I Won! I Won! I Won!

About now, I'd like to say I'm a gracious winner.

But, let's be honest.

I'm not.

Here's the scoop.

The whole Celia going to Arkansas for Christmas thing turned into another epic battle with the evil one. He refused to see reason. Refused to think about what was best for Celia and refused to be decent and fair.

After much prayer and thought, I calmly gave him an ultimatum.

Celia needed to be home by the 26th or she wasn't going to be able to go to Arkansas.

I wouldn't be changing my mind and he needed to honor his word to me.

I told him I wouldn't be arguing or talking about it anymore.

Then I dropped it.

That was Tuesday.

Saturday night I got an email with her new travel itinerary

that would have her home on the 26th.

Yay!!

Honestly, I don't feel selfish at all in this decision. It's not only what I want, it's what's best for Celia. I have scores of misgivings about her being with him that long and so far away from home.

Add to that list, his plans of traveling with Celia the Sunday after Christmas on the last flight out of Arkansas. The flight was scheduled to be in at almost 10pm in Salt Lake. Reasonably, this time of year and especially after the holiday, flights will be delayed at least an hour, but most likely several. I wouldn't be getting her home until midnight on the 27th, at the earliest.

Nice plan for a four year old, right?

Having Celia gone most of the Christmas break is hardly the ideal.

I still think I deserve the Nicest Person in the World Award for even considering letting her go.

But, at least I get to see her a bit and have a good day and a half to detox her from bad dad overload.

And even better?

Next Christmas she's all mine.

Pouty, Pouty Me.

I love Christmas. Love it. Love it.

This year. Not so much.

Celia's dad was awarded standard visitation a few months ago.

Ok.

I'd come to terms with the fact I'd have to share the holidays with him from now until the millennium. It's an odd year so he'll get the first half of the holiday, and I will get from one o'clock on Christmas day on. I was pretty much ok with it and ready to start the holiday prep when he wanted 'to talk' a little over a week ago.

It seems his dad is 'deathly' ill and the whole family is trekking to Arkansas for Christmas. Yeah Arkansas. Because when his dad retired he moved to Arkansas. His whole family is here in Utah. Makes perfect sense. Right?

He cried and begged and me being the nice person I am, agreed, against my better judgement, to let her go, with one condition. He have her home December 26 so I could still celebrate a little with her. He agreed and I set about adjusting my plans.

Yeah.

I am officially the nicest person alive for that one.

Then again, being nice to him always has a way of biting me in the back and I remember just why it is we're no longer married. After promising up and down to have her home the afternoon of the 26th, he calls to inform me that there are 'absolutely' no flights available and the 'absolute' soonest he could have her home would be midday the 27th.

Again, I reluctantly agree and believe his story.

Yesterday, he informs me that there was a 'mistake' and the soonest he could get her home would be 10pm on the 27th. Meaning, my time with Celia for Christmas is a big fat zero.

Not ok.

Missing Celia for half of Christmas is a big deal. I can cope though.

Missing her for all of Christmas is unfathomable.

Add to that my laundry list of concerns...

1- He's never spent more than a weekend with Celia. And by weekend I mean, Friday night to Sunday night. That's it.

2- He has yet to master nap time, bed time, meal time, bath time, etc, etc, etc. The basics.

3- He has never traveled or flown with Celia, let alone during the hysteria that is Christmas travel. He has no clue what he's in for. For example, he told me he'd pick up Celia from me at noon to catch a two o'clock flight. Keep in mind, we live an hour away from the airport and he's checking bags for three plus a carseat. Brilliant.

4- His family has absolutely no relationship with Celia. His 'sick' father for example has seen Celia a total of about three times in her whole life. In the five years I've known him, he has never once sent Celia a birthday card, Christmas card or called her for any reason period. Nice Grandpa right?

5- Don't even get me started on the rest of his family. At their best they are dysfunctional.

6- Celia has never been so far away from home or away from home for so long. She's 4. She's a mommy's girl. It's Christmas. She'll be in a strange house with strange people.

You get the point.

7,8,9....100...500...yeah I could go on, and on.

I didn't sleep much last night.

I'm stewing over this.

Her father is master manipulator.

Liar King at his best.

So I start checking out his story by doing a little internet sleuthing. Seems there are plenty of flights out of Arkansas-middle-of-nowhere on the 26th. In fact she could be back in Salt Lake by noon.

It also seems that travel on the 27th is more expensive, contrary to his tales. Also, his dad booked the flights with Celia coming home the 27th before Celia's dad even talked to me.

Strange? Coincidence?

Again, I could go on. Not one bit of his story is true. The whole thing is a big fat fabrication, just to hog Celia for the entire Christmas break.

Yeah, I'm a bit upset.

Gross understatement.

Here I am being really very cool about things. Trying to anyway. I still don't trust the man with my daughter. Another story for another day.

Besides it being Christmas, I want my girl home for at least some of the celebrations. We do Christmas in a big way in my family. Also, my grandfather's health is lousy. If he makes it until next Christmas it will be a huge miracle. My grandmother's Alzheimer's is rendering her completely incapacitated at an alarming rate. Next Christmas, my grandma won't be at all coherent. Celia is very close to them. For the past two years she's seen them almost every day. This is the last Christmas we'll have with them. It's a big deal. I can't think about not having her here to share that.

So, I'm pouting.

I've put my foot down and I'm insisting my daughter is home no later than the 26th. I fully expect the lawyers to be involved soon.

Bring it on.

I'm not obligated to let her go at all. We can stick to the custody agreement.

Fine with me. I'll get her half way through Christmas day.

So much for being nice.