Child of Faerie, Child of Earth by Jane Yolen and Jane Dyer

I just finished reading Child of Faerie, Child of Earth to my five-year-old daughter and this book was a keeper!  It's a book about a human girl and a faerie boy meeting.  Sweet, good illustrations.  Definitely a book to keep on a bookshelf.

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Ex's and Facebook

As I was going thru my mother-in-law's facebook seeing how much of OUR family information was on there for the ex to see, now that the MIL has friended the ex, I realized that as long as the in-laws have access to things like photos, videos, etc. on my facebook page, I may have very little (no) control over what they "share" of mine onto their facebook page for their friend list's viewing.

If I have a video on my facebook that is set as "friends only" and somebody on my friend list "shares" it on their facebook, does it show up for everybody on their facebook page or only their friends who are also my friends?  I think it does because if I remember correctly, a friend of mine did that so her mom could see a video I'd taken (her mom wasn't on my friend list).

They've put my family videos onto their own personal facebook pages (different from being tagged).  I don't want my family videos out there for the ex's viewing "pleasure".

I've figured out that there is anger but more than that, there is hurt if the tears I want to cry are any indication.  They KNOW how things have been with the ex for 14+ years.  They KNOW their son's feelings about the ex.  If they want to friend the ex on facebook, that's their decision but they've shared our personal family videos and photos on their facebook page.  They should know that we would never, ever share those with the ex.  I think they should remove our own personal videos they've shared.  I took them.  They aren't theirs to share with the ex.

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In-Laws Friend the Ex

Well, there goes putting updates about our family on my mother-in-law's facebook like I usually do about her grandkids.  Hmmm...wondering about tagging pictures too now.  She and my sister-in-law recently friended the ex on Facebook. 

Oh no, just realized that on some photo albums and videos, I have the privacy settings as "friends of friends".  I am going to have to go change those now to just friends.  Otherwise, the ex has access to them now on my facebook.  Nice.

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First Day of School Tears

Our four kids started school today (my stepkids don't start until after Labor Day).  I got my oldest three off just fine and then waited for 9:00 a.m. to come around to take my youngest to her first day of kindergarten for her first day with parents (for the first 1-1/2 hours). 

Leaving her there at 10:30 was HARD!  I didn't cry.  I held it back and headed towards the parent meeting afterward with the principal and PTO.  On the way into the meeting, there was a PTO mom handing out kleenex to crying parents.  Oh geez!  That almost had me crying.  When I am trying NOT to cry, I don't want it to be the topic because then I WILL cry.  Made it through that meeting and went out to the car.

Holding back tears again for the drive home and immediately started picking up the house, etc. to keep my mind off of the fact that my baby is now in school full-time and won't be my baby anymore.  She'll turn into one of "THEM" (a KID who won't want to cuddle as much, spend time with mom as much, etc.). 

So far, I've not cried and now would be a good time to since I am by myself but I think I've choked them so far back, they aren't going to come.  Maybe when I have to put her on the bus for the first time to send her off for the day I will.

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When Stepkids Tick You Off

My stepkids are supposed to come next weekend for a long weekend - 3 nights (with one of the days taken up with a college tour for my stepdaughter).  So with travel days, it leaves one free day open for spending time together.  She is texting wanting to know if her dad can pick her up a day later because there is a show she wants to go to in their state.  Guess she didn't want that one day to spend time together.  She's been going to shows all summer long (really, all summer long it has been grad parties and concerts - no work, no dad; she just went to a concert last night).  Basically, she just wants to come down here for the college tour, nevermind actually spending time with any of her siblings or her father. 

It's not like we live nearby and see them all the time.  They are 200 miles away and my husband took vacation time from work so he'd be here while they're here next week. 

My husband is hurt.  I'm ticked off.  There is hurt in there as well for me but the "ticked off" is covering it pretty well for me right now so I'm sticking with it.  I'm tired of being hurt over this.  It's been 15 years of it so I've pretty much had it with hurt over a situation I have no control over.

Hubby put it back on his daughter and told her if the show meant that much to her than coming down a day early before the college tour, then to go ahead.  He's never done that before and I am glad he finally did.  At almost 18, she's old enough to know better.  She backed off and is sticking to the original plan.

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Sunday News!!

