My ex treats both kids the same. No favouritism for letting them down.  If it doesn’t work for him, they can forget it.  I thought because I just posted about his treatment of my youngest daughter, I would share what happened 2 weeks ago with my oldest daughter preparing for back to university.

My ex would not help move our 20 year old daughter back to Vancouver over the long weekend as he had plans but said he was going over to Vancouver the next weekend with Janice Andrews to see the Foo Fighters in concert so he could drop off her stuff then.

On Sunday night, I suggested that he come over during the next couple of days while our daughter was still here so she could give him all the boxes that she wanted sent. I was taking her to the ferry on Wednesday morning so he still had 2 full days to make plans to get them from her and Monday was a holiday so he wasn’t  working. I suggested that way he didn’t have to make any plans with me and could stick with his own schedule to get over to Vancouver plus they were calling for rain that morning.

His response:

“Thank you for the passive aggressive email (my name) where you try to dictate and control when people do and don’t do things.

….In case you may have forgotten, I’m offering to assist (older daughter) in delivering her belongings to her residence. I’m sure if you’re not around, you can leave them out front for me to pick up. You have lots of other items sitting out front that don’t seem to have any weather related issues.

I’ll be having dinner with (daughter) tomorrow and will pick the items up at that time, otherwise if that doesn’t meet with “your schedule”, you can deliver them yourself.”

Well I didn’t see his email until the next night.  It was our younger daughter who told me that afternoon that he was coming that night. Of course Wednesday night was the one night I had plans (that is the night my ex usually has dinner with my daughter so that is the only night I make plans). I told my daughter to text her dad that I could be back by 8:45 p.m. to give him the boxes but he would not wait so my younger daughter, thinking she was being helpful, put all the boxes out for him.  She realized afterwards that she had missed the 2 most important boxes that my daughter needed with her as they were upstairs and the other boxes were downstairs. She told her sister that her dad didn’t have room to take them. My older daughter was very upset so contacted her dad that she really needed those boxes.  He didn’t even know they existed so he texted my younger daughter back furious that she lied saying he didn’t have room for the boxes.  She said that she was “joking” and apologized.  He sent her the following text:

“(daughter’s name) while I appreciate you apologizing I don’t for a minute think it was a joke. You didn’t want to take responsibility for forgetting and I’m sure you did or were going to tell Mom that story which is really unfair because you know she’d be upset at me when I had no knowledge of those boxes.”

I didn’t care about any of this.  I only cared about getting the 2 main boxes to my older daughter and I was also hoping to get a Rubbermaid bin returned to me that my daughter put out by mistake.

My email that night:

“I am only seeing your email now and didn’t know you were planning on coming on Wednesday to pick up her boxes. It was the only evening this week that I was not able to be home until 8:45 p.m.  When (our daughter) told me you were getting the boxes I told her that I would be home at that time to give them to you.

There are 3 very important boxes that still need to go to (our daughter). Two have more than $300 worth of food and necessities and are open (Costco Boxes) so I don’t want to leave them on the driveway. There is another box of her belongings here as well that she wants you to take over. The only thing I have on the driveway is waterproof and if it does get wet it doesn’t matter. These items of (our daughter) in cardboard boxes will be ruined and spoiled if they get wet and I certainly don’t want anyone to take them. (Younger daughter) gave you one box by mistake. I need the Rubber Maid container that has her microwave in it. It was supposed to come out of the container. I just kept it in that so it wouldn’t get rusted outside. I have no storage space here and you refused to allow her to store anything at your place.

Also, please help her move her bed. She told me that you said, “No”. Please be helpful to her as she has asked around and can’t get anyone to help her. That is the only thing that she needs your help to move. She even offered to rent a U-Haul to get it to her place but she needs your help to move it. It is just a bed and easy to lift, certainly between the 3 of you, but she needs help to do it and needs a larger vehicle to do it.

