We split winter break in half evenly, so pick up is on the midpoint day of vacation, at a pre-set time. Last year, the first year we had this CO (and the year that she got the first half of winter break), we didn't have any problem with both parties figuring out which day was the midpoint day. This year (the year SO has the first half of winter break) BM comes to pick up SK a day early, claiming that by her "calculations" this is the half way point. Poor SK and DH were just hanging out at home, and all of sudden BM is on the phone screaming that it's time for pick up why aren't they coming outside. Both DH and SK are super confused and disoriented and so DH just let him go. I'm at work when DH texts me, and both of us are freaking out thinking that we were wrong or that we missed something because BM swears that it's the midpoint day.
Except, it's not, honey. How can it be the halfway point if one parent has 10 days and the other has 12? Less than 30 min later you can tell she knows she messed up, but still refuses to acknowledge that she was wrong and bring SK back because "it'll be too confusing for him"...WELL WHO'S FAULT IS THAT, LADY!? Then, later she agrees that the exchange should be a day later and says "we should have communicated better". NO, you should learn how to fucking count.
Last night I spent hours being so upset over this. That this whole thing stressed us out, distracted me at work, confused SK, and a nice last vacation day and night with the family has been thrown to shit because of her mistake that she refuses to take responsibility for. She even had the audacity to try to not give us a makeup day, saying "let's just split the difference and you can keep him a couple more hours next time". HELL. NO.
Things are normally pretty okay, but it's shit like this that gets me. The feeling that BM can just swoop in whenever the hell she wants and take SK just because she said so. And even with a court order, she feels like she doesn't have to suffer any consequences. But what's worse is that, even though we proved to be right and got our makeup day, the damage is already done. These stress hormones are already racing, the ulcer is already forming, SK is already upset and confused. The whole vacation feeling is already soured and it sucks.