My stepkids will be here in six days for an extended weekend, when my stepson will eat us out of house and home (teenagers:) and we'll do a college tour for my stepdaughter.  My oldest daughter knows though she wanted it kept a secret from the younger three as a surprise for them.  It will be a HUGE surprise.  However, all they have to do is read my calendar on the fridge and they'd know. 

Also in the news today, if you're a True Blood fan, Sookie and Bill got married in real life!!  Read about it here.

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Egg Recall

If you haven't heard yet, there has been an egg recall of more than half a billion of eggs.  To read what states are affected and more details, click here.

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Over 100,000 Blog Visitors

The blog went over the 100,000 visitor mark!  Awesome!

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Ex Could Give Whiplash

The ex sent us my stepdaughter's football band schedule, telling us how much it would mean for us to attend (we live four hours away).  Sure wish she'd been that open to this kind of stuff when we lived two blocks away instead of my getting assaulted while I was pregnant at my stepdaughter's function. 

When we lived two blocks away and attended functions, we got hostility.  Now that we're too far away to be any type of "threat" to whatever insecurities the ex had back then, our younger kids both have soccer and cheerleading on Saturday and Sundays throughout the fall, and it'd cost us about $500 for the family to make that trip which we don't have), she's sending invitations.  Go figure.

Boy is she going to be surprised if we decide to move back. 

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Stepkids Coming Soon

The stepkids are coming in about a week in a half for an extended weekend before they go back to school.  My stepdaughter wanted to go on a tour of our state's university and asked her dad to take her so we have that planned while they are here.  (I would be SUPER surprised if she left her mom's state to go to college near us.)

It'll be nice to have all the kids together again.  They haven't all been together since last summer!  My stepdaughter was here in April but my stepson had plans (a sleepover) with a friend and didn't want to come then (dad's not a priority - ever). 

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Need Photo Help!

My sister has a Photo CD from the drug store that has our reunion photos on it.  Unfortunately, she got it as a slideshow CD so they are .htm files. Is there some way to get them off of there as .jpg or even .bmp files that I can explain to her?  She has no clue about any of this stuff, and being four hours away, I can't sit down and see what is what. 

Any help is much appreciated!  She took a ton of family pictures and I want copies of them.

Thanks!

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Ack! Moody Men!!

My husband came home from work this morning and a dog accident at the door (not the dog's fault, ours for buying her the food we did yesterday because the normal brand was out at the store) put him into a bad mood. So he's stomping across the floor (above my sleeping head).  I drag myself out of bed and he's griping at a kid sleeping on the couch (I told her to sleep there last night because there was a huge spider near her bedroom that we couldn't find to get rid of).  I hate spiders myself, I'm not going to force her to be scared until she falls asleep in her bed.  Then he goes to take a shower and no towels in the bathroom so he goes slamming out of the bathroom to the laundry room.  We have six people in this house (four of them girls!).  We go through towels like crazy.  I washed them last night and threw them in the dryer so we'd have them this morning.  No, I didn't get up at night to fold them, or even first thing this morning after he stomped the floor enough to wake me.  Boo hoo he had to walk to the dryer to get one.  After the tantrum, I'm tempted to make sure they're not in the bathroom tomorrow morning for him again either!

Who has taken care of all of our own four kids' daily needs (food, baths, cleaning, washing, homework, chauffeur, etc. etc. etc.)  24/7 for the last four years during his wonky work schedule?  Me, because his vampire hours work schedule stinks.  Actually, I've done all that for the duration of our marriage (for all six kids, his included).  His stomping around just ticked me off this morning!

Oh my gawd!  Just go back to work already and don't come home until the temper tantrums pass!!!

He'll go to sleep for the day within the next hour and I'll be left stressed out from his darn mood all day long.  I have cheerleading for three girls to chauffeur, soccer shoe shopping, and a teen pick-up for a pool party today.  I don't have time to be irritable. 

I can't stand that I seem to automatically take on his moods.  It's always been like that.  I need to figure out some way out of it today because I don't want to be irritated all day long.

Wow.  I guess hubby got to me this morning.  PMS?  :)

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Move closer to stepkids...or further away?

My husband and I are tentatively talking about moving back to the state where my stepkids live.  We moved away ten years ago when hubby's employer closed their doors.  There weren't any jobs in the area that would meet our financial needs (our household plus child support) so we moved 2-1/2 hours away, across the stateline, for a job.  My husband continued to drive five hours round trip on Friday, and again on Sunday, to get his kids every other weekend for six years (that was hard since he also worked about 60 hours/week).  When that company was sold and the old team let go, we were out of a job again.  We ended up moving another two hours south for a secure job.  After four years of this, the urge to move back closer to family has grown. 

