"All rise"

[faithisbelieving]

Thanks all. I remember reading stories of women putting ExLax in their XH's coffee. Well, no bathroom trips for me. Perhaps the coffee was safe.

The house is really thinning out. As you will all probably agree, it wasn't worth dragging out the divorce or fighting over material things. Although XW is leaving some big pieces, a lot of good small pieces are gone. An 8x10 area rug from Pottery barn, a beautiful wood coat rack, the coffee table in the family room, S9's Xbox system, a huge painting over the mantle; both kids BR furniture is going. One set was hers coming into the marriage. S9's was a beautiful solid wood set from PB also. The children deserve to be in their beds. I will suffer with finding an Ikea replacement. We have allowed the children to have input on what small things stay with each parent. The walk in closet is now empty of all her clothes. She has the MBR this week for the last time. My time on the couch is rapidly coming to a close.

XW is communicating with me now without malice. However, strictly on what goes and what stays in the house. She told me that she is going to schedule an appt with the therapist to help the kids adjust. I agreed. She told me that she is planning ON TAKING THE KIDS WITH HER TO THE SALON! (kids will be bored out of their gourd). I told her that I will be a much cheaper babysitter and, that,since she works on Saturdays, she is more than welcome to leave them with me on her Saturday...at least for part of the day.

By stipulation, Memorial Day Weekend is my first full entire weekend with them. Wow. However, afterward, by XW's request, weekends will now be alternated.

Finally, I will now enter the final phase which is going to be financially difficult. Full child support will kick in next week. While I am now alone, and paying the mortgage, I will be squeezed horribly. A bidder on the house has returned and they are having a contractor look at it today. As much as I would like to hang in the house by myself, the quicker it sells, the earlier I will able to begin working to become financially solvent.

Life, as I know it, is coming to an abrupt halt and change. This...is the time that, 4 years ago, the thought of this moment caused crushing chest pain, nightmares and waking up in a cold sweat. I can handle it now, having been through this like others before me.

Ya know...I look at people like Jeff223 above...and others people don't know from the past like DonH. Even bworl above, whose XW literally just punched out and ejected. All, divorced, closed, done within months. Four years for me post bomb.

Four years.

FIB