So I told DH about Step Talk, and my addiction to it. He got on here and you wonderful women scared the pants off him. Yay!!!! All this time I kept telling him it's not ME, that this situation was crazy and the women in his life are crazy, was gaffed off as me being sensitive. Then he gets on here and sees that it is not just me who thinks that being a Step Parent is the hardest thing in the world. It definitely gave him some insight as to how I have been feeling. It also gave me an opportunity to point out the unfairness of the situation. My kids for reasons unknown to me have embraced my dh, they don't call him Dad or anything, they call him Mr. dh, but they show him respect and listent to him. They come to him with their problems and openly show him affection. The occasionaly instance of disrespect I jump on immediately.

My husband is fully onboard in his support for me. I have always known that he loves me, but commitment to the marriage in the face of many distractions, BM, Sk's, Bk's, MIL, was where I had less confidence.

This week he has supported me in drawing the line with SS8. Everyday he is disrespectful and nasty to me, he loses the privelege of watching TV. It is having some effect, I almost believe the kid can't control his mouth, becuase he does try, but in the end everyday he loses the privilege. Somedays he can be good all morning, just to blow it in the afternoon, somedays it starts at breakfast. Two nights ago I made Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes from scratch. We are short on money so I have trying recipes the kids should like, but making them from scratch. They were delicious, sometimes I even shock myself, my kids and dh scarfed them down. SS8 told me "Dinner looks like poop!" I just about lost it. I told my husband what he said and that he needed to talk to him, dh looked unconvinced but he did start in on him half-hearted. I chimed in with "SS8, what would happen if you told your mom something she made for dinner looked like poop? What would your grandmother do?" It wasn't until then that DH actually realized how disrespectful what he said was. Bringing up SS8 saying something like that to his mother, made the light bulb go off, but what I don't understand is why it took that.

Yesterday MIL was picking the SS's up from school to spend the evening with them. I was there to pick up BD. SS8 saw me in the car and waved, even smiled, and I thought maybe we are turning the corner, then he yells loud as he can, while pointing to me (I happened to be in mid wave) "Theres my MEAN Step Mom!". I was shocked and embarrassed. MIL started laughing. I immediately called DH, who called MIL, who denied it was said, SS8 denied it was said, and even SS7 he said didn't say it. DH calls me back to tell me they are all saying he did not say it. I actually started thinking I was going crazy, till this morning when BD confronted SS8 and he said I didn't say that, you can ask MIL. I looked at him and I told him I knew exactly what was said, and he said, Well I didn't mean to say it. MIL is still pretending it was not said, and acting like I am a crazy woman on a mission to make her sweet little grandson out to be an evil boy.

ARRGGGHHHHH!!!!!