Well I just want to let you all know that it was so nice to take SS and BS on vacation and no drama...Everyone had fun. We went on the Disney cruise for Christmas and it was a good time. I was so worried about SS13 and his anti-social behavior with my family. But, DH deflected any problems by threatening loss of the XBox everytime he balked about taking pictures. I got a lot of good ones suitable for framing. Threats of Xbox have the most impact on this kid...My mom was so happy and it was a great trip for all the grandchildren. My mom had a formal pic done with all the grandchild and I gave her an out on having SS in the picture and she said of course not, he is one of my grandchildren too...She has come a long way and so has my SS. Everyone did their own thing and just got together at night for dinner. It was a great vacation and if you get the opportunity and have little kids, you should do a Disney Cruise. This is my third and honestly, I don't want to do one again until I have grandchildren of my own...No fights and no drama with my sisters was great. We have had a lot of problems over the years so it was nice to not have any. Of course it is always fine as long as my fathers name doesn't come up. Messy divorce...

We got off the boat and went and did Universal and than the other park the next day and ended up in Tampa and did Busch Gardens. It is hard to find a theme park that none of us have done. SS and BM have done so many. Well it turned out that the parks he had been to, she never had taken him on any roller coasters because she doesn't like them. Then as soon as lunch came they would leave the park and not go back. Very wierd...I think it was more to say she had taken him than for him to actually experience it. Well we did every roller coaster. His fear of them long gone and he had a great time.

It was nice taking a trip without SD15. She caused so many problems and drama no matter what we did, it was awesome without her. SS seems so happy now. He says things about his time with BM and is more open about the things she did that bothered him. Sometimes when he says things, I get mad and I know I shouldn't give my opinion but it is so hard not to. He made a comment at one of the parks when we were waiting in line to get in to a show. My DH said as we were moving quickly and SS was dawdling, "No SS left behind". SS comments, why not, with MOM I am always SS left behind". So sad...

Well she still has not signed the agreement. DH never said she could not have him this weekend. We just never told her when we would be home. Technically we are home today. So my car has to hide in the garage so she won't demand him at 6:00 PM. He doesn't want to be with her for NYE. He wants to hang with his friend while DH and I go out...If she asks for him the plan is to say no since she hasn't signed the papers and there is nothing in writing about this holiday. Maybe it will make her move and sign it. She didn't get Christmas and now not NYE. Only holiday left is Easter and Passover and I do not see DH giving her either one, since she doesn't celebrate them. All the papers do is give her two weeks vacation before he turns 14 and an agreement by DH to not sue for CS from her. So in the meantime, we hide out to avoid conflict...Okay with me, since I am exhasuted and just want to hibernate anyway.

I have decided that no matter how much I love this kid, he will never have that unconditional love for me that my BS has. I feel bad for him that his mother doesn't value him the way we do. But, the farther we get from the litigation, the better it will be for him. We may never have SD15 in our lives, but day by day, I realize as she keeps doing things, that it is okay and honestly we are better off without her. Still very sad, given how much my husband misses her. But, I do think that he does realize that the girl we knew is gone and replaced by a version that he doesn't like...

I just want to give some of you hope that you can have family vacations with our steps and it can be fun and make you glad to be a part of the family. I never enjoyed them when SD was there, but with her gone, SS gets undivided attention that he really needs and deserves.