12 weeks

I took the girls to their father's yesterday, so that they could celebrate Christmas with his family, and have Christmas with him today, as they will be with me tomorrow.

He told me there is an update on his brother. Yes, it was his twin brother who plead guilty to sexual misconduct and assault, because he inappropriately touched his teenage step-daughter. Apparently as part of his probation, and because he now has to register as a sex offender, he is not allowed to be around anyone under the age of 18 without a 'supervisor' who has attended special training. The course is 12 weeks long, and The Slug will be attending this. So, until that course is completed by Slug, his brother will not have any contact with my girls (supervised or otherwise) at all. That's 12 weeks.

Now, because the boys are twins (identical mirror image) The Slug sometimes catches hell from people in town, who confuse him for Uncle J. So, this conviction has effected everyone's life.

Apparently TD is involved with someone older than she is. (According to The Slug, she is 'messing around' with BD, who is a friend of the boys, and is 29) If that is the case, why isn't the family reporting him and pressing charges against him? After all, it's still illegal for him to be with TD because she is still under age.

Christmas was celebrated at Slug's mom's yesterday, for the family (the 3 brothers and their families) except that Uncle J could not attend. He spent the entire day in his camper, away from the family. He can't celebrate Christmas with his wife, with his neices, with his brothers, with his nephew. I understand that this is his own doing, he brought this on himself, by doing what he did. Still, it's hard to imagine sitting there, knowing the family is in the house, right beside the camper he's living in, and he can't be there to celebrate with them.

What he did was wrong, in so many ways, on so many levels. I don't argue that. I am cautious about his contact with me girls. But because he is who he is, I have not raised 7 kinds of hell about him. But I am ever vigilant, and cautious and have told the girls the truth and explained things to them, so they are aware.

Who would have thought life could turn out this way? Who could have seen this? Surely not me. But for now, at least for the next 12 weeks, I don't have to worry about the girls and Uncle J. There's some relief in that, to be sure.