I am back to report that things seemed to have slipped back into the "old way" as I predicted they would. I was really hoping that they wouldn't, but I guess I really knew better. However, I do have to say, things still aren't as "bad" as they used to be. SD14 is still very disrespectful to her dad and has stopped being more nice to me (no more hugs), but she still speaks to me more often than she used to. Both skids have taken to spending even more time at AM's (she injured her knee and is on light-duty at work...shortened daily schedule, so she is picking them up from school more often and taking them to school every morning). They haven't been home on the weekends in over a month, and only spend a night or two at our house. We found out that AM claimed one kid on her taxes for last year and I am betting that is what she is wanting to do this year as well. AM is selling her house, buying a trailer home and putting it on her parents land (about 1/2 hour drive from us, but still in same city) and states she is going back to school to get her RN license, so who knows how long this skidless time will last. We filed our taxes--claiming both skids (AM e-filed, we mailed ours in since we couldn't e-file) and will let the IRS figure it out. We have all the supporting paperwork, divorce decree showing they live with us, school records showing they are registered at our address (and also paid for summer school for SD), daycare bill and all doctor bills showing who has paid for EVERYTHING (ummm...we did!). This is the third time AM has done this and DH keeps telling her that he has no problem with letting her claim one of the kids, just help pay for half of their needs. She thinks taking them on vacation shows that she helps pay for thier needs. HA!!! One would think that getting audited by the IRS two times before and the IRS finding for US both times before would teach her a lesson, but I guess she just won't ever learn what it really means to support a child.

It's looking more and more like SD14 will be repeating the 8th grade next year. This current 6 weeks, she is failing 6 out of 7 classes (just barely passing the 7th class by 2 whole points). She is already failing 3 classes so bad that she can't get a good enough grade for the rest of the school year to bring up her average enough to pass for the year. One more class and she won't even be able to take summer school. Of course, DH still says he isn't paying for summer school for her since he just paid for her to attend summer school last year, but her mom could possibly decide to do it.

DH has decided that he WILL pay for summer school for SS12, but I support that decision. SS was diagnosed with dyslexia this past November. His grades and his attitude at that point sucked out loud!! Now...just 6 weeks after staring a dyslexia class, his grades have come up so much, that he is only failing Math now. He went from failing most classes for the semester, to bringing up his grades so much that he is now only in danger of failing Math!!! That has taken a lot of work by SS and we are so proud of his dedication, that we are willing to let him go to summer school. Math has always given him great difficulty and even though he is failing, we still see him trying his hardest now, so he has earned it.