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Another Fun Experience with School Pictures

step off already's picture

Does this ever end?

Apparently not.

I order pictures from the school for all of the children, including SS13 who DH has primary custody of. Pictures arrive and the school has switched our order with BM's order. I know because I order all of the same packets.

I alert the school. The school is already aware because BM has "been going back and forth with them all day" according to the school secretary. They are aware of her shenanigans because last year she lied to the teacher and took our class photo. They also sent both packets home with SS last year and she freaked out and demanded that the principal have us return the photos and that the school mail the order directly to her. (not like she couldn't have just asked us or SS to bring them to her, but whatever).

So, needless to say, they were on alert with her.

I return our packet to the office. About a week later, I ask the school if they have the pictures. They say that they gave her the ones we gave back but she hasn't given them back our set yet. I let them know we'll try ourselves to get them, but in the future, they should "please" wait until they get what they need from her prior to releasing anything.

So, BM gives us the pictures at the exchange and what do we get? We get the original packet back from her - with several pictures cut out and missing. I'm not sure if she did this in purpose or if she is just high, as usual.

DH says not to worry about it as he is used to her stealing his pictures. She has stolen every picture packet he's ever ordered. Not sure why. She has no family that is on speaking terms with her to pass them out to.

I had to ask the school office to please replace our pictures and that I apologize that this is so difficult. (It is their mistake, after all, even though she is a crazy woman).

This woman is an idiot and EVERYTHING is difficult with her.

Comments

fakemommy's picture

We've just gone to having family pictures made every year and getting some of skid alone. The pictures are better and cheaper overall, we get the photo release and we don't have to deal with picture ordering drama. When we stopped ordering pics, BM did too.

HadEnoughx5's picture

Your blog was my life about the school pics. For YEARS we dealt with this. Swamp Hole has thrown away the order form, taken our pics, lost our pics, on and on. The skids would be sad when it came time for pic day because they knew we wanted pics and Swamp was an asshole.

This year again, no pics. I dealt with it for years and this year, I reminded DH several times, with no pics produced.

So there scrapbooks have no school pics for this school year.

OH. WELL.

step off already's picture

It's ridiculous really. The woman is not involved with her child at all. DH says she likes to pretend she's a mom so she likes to have the pictures to show for it.

When we got the pictures this year, SS kept asking to open the package. I told him no because it was his mother's package and he would need to ask her.

At least at this school, I'm able to talk to the people in the office and they are very aware that BM is a nut. Not sure what we'll do at high school - maybe not order pictures at all.

We'll see...

KiFire's picture

We only played this game once with SD7... Last year FDH ordered and paid for the pictures, separate from BM1's... we never saw the pictures. this year wehn the order forms went out BM was busy withholding visitation, so she had to buy her own package. We didn't get any, but at least we didn't pay for any.

step off already's picture

That's probably what we'll do moving forward. I'm not going to spend $30 on a package of photos that I don't get. I really only buy them to put in their scrapbooks anyway and we do family photos each year anyway, so hell if I'll pay for any more.

step off already's picture

OMG. Tell more!

(I constantly keep it in the back of my head that all of BM's shenanigans will allow the school to write one hell of a letter for us to use in court).

Mom23's picture

Sorry for delay in responding. We've had a hell of a weekend/past few days. The incident that brought us to court started with the school pictures but turned into so much more. We were tired of losing school pictures among other belongings and things we'd pay for that would end up at BM's which she would purposely keep. DH asked her to bring pictures during exchange or he would request a police chaperone to retrieve from house. She responded with obscenities (of course). DH drove to police station after exchange. BM drove there as well. He asked cops for chaperone - they were going to ok request until she barges in claiming he threatened her life and she requested a TRO. For some f-ed up reason they ended up granting the TRO. DH has to wait til Mon then files for emergency hearing to appeal and reinstate custody order. Judge ends up saying fighting over school pictures is petty and ridiculous and asks for pictures back. DH get pictures and regular custody reinstated but has a hearing in a few weeks for TRO. So we could have just left things as is and not made a big deal about the photos and wouldnt have had to deal with a troublesome past few days but how long are we supposed to put up with BM's nonsense and constant disruption to our household? It's a headache of a situation.