Problem is his current job is secure.  It's a job he could retire from.  He hates it though.  He's 3rd shift and after four years, he still hasn't adjusted to being awake all night and sleeping during the day.  He's having repetitive motion pain through his arms from the job too.  With the economy so bad still, leaving a very secure job has its risks. We have four other younger children, besides the stepkids, to take care of.

I put out feelers with some of my old contacts about the job market in our homestate and ended up with ANOTHER very secure possibility - further away - in the area we wanted to retire to (the mountains).  Hubby is ready to pack up and go, lol.  I'm not even though its in the area that has always touched my soul.  It's further away.  We wouldn't see my stepkids any less than we do now because they don't (won't) leave their mother alone (she hasn't dated in over 15 years!) but we'd be further away from the rest of our family.  The point was to get closer, not further away.

If we can't find a job in our homestate, should hubby just deal with his current job that he hates and is causing health problems for him or should we move our kids further away from family?  This is hard.

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In-Laws are Coming to Visit Soon

My husband's parents are coming to town in the next few weeks for a visit.  Despite the tension that existed in the beginning because of the ex and her "play victim" mentality she used to get to them in the beginning, things are ok now.  It'll be nice to see them, plus my husband said the next time his handyman father comes into town, they'll put a Insinkerator in my kitchen sink!

You have no idea how excited that makes me! I hate, hate, hate soggy food in my drain. I have strainers to catch it and it grosses me out to see soggy food in those too. I have to have hubby clean them. I don't do gross drains and I don't do toilets. Hubby does! Works for me. 

I must be a big-time nerd to be excited about a garbage disposal. 

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FREE Pancake Crinkle Bear for Babies - Baby Stuff Gifts

Girls, there is a deal going on right now at Baby Stuff Gifts to get a FREE Pancake Crinkle Bear with all orders over $30.00 until August 15th for all orders shipping to the same address.  The Pancake Crinkle Bear is from North American Bear Company.  They crinkle when they are hugged - great feedback for babies! 

This is a great company for personalized baby gifts for your own children or somebody else's.  I know the personalized gifts my kids have been given get stored away when they outgrow them to give back to them as adults.  Regular toys in our home get given away or thrown out.  They're keepsakes when they are personalized.  I could never bear to throw them out.

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9 Months, 30 Days Until Stepdaughter Graduates

There are about nine months and 30 days left until my stepdaughter graduates from high school.  Then it'll be one down and one to go!  Can't wait for this for a couple of reasons:

1. Child support is a necessity but, let's face it, it also can hurt a bit with today's economy when everybody is cutting back and watching the budget (and getting their house out of foreclosure like we just did) while the ex's standard of living remained exactly the same, while living in a house that is in my in-laws' name (yeah, that bites a bit).  Child support will go down.  Party! 
2. More importantly, the legal relationship with the ex, for my stepdaughter, will be over.  Done.  Ended.  Finish.  In the past.  Major celebratory party!!

So, for the length of a pregnancy, my stepdaughter will become an adult and it will be a direct relationship with her with the ex having no legal grounds to stand right in the middle.  Yippee! 

Then that'll leave the wait for my stepson to graduate in a few years.  When that time comes, you will hear my joy across the entire country.

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100,000 Visitors to the Blog!!! Almost!

I just noticed the visitor log and we are in the 99,000's for visitors.  It won't be long now before it flips over the 100,000 mark! 

Love it!

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Divorce Poison and Joint Custody with a Jerk (Books)

I just sent a library request for "Divorce Poison" by Dr. Richard A. Warshak for future reading.  Within the next few weeks, I'll read the book that many have said is a good read.

My favorite book so far in all the divorce and stepfamily books was Joint Custody with a Jerk: Raising a Child with an Uncooperative Ex, A Hands on, practical guide to coping with custody issues that arise with an uncooperative ex-spouse.  That book made me laugh many, many times.  I kept it by my bedside for quite awhile just to pick up and laugh about (and y'all know that there are always times when a good laugh is necessary to let that "ex tension" go).

Giggling over a book and flipping her off behind the dash of my car got me few a few tense times.  hee hee

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