Thinking of you and sending good.. no.. GREAT thoughts!
I made a little cyber basket for you filled with:
a blanket (for snuggling comfort) a bottle of wine (for libation) a cabana boy (for diversion and darn tough to pack in!) Godiva chocolate (a known cure all) stuffed animals for your daughters cheese, crackers and fruit (for you to nibble on) four tickets to a show (group things are great) a gift card to Victoria's Secret (so naughty and nice) cut flowers (smell so pretty) a pretty plant (doesn't die as fast as cut flowers) and lots of lots of hugs made of pink satin hearts.
Guess what? Kharma rocks! I won $500 on the boat on Friday night!! My friend won as well. She smiled and hugged me, and said "The slot machine must be divorced. It understands".
The girls and I had a blast spending the money like crazy yesterday! D6 got a new bike, promptly fell off and wants to return it. Hee! She'll get back on. I also am tucking some away obviously, but it felt good to say "yes" to some things, huh?
Today is my first day back at work. My commute is tricky, I tend to get all up in my head with too much thinking, but I did alright this morning.
Heading to Boo At The Zoo tonight. Chilly night, but it should be fun.
A big super thank you for the support. I can't believe it sometimes, how much this board has helped. I stumbled upon it one day, looking up articles on infidelity, and here I am.
Gypsy, thanks for my basket. Everything in there was wonderfully comforting.
Lissie, wow. Thank you. I hope you know that your 'divorce day' post made me cry. Your strength tangled up in your sadness, and your eloquent way of writing it down. I wasn't where you were at your time of divorce, but here I am now. You are a shining example (one of many on here) of how we can overcome, and live a wonderful life.
Wow, congratulations on the windfall. It couldn't have come at a more opportune time.
(My mother recently won about $900 on one of the riverboats in MS while her many brothers and sisters were in town from all parts of the country for a family reunion-- she treated them all to a really nice dinner.)
LOL on the bicycle. I can just hear what her rationale might be, "Mom, it has to be defective or something -- we need to take it back."
(You'd think S7 was born on a bicycle -- he's had his training wheels off since he was four going-on-five years old and now rides like a pro. S3 hasn't shown as much inclination just yet.)
You're going to do fine, Lwb. No doubts about that at all.
Nocode, that's amazing about your S7!! When we went to buy the bike D6 said "Mom, just so you know I will count the wheels on the bike and I still want 4". lol Yep, she fell off WITH training wheels on!! She was flying down the hill, and I watched her, she panicked, and instead of breaking, she literally jumped ship and dove off the bike. The bike is taller and heavier, and she just needs to get used to it.
D4 will be off her training wheels anyday now. Isn't it amazing how opposite these "MAJOR" children can be?
I remember S7 was trying to ride around our street (cul de sac) with the older kids and that is what motivated him. Apparently his trying to to keep up with the bigger kids while using training wheels frustrated him so much. One day he just stopped, demanded his mother take off the training wheels right then and there, which she did, and then he just started riding with little hesitation or problems. For some time up to that point he had apparently mastered his balance, and the training wheels, bent as they were, had become superfluous. He never looked back.
I've got to now figure out how I'm going to gain some bicycle time with S3. We don't live in a neighborhood where he would be so encouraged. And now that W has also moved into an apartment, she has cut them both off from that opportunity. I bought S7 a new (very good) bike just this past year, and S3 inherited S7's old bike, but these are both with W -- I may have to break down and buy them a set to keep wherever I reside.
Yes, siblings can be so different from one another. As they say, every child is different. That's interesting that D4 is already ready to lose the training wheels.
Awesome on your and your GF's winnings. Even more awesome that you spent it with your DD's. You desreve it.
My S also learned how to ride a bike when he was Four but, my youngest D didn't learn till she was about seven and to this day as an adult it would be iffy. My 8 year old SGS just learned and he is eight but, He is just lazy.
The casino sounded like it was so much fun.
JAK
You don't get to choose how you're going to die. Or when, you can only decide how you're going to live now. ~Joan Baez
My son was determined to learn to ride before he turned 5, and did it just before his birthday. Same thing with D.
Me, I didn't talk off the training wheels until I was older (maybe 9?). I was the kind of kid who didn't like getting hurt - same thing with cartwheels (you want me to put my head over my butt?!). But I did finally get it, then you couldn't get me off of it.
About the bike's at your X's....if she is in an apt, will she use the bikes with the kids? Can you show up with a bike carrier and ask for them?
The bike is taller and heavier, and she just needs to get used to it. 
