Weekend Update

This weekend was expectantly busy and unexpectedly easy with the girls.

Friday night, when I got home from work, Alyssa was talking on the phone with her mom (Jessie). Mom, Dad, and Matt had already agreed on a Mexican restaurant close to the house to eat because Alyssa wanted Mexican. After talking with her mom, Alyssa went upstairs to get ready to leave. We gave her a few minutes to change and when she didn't come down and wouldn't answer, I went-up to check on her. I found her hiding under the desk in her room. She let me know quickly that she wasn't going - she wanted to eat with her mom. I explained that eating with her mom wasn't an option and that I would get her dad to talk with her.

Matt went upstairs and she'd changed hiding spots. Now she was under the bed in Charli's room. After Matt coaxed her out and told her softly and gently that eating with her mom wasn't an option right now and to get changed. He also explained that this type of reaction would limit
the amount of time she could talk to her mom if it continued. She settled down. Five minutes later, a smiling happy Alyssa came down announcing that she wanted a taco! That was our only problem all weekend.

The baby is now teething and getting up several times during the night. So far, Infants Tylenol every 4-6 hours (as needed for those concerned) has done the trick.

Because we couldn't get all of the school registration done on Friday, we had to go back this morning. Alyssa asked to spend the night in Gadsden last night. Since we were there and she couldn't go to school today anyway, Matt let her stay at her MeMe's.

We do believe that her mom was planning to run with the kids today.

She had already told Alyssa that she wouldn't be in school today and it's not a school holiday in Chilton County. She and her boyfriend have now become engaged and are planning to get married as soon as the 60-day waiting period is up.

One more thing...My mom received an email from Alyssa's biological father on Saturday. He's filed a petition to have the adoption set aside. I don't have any clue what this is going to do to Matt's custody. One thing I do know is that they will try to make him pay back child-support to Jessie for the 7 years leading up to the adoption. If they figure that amount based on the amount Matt's been paying, then he'll have to pay $330/month for 7 years - or around $28,000 plus 12% imposed in the state of Alabama on back child-support.