I lost my internet this week so my posting was few and far between. The heat was horrible but things are somewhat back to normal now. It was a crazy busy work week for me. Hubby is still really struggling with the business. He had one job this week. Thank goodness I have already paid my summer and fall tuition already! Looks like we will be living lean for a while. (This could be a good thing if I become leaner!)

I am going to admit it. It hurts that my sister is no longer interested in my kids. You see, I was lulled into thinking they were important to her. I was tricked into thinking she really cared about them.

A few years ago my evil sister (who is a teacher) offered to watch them in the summer for me while she was off. She needed the money and I needed a sitter. She adored them and told stories of them all the time to her friends. It seemed like a perfect fit for both of us. I'd pay her, she would watch the kids and get to bond with them. She would then secure her slot as ALL TIME FAVORITE AUNT. So, she watched them for several summers. Last summer she cut down to part time due to her wedding. This summer she decided to take the summer off since I had a competent sitter who would be happy to be full time.

But here is what gets me -- she no longer seems to want to spend ANY time with them. She has become the Holiday and Gatherings Aunt that she always despised. Now the only time the kids see her is at Holidays and family gatherings. She offered to pick them up one day a week last school year, but it became a big drama (another story, another time).

I asked her to watch them one week this summer (while my sitter is on a family vacation). Her response was that she'd watch them if nobody else could. Go ahead and ask my mother inlaw (Satan) first.

This kills me. She knows my mother inlaw is Satan. How can my sister have turned like this? She used to want to spend lots of time with the kids. She used to say it was her goal in life to be THE BEST Aunt in the WORLD. Now she won't even watch them for one week. She used to watch them the entire summer. This while she is supposedly broke and her husband is being laid off. She can complain up and down about money and yet won't help me out and make some money at the same time! UGH. I would be paying her, and the kids are easy to watch.

The thing is, my kids miss her. They don't view her as my evil sister. They view her as their aunt who they used to have a great time with. Her disappearance from their lives is sad. I innocently asked the other day who their favorite aunt was. They didn't name my sister. This hurts. I miss them liking MY sister best. I miss liking my sister.

The other sad thing is that they have noticed how she treats me. They have noticed how she is cruel and belittling to me in order to make herself look better. They see her snubs. They see how she calls me when she wants something and how she doesn't bother with them anymore. Sure, the kids are growing up -- but just because they are not little anymore doesn't mean that they are not witty, intelligent and fun. She just isn't making them time or giving them a chance anymore. It makes me sad.

I thought you always stayed closest with the wife's family. My family used to be the ones we could depend on. Now my sister is making her way of that list. It makes me sad. We need to designate who we'd like to take the kids if anything ever happened to hubby and I. We are supposed to be setting up our will and living trust. I can't right now because I can't feel good about putting my Evil Sister on top of the list anymore. Two years ago there was no question on whom we would want to raise the kids. Now the field of contenders has opened wide. I know she assumes she's tops. I don't think so anymore. She's changed too much...

Sigh.