My ds17's bd picked him up this morning for his annual "fun trip". This is always ds's "Christmas gift". He hasn't received a Christmas gift from bd since he was about 12... or a b-day gift for that matter. BD picked him up and took him to the closest big town about 1 1/2 hours away. DS sent me a txt with a pic of some little car... looks like some sort of car museum. That's the typical theme... corvette museum, motorcycle museum, etc.

But here's the great part. I told ds to text me when they are getting close to home so that I can be prepared because I have some receipts to give bd for medical bills. Why does this thrill me? This is the first time since our divorce that I have had real insurance... ds was on medicaid and all kids for a long time until I finally was able to get a full time job. BD is NOT expecting these receipts nor does he even know that I have insurance, or that ds17 even had a scratched cornea that required ER visit and follow up visits. BD only sees ds17 a total of 12-24 hours per YEAR and he only lives 20 mins away. DS17 hadn't heard from bd in almost a month when bd came up with the idea for this lovely little day trip. BD has been extremely uninvolved with DS17 for years now.

So I am going to take extra joy in handing him the receipt copies that total about $80! }:) When I told DS17 that I had receipts to give his bd he said, "Oh great... now I am going to hear about how you are just out for money again." I said, "He shouldn't be saying anything at all to you, but he is court ordered to pay 50% and there have been PLENTY of times I didn't even give him receipts for glasses or contacts. he's going to have to start taking responsibility because co-pays and deductibles are not cheap. I won't put you in the middle, and neither should he."

This should be interesting. Hopefully he won't be an ass about it!

UPDATE:
I gave the receipts to BD and got the sob story about how work is slow and he's had 3 different jobs this year because there's been no work (he's in construction). I told him that I know the papers say he has 30 days, but if he needs to take an extra week or 2 due to Christmas that I would understand that. (I really try to be a nice person.) He didn't even know that DS had been sick. Just goes to show that he and DS do not communicate at all. This morning DS said that he really didn't even want to go. After the last few years of his bd's every other weekend lunch only visitations and being blown off when he asked if he could go to his dad's to visit and was told no, DS came to his own deduction that if dad doesn't care, why should he? It really does make me sad for ds. He really WANTS to have a relationship with his dad, but he doesn't even see a point in talking to his dad about it. I have told him many times that his dad won't change anything if HE doesn't talk to him about it, but he doesn't see a reason. He thinks that if his dad really cared, he wouldn't have to talk to him about seeing him more often. And he's got a point... who's the adult here?

But anyway... I took DS completely out of the equation with the bills. Hopefully by the time he sees his bd again, it will pretty well be forgotten and he won't say anything negative to ds. Only time will tell.