Do you speak up if you do not agree with something your child's father is doing? Do you just agree to disagree and not say anything? This is hard for me at times. I feel that saying anything will lead nowhere. All that will happen is an argument and of course my daughter's dad will never do what I suggest!

The latest item that I have an issue with is how he handles the gifts my daughter gets, mainly money. When my daughter is given money for her birthday or for Christmas she has to give it to her dad and he keeps it. She never sees that money again. If she asks him about it or states she wants to buy something he tells her that he is keeping that money for her and she needs to buy something that she needs. Then I found out from her the other day that the birthday gift he had bought for her, which was a laptop computer, he told her that he had used that money to buy it because he could not afford the whole thing.

OK, does anyone see the problem with this or is it just me? It really bothers my daughter, but she has learned by now that her dad is going to do whatever he pleases and nobody will tell him otherwise. Then, on top of that, when she asks him for help buying school supplies or help paying for a field trip, he says he has no money and he gives all his money to her mom each month for child support. If I think about it long enough it really eats me up, but sometimes I wonder if I should say something even just that it bothers her?

I thought this might be some interesting history to blog about today. I got to thinking about the first divorce ever and wondering when it occurred. I googled and found this - "In the first record of a legal divorce in the American colonies, Anne Clarke of the Massachusetts Bay Colony is granted a divorce from her absent and adulterous husband, Denis Clarke, by the Quarter Court of Boston, Massachusetts. In a signed and sealed affidavit presented to John Winthrop Jr., the son of the colony's founder, Denis Clarke admitted to abandoning his wife, with whom he had two children, for another woman, with whom he had another two children. He also stated his refusal to return to his original wife, thus giving the Puritan court no option but to punish Clarke and grant a divorce to his wife, Anne." This was on January 5, 1643 (www.history.com).

 As we know, after this the divorce rate only increased, so single moms, we know that we are not alone in this!

My daughter started school this week and I know most everyone else will start this coming week. Hope you all have an enjoyable week getting the kids off to school!

I brought this subject up last year and wanted to talk about it again today. Do you think the other parent should help with buying school supplies, shoes and clothes for the new school year? I have an issue with this because I honestly believe these are costs above and beyond the normal monthly child support.

I think most moms would agree that at the beginning of the school year a lot of money is spent on new clothes, shoes and supplies. This is not something that we have to do every month, although we do of course have to occasionally buy clothes throughout the year. My daughter is now in middle school and the cost of school supplies and clothes has increased dramatically. I just think that it should be the dad's responsibility to buy half the supplies at least and possibly even part of the shoes and clothes.

Do you agree? I would be interested in hearing feedback on this issue as it is something I have struggled with for two years now. What is ironic in my situation is that my daughter's dad used to split the cost with me at the beginning of each school year, but for the past two years now he has decided it is not his responsibility.

Where is summer vacation going so fast? Does it seem like it is flying by to you? My daughter starts back to school in less than four weeks! Have you reached your summer vacation goals? We have not quite gotten there, but it has been a busy summer with other things going on.

I am finding it so hard to hold in my feelings when it comes to my ex-husband. The newest woman in his life has two children and they have only dated a few months. My daughter came home the other night and was talking about her weekend. She stated that her dad had let his girlfriend's daughter have friends over to swim. Her dad has not allowed her to have friends over before and this is not fair. Do you think? My daughter did not seem very bothered by it, but she tends to hold her feelings inside also.

It is obvious to me that when he has a new woman in his life, he bends his rules for the new woman and her family whereas he holds to them with his daughter. I think I am just rambling, but it bugs me in the least. I do not feel he should give anyone special treatment unless he is going to do the same for his daughter. Oh well, nothing to do about it huh? We just have to keep our mouth shut to keep the peace and try to be the best moms we can to our children and for that I think we should all be awarded!

Whew what a week! My sister and her kids have been in town and we have gone nonstop! It has been so fun though and so good to see and visit with them. Hard to believe that June is gone. Where does the time go?

No doubt it has been hard to get the kids outside with the weather being so hot! My teenager just wants to lay inside and play on the computer or read. It is so unreal how things have changed. When I was a kid you played outside no matter what and that was what we did. We went outside and made up things to do and it was just normal to play outside during the day. With the little cool down we have had the last couple of days hope you all are able to get out this weekend and have fun for the holiday!