As some of you know -- and so nicely congratulated me about last week -- I am pregnant. We went from shocked to excited in about an hour's time, and have settled in to the happy idea. DF is so sweet and has often commented that he is so excited to "get it right" this time...as in, he's having a baby with somone he truly loves and wants to spend his life with.

Today has been a rough one. Just dealing with the unemployment system and life in general. DH will be picking SS up later this week and I am not looking forward to it. I just feel overwhelmed as it is and SS will just add to it. I am having a difficult time keeping my happy face on for everyone else when I am so worried about our financial obligations. I honestly really do not want to deal with SS for the next 2 weeks. It feels like having a traitor in my home.

I posted before about the BM calling and saying SS was getting braces the day before he was to come stay with us for the month. DH decided it wasn't worth a fight, and we were trying not to rock the boat hoping she wouldn't file an answer to our petition to change visitation so SS came to us on July 1st with a mouth full of metal. No big deal, gave him some advil, took it easy the first couple of days. The 1st night he's here he informs us that he forgot all his dental stuff (special brush, wax, etc) great. So, I go to walmart and pick up said things.

All I could do is look at her and shake my head in disappointment.

I had a pile of clothing on my bedroom floor by my closet door stack together with a Dryell packet on top, because I was planning to do a small load of laundry. My youngest SD walks into my room to go to the second bathroom that is located in my room... She purposely steps on my clothing, and gives is a kick. She turns to look at me to see my reaction and then walks into the bathroom... like nothing happened.

I reached a startling revelation yesterday: the reason H gets so upset when I get on him about his financial contribution to the household and OUR child is because he cannot understand why I am simply not satisfied with the unneeded, unrequested "gifts" he gets me and the dining out excursions he "treats" us to! In other words...the typical "guilty parenting" approach to gaining someone's approval!

Ugh! I am not a child nor SD's BM who is just to wrapped up in herself to care what H does for SD! I am a GROWN WOMAN, a WIFE, and a MOTHER and I CAN'T BE "BOUGHT"!

I'm taking an online psychology class, and need some ideas for a forum we have to moderate. I want to keep mine centered around stepparenting issues. I already created one about PAS and someone else took "blended families". I need 2 more......
Any suggestions?????
THANKS!

That pretty much sums me up right now. New to the site, and so angry it's actually difficult to communicate. Relieved at the same time though, because SS 15 just left again. He lived with me and DH for almost 6 years and his mother didn't even get overnight visitation because she is incapable of holding steady employment and maintaining a permanent address suitable for him to stay at. She didn't pay any CS - DH didn't ask for it. I don't have any bio kids, and I make good money, so SS had it really good with us. Everything revolved around him.

I know what stepkate means about "extra drama" that impacts the SP situation. I also have for the most part kept these issues outside of this site because they are NOT SPECIFICALLY SP-related, but stepkate is right that these issues tend to "bleed over" and "makes it hard to give the whole picture of the situation without mentioning them."

Just need to vent and get this off my chest so I can go on my way to being disengaged, lol.

SD12 was chosen to play all-star softball. To me this is a committment, both for her and her parents. We have given up many peaceful days at home as well as other activities to sit in the hot sun at ball games. They have an awesome team and have won their way through to become district champions. Which is wonderful. So they will practice for the next week and advance to the next level of competition.

Two days ago I rode with my husband to pick up his daughter...my sd, at the BM home. Usually, I do not ride with him, but we were running errands and tried to save time by doing this. I think this is time that they can talk about father daughter issues or anything they want to talk about so normally i do not go.

Well, we pull up to the bm house and both the sd and bm come out. My husband rolls down his window to see if the BM needs anything and the BM says that the sd wanted her to walk outside with her until she got in the car. I was thinking to myself..."Are you serious?"