he picked them up because she was mad he'd done it without asking what she'd planned for the menu and they're expensive) I told her they were bad and not to eat them. I'd cover her with some brauts I'd gotten cheap on sale.........she still had the hotdogs/buns we'd picked up together and I knew they were good. easy child bought potato salad. (she wasn't making from scratch with the high chance of another cancellation either). I provided drinks and chips.......and of course the place to have it.
The kids had fun with the water. Honestly, I think her kids just enjoy being OUTSIDE in an actual yard to play, especially the boys. Food was good. Cake was a hit, despite being store bought. Since it was both kids party..........I helped Nichole pick out a neutral cake. The cake toppers were a major hit. She had batman for Alex's side and a mustache thing for Kayla's. I don't get the mustache thing but Kayla went bonkers for it. lol
Presents. Now people we don't even bother with wrapping paper. lol But we do at least try whenever possible to encourage a passion of a child.
Kayla loves art, drawing painting ect. She is getting quite good as she is practicing more with family encouragement. I gave her a table top easel (knowing they don't have much room), a pallet, some canvases, and a couple of books on how to draw this or that. Travis gave her a book on how to draw anime. Nichole gave her some lovely boots. easy child gave her another drawing book.
Alex is big time into magic. I didn't quite grasp how much it means to him until he opened his presents. I think I made the child's year. lol His eyes literally lit up. And even as I showed him each trick..........he was utterly truly amazed. I showed him after I did the tricks for him how they worked. The child was still utterly amazed. He was over the top excited when he realized I had chosen tricks that he could easily do himself. I thought he was going to faint when I explained to him these were not mere toys, but they were real magic tricks I'd gotten for him from a real magician. lol (true) easy child had found him magic trick books. (same magician. we explained about Alex and she chose ones he should not have trouble with) Aunt Nichole got him a magic hat. (no clue where she found it lol ) Travis got him an action figure, batman of course.
I will say one thing. Katie's kids are an utter joy to give presents to. It is obvious, starkly obvious, that the fact that we knew what their passions were........that we cared enough to encourage them......to find them something to help them learn and grow........just blew them away. I've not been hugged so much in quite a while. lol The reactions on their faces were worth a million dollars.
That said.......the invisible dog was a hit. Although Aubrey is still trying to figure out why she can't see the dog.
(at least the magic tricks didn't freak her out so much this time)
I'm a bit miffed that Katie promised Alex to swim at the Y pool for his birthday present from her and M. Kayla got hers....a cell phone she is now grounded from. Alex is still waiting on his gift because of course it was yet again another promise that they couldn't deliver. It's 5.00 per person and Alex can't go alone....which means the whole family wold go and M is only working 1 day a week at min wage. Katie was trying to tell them in the car that she said *might*. Uh, no. I heard her promise myself several times. She said that it's too expensive and probably when I get a 3 day weekend they can spend the day at the local beach instead. Um. I had said that if I had the chance I'd like to take the kids to the beach one day maybe with nichole and easy child and kids. I did not volunteer to be katie's alternate birthday present trip to the beach. It is doubtful we will get together as a big family group again before the holidays start rolling around. School will be starting here in about 3 wks. So alex got scr*wed over once again by a broken promise. ugh Makes me want to slap them, it really does.
I made sure that I told the kids that I didn't know if I'd be able to take them to the beach before the end of summer. We'd have to see how my work schedule goes. And I explained to them I work 6 days a week. Sorry, but I won't lie to a kid, even to make them feel better. I also won't make a promise to a child if I think there is a chance I won't be able to deliver. My kids will tell you I rarely promise, and when I do I move heaven and earth to deliver. I always deliver.
I chatted with katie via fb (yes, we're back to that......phone calls have stopped again)this evening. I thought she was doing so well with the Munchhausen behavior...............but well, I got a break from it for a while. lol I can bite my tongue (and do) about a LOT of things, but this one.........I just really can't manage. I think I know why it started. Katie had told me that being stuck in the house all the time was driving her crazy and she was busy looking for work, especially since M is down to just that one day and let's face it.....people are not eager to hire him. So when i got the job at the candle factory I told her they were hiring (always are) and if she wanted to apply and work 3rd shift I'd be her ride. Now this evening I got the whole "I'm dying, I'm so sick, I've got chari malformation" routine again. (she also has a bad memory, I've told her endlessly she does NOT have that d@mn diagnosis, as has about 5 docs now) I think I ticked her off. I told her she has lymph edema and she needs to get up and walk and move. She has "migraines" because she refuses to go to the dentist have have her teeth cared for, that at the very least if she would get that taken care of her "migraines" would dramatically decrease in both severity and frequency. (her symptoms are actually that of an abscessed tooth/teeth)
I'm sorry she is just going to have to have that pity party for attention with someone else. If you don't want to work just say so. I only brought it up cuz she said she was looking for work.
I also gave her the name, address, and phone number of the dentist I went to that I know will medicate her properly, treat her and the kids wonderfully, and takes welfare insurance.
She suddenly was done talking to me. LOL
Oh, well. I tried. Still, was a good day for Alex and Kayla and that is what counts.
Katie and M are really bad at making promises to the kids, promises they very rarely deliver on. (a pet peeve of mine due to my own mom) Their intentions may be good, but the result is the same and the kids are hurt by it repeatedly, have been for years.
Katie has promised the kids a birthday party for 2 yrs (this would be the 3rd) and cancelled them. She promised them a birthday bbq this year.......cancelled the plans for the one at their apartment. Then made arrangements to have it at my house, cancelled that one. Nichole was furious because Alex had requested she bake him a from scratch cake that takes time and effort.......and Katie waited until the last moment to call it off.
