Guess Who's Invisible Again??

I think I've mentioned this in the past but my dad is going to be 65 this summer. He wants to do something with all of his children (meaning, me, sis and our step brother). The first plan was to have a party down by him. He had a friend who owned some sort of club that we could use. Sis and I would fly down for the weekened, he'd be surprised, end of story. Well, the friend's club closed down. Now we're like what to do, what to do.

Right now sis is down in Florida with dad and I get an e-mail from dad's new wife saying that they were discussing the whole birthday hooplah and what about a weekend cruise?

Okay, let me stop right there. For my friends who see me on a daily basis, feel free to stop reading because you've all heard this song and dance before. First of all, we are not wealthy people. In any way, shape or form. When we are able to take vacations, we plan them up to a YEAR in advance so that we can save up and it is normally a "value" vacation. Everyone in my family knows this about me.

Or so I thought.

Why would anyone think that I would be able to pull off a cruise on 6 weeks notice? A cruise that would have to include flying to cruise ship destination, the cruise itself and whatever goes along with that. For FOUR people!!! I didn't go home for my grandmother's memorial and we had four months leading up to that! Here's the other thorn in my side that is really starting to tick me off. I have children. Two of them. They are not heinous people. The behave themselves and know how to act when in public (and in private, for that matter). I realize that no one else has kids that are as young as mine but they are MY children and when we plan "family" events, the children are FAMILY!! Just FYI, relatives, they are related to you too. So the way I see things going down (because when it was the party scenario, only I was going to go because my sister was paying for me to fly down to Florida), they will plan something that I cannot afford. I will back out and tell them all to have fun without me. All the while wishing that the Acme Company would drop and Anvil on them all. They will say "No, no, we want YOU to come!" Emphasis on the YOU. I will be welcomed and included, someone will help me cover the cost of whatever it is and my husband and children will be excluded. Again.

Don't get me wrong, my husband will in no way be offended by this. The less contact he has with my dad, the better. But it's just not right. I would NEVER hold an event and not invite their spouse. I understand that if someone is paying for me, I should be grateful. I am, believe me. But wouldn't it just be nicer to hold a family event that is truly a family event so that everyone could go?

Honestly, I'd rather not have to deal with this kind of nonsense. It gets old. I don't fit in at all in the world that my father and my sister live in. And believe me, I don't want to. It's just insulting time and time again to have them plan things that they KNOW I can't be a part of.

**Update** I got an e-mail from my dad's wife and she is looking in to a location that is closer to me and actually started talking to dad and sis about it. I thought that was really nice of her. I'll keep you posted.