It is your weekend with (our younger daughter) so I trust you will be taking her to dinner on Friday night since you will be gone on Saturday and Sunday. I will make sure that I will be here to give you the 3 boxes and if you can kindly return the Rubber Maid bin for me that would be very much appreciated. If you plan on bailing on (younger daughter’s name) on Friday night, too, then please come by on Saturday before you go to the ferry and I will see if I can put the groceries into smaller (bags…). They are calling for rain so I can’t leave them out before.”

Silent treatment. I sent this email in follow up:

“If you had have just extended me the courtesy of arranging a convenient time for us both to pick up (older daughter’s name) boxes I would have made sure you had the correct boxes. You have taken boxes that were not meant to go and you have left important boxes here. It is supposed to rain on Saturday so I can not leave boxes for you on the driveway and I need to take out the boxes that weren’t meant to go. I have plans on Saturday morning but obviously these boxes are imperative for(daughter) to receive so please let me know what time you can come by here on Saturday before you go to the ferries to exchange and get the correct boxes.

It is your weekend with (younger daughter) so I trust that you will be having dinner with her on Friday and we could even make the exchange then.”

I didn’t receive a response.  The next morning I had an appointment downtown.  I had no desire to go to his office but in an effort to make this easy for him I sent the following email:

“I  have an appointment downtown this morning…I will text you as I don’t have email access on my phone. If you are going to be in the office let me know and you can come down and move the items to your car. The boxes are way too heavy and big for me to take up the stairs to your office. Hopefully you will have my Rubber Maid container as well to give me.”

His Response:

“(my name)

I’m not getting caught up in the ridiculousness of your last 3 emails.

I told you I was coming Wednesday to pick up the belongings. I work full time, I don’t have the luxury of going to Sidney and spending an hour out of my day to run around because you messed up what is or is not to go over to (older daughter).

There were boxes that were neatly set up on the driveway when I got there last night. I packed all of those boxes in my vehicle. If you put out the wrong boxes, or failed to put out others you wanted to go that is your issue. I have no more space. I do not have the time to drive to Sidney nor do I have the time to deal with you today on this issue. I’m headed out to Metchosin and will be on the Westshore the majority of the day. I’m in a golf tournament tomorrow, the same brokers tournament I’ve been in for the last ten years so I do not have time tomorrow. As well, (younger daughter) has known for several weeks that we aren’t getting together because of that.

I’m on the 9am ferry on Saturday. If (older daughter) doesn’t have what she needs, I will take her shopping or give her money to do so. It’s not the end of the world. She can get these things either next time she is over, or (boyfriend) can take things over in his vehicle as I’m sure he will go over and see her at some point. Or maybe you’ll feel the need to see where your daughter lives and go yourself.

So save your time and don’t contact me about this again.

Just a reminder, you’ve been blocked from my phone for well over a year so your texts will not be received.”

Now this is where I thought his response was odd.  He knows that our younger daughter put the boxes out, not me.  He sent her a text prior to this email admonishing her for forgetting to put out some boxes and then lying and telling our daughter her dad just didn’t take them because he didn’t have room when he instead he just didn’t know they were there.  Now he is saying he doesn’t have room to take them and thinks I put them out and made the error?

My response:

“(his name)

I didn’t put any boxes out. I did NOT know you were coming. I was not here at all during the day and just got home last night at 8:45 p.m. When (youngest daughter) texted me that you were coming I told her to tell you that I couldn’t be back until 8:45 p.m. She obviously took it upon herself to try and put (older daughter’s) things out but she forgot some items and gave you my rubber maid bin by mistake. I didn’t know you weren’t seeing (younger daughter) on Friday either. She doesn’t tell me anything about whether you bail on her or not anymore. It is old news. I only know when I have to drive her or pick her up because you made alternative plans.

This is a huge waste of money if you don’t take the food that she wants to take over to Vancouver and a waste of time for her to have to go and try to replace it. Some items are refrigerator items. She needs her bedding and the things in her printer box. You might have money to waste but I do not. I can’t afford to go over to Vancouver and spend $200 in travel expenses to take her $200 in food. (Plus I have to arrange for someone to let the dog out when I am gone all day) You are going over so please come and get her things. I highly doubt your vehicle is full and can’t take a few more things. You can take the items out of the boxes.

