Hi all, My windows arrived!!! House was bustling with activity yesterday as they started installation, laid sewer, water and electric and poured the basement floor!! Jackson...so sorry to hear about your beautiful stone. Will keep my fingers crossed that you find something that you like even better. Robyn...congrats on passing inspections! Your insulation looked perfect so am not surprised! This next stage things will really start to come together...you must be excited! Amberm...you are getting so close to starting. We had so many delays and restarts that until that hole was in the ground I never really believed that it was going to happen. Our permits took 7 wks and thanks to reading all the stories here it sounded like it was not that bad even though it felt like forever! I think it was you that said you were building in a city in Canada...which one?? I grew up in Canada (Toronto & Calgary) and still have lots of family throughout the country. Hoosier...your concrete looks great!! It must be so nice to be able to supervise from the house (pj's and all) then having to trek down there everyday. Musicgal...you need to start packing and get into that beautiful new home! Carson...your neighbor sure puts things in perspective. It is so easy to get caught up in the not so important things in life as you build and a reminder like that really helps put things back in perspective. Hope she is ok. Jdez...I laughed so hard over your permit office comment that I almost spit my coffee out! The permit office did miss a few things...like support for a bump out window...it was in the garage so we were able to roll with it and create a cool window box to break up that wall. Caben...plaster looks good and that stone will look great under the raised bedroom. Autumn... Like that tile...it is nice and simple and should go beautifully with your counters. Jenniekehr...sounds like u are on a similar time frame to a few of us. What is going on in your build now? Here are some pics of my windows going in as I know how much u all like pics!! Front

First, being bi-sexual doesn't make you a pedophile. I don't understand the connection you make to that. In your original post, nothing was mentioned about his other children. I'd be more concerned about that but it sounded as if the problem you are having, has more to do with how he treats your husband, than what he did with his other children in the past. Why would he talk to your mom everyday? If he's such a 'bad' guy, why would she talk to him? I'm not understanding where you're coming from perhaps. If he still wants to get back together with you, why would you insist on being at the visitations? You should do what you can to disengage from him, maybe let your mom supervise visits if he gets along with her. What types of things did he do to or with his other kids? There's a difference between not agreeing with it and it being dangerous or harmful to your child. As for his legal problems, I would make sure he is not using.. random drug testing. Supervised visits if he is violent. Depending on the circumstances, arson isn't usually a violent crime, but if there was intent to harm someone, that may be an issue. He doesn't sound like a real great guy, but you chose to marry him and have a child with him and unless he can be proven a danger to your child or his rights are terminated, he has a right to have a relationship with your son. Actually, your son has the right to have a relationship with him. You may have a reason to be concerned but my first reaction to the original post is that the problem is with how he acts or treats the husband, not a concern over how he'll treat his son. My son's father wasn't in jail (and he should have been), but he didn't see him until he was 4. I had concerns about it, he ended up seeing him supervised for a couple of months and then he got a few afternoon visits and eventually, it went to overnight, then weekend.

I agree a little with all of you. Yes this hit a nerve about the baby thing within me - - and I do think he is very male and didn't see the deeper issue with how to a woman this is a special, intimate thing that an ex should not be involved with even if it's in good fun. Maybe I take it more serious. But I do think he is still too entangled with the ex, she still hasn't learned to let up on asking his opinion about things and he still hasn't learned to set boundaries. He's gotten better but there's still a way to go. I told him how I felt about it after venting on this board and he said that he agreed with me. I told him that this baby has a father and the last thing this baby would want to find out it that his mothers ex was involved with his name! This is a biracial baby (father is black) and the mother wants to give him her last name which is Irish and I find it odd that everyone is pushing for an Irish first name as well when this baby will have many ethnicities to celebrate within his family. That's just my opinion and I am keeping to myself (and to ya'll). I know - it's not my call but it's the way I would handle it. My concern is now that she has asked about names I could very well see her asking him opinions on schools, etc in the future. My husband is very intelligent and a "leader" type so people often look to him for guidance, but in my opinion he is no longer her "pack" leader and the perks of having his opinion and advice in her life was over when the marriage was over. I explained this very point to him in the past when we argued about something else to do with her and he agreed at the time. But he doesn't realize when he's doing it! So frustrating.

I'm back from the shade store and yes, friends, I've gone completely overboard!! I have yet another shade to consider. This time I brought home several shades to find the right color. Now, I think I have the right color, but the shape is new, believe it or not!! It's a little difficult to describe. Basically it's a rectangle with a bell shape. The shorter sides flare out in a soft curve. I have 4 pics to share, in order to hopefully show the true shape of the shade. Picture #1 Picture #2 (from the side to show the outward curve on the short side) Picture #3 (a complete side view) Picture #4 I think I like how the rectangle shape of the shade works with the rectangle of the piano. So, if anyone is still interested in this saga, which now has really turned into a saga, what do you think of the latest choice? Thanks to all who have responded. I really do appreciate your input.