I am not sure when I will get into a vehicle again....after approx 18+/- hours both ways with Skids sleeping, arguing, making loud noises, crying, screaming, spilling, etc. I just want a vacation from everyone! LOL

The trip east(but not coast) was summed up as successful...but I also excluded myself from a few "family" moments so their dad and his family could spend time together. I also was in some pain from falling down wooden steps in the dark the night we left for our trip so I did not feel as bad staying in to rest up and just have me time.

I met my SO's well blended family and we stayed with one of his aunts. Who was very gracious about us having the whole house to ourselves except the attic/4th floor which she stayed in. She was on a business trip during the week so we just saw her for a few days when we got there and when we left.

I spent some time talking with her on the few occasions my So and the Skids went off somewhere and I wanted to just sit in the recliner and relax without someone squealing or shoving past me. His aunt is actually not blood related but most of his "family" is not....regardless they are good people and everyone was very welcoming.

The Skids played with their cousins, aunts/uncles and neighborhood kids and stayed the night with their Uncle. My SO and I got 2 evenings free and half of this past Friday skid free to go out to dinner and go for a scenic drive like we enjoy doing when its just the 2 of us. He took me up some windy roads and very steep inclines which had me holding the Oh shit handle (OSH) in the car. LOL

Our first choice for dinner the first night had good reviews but we got there and it looked sad, rundown and very few cars.....and it was in an odd location. so we decided to go closer to downtown near one of the rivers for dinner and had a good time.

A pet peeve of mine is bad service...and 90% of the restaurants we went to the wait staff SUCKED. the other 10% was fast food or eating at someones home. so 100% of the restaurant waiters/waitresses...BAD service. They got orders wrong or would not come to check on us or refill drinks..forgot things we asked for, like straw or napkins. 2 Waitresses would be taking our order and start staring at someone elses table or talk to someone passing by. (Hello?!?)

We did not have many upset skids because we let them order what they wanted off the kids menu...we figured it was vacation and we did not want to argue with or punish anyone if we did not have to.

The skids were decent most of the time. My SO thinks the city/town we live in is "SAFE" so he never locks doors and his kids run across roads and stuff like nobody will hit them...but.....on vacation we were in a large city...and he got on them about shoving past people. (strangers and family), not looking before crossing a street or parking lot and many other rude manners they do not do...partially because their DAD never really enforced them. and Lord knows what their BM enforces. So we discussed that no matter where we go they have to be enforced (Like I have ALWAYS said) and the skids would not be so confused then. (Sigh!)

Another peeve is their constant interrupting of adults having a conversation. I corrected them a few times but my SO did not EVER. Thank goodness his father, aunts and uncles did. I am not going to let up about that too. I saw some of my own family on the way to and from vacation and had a nice time.. except for the constant interrupting.

The skids also talked about Mommy's Fiance being mean and beating on their mother...in front of the extended family. About how scared they sometimes get and sometimes mommy does not feed them... I know this is all true but it was really odd how they started talking about it. All 3 of these kids are smart and I think they think its a game to a point..because their mother sure does. They do not know the consequences or how serious what they see and talk about are....and we have spoken to them some but...its not sinking in yet.

I find it odd that my SS was "OK" most of the vacation until toward the end when he started acting up like his "usual" self. He was getting mad for simple requests and just being a terror on the drive home. He finally got his butt spanked for not telling us he had to go potty because he was mad at us prior and giving us the silent treatment. He did not pee his pants...but he almost did.

My youngest SD (7) had diarrhea on the way home and hates medicine so she kept lying to me about why she was taking so long in the bathrooms when we would stop. I later saw her pants and she had stuffed a few extra pairs of dirty panties away...she had been changing them on some of the stops. I spoke with her about it but she refused Pepto and seems to be feeling better this morning. (I kinda figured she was sick and I made sure she had plenty to drink during the trip home)

Their BM aka Dumb Bitch texted daily during the vacation asking to talk to the skids. We replied once in a while but the Skids did talk to her about 4 times. My 2 SD's both cried toward the end of the vacation for their mother. We tried calling her and she did not answer. They got to her house today around lunchtime and my SO called and told me that she said "You technically have them the rest of this week"

REALLY bitch?! What kind of MOTHER are you? Your kids are gone 10 days....You bugged us to talk to the kids but never let them call their dad when you have them... you ask for photos which we send a FEW to you..You even called and texted at 1am...which we ignored because we know you wanted to try and start shit....and you talk about how much you miss them and 5 minutes after dropping them off you want us to take them back?

I want to go over there and punch her in her ugly face.