Hello all! I used to be really active here but as my marriage crumbled I eventually needed time away to let my marriage go and adjust to my "new normal". BD was a little over 4 years ago, my ex moved out about 6 months after that and the divorce was about 2 years after that (1-1/2 years ago). My ex bought a house just a few miles from me and we've worked together to co-parent our 3 kids ever since. All 3 kids were still at home when she left, but our oldest is set to graduate college this year, the middle girl is starting college so we only have 50-50 custody of the youngest at this point. I started dating before we divorced but found it very difficult to get more serious than casual dating. It's not that I miss my ex, it's just that I've gotten so used to being independent that it's tough to bring someone into the mix. But, it is quite overwhelming trying to take care of a big house and bigger yard by myself while maintaining a full time job and trying to be a good dad, etc. I have to admit I'm still struggling a little financially too, after 20 years of dual income it's been a very difficult transition to cut back on my lifestyle! Anyway back on the dating thing, I have been seeing someone for over a year now. We decided to make it exclusive about 8 months ago. She is much younger than me but gets along well with my kids. She is very sweet and quite attractive. We have a lot of shared interests, things like dabbling in art, a love for motorcycles, going to waterparks and Six Flags, etc. etc. It reminds me a lot of when I started dating my ex so long ago. She's been spending a lot of time at my house lately which is starting to wear on my nerves, LOL! She's very helpful, keeps the place really clean (I tell her not to but she insists that she loves doing that stuff), but it's just stressful having someone around all the time again, it's a big adjustment.
My ex and I get along fine, we never really argued much when we were married and have had no blow-ups or anything since BD either. Interestingly once she found out about my girlfriend she has opened up to me about her dating experiences. There was an OP back during BD and D but that fizzled and now she's trying online dating. She has never once made even the slightest hint of reconciliation, once she was done she was well and truly done!
Anyway, just wanted to pop in and say hello, it's been far too long! I will try and maintain some contact here, this place didn't save my marriage but it absolutely saved me
