Okay, here we go..

A lot of my kitchen items starting to go missing a year or so ago. Most of the items that went missing were expensive items. We'd ask her if she saw them or what happened to them and she would become very defensive and irate and deny having taken anything. So, we thought she was becoming forgetful and maybe storing things in the attic or basement and when we couldn't find them anywhere in the house so we even took a few walks out into the woods to see if she was dumping things there. That's when I posted out here and Tigg told me to get the d-link camera. We did but didn't really see her doing much of anything. We told her the camera was for security but I think she knew better.

In talking with the neighbor one day he asked DH how things were going with the MIL, (she's not very friendly to this man when he stops in) and DH told him not well, we have things going missing in the house, can't find them etc. Neighbor said my mother had been to the transfer station a few times but never thought of it other than she was disposing of stuff on our behalf. He said he would keep an eye out at that point and keep anything aside for us. That was how I was going to confront her. DH was talking to my brother and told him about the camera and what was happening at the dump and all of a sudden the activity stopped so we believe my brother talked to her. I asked my brother about saying something to her and he denied it but I believe he did.

All that activity stopped several months ago but just recently started up again. The neighbor came down with cancer awhile back and is not working anymore so we don't have backup at the station now.

I did confront her Saturday when I couldn't find my one last spatula and I just lost it. I know spatula's sound like a small item to get so upset about but it's really the last straw for me. I told her I'd had it with my stuff going missing in which she denied it again. We've barely spoken since then until last night. When I got home from work she was now trying to be sweet and tell me there's nothing wrong with buying my new spatulas at Target and they're just as good as the ones from WS. I said, where did all my other ones go Ma? The transfer station? Cause I know you've visited the place before! If you all could have seen the look on her face? I'll tell ya,,,, guilty! and then she went down to her bedroom.

The conversation is not done with her. I've just been a bit down the last few days and I want to wait till I can have some self control and not yell at her. I just want her to know, that I know what she's done and started doing again.

I think she's having some resentment about having to live with me because she does well with finances, crossword puzzles etc. but her cleaning and cooking skills are definitely not what they used to be. She has a hard time following conversations and forgets often where she puts things.

I'll perk up, just need a day or so. I don't mind her living with me even though it's tough sometimes on the privacy etc. but to have to go through these types of issues with her? And that wasn't all, I fell a number of weeks back helping her with an errand and tore ligaments in my foot and elbow. I was down for awhile and she helped with nothing and wouldn't acknowledge that I was crippled up with a boot on the foot, a wrap on the elbow. Cripes, I looked and felt like the accident victim I was. Not a good feeling when your hurt and your mother acts like your just an inconvenience. I'm feeling like I don't want to care for her anymore and I don't like having those feelings.

So, there it is, that's my story lately. I don't post often about my problems with her because everyone else is going through so much more.