I got knocked down and I stood back up!

[whitneypinch]

Seminole,
If I was to write a post (I have written many) I would have written my experience just like you.
I have a daughter 9 and a son 7. I do EVERYTHING with them, including painting my daughters nails and braiding her hair. I went to YouTube to learn those things.
My kids have a great relationship with their mom but always come to me when it's something important.
My daughter came to me to take her to get her ears pierced and to get her long hair cut for the first time. I know she will come to me when she needs a prom dress.
I taught my son to ride a motocross bike and take him riding all the time.

I have friends in the music business so I was able to get my daughter to meet Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood with me. I have taken both my kids to their first concerts.

I have taken my kids camping and travelled all over with them.

Their mom is very affluent so she too takes them on trips.
But in the end what gives me the greatest satisfaction is when my daughter wrote me a letter about that she always feels close to me and knows how much I care while being a cool dad too.
I could not ask for more.

As much as I hated going through all of this I would not change it for the world as it made me a better person with the proper priorities in life.

My ex has a big house and cottage and is constantly "doing stuff". Heck she has 3 dogs now and a nannie. I doubt she will ever regret her decision but that's ok.
As much as I loved the "old her" she is long gone.

So thank you very much for posting what you did.
It meant the world to me to read that !!

Oh ya, my daughter always tells me when I am wearing the wrong thing or have a bad hair cut too.