Family

I know I am no longer part of Dave's "family" which consists of his children.  Mike may disagree with that assessment, but he is part of my family.  

Christmas morning I texted Doug asking him to put my stockpot out on the porch the next time he is there.  I need it.  And I said he could put the plants out also and text me. Poor plants are probably not happy if they still live.  Anyway he did text back and said he would and had he checked his phone earlier he could have done it when he was at the house.  Oh and btw he will give me paperwork back this weekend (we'll see).

I left all Christmas greetings in the court of Dave's children.  Mike called.  Tanya remembered  her manners Christmas night and texted merry Christmas.  And to be fair she did give us a card on the solstice.  

I am amazed at the disregard for Audrie and Connor.  Started with Connor's birthday.  Doug and Kristie were there and didn't even tell the little man happy birthday.  Just ignored the kids and that is mostly how it was until they were asked to leave Dave's house.  And it hit me.  Doug is jealous of the littles in the same way Tanya is/was.  Dave's world the last five years has been about the littles.  As full time Papa and parent.  He had discovered the joy of it and he never had it with his children.  And so his children can't handle the littles having what they did not.  And that explains why Adrianna and Elizabeth get birthday gifts and Christmas presents from their uncle and these two do not.  Tanya hasn't done presents (except for this birthday Connor got a cool flashlight) for them since she abolished the family.  This year we did give Adrianna and Elizabeth gifts for Christmas.  Since we did not have specific plans we gave them to them on the solstice.  We also had presents for Doug and Kristie. Those won't be given now.  Call me vindictive, but it is what it is.  I'm not giving presents to people who didn't even acknowledge the holiday for us or how hard it might have been.  And ones who don't even ask how the littles are doing.   

Makes we almost cry for the littles.  They get the short sucky end of the stick for sure.  They don't have parents that raise them.  They lost one of the only grandparents that was raising them.  Connor has not even met Cassie's dad and Audrie met him when she was a month old.  Nita is very busy up north with the other grandchildren. The aunts and uncles up north are just far enough away to not be involved.  And the ones who are here so obviously don't want to be involved.  Sad for the littles.  

Maybe it is time to expand our world in a different direction.