I got this text message from "Bob" today.

I did not file yet, as my ex. and I had a pretty civil conversation on Tuesday and I was able to get him on Tuesday and Wednesday. This gave me time to have a quality discussion with Dylan about his mother's condition. I was very kind and gentle. I made it very clear to him that I don't hate his mother and I am not going to say anything bad about her...ever, but that he had to be aware of her condition and its harmful effects it has had on him that will continue to get worse.

Using Eddy's tips for teaching coping skills to kids with borderline parents, I told him that by working on these tips, it will protect him from anything his mother does that might not be good for him. I reinforced that she wants only the best for him, but that - because of her condition - what she wants for him isn't always the best for him and might be even be bad.

When we drove home that night after his birthday dinner, he brought up our conversation from earlier in the day and acknowledged his mother's erratic behavior and vicious mood swings. To paraphrase what he said, "one minute, she can be as happy as can be and would say yes to anything. But then the next minute later, she would act as though someone had stolen a million dollars from her and say no to everything."

When I return from my business trip, I will file a contempt based on the email thread that I shared with you, as well as other examples of alienation, and try to get a court order for Christmas Eve as it is my year. I am still struggling with figuring out what the right forms are from the xxxx County website.

Thanks again for listening, and for your generous support!

God bless,