Ever since the "Conference" in my home regarding SD12, two very annoying things have happened:

1. It seems that the stepkids now feel more comfortable sharing with me the details of what's going on with BM and her family. Every weekend now I have to hear about these people and what they bought and what they did and who's fighting with who and what naughty things their cousins did and the worst is when the talk about mom never ends.

I know they are just kids and that maybe it's a good thing. They trust me, they know I care about them, they think I am accepting and supportive of their mother. But sheeesssshh!!! It is ANNOYING.

2. BM met my and DH's baby at the "Conference". Every communication now includes something about how cute the baby is. Quite frankly, I don't give a rat's ass about what she thinks, and while I accept that she's trying to find some middle ground of socially acceptable conversation, I don't for a minute believe there's any sincerity or good intentions in it other than to pave the way for today's niceness to be cashed in tomorrow because she plays nice only in order to get what she wants. It is ANNOYING to hear it every time, it's ANNOYING that perhaps DH appreciates hearing her compliment our child, it's ANNOYING that she sticks my child into the conversations about HER children at every possible opportunity she gets, it's annoying that DH has no clue about how to create some sort of boundary regarding such conversations.

And that, folks, is what I hate about this damn stepfamily life - having little to no control over things that annoy you! In my blood family and even with my in-laws, I can tell someone I really don't want to hear what they're saying (especially if it's gossipy in nature, I hate gossiping), or can we stick to the topic at hand, or just leaving the room so I don't have to hear. But with Stepkids and ex-wife, it's like I have NO CHOICE. I just have to suck it up and be NICE and deal with it EVERY SINGLE WEEKEND.