Anyone There?

As a new "blogger" I admit I wonder when/who/if anyone will find me. I hope the "So-Called Golden Years" blog is connected to Google search, that would make it so easy to connect. Sign in, folks, I'm waiting!

I need to begin adding more to add to the story of me. As you read on the initial post, my family includes my hunky hubby (he really is my hunk), two sons in their 40s, two ex-daughters-in-law, and four grandchildren. I keep close contact with one daughter-in-law, the other one is estranged. Our eldest son has been living with my hubby and I the last year + one granddaughter (20), one grandson (22). Our two grandchildren are both special needs--grandson has moderate functioning autism, granddaughter has low IQ.

The story of their moving in with us was dramatic, a prequel to this last year. Our son had filed for divorce in Texas, where they lived and he worked. Our son moved out of their home into an apartment since their son had anger issues with his mother (our son's wife) and began running away from home. It's a fear that grabs your heart like few others when an autistic, non -communicative young man is on the streets alone at night. It continued escalating until the obvious means to protect his son was to move from the source of his anger--his mother.

The mother has always been protective and controlling. But in truth, she used both her children as tools of control in what seemed to our son, a manipulative and unfair way. Her goal was to isolate the two adult children in their home--limited educational classes, no friends, no opportunity to develop a social life.

So...back to their moving in with us...both the daughter and son were participating in adult special needs classes in TX. Their mother began interfering with their classes, teachers, and finally our son said enough. It was December, school would soon be on Christmas vacation, and they planned to spend the vacation in California. They came to California and our son decided they would all stay here.With us. In our home. Good? Bad? I guess it was some of both but all of a sudden hubby and I went from our life of retirement to a home with 3 more adults. Back to school with schedules, busses, meetings, cooking, marketing and all that a family of 5 needs.

Now...readers...what would you have done? And why? This is just a peek into the confusing, calamitous lives of Jan and her family...more (believe it or not) to come.