Mothers-in-law (sigh)

To catch you up:

December (sometime before Christmas): Mother-in-law comes to visit, all sweetness and smiles, with candy for the heathens. Husband and I had had a discussion beforehand.

"School," I said "is the heathens' job. They can't skip school just because Nana is visiting. I don't care if she wants to take them and pick them up. They can miss day care, big deal. But, I want them to go to school."

"You're right" said my Darling Husband. "You're such a great mom."(no, he didn't say that, but he should have.)

So, it's 9 o'clock on a school night and snowing and we schlep our tired butts to the airport, with out out-past-bedtime kids, to pick up Nana.

Right off the bat - "No, you don't have to go to school. You can stay with me!"

Me: Uh. No. They're going to school.
Her: It's only 3 hours!
Husband: Yeah, it's only 3 hours!

And all in front of my darling, impressionable, over-tired children. Shit.

Ask anyone I work with, at that moment in time Husband became "Mamma's Boy." Only 3 hours my left tit. It's school.

So, by Saturday that weekend I had moved past grunts into the monosyllable range and Mamma's Boy and I went to dinner. He says "I know you're mad."

DUH! Yes I'm mad.

We talked it out. He agreed that I'm right and school is their job and Nana can't expect them to skip school just because she can't (won't) visit during the off-season. And, yes, he loves me and would rather be married to me than her. Good boy. He's husband again.

April: Nana strikes again. "Please honey, Granny (Nana's mom) isn't going to be around forever. This might be the last time the girls ever see her. Please? Mom will drive over Thursday to pick them up from school. They'll only miss one day." *sigh* OK. If she's willing to drive two hours, ok, fine. But, it's only for Granny. And it's not happening again.

By 11am Thursday, Husband is going to get off work at 7 and drive our children 50 miles because Nana can't possibly make it to our house in time for school to be out. Can I pick them up from daycare? Damn. I was going to work late with no guilt because Nana was picking them up. Yes, I'll do it.

At 3:50 my phone rings. It's the school. Our lovely children swore up and down (even though there was no parental notification to back it up) that they were being picked up at school. The school didn't have the get on the day care van. The school kept them. Where is the parent who is picking them up? Damn.

Mamma's boy gets the kids and takes them to day care. I leave work (an hour and a half early) and pick them up from day care, because I know that they are disappointed and I want to soothe their little fledgling psyches. (Ha! Tough nuts, both of them.)

At 7:30, Mamma's boy calls. He's stuck in a seminar with a sales rep. Nana's ready to meet him, can I please, please, please take them? Fuck.

I gave a single inch. She took 100 miles and 2 hours (yes, two hours - fucking construction) of my life. Not to mention the 3 hours of work that I had to make up because I got to work late thinking I wouldn't see my kids again until Sunday then left early because the bitch contrived to leave my darlings abandoned at school.

Two fucking hours! Do you know what she said to me? Are you ready?

"You look tired."

Thank whichever god(s) that I don't own a gun. I was completely matri-in-law-icidal. While I was sitting in construction traffic on the way home, I informed Mamma's boy that I was finished. Done. Over it. Never again. Our children will be allowed to miss school for her again when we attend her funeral.

Memorial Day Weekend - Yes, she came in last weekend. Purposely flew in at 10 on Friday morning. She was completely pissed at Husband because he a) wouldn't let our girlys skip their last Friday at school. And b) listened to me and wouldn't even take them to the airport to pick her up (because I pointed out that it would be pulling teeth to get them to go to school if he did).

Here's our conversation Friday evening:

Nana: If you have something to do, go do it.
Me: I don't have anything to do, I've made all of my plans for Saturday, when you have the girls. (She got a hotel room for two nights and took them away, it was nice.)
Nana: Well, are there any fairs or festivals going on this weekend?
Me: There's the Rib America festival, but I don't think they'd really get into that.
Nana: Where is it?
Me: Downtown. (wrinkles her nose)
Me: (looking online) Oh, there's a Renaissance Festival.
Nana: Where is that?
Me: It's just down the road. I can give you directions.
Nana: Do they have rides?

Yeah. Sure they do. They have paddle boat rides in the moat. There's the Catapult and the Iron Maiden, but those are really for thrill-seekers. Maybe you and the girls can play Rack. And, there's a really cool ride called "Draw and Quarter"

Sigh.