Smooth Sailing Meets Rough Seas

Just when you think your life is going along smoothly, Life likes to throw something in your path that mucks it all up.

Oldest dd is dx’d as bi-polar and alcoholic and has been off her meds for more than 3 months, so this has been brewing for awhile now.  She called me two late afternoons ago to tell me that she was calling CPS on herself if I didn’t come take the kids.  She’d been drinking for DAYS and was completely out of it, couldn’t pack up the kids or even stand up.  I packed them up for an extended visit and brought them here.  They were undressed, unwashed, SO tired and starving.  A quick dinner of McDonalds (which they ate every scrap of) and to bed for them all.  Needless to say, they’re still recovering from the experience.  DD called today, ultra hung over but very sincere with an apology for her behavior.  The good news is that she finally sees that being off the meds has not been working well for her, contrary to her recent determination that all was just peachy keen.  She’s getting back on the meds and is going back to AA.  I’m at the point where I’m just not going to hold her hand through this anymore, she needs to do this on her own.  For once, I was up front with her about the kids and told her that reuniting the family was not my top priority, that the kids would be staying with me AT LEAST until she was back on the meds and stabilized again.  Thankfully, she agreed.
 
So today when my friends asked “what’s up with you?”, I said, “Oh, just working, trying to do my normal stuff (like knit once in a while, keep the house clean & sleep), raising 3 kids 5 and under plus a teenager, washing a TON of laundry, all while dh is on the road and slated to be on the road for the next many weeks.  Thank God for crock pots!