So I finally managed to move on! I think I just needed to have a good meltdown or something. Once I finally complained and got everything off of my chest, I felt amazingly good. I managed to steam clean the carpets in the living room and Thomas' office (and can I just say yuck...and yes I did take pictures of yucky water that I will probably post ) The bottom line is...yes, my mil is coming...and I am just going to have to deal with it. There *are* some good things about her coming and so I decided to create a list:

1. The house IS cleaner when she is here. Clean is good...I just don't really have the time/energy/inspiration usually.

2. I'm a better mom when she is here because I would rather play legos for 3 hours than clean :> AND I do german homework with the kids daily instead of sporadically. I also take much more time with the kids at bedtime to hide out upstairs :> So really, the kids benefit!

I do always go through a bit of a low period after she leaves because she is entertaining and when she's here I don't have to be alone.

I do love my mil...I know that her heart is in the right place but that based on her life experiences and her own issues she is unable to support Thomas the way that I think that she should.

So...I may need to be reminded of this in the coming weeks (and I pity the person who has to remind me :> )

I've decided to use the time when she is here to go to lunch with Alex (while leaving the little ones with her) and take some time for myself. The good side of me being in bed each night by 9 or 9.30pm lately is that it will leave dh time to be with his mom...and I can lay in bed and get caught up on all of my HGTV shows. Yeah...see....a silver lining!

I'm not going to change this, so I might as well embrace it and try and find the good in her visit. This, of course, does not mean that there won't be plenty of pictures and fun stories, I'm sure :>

This morning I had Amanda's 5th grade conference. I wasn't sure of what to expect and I was more than pleasantly surprised! Though math continues to be her weakness (she did manage a B-) she had straight A's in everything else!



I can't begin to tell you how elated I was for her. She has worked so hard and has come such a long way! I am so PROUD of her!

AND...I love her teacher. I absolutely adore her. This woman is absolutely amazing. She was incredible for Andrew last year and is a real role model for Amanda. That is the positive that I'll say about the schools today. We are very fortunate in regards to Amanda's teacher this year!

Of course, the conference also brought out unfortunate news on the social front. Amanda has continued to be picked on by our next-door neighbor's daughter who is in the same grade. The teasing happens on the school bus, in the bathroom and in the lunchroom. This week, Amanda ended up going to the school social worker about the problem because she was so distraught. The result? Our neighbor got a talking to at school and came home hysterical. My crazy neighbor ended up going into the school yesterday and apparently badmouthed our entire family and then there she was, a grown woman, standing at her sliding glass door, jumping up and down taunting my 10 year old yesterday afternoon.

Amanda's teacher explained that our crazy neighbor had been in to speak to the vice principal and had said all kinds of things about us and...that it would be a good idea for me to run down there and tell my side of the story before leaving. I sent Amanda to the book fair and then met with the Vice Principal for about 25 minutes.

I felt really embarassed. I basically gave her an overview of the issues that we had faced in our neighborhood and the teasing going on at school. She told me that it was the opinion of our neighbor that my daughter is the bully (none of the teachers believe that though). I said "I understand that that is their perception. I also understand that her children are responding to their own stress by acting out this way, but it is my job to protect my children. Right now, my concern is for my daughter and her safety and comfort and I will do what I need to do to protect her. I don't care what the neighbor *perceives* anymore".....

And I don't.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Now that it is winter, at least we will hopefully be spared some of her drama. Since she is pregnant now wtih baby #6 though, her hormones may drive her to new depths....

Ahhhh, the saga continues.....

Kris