Hey! Congratulations on the ol' battle-axe finally leaving! This is cause for celebration!!!
You seem to be so much more aware of your defensiveness 'in the moment' with him, and are doing a great job of recovering. I loved how you handled his controlling behavior (stemming from his anxiety, I think), with the gift of the article. He seemed to recover himself as well, rather than escalating.
I cheered when I read what you noted about preschool for DD4. That was a HUGE cheeseless tunnel for the 2 of you, and you refused to go into that argument. In fact, you planted a nice seed regarding a joint activity for the 3 of you.
He's a louse for only commenting on his socks regarding your outfit, Jo. I'm sure you looked hot!
