Hello everyone! This is off topic as we have had little drama this week. Well, let me rephrase that...no drama that I have choosen to take part in. BM did have SS18 in the hospital overnight for 2 days last week. The kid has Mono. I had Mono when I was 16 and it was REALLY bad! Usually you have it for many many weeks and I had it for several months, but I never stayed in the hospital! Anyway, BM is a nurse at the hospital and had him stay on "her" floor AND she spent the 2 nights with him. GAG! That was about the most annoying thing of the week and it didn't even get my heart rate up. I am enjoying this new feeling of being entertained by her.

This poem was mentioned in another post. I went searching for it and thought everyone might like to see it again. Thanks CplStv for the reminder. Enjoy!

We sit and we type, and we stare at our screens

Wow! I have really come to feel like you are all my friends. I have noticed that when someone posts about their hurt, disapointment and pain that I feel little twinges of pain for them. When I have a problem or need advice I may get a lot of responses or maybe just a few, but I always feel better when someone says "I feel your pain". Thank you all for that.

Early on in our relationship I requested (insisted) that DH reimburse BM for medical expenses and whatnot (extras) ONLY if she provided a receipt. I did this because I was able to prove that she was asking him for the full amount for the cost of a sporting event instead of his "half". I'm kind of curious what other things she might be trying to slip by us. Has anyone else had this experience?

I thought this was kind of fun. I zoned out on it for a minute. It's almost like indoor sparklers! http://www.flamingcursor.com/

? Where do you guys get those great icons you are using for your

I have blogged about my irritation with BM calling MY house everyday or night that the SK's are here. Originally my conclusion was to get a cell phone for her to call the kids so I could track the amount of calls coming and going. This is mostly an issue with the youngest SK because the older 2 have their own cell phones and are 16 and 18 so they are hardly ever home anyway. I kept talking myself out of it. I finally, after much arguing with myself, figured out the real reason and true benefit (in my mind) for getting her a phone. I thought if I were to get a phone that BM could call that it would prevent her name from showing up on caller ID. It would prevent my heart rate from sky rocketing every time I watched a child sprint across the house to get her call. If I don't know when she's calling then I can make up my own reason as to why SD11 is upset instead of knowing it's because she just talked to BM. When she is upset after a call she will not tell us why. We have tried every tactic we can think of for 5+ years and she just clams up.

OK I took some advice that I received here about answering the phone when BM calls to get her to strat calling less. Maybe today wasn't the day to start!

DH has been irritated with BM letting SD16 drive under her interpretation of the law. They exchanged emails and for whatever reason...DH just blew the other night. He sent BM a really honest email about the way he feels about how she is with the kids, her invasion of our home while they are here and her part in the demise of their marriage. I told him he was poking the bear and we were going to get hit hard but I wasn't sure how. Today the SK's come 'til Monday. Durring the school year the SK's come at 3 and durring the summer they have always come at 4. In the last year I read the agreement to find out about some holiday and discovered that the SK's are suppose to come from 4-9 on the Th. they do not spend the weekend and 5 on the Th. they spend the weekend. DH said it was a typo and they always come at 4. In the last 5 years they have been 10-15 minutes late on occasion but never a whole hour. DH called SD16 and she swears she thought it was 5, always had been. SD11 shows up (BM dropped her off even though she was supposed to be working) and she swears she thought it was 5, always had been (BM's brainwashing). BM calls from her cell to his cell within minutes to say that she was dropping off at 5 because thats what the agreement said. He argues that it has never been 5 and she argues back, he hangs up. Why would she be calling to let him know why she was doing it if that was the way things had always been? BM calls back on my home phone and I (for the first time) answered. Boy was she nasty. I said he wasn't available, could I take a message, and she told me to stay out of it! Out of what? I was answering my phone! DH had a small procedure today and had no need for her harrassment.

Has anyone used a software program designed for co-parenting? I'm pretty wicked with a spreadsheet but I know there are some programs out there that are already set up to keep track of visitation, contact, apponitments, c/s payments, journals.

I have posted a little bit about this subject before but now I would like some advice.

In CA it is against the law for new drivers to transport passengers under the age of 25 for the first year. There are exceptions but as exceptions usually go the average family would not qualify. BM has a way of interpreting eveything anything to suit her needs. When SS, now 18, was 16 she wrote him a cute little note to any police officer that may stop him that it was OK by mommy if he were to drive his little sisters to school. The law states that if the new driver qualifies for such a need that they would have to have a note. Not from mommy however. My research found that it would need to be from a school official. The principal told me personally that he only aprroves on average...2 per year. 2 years ago I also spoke with the DMV and highway patrol. They all said mommy was wrong.

I have enjoyed reading everyone's posts. One theme I find puzzeling is timeshare/visitation agreements or lack thereof.

DH has a timeshare agreement with BM and they follow it to the second! BM is obessive about this schedule. Although she will drop the kids off 10-15 minutes late occasionally, if DH is 1 minute late she's out on the curb looking for them. The schedule has been the same for over 5 years. Can you imagine? She has arranged her own school schedule, her now new work schedule (she just finished nursing school (I didn't know they let new nurses dictate their own schedule!), kids appointments, vacations and anything thing else you can imagine around this schedule so that DH does not get one minute more than she is required to give according to the agreement.

Well, as I have mentioned in some posts, I have decided to get some therapy for myself. My appointment is in an hour and a half, I am nervous! I have been ranting for years that we all (in our family) need some therapy. When DH and ex first divorced the SK's were in therapy and I insisted that they stop. I still think I was right. It was only serving to tell the SK's that divorce was a tragedy and it was OK to act out becuse of it. BM picked the therapist and was dictating to the councelor what the SK's issues were and in her narcissistc fashion, manipulating the Dr. It was a great fuel source for BM.

I feel like such a child. The SK's have been home since yesterday and there is one in particualar that I can't even look in the face or acknowledge.

I'm supposed to be the adult! Anyone else ever have these feelings?

Personal Blog? How does this work? Can everyone see it?