BACKSTORY - After being married on 08/14/2004, on June 1, 2008, Aletha informed me that she was leaving the marriage after spending the prior two weeks out every night with who she claimed were her friends she had met. She claimed she was moving in with a girlfriend, proceeded to remove her belongings from the house and left all 3 children with me. Two weeks later, she came and got Jaedin to go live with her and her new boyfriend who she had been seeing while we were still living together, and had been living with. We agreed on a visitation schedule where she would have the boys every other weekend, and I would have Jaedin every other weekend, so the children were together every weekend. There were a few documented times when she did not pick up the boys from daycare, or failed to pick them up for the weekend, but pretty much, for 2 years we kept to this schedule. Jaedin always wanted to come stay with me during her breaks from school and spent the vast majority of her time off at my house, even if it was only an extra day during a holiday weekend, she was here with me and the boys. One of Aletha's scheduled weekends happened to fall on a weekend where Jaedin had a Girl Scout camp out. Aletha was not able to take all of the kids camping, so I went with Jaedin (on my off weekend) and spent Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday morning on her Girl Scout camping trip with her. I have tried to be a father to a little girl who doesn't have her biological father in the picture since she was 14 months old, and now she is being turned against me by her manipulating mother.
The Boys: I have taken care of Carson and Peyton (my biological sons, ages 5 and 6 currently) on a day-in day-out basis for two years since their mother left. Their mother has bought them some clothes, and gotten them a couple hair cuts, but otherwise has not contributed to raising them, or paying any bills for daycare, schooling, or living expenses. They are physically and mentally healthy, are doing well in school and making new friends there.
Divorce proceedings: I contacted a lawyer a few weeks after Aletha left and she provided me with the Missouri Parenting Plan, and documents to start the divorce process. The cost to go thru with the divorce was more than I could afford, so it was put on the back burner until I was financially able to spare the money. I was informed that divorced or not, Aletha would still be found liable for child support. After losing my job on March 15, 2010, I applied for State Assistance. During this process, it was also made clear that the State would require Aletha to pay child support. The case number is being established with the state - case # 21352831 - but evidently is a slow process.
Friday, May 21, 2010. The boys went to school today and were picked up by their mother for her usual weekend visitation. For the past two years, she has had them every other weekend, and Jaedin has come over to my house on the "off" weekends so the kids are together every weekend. I get a phone call at 1:30 AM Saturday morning from Aletha telling me that Carson is sick and needs to go to the doctor. He had a temperature, and was wheezing. I told her to take him to the hospital, and a huge argument ensued. The next morning, she called back, claiming she needed his insurance card to take him to a clinic. I told her she needed to take him to Truman Med Center, another fight ensued, and ended with me going over to pick up Carson and take him to the hospital. When I arrived, she packed both of the boys things and sent them both with me. Carson was diagnosed with Strep Throat and they checked for any signs of pneumonia by doing chest x-rays, treated his wheezing with breathing treatments of Albuterol, and started him on antibiotics. (no pneumonia was found, but the threat was there requiring close observation over the next couple of days). The Clinic she wanted to take him to does not do x rays, and would have just sent her to the Hospital anyway. She never called Saturday to find out how he was, but did call on Sunday - this was a short conversation where I informed her that he had strep and would be fine.
Tuesday May 25, 2010 - 8:30 AM - I get a call from Jaedin telling me that she didn't want to come over anymore because I was "being mean" to her mom, and using words and phrases that were obviously coached to her from her mother. Of course, when Jaedin is here, she claims she "hates it" over at her mom's, they are "mean" to her, and do not treat her equally to Aletha's new boyfriends' children. From an 8 yr old, I take this with a grain of salt.
Thursday, June 17, 2010 - Aletha called me crying tonight, telling me she had been "kicked out of the house" - evidently her boyfriend and her got in a fight and he booted her out. She took Jaedin and went to Jaedin's friend and neighbor. She is "homeless" now and evidently is going to the State for help - that is good, because the State is going after her for child support. The State required Carson and I to be DNA tested because we were not married when we had him in Arizona. The results came in the mail today - I, obviously, AM his father, well, at least it's a 99.99% chance according to the results. So now that makes Jaedin homeless - which she isn't because she can always come stay here, in fact, if this goes as it seems, I will insist that Jaedin lives here. This was supposed to be "her weekend", but obviously she is unable to take them, so I am getting Jaedin tomorrow and a weekend at the Lake. We will see what happens tonight, tomorrow, and over the weekend - at least the Kids and I will be having fun, as we always do.
Sunday, June 20, 2010 - Returned home from the lake with the kids to find Aletha had moved back in with her boyfriend that had kicked her out. I asked that since I had the kids on my "off" weekend, if she was going to take them for the next 2 weekends to "even" it out - I got a "NO" reply, that she would not make up the missed time, but wanted to pick the boys up from school Wednesday and Thursday night to see their Grandfather who was coming in town to visit - of course, I obliged. I will not refuse the kids time with family.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010 - Aletha picked up the kids from school as discussed to spend time with their grandfather. Unfortunately, their grandfather never came into town. She expressed that she might not be able to pick them up on time for the Thursday night visit we had arranged, so I picked them up myself, as usual.
Thursday 7/1/2010 - After receiving paperwork from the State of Missouri in regard to child support - Aletha calls me and "freaks out". She threatens to take the kids this weekend and not allow me to pick them up. What she doesn't realize is that we have a legally binding verbal agreement that she would have the boys every other weekend, to be returned on Sunday - if she doesn't allow me to pick them up, she is breaking the law. Also, since she did not take the kids on her last weekend, I assumed that maybe she would want to keep them on Monday as the kids do not have school in observance of Independence Day - when I posed this question, she replied "we have plans" and that she is sending Jaedin to her boyfriend's parents house for the day. Funny how whenever it is my weekend with Jaedin and there is no school on Monday, she always stays the extra day with me, but in the same scenario, it is unacceptable for her... we will see, but I can almost guarantee that come Sunday when I go to pick up the boys, Jaedin comes to stay the night with us and celebrate the 4th of July.
Sunday July 4, 2010 - as I thought - Aletha brought the boys and Jaedin over at 4 PM. I knew I'd have all 3 for the 4th, not to mention she didn't get them ANY fireworks, or anything else for the 4th... it was all up to me to make sure they had a good time, and we did! Dad comes through AGAIN.
More to come as the situation unfolds.....
Many more issues posted on facebook throughout the year.
January 2011 - Aletha leaves for Wisconsin to live with her Mother after being kicked out of her Boyfriend's trailor for the 3rd time taking Jaedin with her.
- 3 months go by with some phone and internet contact.
April 2011 - Aletha and Jaedin return to the trailor after a falling out with her Mom, visitation resumes as before.
Easter break 2011 - it is Aletha's "weekend" with the kids, but she refuses to take them for any extra days, as they are out of school on Good Friday, and the following Monday.
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