Pictures and other drama.
I was filling out the order form for Daughter's basketball pictures. (You know, the ones where The Ex said she wanted a photo package and Daughter's senior banner for a grand total of $135?) Daughter asked if I was filling out the form "for everything." I said I was writing down what I wanted, I didn't know what The Ex wanted. I asked if The Ex still wanted the $90 package; Daughter said no, she wanted something else. I asked if The Ex still wanted the senior banner because I had called the school to ask and they said that we were able to buy more than one if we wanted. Daughter said, "No, she said she was 'just kidding' about the banner." (So...The Ex said she wanted a $45 banner as a joke? Or a more realistic scenario is that a)The Ex thought the banner was free and said she wanted it, or b)The Ex thought we'd pay for it and she could have it.) Daughter told me what The Ex wanted to order; it came to $42.
I asked how The Ex was going to pay for these pictures. Daughter said that she was going to pay for them. I said, "...so, you're buying your own pictures?" Daughter said yes and no; she was going to pay for them and The Ex was going to pay her back. I asked when The Ex was going to pay her back and Daughter said probably the next time she went up to Tiny City. I said I could save Daughter a trip to the bank and pay for the pictures myself, but I needed to know when I'd be getting paid back because I couldn't wait forever. Daughter said she could ask.
I whined to other people - not Daughter - about this because after 14 years, I'm tired of always being the bigger person. I'm tired of paying The Ex's bills, I'm tired of parenting because The Ex refuses to, I'm tired of all the extra effort that we've always got to put into everything just so that The Ex doesn't find a little loophole and screw us over for the millionth time. I was just feeling particularly spiteful and whiney, which is horrible of me right around Christmas. Ultimately, I swallowed my pride and wrote out the check for the damn forty-two dollars and figured I'd hold the order ransom until we got reimbursed.
Daughter came home last night and tossed me cash. I totally forgot what it was for until I counted it; I had an "ah ha!" moment and told Daughter thank you. She said, "Do you know what I had to do to get that?" (Oh boy.) Daughter said that she told The Ex that she had paid for the pictures to make sure that The Ex paid "her" for the order; she said, "If I told her that you paid for them, I knew she wouldn't pay you back right away." (It's a sad day when a 17-year-old lies to her mother to ensure that she does the right thing.)
Daughter also said that she asked The Ex to cut her hair over the weekend. When The Ex said no, Daughter replied, "Fine, I'll just have [my name] do it" which obviously didn't sit well with The Ex. (Daughter has said repeatedly that I'm the only non-professional she trusts to cut her hair. I must do an okay job because she always asks me to do it.)
And finally, Daughter said that over the weekend, The Ex yelled at her for spending time over at her grandparents and not with The Ex; the following day, The Ex told Daughter she's so glad that Daughter is spending time with her grandparents because they're getting old.
From us to Daughter to her own siblings, The Ex's bipolar attitude just won't quit.
I asked how The Ex was going to pay for these pictures. Daughter said that she was going to pay for them. I said, "...so, you're buying your own pictures?" Daughter said yes and no; she was going to pay for them and The Ex was going to pay her back. I asked when The Ex was going to pay her back and Daughter said probably the next time she went up to Tiny City. I said I could save Daughter a trip to the bank and pay for the pictures myself, but I needed to know when I'd be getting paid back because I couldn't wait forever. Daughter said she could ask.
I whined to other people - not Daughter - about this because after 14 years, I'm tired of always being the bigger person. I'm tired of paying The Ex's bills, I'm tired of parenting because The Ex refuses to, I'm tired of all the extra effort that we've always got to put into everything just so that The Ex doesn't find a little loophole and screw us over for the millionth time. I was just feeling particularly spiteful and whiney, which is horrible of me right around Christmas. Ultimately, I swallowed my pride and wrote out the check for the damn forty-two dollars and figured I'd hold the order ransom until we got reimbursed.
Daughter came home last night and tossed me cash. I totally forgot what it was for until I counted it; I had an "ah ha!" moment and told Daughter thank you. She said, "Do you know what I had to do to get that?" (Oh boy.) Daughter said that she told The Ex that she had paid for the pictures to make sure that The Ex paid "her" for the order; she said, "If I told her that you paid for them, I knew she wouldn't pay you back right away." (It's a sad day when a 17-year-old lies to her mother to ensure that she does the right thing.)
Daughter also said that she asked The Ex to cut her hair over the weekend. When The Ex said no, Daughter replied, "Fine, I'll just have [my name] do it" which obviously didn't sit well with The Ex. (Daughter has said repeatedly that I'm the only non-professional she trusts to cut her hair. I must do an okay job because she always asks me to do it.)
And finally, Daughter said that over the weekend, The Ex yelled at her for spending time over at her grandparents and not with The Ex; the following day, The Ex told Daughter she's so glad that Daughter is spending time with her grandparents because they're getting old.
From us to Daughter to her own siblings, The Ex's bipolar attitude just won't quit.
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