I spent the rest of the day with my children "at the back". I walked behind everyone, sat away from everyone so there was no chance of my mom and step dad being accused of favouritism and my sister got the attention she so desperatly craved.The following day We had a day trip out to a small local farm and again i kept a few steps behind to avoid any looming drama. My mom and step dad noticed and when we got back to our appartment asked what me why i was behaving that way, thinking that i was missing my SO. I said i did but i just didnt want anymore arguing and was trying to do what was best. They said it wasn't my problem, it was my sisters issue and she needed to learn that she couldnt be the centre of attention and have things her way all the time. I agreed and we spent the next night laughing in the family bar and aracde winning thousands of tokens. My step dad and I won over 3000 in one night and we made it our goal to win 10,000 by the time our holiday was over in a few days time. The next few days passed ok, it was alittle awkward and the atmosphere was tense as the problems hadnt been resolved just painted over for the sake of all the children on my part and my step dad was being civil for the sake of my mother. We held our tongues when they locked the older two children out of there appartment, as my sister went to sleep in the bedroom and my brother in law watched tv with my youngest nephew watching his sister and brother play and have fun without him. I didnt let it get to me when my sister made a catty comment to my niece, "Shut up about the yo yo Kristen, there are 100's of places to buy them from". I had tried to find a replacement but no store had any in.My son was out playing with new friend (cops and robbers) throughly enjoying playing with his toy gun. My nephew Joey, was also playing and got alittle rough with the toy gun and snapped it in half. Nick was heart broken and was crying so hard when i found him (i heard him cry from inside the appartment so went out to see what happened as the volume he was crying at sounded like he'd lost an arm!) He told me what happened, i calmed him down and told him to go and see his aunt, im sure they will replace it for you. He was gone a few minutes then came back crying even harder. I asked what was wrong now, he said his Uncle said there was nothing they could do and his aunt said it didnt matter it was just a cheap toy. I hugged him and comforted him while my step dad looked at the toy to see if it could be repaired. I explained to me mom what had happened and she was furious, as was my step dad and i As that toy mean the world to him and to have my them say that to him after making such a catty remark regarding the yo yo was too much. My step dad made my son,daughter,mom and i get in the minivan. He was going to use the money my sister had given them for fuel to replace Nicks gun with a bigger and better gun. They had intended to give them the money back but decided now that they would spend it on my children. We drove around looking for a toy shop and we picked up a toy gun for nick that was worth 10 times the one i had orginally bought and as a double bonus they sold yo yo's! so i bought the best one they had (£10) to give to my niece. When we got back Nick ran back outside to play and showed everyone his new gun. When my nephew tried to take it off him he said no. He went again to tell his aunt that joey was trying to snatch his new toy and could she ask him to stop. She said Joey didnt know any better and nick should let him play with it as it was mean of him to stop him. My son (8 years old) explained that it was mean of joey to break his other gun. His aunt said joey was special and he didnt know any better. My son (who knows he has aspergers, i've told him he's special to make it easier for him to understand his condition. But i also said that does not excuse bad bahaviour) Nick being the smart butt he is said that to my sister. She just ignored him saying it didnt matter anyway. It mattered sooooo much to Nick, he then told her she'd ruined everyones holiday then came back around to me and hid under the table. I coaxed him out with a biscuit and he told me what he'd done. I said he shouldnt have said that, my step dad laughed and said i couldnt tell him off for telling the truth to which my mom agreed lol. Then my brother in law knocked the door and Nick hid under the table thinking he would be in trouble. I promised him he wasnt and if Uncle Andy had a problem i would deal with it. My mom knew by the tone of my voice i was still very angry and if andy had come over to say to tell me what nick had said, id verbally beat him. Luckily (for him) it was too see if we all wanted to go out to dinner together as it was our last night. My mom and i refused, as we were still mad as hell and we'd meet them down there later. I snuck out to the resturant with the kids and my mom prepared the last of the food in the fridge for herself and my step dad and said they'd find us later. I sat to the side of the dance floor while my children watched the show on the stage as my sister couldnt see me easily there (i know its childish but i really couldnt tolerate her at that point) I spotted my mom and we went with the children to find my step dad in the arcade again winning 100's and 100's of tickets again. My mom and i joined in and were having a laugh with the children getting excited at the thought off all the prizes they would get. The mood went down when my sister found us and suggested we pool our tokens again. My step dad and i said No at exactly the same time and continued on our mission for 10,000. My sister left to find a seat in the bar then came back to say she'd saved us all seats, we said were playing in the arcade and would join them when we were finished. 30 minutes later my brother in law said the same thing again, so we relented and joined them at the table for a drink. We barely spoke as i drank my pint of beer. My mother and i told my sister several times that my youngest nephew was falling asleep on his seat. she just giggled and took a photo, he nearly fell off the chair twice so i told her to either pick him up and take him back or put another chair next to him so he could lie down. I finished my drink and said i was going to go back to the appartment my mom and step dad said they would walk back with me so my sister decided she should go back too.
It was decided that we would be leaving tomorrow morning at 9:30 not a second later to beat the traffic, my sister complained as she wanted to stay the whole day but relented when my step dad said he was the driver and he didnt want to drive all the way home after a full day out.
The van was packed by 9am and i took the children to the ticket store to select there prizes (we got 6,371 tickets) but the store didnt open till 10am, i called my step dad and he said it was no problem and we could leave whenever i was ready and they'd met me in the resturant. The kids and i waited in the line up and selected our prizes, we didnt make it too the resturant till 10:45. I apologised to everyone for making them wait, my sister smirked at me then stared at my step dad, expecting him to get upset with me for making him wait. She was disappointed whe he said " no worries sweets, take all the time you need". My step dad then said it was my childrens turn to sit up front and i sat with them, so my sister had to sit at the back. He asked for my cd's so i could listen to some music that i liked as the whole ride down we listened to the radio. My sister then mysteriously got ill and needed the music off as her head was hurting. i was also told to open the window closest to me as she needed fresh air. I suggested she opened the window just behind her as it was rather windy, she snapped she didnt want the wind on her neck. so i opened the window a little and placed my coat over my daughter as it got quite cold and she was sleeping. At the rest stop, she was snappy as id grabbed the last childs lunch box combos from the resturant (not on purpose, plus even if i didnt she'd have still been short 1 meal) and she had to pay for a more expensive deal. She snapped again at how i could eat such a large meal and not get fat. I just breathed deep and remembered that it would be exactly 1 month till i meet my SO to get me through the last few hours. Eventually we arrived back at my sisters house, i helped unpack the van with my step dad. My sister stormed off inside and didnt come out again, leaving my brother in law to get the children and my step dad and i to grab the suitcase and carry them to the house. I said goodbye the the children, hugged and kissed them the got back in the van relieved that it was over. At my house, i took all the cases in, thanked my mom and step dad for the holiday but said i am never going away with sarah again, they agreed it would never happen again.
A month has passed and i still havent spoken to my sister or brother in law, my step dad only speaks to her when he absolutely has too and my mother is still shocked at how badly my sister behaved. My mom and i have shared an unfortunate new habit since returning too. We've been tensing our jaw and grinding our teeth when we sleep, the doctor is blaming stress. we havent been sleeping well either and were both constantly worried about the children's well being.
I dont expect any comments or advice, i honestly dont expect anybody to read this mammoth blog but i did ti to write it all down and get it out of my system in the hope that i can draw a line under it and move on.
Thanks to anyone who did read the whole thing, my hat goes off to you.