More bad options

Other Parent is supposed to have the girls to me by 6pm on Thursdays.  This was worked out by spending thousands of dollars with an attorney.  Now, Other Parent has a job that asks her to work late, so if they bring the girls to me it’ll be close to their bedtime.  My other option is to get them after work.  They live across the Metroplex, so traffic is a nightmare.  I could leave my work early, but I already have to do that every other Friday to get them as it is.  I have to burden myself is some way because Other Parent cannot fulfill their obligation.

The kicker to the story is that Other Parent has a significant other.  He already picks up his child so by default he grabs one of mine, but he makes no effort to spend the 5 to 10 minutes it would take to grab the youngest from her after school program.  Heaven forbid he help Other Parent out enough to fulfill her obligation.

Beyond this post, I just don’t have the energy to deal with their disfunction, it just makes me sad my daughters have to grow up in such an environment.

Changing Rules and Weaponizing Kids

This past week I found out my ex wife had to go get a real job.  Ten months after the divorce was final, a little over a year after we split up.  Up till now, she has run a home business selling reusable feminine hygiene products. Apparently the income is too sporadic and the spousal support I have to pay is quickly coming to an end.  She told me that on top of the spousal, child support and all the medical I already pay, that I would have to pick up half her childcare costs, to which I said no.

I hate saying no.  To my kids, to my friends, anyone really.  It puts me in the position of having to disappoint someone.  I don’t care for that, but I also don’t like being told I have to do things I don’t want or even need to do.

I get the girls on Thursday and every other weekend.  At first, we tried like everyone else to meet halfway.  We couldn’t make that work, so we decided she would bring them all the way to me and I would take them all the to school the next day or after the weekend.  Well, once I decided I would not pay for childcare, she suddenly does not have the fuel to bring them to me and if I want to see them, I have to come get them.  Meeting her at the library near her house by the way since I cannot actually go to the house since her boyfriend objects.  She points to the decree and says that I *should* have been getting them right after school since it says my time of possession starts after school and ends at the beginning of school.  It’s pretty vague, but all my experience suggests that just gives me the right, not the obligation.

Being a loving dad, I don’t want my kids to suffer at all because my ex decides to play dirty. I know it could be worse.  I still get to see them without much trouble and financially I’ll be fine.  It’s just frustrating.  It’s just frustrating since there is really little I can do about it.