Just got back from my mom's friend's apt...she brought all the kids here for the week (beach apt)...incl her daughter's skids who are 12 & 15...she is allowed and encouraged by their father to reprimand them, they are told to respect "grandparents and wife" as if it were him or they will respond to him when he sees them. It is amazing how my mom's friend tells even the 15yr old "time to get off the phone, pool or beach time is up, etc..." and they do as they aré told! No ifs, ands or buts!

I'm still laughing at this one. I had lunch with DH and we were talking about getting away for a few days over the summer. All our kids are grown and (mostly) out of the house so this will be just a little adventure and change of scenery. We have already planned a weekend at my brother's house. But DH says this isn't really a vacation. I agree with him.

Whenever I attempt to talk about our marriage is...DH just keeps singing the same story about his kids & BM. If we go out on date night he always breaks the rules & talks about skids, BM & his job(Big NO NO).I am letting go of trying to keep trying to keep trying. I am really beginning to like being at home alone now more than ever before. I told him straight up today that I dont care about their lil lives bottom line! I am not in the least bit interested in their new drama everyday. Can anyone relate?????

It is absolutely amazing how much better things are in our house. The drama left the building when DH removed her from the house. We are still waiting for the BM from Hell to sign the modification papers. She now states she wants CS. Ironic since she makes more money than DH. But, she feels that she is so traumitized by the way he dropped her off that she will need extensive therapy. Unbelievable. DH has now accepted that he will be paying something, since she won't sign the papers, but now it will depend on what the mediator recommends.

I thought it might be interesting to see what everything thinks

3 Short Questions for the Step-parents out there

1. How long have you been a step-parent?
2. How do you like being one?
3. Whats your biggest challenge with it?

My husband and I have been married 15yr. I have 2 sons; 26 and 24, a daughter 22 all from my first marriage. He has a 22yr old daughter from his first marriage, her mother left when she was 3 and no one knows where she is. My first husband passed away when daughter was 1yr old. Together we have a 3 yr old daughter who was a total surprise to us, I had been told I couldn't have any more kids after older daughter was born. My 2 sons have already graduated collage and daughter graduates next year. None of them live at home, they all work, have their own cars and homes.

I'm on vacation with my parents at the moment (away from the skids and my wife for the weekend).

My father took out some photos of when he, my mom and our grandparents were young so it was fun getting to see all the different similarities across the ages between the people in our family.

Last night...I don't remember how we got on the topic of children , but we did and over a period of time it ended up in a full blown argument.
The problem....I want to marry and have another child(I have 1 bio-son and never married) and he does not(he's been divorced and has 2 kids). The bigger problem.....he never bothered to tell me this until AFTER we moved in together which I only agreed to do if marriage was in the horizon and he did not oppose; and never once said he didn't want more children only that it was something he would consider.

What do you think is a reasonable bed time for a 2 (almost 3) year old and a 5 year old?

A little background on why I'm asking:
BM has always picked up the kids, fed them, bathed them, then bedtime, with very little play time at night. Their bed time is 7:45 and she wants them sleeping by 8pm. DF says this is how it always was, because she gets to spend the next few hours of the night cleaning and doing her own thing. I understand this early of a bed time when they are infants/toddlers, but this seems a little early as they are getting older...or am I wrong?

BM has apparently been giving my boyfriend a hard time about coming to see our house. We've been here for about a year now. Any time he needs to pick up SS he just goes over there and picks him up and drops him off. She asked to come see house the first week we moved in and I said no. Am I being a baby about this? yes. I realize this so please don't leave the "oh how can you be so immature comments" because yes I realize this is immature. I don't want her in my house because all she wants to do is snoop.