Felt really depressed when I woke up this morning - kind of scary. I had a hard time getting out of bed. I've been feeling down for a while, but this is the worst it has been. Think part of it is that SD8 is coming back tonight and my in-laws are going to stay for dinner and are also bringing SD's two little cousins who only eat mac & cheese and chicken nuggets. MIL & FIL were keeping SD for the long weekend b/c DH wanted to go to a party at his friend's and SD had an extra day off from school today, but we were both working.
SD always comes back from MIL screeching b/c MIL is the queen guilt parent of all time - it's all cookies, pies and 24/7 cartoons and computer games over there. SD is allowed to go into her grandparents room and wake them up at all hours b/c MIL feels that they should be entertaining her every minute of the day and night.
I sat up talking to DH all night on Friday - trying to get through to him about the need to set some boundries for SD, and that we cannot be good parents to her if our marriage isn't strong, support me and I'll support him, and on and on. We finally fell asleep around 3AM. Bright and early at 5:30AM, SD got up to watch cartoons (rule is 7AM) and DH actually got out of bed and told her the next time she does that she's grounded from cartoons for the weekend and to go back to bed - I was shocked and pleased. Could it be progress?
We took SD up to MIL's house that afternoon - she got very unruly as soon as we arrived. DH corrected her a couple times and I could see MIL getting upset that SD was being told not to interrupt grown-ups, not to argue when told to do something - MIL gets this stricken look on her face. Of course, last time MIL kept SD over the weekend, when we came to pick her up, I could tell SD had really run her ragged and even MIL was telling SD not to run around the kitchen screaming. 
I hope SD gave her another run for her money, b/c if MIL decides to give DH a talking to re: her views on how we should raise SD I'll have to spend lord knows how many more sleepless nights trying to deprogram him after this brief flash of progress - and I need my sleep.
I hope that traffic is really bad tonight so I won't be able to get home until late. I just do not feel up to dealing with a house full of kids and the in-laws. I already told DH the gal I carpool with needs to run an errand so I'll be home later than normal and they should eat without me. Really, her errand shouldn't take very long, but he doesn't have to know that. 
i think we might have the
i think we might have the same in laws..when we eat with them SD always tries to pull the "im full" trick even though she hasn't had a thing to eat all day and after only eating not even half of the meal. she does that because in laws pantry is full of sweet bread or junk food and she knows that their response is " it's ok u can eat some sweet bread if u don't want ur lunch or dinner". but i don't hold back anymore and i tell them that she can't have their junk cause she does not eat well and if she if full than she shouldnt be able to eat anything else.....
DH is usually pretty good
DH is usually pretty good about making SD eat her vegetables and such, but since he had the cousins (and MIL) to contend with, he just made two dinners, one for adults and one for kids.
I think my SIL is a great mom, but we really differ on the dinner issue. When she hosts family gatherings, she'll make a huge spread of fried chicken or a taco bar - something I think everyone would like and stuff SD would certainly eat if it were put in front of her at home, but SIL's kids won't eat it, so on top of all that cooking, she makes her kids PB&J. Not only that, she now lets the the older girl order TWO dinners when we go out to restaurants if she can't decide what she wants. She doesn't finish both meals - she's actually pretty skinny - but that just blows me away. Of course, SD saw that and now asks for two meals every time we go out.
I know that "stricken look" you're talking about!
My own mother gets it any time DH or I discipline one of our kids. Sometimes, I'd like to knock it right off her face. We've had the same "they are OUR children, not yours" argument with her a bazillion times. She never gets it. Now we live thousands of blissful miles away!
♥ Georgia ♥
"Good men don't just happen. They have to be created by us women." (from ROSEANNE)
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