Well to answer your questions, yes it was my B-day. Let me just say it would be a prime year for a MLC. W did make her best effort to make it as pleasant as possible.
On the other questions. Yes, the move is so the kids can have the best consistency as possible. In our state the H's get the scraps and of course we're a no fault state. If the W files first, your pretty much at the mercy of the judge. When I went to consult and Attorney, he looked at the papers XW presented, he said tweak this and that, "are you OK with the child support?", sign it and get it done. He pointed out that unless I was wanting to battle for custody (spending/waisting a wad of money), I should just take care of it out of court and us my money for a good down payment on a new house.
He said you are in an area and state that sides with the W and the judge who is female has a pretty slanted track record. Unless the W is unstable (drunk/drugs etc.), your pretty much toast and you would just be handing your money to me. I won't turn it down, but you would be more wise putting it into a new house to restart.
So after we told the little kids last night, I took them to the new place. The kids loved it, and were not too excited about going back over to the old place. So the move is this weekend and the kids were asking when they get to come sleep over. No doubt the kids do love there Dad. I'm sad in a way, but a load has been lifted off.
Do I regret all the effort I put into DB. Not in the least! I walk away knowing that I have done my best to make this work. Also I have left things in the best state I could think of, no bridges have been burned. If XW came to her senses, she knows that the communication is still there and that I will listen to her. What would happen from there? I have no guess, ask me in a year or two.
