Recently, like the last four weeks, DH has been doing things differently. He told off skids in front of me, held them to some things, got me decent gifts, got me a surprise gift, made sure DS got me a nice xmas gift, and has reversed a seven-year, heals-dug-in, no-way-in-hell stance he took about a change to the house. In the past the only reason he changed his tune was when someone else, not me, said the same thing I did. He would listen to others, not me.

DH was divorced nine years go and I was divorced thirteen years ago, and we met nine months after his divorce and he had already gone through one relationship in those months. We've been married for seven years. So I had almost five years (and no serious relationships) before I met DH and he had nine months before he met me and had had a serious relationship fast that imploded.

Every couple of days, for as long as we've been married, there's usually something that DH or I am unsure about. Trivial things, like if my BS is going to eat one or two dinners (he is in sports and is constantly hungry), or which pet barfed. I usually say I'll bet DH and the bet is always small like a single dime or loser has to do a pet chore. And it's 50/50 whether I say what it is that I bet or I ask him what his guess so I take the opposite/other. So it's not like I know and I'm setting him up.

DH really stepped up this year. He got me thoughtful, nice gifts and many of them showed he really paid attention to comments I made the last month or so. He also helped BS to get a thoughtful gift for me.