Hola everyone! I've been reading posts on this site daily for the past year or so. I finally decided to register, already here all the time.

I'm 25 years old and recently got married this past September to an awesome man. He has three children who are currently 6 (girl), 4 (boy) and 2 (girl). They were 4, 2, and 7 months when I first met them. I love them to bits and they love me, so no problems there.

When DH and I first got together, he was still in the "serve BM" mode. He couldn't stand her, but felt that he needed to do what she wanted 'for the kids'. (barf) He'd keep the kids all week, all weekend, all next week, etc, plus give her $$ for her personal bills. He would go run errands for her. He'd watch the kids for her at HER house. That lasted for about 5 months before I put my foot down. I told him that if that's what he needed to do, then I should remove myself from the situation because he obviously needed all his energy and focus to go toward serving BM. Twenty minutes later he was at my front door, telling me things would change and he can't imagine his future without me around. He definitely made good on his promises. Since then, I haven't had any type of problems with him on that front, lucky me.

The kids are awesome. I've been around for most of their lives, so they are totally used to me being around. They are very loving and respectful. That's definitely a blessing, considering their mother is a whole different cup of noodles.

BM hates me. She had told my DH that he will never find anyone to be with him because he has 3 kids and she would make the situation miserable. They were together for about 6 1/2 years, never married. Apparently the plan was to get married, but they had too many problems. She figured that since she had his kids that he would stay around, but she treated him like crap and he had had enough.

So here I come, been around for only two years, didn't have any kids by him, and I get the ring and a wedding. Needless to say, that is a very very sore point for her.

Our biggest problem with BM is that she can't seem to stop herself from badmouthing us to the kids. She tells them I'm a prostitute, that I'm a bad person, DH doesn't really love me, he'll be going back to her after he's had his fun with his whore, etc.
Now I couldn't care less about what she says except for the fact that the kids don't need to hear this stuff.I don't want her to taint our relationship.
Like I said before though, the kids are awesome. They are very young, but BOY do they read people well. BM tells them these horrid things about DH and I, and the kids come back and tell us everything. SD6 asked to call me mommy after the wedding because "her mommy is mean". That is her catch phrase. The kids cry when it's time to take them back to BM's. SD2 (yes, TWO year old) cries hysterically and tries to tell us that mommy's not home, they can stay there. She will ask me to put on her pj's instead of her coat and hat. SD6 says it's because their mother is mean and yells alot. SD6 will say she's too tired to go to their mom's house. After the wedding, SD6 had figured that since we got married then I can be "mommy" to DH'd daddy. So she asked to live with us and figured she'd just see her mom on the weekends. The moe the kids love us, the more BM badmouths us. I wish she'd realize that she's pushing her kids away with her bitterness. It breaks my heart to see kids that young not wanting to be with their mother. It seems unnatural to me.

Well, thanks for reading! I look forward to posting with you all.