All Over.

For those of you who have been following our court nightmare, you'll be pleased to know it's all over. Finally.

Our trial was set for five days, beginning on Monday... a five day trial is quite rare. Basically, Kara's father was going for full custody, for reasons I will never understand.

Day one of the trial. I arrived at court, not really knowing what to expect to be honest. That's what I hate most about the process.... there are so many unknowns and the thought of a stranger dictating what happens with your child's future is sickening. Within minutes of arriving, my lawyer came in telling me... "he has changed his mind ~ he doesn't want primary care". To be honest, I didn't know what to think. I wanted to cry from relief but at the same time, I wanted to shoot him. How could he put us through what he has for NOTHING. Absolutey nothing. To me, it just shows me that it's all been a game to him and it angers me beyond words.

So now, things pretty much stay as they are with respect to time ~ Kara starts going there 50% of the time which was going to happen anyway BUT the way in which it happens has changed for the better. The thing that Kara has always found difficult has been the long periods away from her home with me. She hates it. She negatively anticipates it and it just makes it so hard for her. So now, the arrangement is such that she is only away from me (and the babies when they're born) for a maximum of three nights at a time (instead of 7). It also means she isn't with me for a full week at a time but I think she will cope much better with the new regime, than with the 7 straight nights with her father.

In addition, I can now attend school events or any other important events without him being able to tell me to leave ~ another bonus. There are other things that also benefit my princess but I am so exhausted now that I can't remember any of them!!!

So, for everybody who has been so supportive over the past 4 years, thank you so much. I still don't believe that 50-50 parenting is best for Kara but it's much better than what I was fearing and hopefully she will cope better with the new routine. If not, maybe one day he will actually listen to her and next time court will be avoided.

V xxx