All are still employed! Gods light is shining on me now!

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~The mind is like a parachute, It always works best when it's open~Edna Buchanan~

~Northern Spy~The Apple of my Pie~

~Audrey~

Wish I could say the same! Congats on all employed. Now I need a couple more to get a steady job and we're in like flint.

Anne

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And when the winds of change begin to blow,
I'll whisper, "You're my lighthouse" in case you didn't know.

Sons of Maxwell

visit my website!:
Anne's Philly Phan Site at http://www.gbsfanatic.com

Emma signed up for college at the local community college today.  Full time student beginning in January.  Praise God!  Just hope she has it in her to tow the line and do her best.  Plus she's going to be working part time too so will take some discipline.

Robin

Whoot whoot!  Great news Robin!

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In the social order, I accept the bottom rung, until the wine is pouring and the Lord commands a song!

That IS wonderful news, Robin! I'm very happy for you...and for Emma! It seems she's turning a corner.

I haven't been in here for awhile because I feel like I'm everyone's daily bummer...same shite, different day. But I HAVE to tell you guys this...I may have mentioned before that for the 26 years I have been with jim, we have always spent Christmas Eve with his family and Christmas Day with mine. So naturally, he will have the kids on Christmas Eve and take them to his parents as is done every year, just this time, I won't be there. Fine. I'm looking forward to Christmas morning...not having to wait 2 hours for Jim to drag his arse out of bed, not having him sit there grinning like a cheshire cat while they thank BOTH of us for the gifts I'VE bought, that he had nothing to do with. I was writing out tags last night and it felt so nice to write 'from Mom'. So anyway, Chelsea comes to me last night and says, 'Daddy said that since we won't be living together, he'd like to sleep over at our house so he can be with us Christmas morning'. WHAT?!!! First of all, no frakking way, and second, way to use the child to get to me! So I went to him and told him that if he has something like that to ask, then he is to talk to ME first. So he tells me that he doesn't think it's an unreasonable request! I said, 'I'M losing Christmas Eve with them, Christmas morning is mine in MY house'. His response? 'You're unbelievable'. I said, 'So what are you expecting here? Do you expect to spend EVERY Christmas Eve at MY house?' to which he responded, 'Why not?'. I wanted to say, 'Because I hate your guts you psychopath!', but I just said, 'YOU are unbelievable' and left the room. I am MOVING ON. What doesn't he get about this?! And doing things like he wants will just make it harder for the kids to adjust. And they ARE adjusting, despite what he wants to believe to the contrary. Chelsea told me she doesn't want to take weeks to move in, she wants to do it all at once. She's also fine with me taking my maiden name back. He is trying to do everything he can to keep me from moving on with my life. If I had MY way, he'd never enter my house at all. But it's also the children's home. But he is NOT sleeping in my house. EVER.

Am I wrong?

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

YOu are definately NOT wrong about the sleeping over part. It's entirely up to you wether or not you want to let him come by in the morning.

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"I see you in the front row, bouncing up and down, you're ripped and ready for a night downtown." ~ Margarita
What's wrong with a little flirtation?

Monster Tee

Not wrong Trace, not at all.  And in your place, I would not have him over Christmas morning.  Bajillions of families the world over have Christmas eve with one parent and christmas Day with the other.  Maybe you could look at alternating year to year, down the road.  But my aunt always says about marriage and the end of marriage "begin as you mean to go on."  So unless you want to spend EVERY Christmas day with him loitering around your house making you uncomfortable, put your foot down NOW.  You are unbelievable to him because you have grown a backbone and he can't believe it.  Make him a believah!  Pullin for ya babe!

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In the social order, I accept the bottom rung, until the wine is pouring and the Lord commands a song!

Thanks for the hoorahs for Emma everyone.  :-)  I really appreciate all the support!!

Trace - you are not wrong - you are absolutely right in saying no, never!  Sounds like a manipulation tactic on ole Jimmy's part to try to hold on to you.  I would put my foot down and stick to my guns on this one (IMHO that is).  You certainly don't want to be giving the kids mixed signals at all, especially so soon after the separation.  It is YOUR household, not his - YOU are the boss, not him and what YOU say goes, not him!  Actually he has no say at all at what goes on in YOUR house.  Don't let him guilt trip you into changing your mind.

Cheers!

Robin

Trace, think of it this way? In the future you will undoubtedly have a bf or two, how are you going to want to handle Christmas then? How would Jim handle having your BF over and him ( theoretically) sleeping there for Xmas Eve? How would your kids handle having mom's BF over with Dad sleeping over? 

 Yeah, No.  Take the wise Aunt's advice and "start as you mean to go on." It's easier to start out mean and stay that way ( or loosen up ) than to start off as if you are going to be friendly and then toughen up later. 

just a thought. 

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Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus
"Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." E. Wiesel
OKP's Resident B****
Imprudens est draconem vivum de consiliis tuis omittere.
Steet team Leader for NYS, OH and Southern Ontario.

Yanno Andi, I was thinking that exact same thing this morning, about Tracy's sitch-it's easier to loosen up the rules later if you want to, than to tighten them later!  

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In the social order, I accept the bottom rung, until the wine is pouring and the Lord commands a song!

It's like gardening, right?  Nobody likes weeding, so you hoe it all under in the fall, and then when you get your fresh start, you pull the weeds while they're small, not when they're established and tough and already hogging the water and sunlight you wanted for your tomatoes.

Love, Columbine 

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Thanks guys. I knew I was right, just needed some confirmation. What really got me mad was him using Chelsea to get to me. THAT is something I will not allow to become a pattern.

GBS tonight! I NEED this break. Jim's staying home with the kids...what a hero. A concert is the one time that he cannot call my cell phone with every little problem he can think of to ruin my night. He said to me yesterday, 'So you'll be home by 12, eh?' and I said, 'Why? Got a hot date?' and he responded, 'No, I just figure the concert will be over around 11, so you'll be home by 12'. I said, 'Nope. We're going out after. I'll be home when I get home'.  Go me!  

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

You go girl.  Have a WONDERFUL time tonight.  Vertical movement and all that jazz.  Banter, laughter, singing, jumping, drooling (tee/hee!).  I'll be thinking about you.  Enjoy the after show fun too. 

Robin

We're now staying overnight. Getting ready to leave...it's snowing like a son of a beech. Of course I'm hearing from Jim that if it were him, he wouldn't go. I just said, 'Good thing it's not you then'.

Okay, off to have some fun!

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Some people shine like a star in the first moment. Others keep their light hidden until they are ready to show us.

Go Tracy!  That new backbone looks sooooooooooooo good on you!! 

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In the social order, I accept the bottom rung, until the wine is pouring and the Lord commands a song!