The weekend with SD15 is over. It's clear she's jealous of our kids. She had no problem with them when they were tiny now that they're becoming real people she's got a problem. We had to rationalize and defend everything we did for them, from the fact that they "get" to go to daycare (ah yes I get to spend 10s of thousands on daycare) down to giving them bowls for chips rather than let them take from a larger bowl like the 3 grown people. SD acted like anything we did was giving them special treatment.

SDs birthday was over the weekend. I didn't forget, but so many goddamn people felt the need to remind me. I sent her a gift and a card already and I have never forgotten it but I got texts from my MIL and 2 SILs the days leading up to remind me her birthday is coming. Then the day before my DH says "SDs birthday is tomorrow" and I simply said "I know" because I do know! Was he hoping I had planned a surprise or did he want to vent about how we aren't going to see her until July? Well maybe he could have said something. But the conversation ended there.

It's so predictable. From Thanksgiving to Christmas and the month before her birthday SD will talk to DH almost daily whereas normally it's weeks or over a month between contact. It's obvious it's all about gifts because she won't give him the time of day in between.

She has responded nearly every time DH has reached out to her so far this month. Of course it's because DH has just been asking about what to get her for her birthday. He's already sent a few gifts and it seems like he's planning to send them every few days all month. 

I really don't envy the people who have to navigate sharing the expanded credits with BM, DH never claims SD14 so we don't have that issue. 

But I did have some other issues this year.