Left scratching my head

I have set The Boy's summer schedule based on knowing that his grandmas were going to take care of him. It was one of the reasons they pushed for us to move here - they would be able to spend more time with him and, when I went to work outside the home, take care of him for the summer sans daycare.

So - he has gymnastics on Wednesdays for one month. He has golf on Tuesday and Thursday for two months. He starts swimming later this month, Monday through Thursday, for six weeks. We have a day camp for one week, and a hockey camp for one week, both in August. I have found a summer lunch in the park program where the kids eat and have story hour, twice a week, near my mom's house.

Too much?

Perhaps.

Friday is completely free every week. That day his cousin wants to come and play. She is ten. I asked my MIL if she would come to the house that day to supervise. I also asked her to take any other day of the week to spend with him. They live 30 miles away from us, and I didn't expect her to drive in more than two days a week. My mom will take him the other three days. Since my mom is 78 years old, I wanted to break up the week so she isn't overtired. I thought we were all set.

Until this weekend.

I couldn't get my MIL to commit. In fact, she flat out said that she figured the cousin and The Boy would be fine here alone all day on Fridays. SHE IS 10 YEARS OLD. Are you freakin' kidding me? Am I over reacting? I don't feel she is old enough to be in charge of my son all day. If I had suggested that idea, I would have expected my MIL to go postal on me. She didn't offer to spend any other days with him. I finally dropped it.

Today MFH called her and tried again. He got the same thing. As he dug, though, he got to the root of the problem. My in-laws have an almost 15 year old shitzu dog that they won't leave home alone. They have to carry him everywhere and he can't be left inside or outside all day. Because he pees all over the floor, I don't really want him here.

When my old black lab was getting up there, I recall how she told me to "let him go with dignity and hang onto the good memories". How "I shouldn't be selfish and keep him around when he was suffering". The only difference I can see between my old black lab and her dog is that I couldn't carry my lab around, so I had no choice but to let him go.

And is it anybody else's place to give such advice anyway? I hate to even think how she would have unleashed on me if I had dared to say such a thing to her. The difference is that I never would tell anyone when it was time to end their dear pet's life.

I am frustrated and hurt that she has placed her dog's care above that of her grandson.