This is the last week the kids will be with their other parents. Starting Sunday it is back to full time with all the kids, and schoolwork, and extra curriculars, and all the lovely things that go along with back to school

y DH and I have been doing so good lately. Between handling skid behaviors (a couple of tense moments, but significantly better than what it was), and the MIL and BM situations our life has been pretty calm. At counseling last week we had a really good productive session. When asked about what topics may be off limits while on our "alone" times, or date nights, etc DH on his own said "inlaws and exes". The counselor asked is that an issue? One or both of you bringing up those topics while having alone time with each other. He answered "no" and I said, "It's not so much that one of us brings those topics up, it's more that those topics infiltrate on our time and they get attention when it's not necessary" The counselor asked "So this is a problem. Well DH, how does that make you feel when hanging's ex texts or calls on your alone time with your wife and she gives it attention?" DH says," well honestly, hanging's ex doesn't really bother us. And hanging doesn't really converse with him unless it is something that needs to be relayed right away. She will usually wait until exchange time or send him a text in the morning or at some point when we aren't actively doing something together. It's really more my ex and my mother that do this. And I can see why hanging feels that way. We discussed it and I guess I wasn't looking at the whole picture and I still don't know if I completely understand to be honest." WHOA...It's a step!! Counselor says, "Okay, well boundaries in your marriage and with outside people are something we will start on next week. YAY!!!

I will say that the BM texted DH over the weekend when we had the kids, and he didn't reply immediately. He waited until we were no longer in the middle of an activity. And OSS ended up needing stitches (whole other story!!! But completely due to DUMBASS behavior), and DH didn't even contact BM until Sunday before exchange to inform her how to care for the suture site (four stitches...nothing major...on his finger). So he IS listening. He IS trying. Maybe this whole counseling thing really IS working!!! I'm starting to feel like the future may be so much better than what it felt like it was going to be just two months ago. Of course we will see how things go when the skids are back full time after the bullshit they get fed from BM and MIL. DH hasn't heard from MIL in three weeks with is perfectly fine with me...but once school starts I'm sure she will start up again. But by then, we will have some boundary work under our belt and DH will have heard from an unbiased third party that his mother has no business intruding in our parenting, or behaving the way she does. I think we may be headed for some major breakthroughs. Skids, BM and MIL...the three things we argue about. I'm floating