Thank you so much everyone!!!!

We were a bit surprised bny the emancipation request as well. Step son is currently out of town, so he has no idea all of this is going n.. we haven't told him yet. All he knows is that his mom never called or sent a birthday card.

Yes, I am well aware that I am considered as nothing in the court's eyes. That is the hardest thing ever. I'm there for everything, and the majority of MY money goes to the kids and their activities. Why can't I have any say in the court? FRUSTRATING!

I never ever talk about their mother to the kids unless they bring her up. The youngest totally hates her - she NEVER ONCE recieved a birthday gift from her mother (the divorce proceedings started before she was a year old) and is the one who has attached herself more to me than the other two. She was 10 when I met her.

The middle child, has MAJOR trust issues with women. I would to if I had a mother that pushed me away when I was very young, but old enough to remember. The middle child was the biggest hurdle for me when we were dating, and even after we were married... in fact, at times I swore she was trying to break us apart.

As for my stepson, well, he is a whole other animnal on his own. He went from thinking his mom walked on water when I met him.... to last winter, we overheard him tell someone that his mother was dead.