Off to World's!!...by kim

Well i will not be blogging for a little while, about 4 days...However, the ever so talented with words...Thomas...he can post:)

We are going to Pickles competition for Odyssey of the Mind!! It is very exciting...The blog that I made for the team is HERE!!

We are having a huge trauma in our house though, thanks to my ex! He is not letting Cheese go, and since it falls over part of his weekend, it is his choice! He was able to go to the State Competition and when Pickles team won, he was sure he would be able to be a part of the World Championship adventure! My parents are even going to drive up from Chicago to stay with us, so he is also losing time with his Oma and Opa! My ex seems to think that it is me that wants to have him by my side, and does not see at all, how much he is hurting his son! I mean really people, if he doesn't go, I don't have to Pay for the bus fare that is over $100 and food and etc..it would save me a lot...It would be more relaxed for me to NOT have him there, as I would just be with my parents staying in a nice hotel and Pickles is really going to be doing activities mostly with his team...BUT I would love for him to experience this! This would make him have a zest for continuing his education, we will be on a college campus, experiencing all these unbelievable experiences....When he is in Odyssey of the mind next year, he will be able to tell kids, and motivate them to getting to worlds, cause he saw his brothers team go....I know kids who have participated in Ootm for years and years and never won...Pickles had done it for 5 years and not won anything past regionals 3 times, and states they won, one year 18th place! This year they won 2nd place...it's a huge deal!! There will be teams from all over the world and he will miss it!

We have tried not discussing it much when he is around, but these past weeks everything has revolved around going to worlds...with meetings and parties and fundraisers and press stuff....SIGH

I had told his father right in the beginning how important it was, and he said, I'm gonna have to say NO! Then the enrichment teacher asked if she could do anything because she works with Cheese and has already mentioned him being in the enrichment program and would love for him to experience this...I told her, NO that would make it worse...I relayed to him that she wanted to talk to him and that he did not have to make a decision right away, and that if he needed to take his time it was no problem, the teacher was willing to save him a seat just in case...i tried not to give him any pressure at all!

This really sucks, doesn't he get that it would be easier for me to have him stay home and that this is an opportunity for him to experience something that will make him want more in life?? ARGGhhhh

This morning, Cheese woke up, he had wet the bed, and woke up at 5 am, and had a hard time back asleep, so when I woke him up for schoool, he just was crying and sobbing...I kept him home, he just needed the rest! That is the other thing, he gets no sleep over there, so when he comes home, he has bags under his eyes and sleeps so soundly at our house that he wets the bed...

I guess this is life, and there is nothing I can do, it helps to vent, but not really! Not when I feel a little boys pain, and his own Father can't see it...

And yes, I offered his Father to make up the time, and even offered him double time...NOPE, he just has to say NO!

This time is a Happy time for one child and a frustrating time for the other, and trying to keep both kids emotions protected is not an easy thing! Not to mention they just plain don't get to share this memory......it hurts, it hurts real bad!!!!!!!!!!!