I DA'd in March after seeing the filth under the facade... The last meeting I was at with my kids was a CO visit in May when I couldn't stomach the drivel and we walked out early... Since then, the kids (9, 10 and 13) have spent the summer, now every other weekend with their dad who is a JW about 2.5 hours away. In the meantime, we've celebrated all the birthdays (two July kids and me in August, brother, nephew and cousins...) where the kids have signed the cards and helped pick out presents. They've been to about 2-3 b'day parties each for classmates since March. We celebrated July 4th with guilt-free fireworks.
And, the big one (as I've never really liked it) this year -- Halloween. I'm still amazed and maybe a tad confused at the offspring here. lol The kids all helped choose and put up creepy stuff in my front porch and would help put the plug-in pumpkin out at night or rescue the witch from her fall from my front door in the wind... My 10yo was on the H'ween committee at school ("I need to make two pans of brownies tonight mom!!" said at 8pm Oct 30 as I'm at the puter in jammies and a scrunchie, and there being no brownie mix in the house...) Then on H'ween night, I had three first-time trick or treaters. Even better, two of them were Harry Potter characters (eldest finished all 6 books in a month and youngest and I are sharing #1 in the series, and we've seen all movies now). H'ween night they were out in the 'hood beggin candy like they'd done it every year since birth. Definitely not like the little JW kids they were raised as. They've written down their Christmas list for me and the rest of the relatives and are talking about what color lights to have for decorations... I'm having SUCH a good time with this! And it is true -- the holidays are so much about the kids, the fun and the togetherness. It all couldn't be further removed from the evil, danger and wickedness the idiot JW teach about them. Buncha fun-haters.
So I'm just about giddy with how they've embraced the holidays -- and the reasons (I feel) behind them. I'm walking a bit of a thin line with their dad, which does concern me a tiny bit. They have to put on a different face when they're with him. So not sure what this is teaching them, but I figure their therapists can figure it out when they're adults.... For now, we have a very different household than we did less than a year ago. We're closer, more relaxed and definitely more funner. (I know that's incorrect, but it just fits. :) )
Just thought I'd share my success-so-far story.
~merfi