~I am a mess. I have been dating a wonderful father of two, and we desperately want to get married. The problem is his mother. He has been living under her roof to "help" with the children while he finishes school. Since he has been there, she has assumed all responsibility for his children. She makes serious decisions without his consent, such as signing his daughter up for a different preschool.

~Even back when she "liked" me, I knew there was a serious problem. She would go into manic rages, insulting my fiancé in front of his children, peppering them with rage and obcenities. This was a daily occurrence. She even had the nerve to tell his son that his daddy does drugs. Both him and I have asked her not to say these things, as they are not true, and this is an impressionable 8 year old we are referring to. She refuses to stop, refuses to seek help, and continues to take over. The Preschool his daughter goes to was under the impression that this woman was her guardian, which we had to go and set straight.

~When it dawned on her that we were going to get a home with each other, she filed for custody of his children. When we took the children out of her house, she had them taken from us, siting that he "sells drugs, and is fearful for the childrens lives". She now has temporary custody of the children and he can have "supervised" visitation, but I am not allowed at her home. His daughter cries that she wants to come home with him everyday. She asks for me everyday. His son is obviously been brainwashed by his grandmother, and tells his father "don't worry daddy, we are Well Provided for." We might as well be talking directly to his mother. His son does not want to talk to me anymore, as his grandmother has told him that I am the enemy. I do not know what to do. We have hired a lawyer, and she has hired a better lawyer.

~We have disproved all of the things she sited on the temporary order of custody. The only thing she did not blatently lie about was that I am living in a 1 bedroom apartment. We have a hearing on the 20th of November. Each day is a struggle for me. We are desperately looking for a three bedroom place to move into in just over a week. This woman need serious help, but she is using the "law" against us. I do not agree with keeping children in a home with drugs, but my home is not such. What am I going to do!

Maybe you could get the Judge to realize that she is a manipulative person that is brainwashing the kids with lies. Write down all the lies and things she has pulled and
Everything your boyfriend has a problem with about her and how she is with the kids.
Even if you still can't get custody you might make it more *hell* for her if you can convince the Judge that she needs counseling and so forth.
Also write a reassuring paper on pro active things you and your boyfriend are doing for the kids benefit.

~ ahhh, yes, several months ago I did start documenting her outbursts concerning the children. Convienently, that notebook is in his bedroom that she has locked and refuses to let him into... even to get his belongings. This woman claimed she bought everything in the house, including his and his children's belongings... when we took the children out of the house, it was with the clothes on their backs and what few belongings of his he could fit into a truck. She literally took the boxes of children's clothes and one of the boxes broke and was strewn about the street. The cops said let her take the stuff, so we did. Crazy, huh?

~I'm mostly concerned about her "great lawyer" villainizing us and making her look like a martyr, instead of the wackjob she really is.