I think you've gotten so used to your W controlling you that it comes out without knowing. Comments like...
"W has me flying out to Dallas to see the kids April 30th til May 4th."
No SHE doesn't have you flying out. Say instead, YOU ARE GOING to see the kids April 30-May 4.
"She said we might spend a couple of hours together at most. I said ok."
No. YOU decide if you even want to see her. Rather that just saying 'ok', you should've said "We'll see, it depends what I have planned." See?
Turn that stuff around on her. Put your foot down and have things going in your direction.
As far as the S goes. When my W and I were physically S, we only saw each other 3 minutes a day when she would drop off my D's and maybe spending the weekends together with the kids.
Personally, if I were in your sitch, I would see my W as little as possible on MY terms. Can you swing getting a hotel? If you could, you could tell her to drop the kids off at a certain time so that you could play with them on your own. Get out from under the shadow of your W and your in-laws. I wouldn't see any of them. Do this all yourself.
M-43 W-40 2D - 9 and 5
Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet a new life.
