For the Guy with Kids and a WW Twenty One

[hopeful4her]

Howdy folks. I was trying to stay away for a spell.

Been trying my drop my rope with the wife and doing it pretty successfully. I've had just a few instances of contact with her since last week, and it all was in reference to the kids. No chit chatting at all.

I did try to call the girls on Saturday. I think that was the last time I posted here. I called her apartment with no answer and then had to leave a message on her cell. She called me later, around 5 or so. I was getting ready to go out again. Turns out she had to work. She said the kids must have been outside playing or something. I told her that I just wanted to talk to D11 about the movie "Twilight" that I was told they were going to see on Friday. She said that they did go see it and that she really liked it. Pretty much a chick flick. I asked if D7 was scared and she said no. I asked if she had gotten any Christmas gifts yet and she said that she had to wait until Wednesday. Payday. I told her that I want to get them MP3 players. I then asked if she wanted to split the cost of a Ripstick for D11 and she said sure. She had seen one at Wallymart for about $70. I told her that I thought they were about $100.

Then she asked how my birthday went. I told her about normal for recent birthdays. Nothing special. I told her that I kept it quiet and that I just went out with some co-workers on Thursday.

"Just another day" I told her.

I asked about the kids wish list and she said that she could call me when she gets home and could tell me whats on the list. I told her to just email it to me.

She never sent it, of course. I asked her to have the girls call me later, which they never did.

On Sunday, I called her about 1 to ask if it was ok to pick up the kids at 4 because my mom wanted to have cake and ice cream. She said that that was fine. I get there and the kids are ready, but not their bags.

Of course.

I hear that they aren't ready and ask the girls, "Your bags aren't ready?"
She looks at me and gets a little pissy, "I'll have their bags ready. You can come pick them up or I'll take 'em to you. I'm still washing."

We head to moms and have an early dinner and cake and ice cream. At the wife's, I noticed her crock pot out, so I was hoping she wasn't going to try to get us to stay for dinner. At her place, she ALMOST has the girls stuff ready. They all go into the girls bedroom to finish packing some stuff. I hear her ask if they are hungry and they say no.

Good. I never sat down at her place. She had the tree up and decorated. Found out that she just bought the decorations on Saturday night and they decorated it that night. A huge, beautiful tree. Not no Charlie Brown tree like I'm going to have to get this year. Must have been expensive, especially for someone with no money. I know trees. I've been buying real trees for the last 20 or so years.

I finally get the girls going and I just give a quick bye to her and leave.

Yesterday, I emailed to ask if I needed to pay daycare. I know she paid last week, but then again, I paid the previous 3 weeks in a row, if ya'll remember. I was being nice. As usual, at the time, I heard, "I'll pay you back".

She responded with a simple, "yes". At least it wasn't all caps this time. I responded,

"Thanks. I was pretty sure that prior to Monday, I had paid the last 3. I pay 'em today."

She sent back later,

"YOU PAID TWO. YOU THOUGHT I PAID DURING THANKSGIVING, BUT I GOT THEM TO GIVE IT TO US AS A VACATION WEEK. I PAID THE NEXT ONE. IF YOU CANT PAY, JUST LET ME KNOW. I CAN PAY IT. MAKES NO DIFFERENCE TO ME."

I didn't respond to her. I did make a calendar of the payments I made, with copies of canceled checks.

I just knew her memory would conveniently fail her. I ended up leaving the copy of the calendar but not the checks at her place. Paid daycare, picked up the girls and went home. D11 said she hadn't heard from her mom yet. At home, started cooking and she called at about 6:45. I told D7 to answer it and I head to the bathroom.

I just knew she wanted to talk to me. At my door, I could hear, "He's in the bathroom."
After a few minutes, I went into the kitchen and D7 is trying to give me the phone. I told her to wait, because I was burning my chicken. I wasn't, but I still didn't want to talk to the wife. She waited for a while and told D7 to have me call her. She never spoke to D11. I didn't call her back and we ate dinner. Later, I saw an IM from her from around 8:45.

"I got your message. I don't know how you paid 3 in a row. I pay the next two."

I didn't answer that either. I wanted to return something snarky, but decided against it.

This morning, I had the girls waiting inside for the school bus because it was pretty dang cold outside for around these parts. Turns out, the stupid bus didn't stop and the girls didn't notice it. By the time we figured it out, I went looking in our neighborhood for it, but it was gone.

I decided we were all going to have a free day today and I called in sick. We have had a blast today. Movies, popcorn, playing, making lunches, being bums together, for the most part. The wife emailed me earlier as a response to my last email from yesterday. Must have been around 10.

"Primetime has openings. I was thinking of enrolling D7. What is your input? The cost is $198 compared to $300. I trying to save money where we can. Let me know what you think. I want to ask D7 what she thinks too."

I waited until about 2 to respond.

"We need to move her to Primetime. She should be fine. I don't think she has gotten too attached to the daycare and she knows kids at the Primetime. Hopefully, we don't have to pay until January."

Now, going to work on dinner for tonight.

Like I told Beej this morning, I am determined to drop her. I'm just not sure if its because I can't stand her anymore or if I'm DBing.

I keep feeling nothing but contempt for her. Not good if I was trying to save a marriage. And Puppy's sitch sure is making me think, too. Trying to figure out if it's better to try to salvage the R or the marriage, because the marriage seems like a goner.