Q for divorced parents

[Captain Morgan]

I'd like to get an idea of how many of you have liberal parenting schedules. Specifically, do the fathers get to keep their children overnight at all during the weeks when the kids are in school?

My daughter is 5 and starts kindergarten this year. I've always had her overnight when I have her, including during the week, and it's been very close to equal time. Her mom and I have never been married and my daughter has never known us being together. Currently, I don't have anything in writing or any court order, but her mom has always let me have my daughter as much as possible.

She recently found out I have a girlfriend and has gone apeshit. Apparently, she always thought I'd "come around" and decide to be with her. Now she's trying to use school as an excuse to say that I can't have my daughter overnight as much as I have been. However, I have several e-mails where she's shown a tendancy to be unreasonable, including one where she says, "You know, I do blame you for things. Like, Allie not having one home and maybe I do want to punish you a bit for that." I'm hoping that comment is all I need for a judge to see the truth behind my ex's actions. I've always had my daughter overnight when I've had her, it shouldn't change now.

I've already filed a petition with the courts, but no date has been set, as there is a backlog. School starts in less than a month and I'm afraid I'm going to be screwed until court because my ex is insisting that my daughter will not be allowed to stay overnight at my house during the week. I'm calling my attorney tomorrow to find out what I should do if my daughter's mom tries to pick her up from my house on nights I'd normally have her.

At any rate, I'd just like to know if any fathers have their children overnight during the school week. I live 1.5 miles away from my daughter's school, so distance obviously isn't an issue.