13 May 2013 - Addy's Ballet

The past weekend was supposed to be my weekend with the kids.  (I have the first 3 weekends of every month).  Since Addy's birthday was the following Tuesday, I had already told her and the kids that we'd celebrate her birthday that weekend.  I'd even told Addy's friend that lives upstairs that she was invited.  No doubt the kids, in their excitement, mentioned this to their mother.  Towards the approach of the weekend, Thursday I think, Hannah's House, the exchange place, emailed me telling me that Addy would not be able to visit this weekend because she had a Ballet performance on Saturday afternoon at Balboa Park.

First, let me say, my ex-wife was told specifically _by the judge_ not to schedule activities for the kids on my time (weekends).  She was told this because, knowing that the weekends would once again be my time with the kids, she went ahead and signed them up for basketball, swim team, ballet, cub scouts and dance teams - all on the weekend.  I'm not kidding you when I say that the entire weekend was full.

Also, keep in mind, that she was homeschooling them so they had no required schedule during the week.  The whole point of homeschooling is making your own schedule.  But even if they had been in a real school, they could do what everyone else calls 'after-school activities' during the week.  But anyway, let's not beat a dead horse.

Knowing she could no longer control my time with the kids on the weekend, she pulled a different maneuver.  She scheduled them in things, like Addy's ballet and the boys' cub scouts, that met during the week yet had performances and camping trips on the weekends.

Thus, Addy had a performance on Saturday afternoon.  No big deal, right?  She can still visit for the weekend.  _I_ will take her to her performance.

That was when Hannah's House informed me, 'This is not possible, as the mother has volunteered at the event, and due to the restraining order, you are unable to attend'.

Thus, I was unable to see Addy that weekend.  The worse part is, my ex told Addy that I would be picking her up after the event.  So I got a sad email from Addy asking me why I wasn't there and why I didn't come to get her.  And if I even attempted to tell her the truth, I would get another Cease and Desist letter from my ex's lawyer, telling me that I was slandering the mother and would be taken to court again for violating the visitation agreement.

So the end result was, no visitation with Addy, birthday party cancelled, ballet performance unattended, and my daughter left wondering why I wasn't there.