Legal Quandary

Monday, July 17, 2006

Because Some of You Asked

EC is home safe. The hand-off went well. We were supposed to meet at the Memorial, so that's where Mr. Q, Lil Q, and I waited. Until they called from the parking lot, and could we just meet them there? I guess it's just as well, since they were running pretty late and at least there was shade at the Memorial.

It was fine. Everyone was pleasant. The Stepmother seems very nice and we chatted while Mr. Q and Roundboy filled my ENTIRE trunk with stuff. EC left here last month with one suitcase and a backpack. I drive a Jetta (which looks like a small car, but has an enormous trunk), so filling the trunk was no small feat. It's always been one of my pet peeves that somehow my house gets filled with a lot of crap I would never buy. But whatever.

It wasn't until later that I found myself upset. Several weeks ago, Mr. Q and I were talking about college for EC. (Because she's going to turn 12 this week, so it's very important that we plan this out *now.*) He said she had expressed interest in a particular school. It's a good school, and not one of the ones either Roundboy or I have lobbied for in the past. (Yes, we really do this. Yes, I know we shouldn't.) Said school is in a state that the Quandary's visit often, so I started thinking about taking her to visit the campus in the fall. Just for fun, and maybe to buy a sweatshirt.

But they took her on their way out here.

And this just threw me into a snit. Because if she does end up there, she'll always associate her first visit to campus with them. With the father who was so far behind on child support that I had to take him to court to get him to pay. Whose sole contribution to EC's college fund to date has been paying his current child support, plus less than $100/month more toward the arrears - once the judge told him he'd go to jail if he didn't. Who just recently asked me to "forgive" the past due amount because he couldn't get a passport if I didn't. She'd associate the school with the people who have never done a single THING to make sure she excels in school, and who, in fact, have dismissed any subpar performance as "OK, because Spanish isn't all that important anyway."

So I decided she can't go to that school. After all, if I'm paying for it, I have final say.

Isn't that mature of me? Don't answer that...

Comments:
Aw, I'm sorry they ruined the fun college experience for you. Soon she'll find a new school that looks interesting and you'll be able to take her there and have fun with it. Harvard much?
 
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