(Daughter’s roommate’s) dad drove up from Seattle to move her into (older daughter’s) place last minute. They took 5 trips to bring her stuff back and forth. You aren’t going out of your way at all to stop by here on the way to the ferry and you are acting like you have to drive across the country.

You can use blocking me on your phone as an excuse all you want. It only shows the judge that you will do anything you can to avoid being needed for something for your kids or having to do something.”
I contacted my older daughter to give her a head’s up that it did not look like her dad was going to bring all of her things to her, especially the items she needed the most. I then emailed my ex with her reaction and response:

“(our daughter) is very upset you can’t stop by my place first to get the things she very much needs and wants. (Her boyfriend) never takes his car over as it is too expensive. These are not things she can carry on the ferry back with her either.”

His Response and this is when it becomes clear this is more about trying to punish me than it is about doing anything for our daughter:

“I’m not playing this game with you. As stated, I’m not coming to your house. I’m not going to have anything to do with someone who is actively and continuing to make attempts to attack me by email, telephone calls, online etc. I’m not putting up with your ongoing behavior, harassment etc. I do not have room for her food end of story. Ask (youngest daughter), she saw what my vehicle looked like and I have my own personal belongings and Janice’s to take as well. It’s not my issue that you didn’t have things ready. I told you when I was coming and if you didn’t read my email or have things ready to go that isn’t my fault, that’s yours. You tried to make this difficult by demanding when I was or wasn’t going to pick things up. I have a job. I work 6 days a week and I have a life that does not include you. I’m not jumping when you demand. I have come to the house when I stated and picked up what was left for me to take. If that isn’t sufficient, you can drop off the comforter and sheets to my home and leave them at the back under the awning and I will pick them. Anything else that is left there that does not fit in my vehicle will be thrown in the garbage regardless of what it is. My home is not your dumping ground.

What (our daughter’s roommate’s) Dad did or didn’t do has nothing to do with me. I don’t have the luxury of being told the day before that (our daughter) needs to move to cancel my appointments and go to Vancouver. Rather than point the finger at me, why didn’t you take the initiative and do something about it? You don’t work, you could have easily gone to Vancouver and assisted (daughter’s name) at any time. Rather than point the finger at others and question them, take a look in the mirror and ask what you could do.”

My response:

“You are ridiculous. You chose the one day of week that I wasn’t home until 8:45 p.m. I offered to accommodate you at that time but you made (our youngest daughter) bring out boxes instead before I could be there. Now, you want me to pack up the rest of (older daughter’s) things and drive them to your place and leave them where you want and then anything else that doesn’t fit in your vehicle you are going to throw out? What kind of father are you? You have an extra bedroom at your place that you said was there in case the girls ever decide to stay at your place, with nothing in it, and you won’t even store (older daughter’s) things there? That is why I am pointing out to you what (daughter’s roommate’s) dad did. Now compare that to what you are saying you will do.

I contacted you this morning the only way you will allow, by email, and told you I was driving downtown today to an appointment. I offered to drop off the rest of (older daughter’s) stuff to you. I could have left the stuff at your place today. Then I followed up when I was on my way downtown and spoke with your secretary who said that you were in. You wouldn’t take my call so I left a voicemail and you still didn’t have the courtesy to call back and offer a solution for (daughter’s) belongings. I told you I could be here tonight and Friday night but you wont’ make an extra trip this way? You are coming right by here on your way to the ferry. Literally a 1 minute detour for you and you say I am being difficult with demands? Yes your life does not include me but it should include your girls. Unfortunately, you also seem to think that my life should include you and I should continue to jump through your hoops and wait around on your schedule.

This has NOTHING to do with me. This is for (older daughter’s name), your daughter! I have a million grievances against you. Your inability to help meet the needs of your children is just one of them and this a perfect example of your controlling behaviour that makes zero sense.”