Thanks very much for your post. Things are improving around here, partly because of the time off my wife had.

I think that did two things, it gave her a break but it also showed her that I understand what it takes to care for the kids for an extended period of time - multiple meals, baths, getting dressed, exccursion, etc. I think it allowed her to realize that my issues were not just complaints from the outside looking in, but that I have an understanding of the difficulties, giving me the "right" to comment.

I haven't spoken to my wife about any counseling but I think she did listen to me the last time I talked to her about the effect her anger had on the kids. I'm hoping things will continue to improve and that my wife will have more confidence in me to take care of the kids so she will go away on her own again, without worries.