“I have sworn... eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man” (Thomas Jefferson) (and Loretta)

There are some things I wish the Pastor wouldn't point out to me.

Everytime Loretta gets in the car, she buckles her seatbelt, but I have to remind her to put her shoulder strap on. She will automatically put it behind her back. One time, I told her to do it and she said "When I'm with my Pa Pa HE lets me ride like this!" to which I replied "well you are not with your Pa Pa, you are with me, and when you are with me you ride with your shoulder belt on!!!"

Yesterday the step-daughters left. Through the window blinds, I watch Loretta walk out to the car and get in the front seat. I don't think I would have noticed, but the Pastor said there goes the shoulder strap! Her shoulder strap immediately goes behind her. I cannot imagine anyone letting there 7 year old ride in the front seat without their shoulder strap on. Hellllooooo!

It sucks to have these kids with this every other week stuff. You work all week on something, and you'd like to think it will stick with them, but it quite literally goes right out the door with them. I've had slight fantasies that their mother should send me a thank you card, for when she receives these children back every other week, and they have nice manners and say yes ma'am and wipe their bottoms and bathe and stuff! That's what I'd like to think, but apparently the truth is once they leave our house the kids are probably rejoicing that they don't have to live under my tyrannical rule anymore!

Sigh.