.parenthood.

Never in a million years did I think I would be a parent. Let alone a step-parent. Now don't get me wrong...I love my step-son with everything I’ve got and wouldn't trade him for the world (enter other cliché loving sayings here) but sometimes there's doubt as to the choices my honey and I are making!
I entered his life about 3 years ago when my fiancé and I started our relationship. Immediately I was drawn to him. Playing and counting and showing him colors and such. He’s such a smart boy. His mother is (for lack of a better term) incapable of raising a smart, decent, respectful, and self sufficient young boy. So I stepped up to the plate and took over. He and I are pretty close and I see a lot of what I instilled in him is there, and he’s retained! This makes me ultra proud. Along with those small things I’ve instilled in him, I also potty trained him, taught him to count past 30, slide across hard wood floors with socks, group things together, bake, even how to be a responsible pet owner/lover to our 4 pets.
Potty training was a real treat for me being a lady. (and NO my fiancé isn’t irresponsible it’s just I’ve had practice potty training 2 others, [brother and cousin] plus I have my momma around to help) So it came more natural to me then to him…but boys are so tough. Not having the correct, uhhhh….Hardware, makes it tough to show them what to do. It’s all verbal. “Do this, do that, then do this, ok shake, now wipe, toss paper, flush” The maternal instinct kicks in and I become Momma bear to this little cub. I become protective, worried, and territorial.
About 5 weeks ago my step-son went on vacation with my fiancé who took him to NYC to spend the summer with his paternal grandparents. While there so far he’s seen a handful of movies, gone to numerous zoos, parks, parties, and a bunch of other fun things, which is fantastic…but I keep him on a pretty tight regimen. I’m not strict by any means, but I won’t let a 5 year old try to run things. So far from what I’ve heard about his “vacation” is that he’s been eating Wendy’s daily (because my dear sweet mother out law (can you smell my sarcasm?) doesn’t cook!), eating candy galore, going to bed whenever he pleases, and the icing on my maternal cake……CRAPPING ON HIMSELF! What in the hell? 5 year olds shouldn’t be crapping on themselves! That’s embarrassing! And not only is that embarrassing it just erases all the hard work my fiancé and I put into making the toilet a happy place. My mother out law has made it well aware that she doesn’t give a crap about much. Especially things that might have the slightest bother to her. My step son is a bother to her. She’s been calling asking us to fly him home for 3 weeks now. She’s tired of him. This is hilarious. Shouldn’t a grandparent live for the day grandchildren come into their lives? Not these freaks of nature. They want him gone. And on top of wanting him gone they also said we owe them a new couch because theirs is all pissed and crapped up. If you don’t put him to use the toilet before bed yea, he’s going to pee in his sleep. He still wears pull ups, which she refused to apply. All in all…this vacation has set him back quite a bit and school starts in 3 weeks here. Let’s see how kindergarten goes.