I put my foot down over her doing it this weekend because of starting work. I'll be working 10 hrs a day 6 days a wk with the occasional weekend free. I'm not going to have much time for a social life. I did not want to see the kids disappointed again.
It was really nothing special. Mostly a family bbq with cake. This time a store bought cake Nichole literally picked up last minute and placed the decor she had bought on top once she got to my house. She was not going through all the trouble of doing a from scratch cake and having katie cancel again. I didn't blame her. It was a scorcher today (last weekend was beautiful) so I had Travis fill up the 2 wading pools to help keep the kids cool. Katie had called and said that pork ribs that M had planned to cook might have went bad as they smelled sort of odd. I knew they were bad as they'd had them for 3 wks. omg ick (she'd told me when he picked them up because she was mad he'd done it without asking what she'd planned for the menu and they're expensive) I told her they were bad and not to eat them. I'd cover her with some brauts I'd gotten cheap on sale.........she still had the hotdogs/buns we'd picked up together and I knew they were good. easy child bought potato salad. (she wasn't making from scratch with the high chance of another cancellation either). I provided drinks and chips.......and of course the place to have it.
The kids had fun with the water. Honestly, I think her kids just enjoy being OUTSIDE in an actual yard to play, especially the boys. Food was good. Cake was a hit, despite being store bought. Since it was both kids party..........I helped Nichole pick out a neutral cake. The cake toppers were a major hit. She had batman for Alex's side and a mustache thing for Kayla's. I don't get the mustache thing but Kayla went bonkers for it. lol
Presents. Now people we don't even bother with wrapping paper. lol But we do at least try whenever possible to encourage a passion of a child.
Kayla loves art, drawing painting ect. She is getting quite good as she is practicing more with family encouragement. I gave her a table top easel (knowing they don't have much room), a pallet, some canvases, and a couple of books on how to draw this or that. Travis gave her a book on how to draw anime. Nichole gave her some lovely boots. easy child gave her another drawing book.
Alex is big time into magic. I didn't quite grasp how much it means to him until he opened his presents. I think I made the child's year. lol His eyes literally lit up. And even as I showed him each trick..........he was utterly truly amazed. I showed him after I did the tricks for him how they worked. The child was still utterly amazed. He was over the top excited when he realized I had chosen tricks that he could easily do himself. I thought he was going to faint when I explained to him these were not mere toys, but they were real magic tricks I'd gotten for him from a real magician. lol (true) easy child had found him magic trick books. (same magician. we explained about Alex and she chose ones he should not have trouble with) Aunt Nichole got him a magic hat. (no clue where she found it lol ) Travis got him an action figure, batman of course.
I will say one thing. Katie's kids are an utter joy to give presents to. It is obvious, starkly obvious, that the fact that we knew what their passions were........that we cared enough to encourage them......to find them something to help them learn and grow........just blew them away. I've not been hugged so much in quite a while. lol The reactions on their faces were worth a million dollars.
That said.......the invisible dog was a hit. Although Aubrey is still trying to figure out why she can't see the dog.
(at least the magic tricks didn't freak her out so much this time) I'm a bit miffed that Katie promised Alex to swim at the Y pool for his birthday present from her and M. Kayla got hers....a cell phone she is now grounded from. Alex is still waiting on his gift because of course it was yet again another promise that they couldn't deliver. It's 5.00 per person and Alex can't go alone....which means the whole family wold go and M is only working 1 day a week at min wage. Katie was trying to tell them in the car that she said *might*. Uh, no. I heard her promise myself several times. She said that it's too expensive and probably when I get a 3 day weekend they can spend the day at the local beach instead. Um. I had said that if I had the chance I'd like to take the kids to the beach one day maybe with nichole and easy child and kids. I did not volunteer to be katie's alternate birthday present trip to the beach. It is doubtful we will get together as a big family group again before the holidays start rolling around. School will be starting here in about 3 wks. So alex got scr*wed over once again by a broken promise. ugh Makes me want to slap them, it really does.
I made sure that I told the kids that I didn't know if I'd be able to take them to the beach before the end of summer. We'd have to see how my work schedule goes. And I explained to them I work 6 days a week. Sorry, but I won't lie to a kid, even to make them feel better. I also won't make a promise to a child if I think there is a chance I won't be able to deliver. My kids will tell you I rarely promise, and when I do I move heaven and earth to deliver. I always deliver.
I chatted with katie via fb (yes, we're back to that......phone calls have stopped again)this evening. I thought she was doing so well with the Munchhausen behavior...............but well, I got a break from it for a while. lol I can bite my tongue (and do) about a LOT of things, but this one.........I just really can't manage. I think I know why it started. Katie had told me that being stuck in the house all the time was driving her crazy and she was busy looking for work, especially since M is down to just that one day and let's face it.....people are not eager to hire him. So when i got the job at the candle factory I told her they were hiring (always are) and if she wanted to apply and work 3rd shift I'd be her ride. Now this evening I got the whole "I'm dying, I'm so sick, I've got chari malformation" routine again. (she also has a bad memory, I've told her endlessly she does NOT have that d@mn diagnosis, as has about 5 docs now) I think I ticked her off. I told her she has lymph edema and she needs to get up and walk and move. She has "migraines" because she refuses to go to the dentist have have her teeth cared for, that at the very least if she would get that taken care of her "migraines" would dramatically decrease in both severity and frequency. (her symptoms are actually that of an abscessed tooth/teeth)
I'm sorry she is just going to have to have that pity party for attention with someone else. If you don't want to work just say so. I only brought it up cuz she said she was looking for work.
I also gave her the name, address, and phone number of the dentist I went to that I know will medicate her properly, treat her and the kids wonderfully, and takes welfare insurance.
She suddenly was done talking to me. LOL
Oh, well. I tried. Still, was a good day for Alex and Kayla and that is what counts.
