We have sKids EOW, and of course we can't control what/how BM does things on her weeks but on our weeks its one way and her another, right down to what they wear. We have our own sets of rules, clothes, toys, ect. It hit me Sunday as an interesting question - I see a big difference week to week but do other people, like teachers, docs, ect - any one that sees they regularly? I mean it's not criminal or anything but... you know it's different.

It hit me Sunday after we gave the boys a bath - full service, hair washed with REAL shampoo, body wash, nails trimmed, hair brushed, the works. BM doesn't do any of that, just tosses them in with toys to soak. Their breath stunk so I made them brush their teeth when they got there and again before bed. I tossed the awful clothes that she sent them in to the wash, nothing that fits them all of it was too big or too small. (seriously she dresses them like they are retarded).

Monday morning, I cleaned the toys and candy out of their school bags. I got OUR coats and snow pants out of the closet and laid them out. I switched the hats and gloves with ones they were CLEAN. I get out the nice shoes. Made them brushed their teeth AGAIN. I pack a lunch - and I mean PACK so SS6 can find something to eat in there and won't come home 'starving'. And lastly I put them on the Buses.

Now I get on the school website sometimes and they post class photos or things get sent home, I can tell by looking whose week it was but it got me to thinking - do the teachers notice? They do comment from time to time, one teacher told BM last year when SS4 threw a fit that he never did that when I dropped him off and when she sent a note home that said it was okay to send toys with SS4 to school if he made him happy, FDH replied that he didn't need toys at school, one other teacher sent a note home saying NO toys in class.

And I do want to touch more on the clothes and stuff. I know that we shouldn't need two coats but let me tell you why we have 2 sets of some things. See BM back when FDH and I first got serious bought EVERYTHING for the kids and then whined about it (she is a control freak) so we started 'helping' but whenever we did buy something 9 times out of 10 BM just replaces it and we never see the item we bought again. And most times we don't like what she replaces it with, so now we still buy things but when she 'replaces' it we request the item to be returned (which now she does automatically) and we use it just at our house. I know that I shouldn't care what the kids wear but sometimes it is embracing, what she puts on them to the point where if FDH and I have plans with the kids and have to pick them up from BM's house we bring a change of clothes. She dresses them like they are babies (they are 4 and 6) with slip on shoes - that look like slip on shoes - and elastic bands in all their pants, loud shirts with baby animals or something ugly, nothing that fits of course, usually it's too small/short but sometimes it way too big. I finally put I foot down and said I am not taking them in public looking like that because people will think that I dressed them

I was just wondering if any one noticed - I would so love to know what they think when it does dawn on them. And I am pretty sure that BM knows because she has picked the kids up a few times from our house for something, if she is bringing them back the same day sometimes I forget and I send them with 'OUR' stuff.