I've had insomnia for about two months now. No matter what time I go to bed, I wake up at around 1 am and again around 4 am. Sometimes I can get back to sleep within a half hour, sometimes not.

I've done a lot of soul-searching to try to figure out what has been stressing me. I have an appointment with a therapist on Monday to figure this out, but in the meantime, I think I've got it. It's my mother.

She moved in with me about three years ago. We lived together back when my 21-year-old was born, for about five years. Then she lived with my sister for several years, then alone for a couple of years, then with me.

The reason she moved in with me this time was that the place she was living in alone was being sold, and she needed to move. She couldn't find an affordable apartment nearby (my area doesn't have a lot of vacancies), so I let her move in with me.

The problem is I do not like the way she treats my 12-year-old daughter. Apparently when she lived with my sister, she treated sister's boys the same way. She never had a problem with my oldest (and yeah, we were all a lot younger then). As I have mellowed as I've gotten older, mom has gotten more intense. She takes everything personally. And as anyone with a pre-teen girl knows, it's an emotional rollercoaster anyway. Mom acts like the kid is doing things to deliberately provoke her, and I know that's not true. When I call mom on talking to the kid in a mean fashion, her go-to response is "she started it". Of course, then I tell her that as the adult, I expect her to model good behavior. No, the kid isn't innocent, and I deal with that - it's just so much harder when mom is doing the same thing.

I am not looking forward to this. She is going to be butt-hurt, and the stress is going to go through the roof. Sigh.

I want ice cream. Ice cream is not my friend, but it pretends to be. It doesn't give me any verbal grief, it's cool and creamy, and it tastes good.

Sigh. Instead of ice cream, I'll have to ask the man-types for some extra "attention" to relieve stress.

No real point here, just getting crap out of my head.

Think of your mom as ice cream; you can have small amounts but not so good to keep it in the house all the time.

Honestly @@Sharon1964 - great job on dealing with a difficult situation in an emotionally healthy way!

Update:

Every. Single. Fiber. In. My. Body. Is. Screaming.

Saturday, took the rest of the miscellaneous stuff to mom's new place. Kid and I spent the day shopping, picking up new bedding for both of us, a chest of drawers for me, a trundle storage unit for under her bed, groceries, etc. We were in motion from about 7 am until 3 pm. Then I went home and sat down for 30 minutes. Then I tried to stand up. Hah! My legs say "no way, beeeyotch!". I finally got up and as long as I stayed in motion I was okay. As soon as I sat down, everything seized up. Jeez, I need to get to the gym!

Sunday, my sister came over with her teenage boys and a pickup truck, took the rest of mom's stuff (bed, dresser, the big stuff). She was out by about 10am. Then kid and I started on the house. Three years of dust from deep under the bed had to be vacuumed. Then disassemble her bunk bed (and me cursing the fact that I bought a solid wood bed, which is hella heavy). Right when we were about to start moving it into her room, my guy friend showed up - YAY! MAN MUSCLE! We got the bunks back together, then had to go pick up the trundle, which we discovered didn't fit in my baby suv, so had to go borrow the truck, drive back to the store, etc. There is no way I would have been able to get that into my house without man muscle. Super heavy.

Get that assembled, beds made, have kid take everything from my room that belongs to her and put it in the living room, so I can start on my room while she puts her things away.

Then. Boom. Ran out of steam. Couldn't do another thing. Well, there was one thing. While the kid was busy in her room, we snuck a standing quickie. Go me!

Guy friend had to leave, so kid and I went and had dinner. Got my second wind, vacuumed my room (another three years of dust from under the kid's bed). Finally dropped, exhausted.

Well, not too exhausted (you knew that was coming, didn't you??). I welcomed Big Buzzy back into my bed. It's been a long time, my friend. Slept like a rock, first time in a couple of months.

Big Buzzy... because two heads are better than one!

Hot, hot shower this morning. Sat down here to update my weight, and started typing this. Now I know my legs are going to scream at me again when I try to stand up. I still need to put up my new bed (I bought a new frame, which is higher than my old one, and a new headboard), and work on clearing the living room. And wash some blankets that I'm going to put away for the summer.

LOL, glad it all worked out! Sounds like you got physical, emotional, and um, more stress worked out of your system in the best possible variety of ways!

Catch up on rest, and watch that scale move in the next five days!

It's amazing the little things you let slide when you're trying to get along with someone, and how peaceful it feels when you don't have to do that anymore.

Yesterday, as I walked naked down the hall to the kid's room, I said to the kid, "Now we can walk around the house naked if we want to and no one will yell at us." Mom didn't like parts uncovered.

And no, we're not nudists. My delicates drawer is currently residing in the kid's dresser, while I'm waiting for the dresser I ordered to come in. So I needed some delicates.

And no, this thread does not need pictures (for anyone who was going to say it!).

I bet your daughter is soooo happy with your mom's departure.

Again, congratulations. That really took courage.

And it turned out good for your mom, too.

So it's been just under a week since moving day.

My insomnia appears resolved (cross fingers).

The house is much calmer. I didn't realize how much anxiety there was, until there wasn't.

So glad for you, Sharon.

Well played on all accounts.

Tough calls made. Rewards forthcumming.

Damnrite !!!!!