Hello everyone.

I've been looking at this site for a little while now. I guess things could be worse in my situation, but still it's hard.

I am engaged to the most wonderful man I have ever met. After many juvenile young twenties relationships, I finally found Prince Charming. The guy who stays up with me until all hours of the morning star gazing, sharing tea, and talking. The one who leaves love notes under my pillow, in my lunch, on my car. Really, I couldn't say enough good things about him.

SD9 is having a birthday soon. Every year DH plans a big shindig for her. I always go along with it. I help out, I plan. If it were my child, I’m not sure if I would have a big shindig every year, but that’s just me and not my choice to make. This year its 15 kids bowling with 2 kids sleeping over.

I had been having some issues with my son, primarily with getting homework done, so I made him a list. We'll as I was writing it, I realized that maybe a list like this would help DH, with his kids (mostly the one) behavioral problems. So I drafted one that encompassed everthing and DH liked it. Here is the list... (My 3 rules for my son have always been respect, responsibility and accountibility - so I tried to lay them out under each header)

Respect

I feel so sorry for my DH. The skids are doing worse and worse every day in school. SS was failing 2 (out of 7)classes when progress reports came out...now he is failing 4 and on the verge of failing a 5th class for the first six weeks of school. SD is still failing 4 (out of 7) classes, but her grades are even lower in 3 of those classes (also on the verge of failing a 5th class).

DH was always a wonderful student, so he has a hard time understanding their lack of drive.

...and I forgot. I'd thought about it for weeks coming up to it, but I completely forgot about it when it came. He surprised me with a $100 gift card to spend at Michaels & dinner at my favorite Chinese restaurant. Granted, we've been together just over 9 years, so it wasn't really a huge deal, but it was our 1st year of marriage. I felt bad, because I don't EVER forget things like that. I am the one who spends days making a really special photo card & plans months ahead of time to get just the right gift.

Had a stupid argument with DH yesterday morning. It was related to traveling this coming weekend WITH all four dogs (two his, two mine), and various and sundry complications. Beginning with his original arrangements to "board" his dogs with BM (which he's done in the past, he pays her, it all works out, but now she's changed her mind and refuses to take them.) He came up with his "compromise" plan, which involved sticking both of MY dogs in a crate together, and having HIS two dogs (one of whom I DO NOT TRUST, and will not turn my back on) LOOSE in HIS vehicle (which I have to drive.)

We woke up Sunday morning and my fiance looked out on our back deck to see that the garbage bag that he'd put out there had been torn into. (Let me add that he knows better than to put our garbage out there because our puppy always gets into it, but he still does it when he's being lazy and doesn't want to walk to our front door and out to the garage...or if he's still in his underwear I guess!) He immediately grabbed our dog, shoved his nose in it, yelled at him, and then our dog ran into the kennel so he shut it on him to give him a "time out".

FDH has finally been pushed to the point he said the words out loud "I'm going to have to fight her for custody". This is a HUGE deal that he would be willing to go through all the BS with Biomom because usually he would do just about anything to cater to her when she tries to start drama. I think she pissed him off enough to make him see that nothing is going to change or get better.

My bio daughter (17 yrs old) and her friend got busted for shoplifting. Long story short, we went to intake worker instead of going to juvie court and daughter has weekly sessions with girls her own age along with a probation officer and a college professor. I make it my responsibility to take my daughter to and from her appointment each week.

everytime we have the little guy, (which is only one weekend a month right now) BM sends and dresses him in 18 mo.clothes, that look like they have been very preworn and old, (some even have holes) he is 2 1/2 so obviously they don't fit him. We have no problem at all about buying clothes for him but having him once a month he grows out of most of them. DH and I are at ends wits with this, is there any way to stop her.