Well, the four-day Father’s Day extravaganza is finally over! Phew. Here are some highlights:

- FDH had the kids Thursday night and wanted to take the day off Friday to spend some extra time with them. Since I work from home, I knew this would end up being a problem for me, and for them dealing with cranky me, so I kindly left Thursday night and spent the night with a friend who also works from home.
- SD17 still won’t visit so it was just SD12 and SD14.
- I spent Friday working at my friend’s house and all went well. I get home around dinner time and arrived in a happy, smiley mood. SD12 decides to outright ignore me when I very nicely say hello to her nicely. Despite being one foot away, somehow FDH “doesn’t hear” this and
does nothing about this. Argument ensues.
- Since BM was picking up the kids early Sunday and ruining Father’s Day for him, we decided to celebrate on Saturday at a beautiful state park. SD12 doesn’t want to go because she wants to be on her computer, as usual. She complains the entire time and cuts short our trip.
- BM arrives 15 minutes early Sunday morning. I walk out of my room to see her and SD17 on the front porch (door closed), talking to FDH and everyone looking tense. I have to admit that seeing her standing out there in the heat made me smile. No lady—not coming in here.
- BM announces that it was never her intention to take SD12 along with her to drop the older ones off to their grandparents for the summer. So basically, at the last minute we are stuck with SD12 and our plans are ruined.
- FDH announces to me that he will drop SD off at BM’s that night (versus Monday morning) but that never happened and I still don’t know why.
- FDH decides that for Father’s Day he wants to go on a scenic boat tour. SD gives him a hard time about this too.
- We go on the tour and she sits there scowling the whole time because, again, she would prefer to be on her computer. (She’d already used her allotted 4 hours that day anyway)
- We go out to a nice late lunch.
- We arrive home and FDH decides suddenly that he no longer cares about our agreed upon 4-hour per day computer time limit for her. Keep in mind that she’s a computer addict and this rule was put in place based on therapist feedback and the fact that the first visit of the summer resulted in her staying up all night on it and missing a doctor appointment the next day as a result. Another argument ensues where he admits he’s afraid to set limits because he doesn’t want her mad at him and is afraid she will stop visiting.
- After 6.5 hours of computer time, he decides to enforce it. Takes her shopping for stuff to do. She apparently must be entertained 100% of the time. (see Disney Dad fear above)

And then day 4 of this occurred last night:
- SS- STB 19 comes for yet another Father’s Day meal. He was working over the weekend, so fine.
- Before he arrived, I warned FDH that he needed to instruct his son not to invite his friends over to our house that evening, as he did the last two times he was here, without asking.
- SS arrives 20 minutes late. FDH had been holding up dinner so it would be hot. SS was annoyed that dinner was not ready.
- Started eating the bread out of the bread basket on the table, without asking, while dinner was cooking.
- SS was handed his plate first and was well into his second bite before either one of us could sit down at the table
- Decided he needed a refill on his milk so he just took the gallon from the fridge and plopped it down on the table where it sat getting warm for 20 minutes until FDH told him to put it away. He groaned at this huge imposition. He does this all the time. He thinks fridges and cabinets work one way—stuff comes out but never goes back.
- Only put his plate in the dishwasher—rest of his place setting just sat there.
- Left about 20 pieces of arugula all over the table near his plate. Made no attempt to clean it up. I left it for FDH to clean up which he did
- Walked on my couch with dirty feet—he’s 6 ‘3” and walking on someone’s couch. Unbelievable. FDH didn’t notice this until he saw the look on my face and realized how crazy it was and then barked at him and looked embarrassed that his son just did that.
- Immediately took over the TV and watched two episodes of the show he wanted and then was irritated when we wanted to watch something else and FDH asked for the remote.
- Got a snack and left the cabinets open in the kitchen. BTW- my own son does this and it makes me crazy. The difference is that I can say something to my son without fear of being called evil and demanding.
- Put his big feet on the coffee table directly in front of where I was sitting – he was lying down so basically, I had the bottoms of his feet in my face.
- Was reminded to please use a coaster for his water. Sighed heavily at yet another huge imposition. Used it once and then proceeded to set his glass down wherever he wanted thereafter
- Left his empty milk glass, water glass and ice cream bowl sitting on the coffee table. FDH asked him to put away his ice cream bowl. Since he didn’t specifically mention the other two things, he left them there.
- Went to bed without saying anything to us.

I guess he got up and went to work this morning. I didn’t see him. I am just SO glad this is over. No kids until Thursday night then a whole week free after that. Thank god for the future of my sanity.