mama drama

i know we all have dramatic moments in our lives of being a mom, that's expected... but what i'm about to vent about could take a while...walk with me will you...

matilda has been in a private in-home daycare program since she was about 6 months old. the caregiver, i'll call her 'lex' to protect her identify although it's not necessary, has been fairly reliable however within the last several months she's had a number of 'issues' leaving me, along with 6 other moms, without childcare.

i realize sons get sick, daughters have court dates because they're a troubled youth, i realize cats die and time off is expected. i realize that adults get sick and that a simple sniffle and scratchy throat constitutes strep and/or pneumonia and an immediate trip to the physician is required... i get that. bigtime. but it's just me. i have no husband who can say, 'sure dear, i'll pick up matilda so you can stay at work thru 4pm.' nope - i have to leave work an hour before she needs me to so i can get there in time.

last week she was showing signs of wigging out on me so i began to prepare myself. sure enough i get a call at 9am on tuesday asking if i can be there at 230p so she can go to see her doctor. knowing full well i couldn't say 'um no i have a full time job that i need to be HERE to do.' i said okay. which means i leave here at 130 to be THERE by the 'agreed upon' 230 time.

now, when i got there, she was speaking with another mom on the phone, didn't really acknowledge i was there... i greet matilda, gather her bag and ask lex to call me to let me know how she's doing after her appointment. at 415 i got the call, and the news (which i already knew) saying she wasn't taking kids the next day. now, keep in mind folks i pay her - i get recepits - she claims the money on her income tax - she's licensed. she's not a friend doing me a favor. so essentially, i'm her employer and she's 'calling in sick'. except she's my ONLY employee and i've got no one to delegate her 'duties' to... so i make arrangements with HIM for an early morning drop off since the next day was his day... fine and dandy.

cut to yesterday. i've been burned once before assuming she was well after a few days off and would be back 'at work' monday morning - only to call sunday evening to find out, no she wasn't. so yesterday i called her BEFORE i left my parents house (no sense in driving an hour home for no reason). i called her cell first... left a message checking to see how she was and if she'd be working tomorrow. i then called the house thinking maybe her phone was off. she answered and gave a curt 'hello.' i gave her my normal chipper greeting, asked how she was feeling which was met with a VERY flat, 'i'm okay.' some silly banter was exchanged and then i asked the big question...'do you think you'll be able to work tomorrow?' you would have thought i asked if she could loan me a million dollars...'um no, i don't think i'll be working tomorrow.' click. yeah - hung up on me. so i waited a second.. shook myself out of my shock and called back. she answered again. i said, 'hi it's me i guess my phone must have cut me out. sorry. i understand you'll be not working tomorrow but i'd like to iron out my week' she cuts me off, 'what do you mean 'iron out your week?.' i said as calmly as i could, 'well i need to make sure that i have someone to take care of matilda while i work.' again an interruption, 'yeah, well i'm sorry i'm such an INCONVENIENCE to you.' i, shocked as all hell, began to scramble for the right words... i said, 'um, lex this beck, i'm not sure where this is coming from.' her: 'well i think you're being very rude to me.' me: 'me being rude?' her: 'yeah.' me: 'i'm sorry you think that, i just thought i should call you ahead of time instead of showing up at 6am to then find out you weren't able to work.' her: 'well thanks for being so thoughtful.' click. to paint an even more elaborate picture, my voice was shaking because i couldn't believe the things i was hearing. i was hurt, shocked and for some reason, afraid... it showed in my voice and she was as calm as a hanibal lector before slashing those guards to death. i kid you not.

now i ask you - what the HELL was that? i shed a few tears over the pure drama of it all and the fact that i need to go to work, i didn't want to burden my parents by asking if they could watch matilda for me and for being stupid enough to think that it mattered what this nutjob thought or said to me.

i called HIM to give him an update, telling him i wasn't taking matilda back there and he would need to find someone to keep her during his summer visits. i've always thought she was a little 'off' but she was so great with the kids and very alert about their well-being. but yesterday, i can honestly say that i have NO idea who that woman on the phone was. it was surreal almost. i've spoken to this woman everyday since matilda was an infant... and yet, yesterday - she was a stranger.

so i have no idea what happened, what i did (nothing that i know of) or what will happen. i plan to send her a check for last week and include and 'official' letter terminating the services. i won't use language quite that harsh, but that'll be the jist of it.

i tell you what - it's crazy. i'm sorta glad she doesn't know where i'm moving to - cause the woman on the phone yesterday would probably hunt me down.