During these first few years with my father, we played the joint custody game. Most kids have to play a two-way game. I had to play a three-way version. Not only did we go back and forth between my dad and mom, we also went to my grandparents' house as well. That meant that the first weekend every month was spent at my mom's, the second and fourth at my dad's, and the third with Mamaw and PaHoney. Needless to say, I had to miss out on slumber parties that fell on alternate weekends.

With all of this custody battling going on, it is needless to say that there were the child psychiatrists involved. But I will say it with anger: I had to go to a child shrink. I went to two different ones. The first one was an older woman who's office was an old fashioned two story house that had been remodeled into a place of business. I remember that she always had Wheat-thins in her office and we got to snack on those. She was a very friendly lady and one time we even got to stay overnight at her house! (This was a disguise for "overnight evaluation")

The second doctor was a man in his fifties who had false teeth. I remember he would take them out just so me and my sister would laugh at him. His office always had a lot of books and so I occupied myself by reading most of them while my sister and I waited to be called in.

These visits were always just the doctor, myself, and my little sister. We were asked questions about what we were dreaming, how we feel, what makes us sad, if either party had done anything to upset us....basic potentially damaging evidence against one party. I'm not really sure who's side these doctors were on. I just assume that they were court appointed. I do know that Mamaw and PaHoney loved the first lady, but apparently she had a falling out with my father and that's why we had to change doctors.

I never really knew that this was abnormal when I was kid. I assumed other kids had three-way joint custody games to play and doctors to go see. It never really clicked until I was older that not every kid had to go through this routine. I gradually started getting angry.