Husband Vent

I love my husband, I really do, but sometimes I don't think he really thinks things through.

This morning I asked him if he could cut out of work a little early on Saturday to take Aiden to a birthday party at one of those frenetic indoor party places (Monkey Joe's) so I don't have to take (and watch) all 4 of the kids. He said yes, then kissed me goodbye and started to walk out the door.

He returned a minute later with a concered look on his face. "What time is the party?"

"Three to five on Saturday," I said.

"This Saturday? The 23rd?" he responded.

"Yup," I nodded.

Evidently there is something in the works for Saturday the 23rd (could it be the Harry Connick, Jr. concert? OOooh! I hope so!)

Hubby said, "I can take him, but we'll have to leave early so I we can be home at 5."

"What's going on at 5?" I said, trying to conceal my glee.

"Um, Mama's coming to keep the kids, and..."

I lost him after that. "Mama's coming to keep the kids" is all I heard.

No. Uh-uh. Won't be happening. NO FREAKIN' WAY.

See, last week, my girls spent the night with my mother-in-law. My 15 year-old niece was in town visiting her as well, and the girls wanted to have a sleepover at Nana's new house (5 minutes from ours), so we consented.

My husband took the girls over there last Monday afternoon and forgot to leave a car seat for our youngest, Lillian, who is 2 1/2. Our oldest, 9, meets the requirements to be out of a car seat, so that was not an issue for her. Realizing his mistake on his way home, my husband called his mom. "I forgot to leave you Lillian's seat. Do I need to come back and give it to you?" She answered no, that she wasn't planning to take the girls anywhere.

(Can you predict what happens next?)

The next day the girls came home and the VERY FIRST THING out of my 9 year-old's mouth was, "Nana took us to Moe's for lunch and Lillian was NOT in her car seat!" She was busting to tell me, but not in a tattling way. She was genuinely horrified at what my mother-in-law had done. Needless to say, so was I. Completely speechless. First of all, car seats for kids under 8 years and 80 pounds are THE LAW in this state. Secondly, well.... there are LOTS of secondlies.

I just don't know what she was thinking. Her excuse when my 9 year-old protested? "I don't have anything in this house to feed you." Um, okay. Call for pizza. Leave the 15 year-old with the girls while you go to Moe's alone to pick up the food. OR CALL ME and either get the seat from me or let me come pick up my children before you PUT A FREAKIN' TWO YEAR-OLD IN A CAR WITHOUT A CAR SEAT. My daughter reported that the fridge was full and she tried to tell Nana that she'd eat cereal rather than go somewhere, but Nana was adamant about taking everyone to Moe's. She put my daughter at risk for Mexican food. Can I just scream?

Mad? Yep. Still am. To me, this is unforgiveable. It's not the first time she has put my kids in danger somehow, but by God, it will be the last. I told my husband that I no longer trust his mom alone with our kids. HE AGREED COMPLETELY. So why? Why call her to BABYSIT? What was he thinking? I know he wanted to surprise me, and that touches me, but he knows the babysitter's number, too. I guess because his mom is free, he preferred calling her. But my children are PRICELESS, and if I have to pay someone over having MIL keep them for free, I'll choose to pay every time.

I just got off the phone with our regular babysitter. She is coming Saturday at 5 pm so we can still do whatever it is that is planned. I don't know what my husband will tell his mom, and frankly, I don't care. I want him to tell her that we don't trust her alone with the kids, but I know he'll make up some other excuse. She'll turn it into "Beth doesn't want me keeping the kids" when she talks to her sister and my sister-in-law (her daughter), which is fine, because I know my kids are safer with the babysitter than they are with my mother-in-law. If that's the price I pay, so be it.