We have been accused by BM and her attorney of nitpicking every time we turn around. I am sick of it. DH has a crappy standard visitation schedule that allows him the absolute minimum time with SD8 required by law. Even though the decree states "additional visitation per agreement by both parties" BM will not agree to anything. As a matter of fact, DH had to be out of town for one of his weekend visitation periods.

So we have had many situations like this, but I'm looking for advise on how to explain it to kids. 2 days ago my best friends husband and son were shopping in a jewelry store for Mother's Day. Now understand, SD7 has spent a lot of time with my BF and her family. She has even spent the night at their house. Into the jewelry store walks SD7 and BM's mother. BF's son says "hi SD7". SD7 ignores him and Grandma pulls SD7 behind her, as if to protect her from this 10 yo boy. BF's husband then turns to them and, trying to lighten the situation, says "hey SD7, I know you.

So last summer, DH was in legal negotiations with BM for the umpteenth time. We were in the process of getting a provision removed from the visitation order that allowed BM to pick SD6 up for Church every Sunday of DH's visitation. In the process, the Judge's standard visitation order had increased summer visitation from 4 weeks to 6 weeks, so we were including that adjustment in the negotiations. As it always is in our case, BM fought the process every step of the way. We were inches away from a settlement when we were supposed to pick SD6 up for the final 2 weeks of visitation.

First of all, BM wrote a long letter to DH about how she wouldn't allow SD5 to travel out of town with us for one weekend because "I am raising this precious little girl to love God. Consistency in her faith-life is extremely important.". Which meant, no because she can't miss Church. Yet, we picked SD5 up tonight for our weekend and SD5 informed us that BM and her grandparents took her out of town this last weekend and guess what, she missed Church.