Today started off as a good day, until it wasn’t. I worked from home like normal, nothing out of the ordinary, until I started getting alerts from the GPS tracker on the car that CL drives. He knows about the tracker and agreed to it when we set up the arrangement. It’s there so I can protect my asset, because $8,700 is no small amount to risk.
What did I find? He was driving to KFC for lunch and chauffeuring his friends around town. This is in clear violation of our agreement that the car is only to be used for groceries, job interviews, and emergencies. When I brought it up to AJ, she kind of brushed it off. That didn’t sit well with me at all. She doesn’t say it out loud, but I don’t think she cares if I’m upset about this. She lets both CL and AW walk all over her, and it feels like she doesn’t want to hold them accountable. Well, I do. If this behavior with CL continues, I’ll take the car back and sell it. I know I won’t get the full $8,700, but I’ll get something, and at least I’ll know the lesson is clear.
Later, AE got home from school and immediately started pushing buttons. He flat-out refused to do his simple chores, picking up his room and taking a shower. It amazes me how much he resists being clean, as if even the basics are too much to ask.
Things escalated once AJ got home from work. AE was already being rambunctious, and when asked to settle down, he didn’t. Instead of correcting him, she tried to redirect the energy and invited him to help cook dinner. That’s something I really struggle with because I won’t eat food he’s touched, he’s constantly putting his fingers in his nose or mouth. Thankfully, he declined, but he still made a mess in the kitchen with other things. And, as usual, she allowed it. Which meant later, I was the one left to clean it up.
A few hours later, nothing had changed. He was still wild, and she did nothing about it. He continued to refuse a shower but eventually decided he wanted a bath. Normally that wouldn’t be an issue, but this 11-year-old manages to flood the bathroom every time, and if I don’t clean it up, the water just sits there. Once again, I was the one stuck with it.
Then, right before bed, AJ put the dog in AE’s room. She knows the dog has a habit of using the floor as a bathroom, and I’ve made it clear I don’t want the dog in there at night. It will ruin the carpet. This is my home, I pay for it. AJ doesn’t cover anything in the household except food. Yet another rule broken because she gives in to what AE wants.
All of this has me thinking seriously about a prenuptial agreement before we get married. It’s not something I want to do, but days like this make me realize how important it might be.
Drifted Notes 