So this weekend was kind of tiring. It wasn't a terrible weekend with the fskids, but it was draining. Last week I wasn't feeling too hot to begin with, but by the weekend I was sick, tired and irritable. I told BF that I may not be in the best of moods. Two separate issues arose this weekend that made it not so great: one is my lack of authority with the kids, and the other was BM's hypocrisy.

1) While I was washing dishes FSD tried reaching for a cork on the shelf above me. I told her to leave it alone. She continued to reach for it and ignored me. BF apparently was watching the whole thing and was furious that FSD ignored me, so he snapped at her saying, "Helena said to leave it!" Thank you BF! Unfortunately it underscored my lack of authority. This was further highlighted by FSS's play. My BF and I both have "toys" that belong to each of us. FSS loves and protects BF's toy, but enjoyed mistreating mine (it wasn't cruel, but it's what he does to get a rise out of his sister--definitely not putting me on the same authority level as his father). BF and I had a long conversation about this truth (my minimized authority) and some possible solutions, but that wasn't very uplifting. He said he'd rather me be the evil stepmother than let the kids walk all over me. Isn't there some happy medium (I wish)?

2) When BF was putting FSS into his pjs on Friday, he was totally disturbed/disgusted because FSS was rank. You could smell him from across the room, and it was pretty nasty. FSS is only about 4 years old, so one would assume BM would have noticed this stench when she got him dressed that morning? They had Friday off school for Veteran's Day, and she wasn't working... anyway, I'm projecting some of BF's rant. Then the next night (Saturday) when BF pulled out FSD's pjs, he looked pissed and told me to smell them. They smelled like pee. Bad. Well we know that FSD wets the bed, but she didn't wet it on Friday night. That means that her mom packed her dirty pee-smelling pjs. You can't tell me that she didn't smell those things when she picked them up. I suppose FSD may have packed her own suitcase, but you would think BM would check it (in the past when FSD has packed her own suitcase she's always forgotten something essential--like panties, and BM knows that). So all this pissed BF off quite a bit. On Sunday when we were dropping the kids off, BM once again came around and stood about a foot away from me on my side of the truck, but I don't know why she stood there for so long (BF was in the truck getting the car-seat out, but BM's hands were full). FSD walked up to us (shocking) and BM asked her if she had showered. FSD said no. BM ran her hands through FSD's hair and said, "Your hair is so greasy. That's gross. Why didn't you shower?" FSD just kind of shrugged. I wanted to stomp of BM's foot. Really? We have them for four whole days out of the month. You brought FSS to us smelling like death and gave FSD pee pjs, but yes, it's gross that her hair is greasy. Maybe if FSD hadn't been throwing a tantrum that morning she would have had time to shower (she took 2 hours to eat her breakfast because she didn't want it but BF refused to let her leave the table without finishing at least half). I'm not mad at FSD though--she was being a bratty 8 year old, but nothing more. I'm mad at BM. That was pretty clearly a conversation she had in front of me in order to say "You don't take care of my kids."

Anyway, I'm just tired. I've talked to BF a lot and it helps, but I just needed to lay it all out there. And I'm still sick. Bleh.