I applaud that decision CLangdell!! Not having an income is so scary for many people they can not even consider it. It takes courage to have the faith in yourself and the self-esteem to to that. Realizing that your mental and emotional health are also important signals to me that you'll be just fine.

Great post Karianne, I left a comment over on your blog too. You ARE an inspiration to stay at home parents everywhere. (I was a house-husband for a few years and wish we had had a computer and people like you around in the late 80's, early 90's!!) If ANYTHING ever turns out like the picture you had in your head, please let me know because that NEVER seems to happen!!

I've probably made more bad decisions than any 5 of your readers put together. The funny thing is that I remember the fun parts as well as the consequences. I even make sure to put a page about me on my website/blog that discusses both my time in prison and the great things I experienced.

My daughter is 22 now. She finished High School (Home schooling) at 16, then moved out of her Mothers house and started supporting herself. Now I'm known to be something of a "hard ass", ex-con and ex-marine, but my integrity is virtually never questioned. My ex-wife remarried one of the most racist, homophobic, OCD individuals to ever drag their knuckles out of a West Virginia cave. I could not do anything about the influences she had at home, but I could counter them when I had her. We went to Pot festivals, Gay Pride rallys, the Bohemian parts of Atlanta and we lived in one of the roughest (meaning poorest, usually) sections of Atlanta when she was with me. She got to see that there was good and bad in all kinds of people and that race, religion and sexual orientation is no indicator of whether a person is good or bad. I Taught her respect for herself and all others, even those we do not always agree with. There IS plenty of decency still out there in the world. Try to remember that decency really boils down to respecting others and even their right to be ignorant.