DH took this week off to spend time with SS and DD. I did not take time off (I work 100% remote), but I have today off for New Years. DH informed me on WEDNESDAY that he works a half day today, from the office an hour away not remote. It is kind of a big item to fail to communicate, especially when no plans were made for SS. 

After SS' toxic phone call with BM last night, I told DH that I was not comfortable being home alone with him. DH's response was "I told SS he needs to be on his best behavior and he is pretty self sufficient - he can get his own breakfast and stuff."

DH is on his way to pick up SS10 as I type this. He is not looking forward to the 8 hour roundtrip drive. SS is visiting for his second half of Christmas break so he will be here for a week. 

Many of you know that SS10 is enrolled in sports year round. Soccer in the spring, football in the late summer/fall, and basketball in the late fall/winter. Often times, he only has a week or so break between sport seasons, except soccer to football where he has two months, except BM keeps him loaded up with off season training camps. This kid practices two to four days per week with games every single weekend. We aren't in agreement with this much activity and feel that SS deserves to be a normal kid, but we have no say so it is what it is.

Christmases have always been weird with SS10. We didn't have him for a single Christmas until SS was 7 because our CO never outlined holidays and BM refused to give up holidays on the grounds that SS was used to her family traditions and he shouldn't have to miss them to see DH. When BM moved out of state in 2017, we demanded a holiday schedule and since we are long distance, those breaks are really the only time to see SS. Our holiday visitation equates to alternating spring break and Thanksgiving break and splitting Christmas break in half.