Sistah Pat

It’s definitely been about the kids.  Even now, I’m sitting in the condo drinking my coffee and trying to wake up and they’ve asked me a half dozen times when we’re going to the beach.  I wish they were old enough to go on their own but they’re not.  I have to sit there and watch them like a hawk.  Maybe I’m too nervous or overprotective but I can’t even relax and read my book.  I feel like I have to keep my eyes on them every second.  I should run the lifeguard off and just take a seat in his tower.  No…he’s pretty good eye candy.

DS is in court this morning to face the trumped up assault charges DIL put on him.  I’ll be on pins and needles until he calls and lets me know what happened.  He called and said she actually showed up.  I’m not surprised.  She’s all about control and making herself look like a victim.  He said she came to court with a half dozen of her old friends that he hasn’t even seen in a couple of years.  These are her old bar-hopping, dopehead friends.  DS said the’re all sitting over on the other side of the room glaring and smirking at him.  I’m sure she brought them for the purpose of intimidation or as “character” witnesses.  DS can’t figure out what they’re doing there.  He says she hasn’t even seen them in years.  I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I’m sure she’s seen them recently.  Who does he think she’s been hanging out with when she’s taking off every weekend?  Enough about that.  It’s probably going to be a couple of hours before they call his case.

So…what have I been up to?  We’ve been at the cabin for the last week and a half.  DH and I bought a base cabinet and counter top and installed the kitchen sink.  Nice!  I had intended to buy all the kitchen cabinets and get them in but the expenses with DS put that on hold.  We had some old used cabinets we originally intended to put in the cabin but I decided I didn’t want them.  Still, the new one is open stock so we got the base cabinet under the kitchen sink, a countertop, and a stainless steel double sink installed.  That was $600.00.  DH temporarily installed the old cabinets for the time being and it’s nice to be able to wash dishes without using a plastic tub.

We filled the pool, one of those big old inflatable things that’s 42 inches deep and 18′ diameter.  The kids spent almost every minute in it.  They’re all tanned and happy and I can’t believe how much they’re nagging me to go to the beach.  You’d think they’d be tired of swimming but they’re not. 

Little sister is having it rough.  I had no idea how limited she is.  When I had my ankle surgeries, I was able to use crutches and crawl and get in and out of a tub.  She can’t do much of anything but sit on the couch.  I thought she’d be able to take her scooter around the property but it kept bogging down in the soft soil.  She managed to get on the riding lawnmower a couple of times but said her back hurt the next day so that put an end to her mobility.  I talked to the lifeguard yesterday evening and asked him if he’d ever seen wheelchairs on the beach.  This is Daytona Beach and vehicles drive on it so it’s packed pretty hard.  He said they have beach wheelchairs with big round tires and all we have to do is ask and they’ll get her one.  Never heard of that before but I’m going to give it a try today and see if she can get out on the beach.

Okay, I’ve got to get moving.  I’ll update more after DS calls.  I miss chatting with you chickies and will try to catch a couple of posts after I get the kids taken care of.

4:00 p.m. - Okay, I gave little sister and the kids the last five hours and now I told them to leave me alone for a couple of hours.  Little Sis has gone to the store with DH and I’ve got all the kids slurping down ramen noodles and watching TV.

DS called and said they’ve decided to go to trial.  They offered him a plea and he was sorely tempted to take it but thank God he didn’t.  He did that once before because he thought that would put an end to it.  Nothing happened to him but the record shows that he pled to being a public nuisance.  Our attorney was really angry that he took the plea because he wanted to take it to trial but DS just wanted it over and done with.  Now, it shows that he’s already pled guilty to being a public nuisance in the past and it makes it that much more difficult to prove his innocence now.  Mothers, don’t ever let your sons plead guilty to ANYTHING if they’re in the right.  It’ll come back to haunt them.  DS just wanted everything to be over with but now it’s going to bite him in the butt.  Nevertheless, I’m so glad he didn’t take the plea this morning.  He insisted on going to trial so that’s what they’re going to do.  Our attorney says he wants to go to trial but he said there’s always a possibility that DS could wind up doing some jail time if he’s found guilty.  I have to admire him for not rubbing DS’s nose in it and saying, “I TOLD you not to plead last time!”  It’s scary.  Still, he can’t let DIL get away with this.  He has to stand up for himself this time.  I can only hope she doesn’t get a bunch of her dopehead friends to lie for her.  She’s going to have some pretty nasty stuff come out when they go to trial.  I like to think that justice will prevail.  It has in the past.  Still, I won’t rest easy until it’s over with.  This is why DS took the plea before.  It’s so scary to think about what can happen when you go to trial. It all depends on who the judge or jury chooses to believe and DIL can put on quite a show when she wants to.  I think DS told me it’s scheduled for the 23rd.  Now we’ve got to think of who to call as witnesses.  Of course, when it gets right down to it, no one really knows everything except DS and DIL.  I’ve seen her be violent on a couple of occasions but I’m his mother so I don’t know how much weight that’s going to carry.  Her ex went through the same thing but he washed his hands of her years ago and he’s certainly not going to testify.  Besides, he took the kids and moved to Arizona.  DS’s ex boss could testify about her coming to work and slapping him and making a scene at his restaurant but he retired and is now in a nursing home with Alzheimers.  I don’t know.  I guess we’ll get through it somehow.  I just wish there was someone who had actually witnessed her violence other than me.  Her mother knows about it but she’s certainly not going to testify for us.  DH’s aunt saw her pitch a fit one time and push and scratch DS but she lives in California now.  I guess when it comes down to it, DS is going to have to rely on family.  We’re all he’s got.