Thanks Roist, Bttrfly, Job, Sotto and Esame. I appreciate all the advice and support.
Job and Sotto- it cracks me up that you are on "tree watch." Remember, h did say it was not just a holiday tree, rather, it was a tree for all seasons. (It has ornaments and frosted faux snow.)
And Job - regarding your h building excuses to get out of going places? Awful, just awful. Wonder if my h will do the same.
Boy-oh-boy, do I have a doozy of a story. Job, this one has gotta be one for the MLC books.
Yesterday, after returning home I notice some of h's stuff outside his room on this ledge. And the stuff he moved would make space for "the tree." So I pop my head into the garage but the tree is still there. Hmm.
Later that night h asks the kids to watch a sports event with him in his room. He makes a big fuss over it: "guys, do you want to watch x with me in my room?" Kids say yes. So he says be down at x time. Then later he reminds them again. And then further on he tells them "10 minutes to start time." I just assume he is really looking forward to this sports thing.
I am upstairs reading. Hours later, s11 comes up when they are done. We watch a little tv but it's late, about 10, so about time for him to hit the hay. There's a loud banging noise downstairs and I assume s13 is just being really rough with his Nerf basketball game. But it's really loud and keeps going on. So I pop my head over the ledge and ask s what the racket is. S13 from his room, upstairs, answers it's not him. Uh oh. That only leaves one person . . .
So I ask h, what is going on down there? He snaps "nothing!" And is super cranky. He tells me just to go to bed. I tell him s11 does need to go to bed and can't with all the hammering. And I think: what if he is trying to build an addition onto the stinky dorm room?
Turns out h removed the door to the dorm room off its hinges so that a couch could fit through the doorway and they could all watch in his room! Only now, he was having a problem getting the door back. And he was sooo mad.
I wonder if he is trying to compete with me by "hosting" in his room? The kids are often in my room. Maybe he's jealous? Or maybe h's at the age where he wants to have friends over in his space? This became important to s13 this summer.
Ok, so remember the box of cords he found a few weeks ago? He goes to the closet and can't find them. He asks who took his cords. He is frustrated. We all say "not I." And sure enough he finds the cords and apologizes to us. Drilling noise follows.
He does get the door back up. I am sure he is relieved as of course, without a door, how can he can possibly leave the house?!?
This morning he wakes up and he is cheerful with the kids but sooo grumpy with me. I go play tennis.
H is just sooooo cranky. ALL.THE.TIME. This is how he was pre BD. The difference is I was so confused back then. Well, I am still confused but for different reasons altogether now . . .
