Christmas Trauma

Why is it that "fathers" who barely see there children twice a week (Sunday and Tuesday nights in my case, never on the weekends, and sometimes that is too much) come out of the woodwork to want their children on Christmas eve or Christmas Day?
I swear it is almost like they do it just to ruin our plans and upset the babies!!
My soon to be EX husband has recently sent a "proposed order" to my lawyer to say he wants to set up an arrangement for the holidays. WTF? This is so out of the blue seeing as we have always agreed before... Well actually he has NEVER wanted them before. On Thanksgiving he did take them to his mother's house for dinner the Friday after.... I had to drive an hours time to him, go all the way home, only to have to come back to pick them up 4 hours later, to which he was late by 30-45 minutes dropping them back off to me. Upon my arrival and the "meeting spot" he could barely walk and so I offered to just take them on over to his mother's house for him. So he followed me over there, and got them out of my SUV and took them inside, then because I wouldn't know what state he would be in as the night progressed, I agreed to meet him 2 minutes down the road later at the bank to pick them up... So I went totally above and beyond my call of duty in order to keep the peace. Do you think I could ever get the favor returned? Not hardly!!
I have to wonder if one day my young children will realize what their father is all about? Will they even want to be around him? Seems to me though, children always stay loyal to their parents no matter what the circumstances. Tough break for me!
I guess if you don't know my situation I should set it up for you.
Last year on my birthday 12/21, I found out he was sleeping with the "less than mediocre" sleazebag at the gas station. This proceeded to escalate and left me and my children alone on Christmas with nothing! Well at the time he had bought me a 50" plasma tv as an early gift, but later he broke into the house and took it, I later found out he gave it to "SLEAZEBAG." I guess during all of his untimely schenanigans he forgot that he had a family and he did not make sure his children had any gifts for Christmas (they were only 1 and 2 at the time so I don't think they will remember--HOPEFULLY). Later I read the "sleazebag's" myspace blog to find out that her kids had a wonderful man step in and bring them a "truck-load" of gifts. GO FIGURE! Oh well, I was going to try and make this year better, but, seeing as I have no job, and husband (we will call him Satan) refused to give us any extra money, gifts beneath my tree will be few and far between. Maybe he just wants them so he can lavish them with gifts and make me look bad?
Now, before you go thinking bad of me for not working, maybe I should tell you that story.... I had a great job! I worked for the government for going on 7 years when "Satan" encouraged me to quit and stay home with our children and be with him more. Why was I such an idiot? Why didn't I know better? Well your guess is as good as mine!!! So one month after resigning from my job, he closed our joing checking account, and I found myself without an income, no husband, no home, NOTHING. His lawyer sent me a letter giving me 3 months to GET OUT. And get out I did! There were nights my 1 and 2 year old babies and myself stayed in hotel rooms (until my money ran out), nights we drove around because anywhere we could have stayed, everyone had already went to bed and we were locked out. But this didn't last long, I met a good man who has been helping us, and I finally started getting child support (not much compared to what he gives "sleazebag" and her 2 children who moved into my home, a week after I moved out!!).

Ok, sorry for venting, the next posts won't be so full of anger, now that you know the story we can talk about something else, LOL!!!
Thanks for reading!!!!!