Thanks for responding so quickly! Suddenly I don't feel so alone

Emma, two days - wow! The early days are really tough, I couldn't sleep and there was always so much going through my mind. A single mum I know told me that things DO get better - and guess what, they do! I have been meaning to have that long hot bath for about 4 weeks now. Maybe tonight is the night. And the lawns - besides when I was a kid (and on a ride-on) I have mown lawns ONCE in my life, plus today. I have already been out about 5 times just to have a look!

MrsMac - glad you have found a new guy - sounds like your family is doing great. I actually moved 2 streets away from XH as I wanted to stay close to the school (and since renting is difficult, I had to take what I could get - even if it is SOOO close). We are selling our house, though, so I don't know where XH will end up. At one point he said he was moving into town (I live about 1 hour west of Sydney) and that he wanted to find her a different school, although later he said he meant he MIGHT move closer to town and we MIGHT need to find her a different school. Games, games, games. Anyway - his family are almost all out here, so hopefully that will help keep him out this way, but there is no way I am changing her school - she has friends going there, and it is a good school - so if he moves far enough away that getting her to school is a problem then I will just seek full custody ("just" - hahaha not that easy, but she needs stability and I will do what it takes to give her that!)