Britney Spears was back in her hometown Kentwood, Louisiana on Friday with her kids, Preston, 3, and Jayden, 2. This was the first time that Britney could take the kids out of state since her losing custody battle with the boys’ father Kevin Federline.

A source tells People, “This is a terrific indication of the progress she’s made, and the growing trust between the two parents. It was arranged cooperatively between Kevin and the lawyers.”

Britney was accompanied by her father and met up with her sister Jamie Lynn Spears and her baby Maddie.

The custody battle is now over between Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. The couple has been disputing over custody over their two boys, Sean Preston, 2 1/2, and Jayden James, 1 1/2, for the last two years.

Britney did gain a little more time with her children as a result of the hearing. She is allowed two visits and one overnight per week however she will probably gain another overnight before the year ends.

The settlement wasn’t cheap though. According to People, Britney has to pay K-Fed an additional $15,000 per month for child support since he is sole provider of the children. She now pays a total of $20,000 per month. K-Fed ’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, also demanded and received $250,000 for his work on the case.

Yes it’s time for another trial between Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. The ex-couple keep fighting over the custody of their two children, Jayden, 1 1/2, and Preston, 2 1/2.

Recently Britney was granted overnight custody of the children. This gives her three days a week with the overnight priviledges. However, the current arrangement is not good enough for one of the parties involved so a trial will be starting on Aug. 25th to resolve it. This is the final hearing for at least a few years.

“It’s very likely both Britney and Kevin will testify in a trial,” says L.A. family lawyer Lynn Soodik, who’s not involved with the case, to People. “Britney has to show the court that she’s improved as a mother.” She also said that it is possible that either of them can settle out of court before the hearing.

Britney Spears and Kevin Federline were in court yesterday for the “hundredth” time. I have seen a few different stories about the outcome of the hearing. All that is definite is that Britney was granted more time with her children.

The order before this was of only monitored visitation rights with her sons, Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1, several times a week but no overnight privileges. Her father and a lawyer maintain legal control of her affairs. She has kept a low profile since and has been making progress. Commissioner Scott Gordon was impressed with her progress and in turn gave her more time with her children.

TMZ says that Brit will get three days of supervised visitation per week. They also say that within a month she will also have overnight visitation with her kids along with eventually getting 50/50 custody.

The embattled Britney Spears finally caught a break this weekend, when she was reunited with sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, after several weeks of being absent from their lives.

Spears had her visitation rights revoked by a judge on January 3, after her breakdown at her Beverly Hills home. On Saturday, she got to spend three hours visiting with her babies, after an agreement was reached with ex, Kevin Federline. Federline has repeatedly insisted that he wants her to be a part of their sons lives.

The troubled pop star picked the boys up from Federline's home on Saturday morning, in the company of her father Jamie and her psychiatrist. And to avert another car seat 'incident', K-Fed made sure he buckled the tots into their seats before Spears drove off.

When Sean Preston was only eight months old, Britney came under fire for placing him in a forward-facing position in his Britax car seat. Safety experts and manufacturers recommend keeping an infant in a rear-facing position until they reach a year old. And speaking of the awesome Britax brand, have you bought your car seat/travel system/stroller yet? The annual Britax sale is on in full force at Babyage.com and the Britax products are selling like hotcakes. Get yours while they're still some left in stock! Sale ends March 2. 

Here's actress, Shar Jackson, 31, and her beautiful 12-year-old, Cassie, at the Spiderwick game event last week.

As just about everyone knows, Shar's ex, Kevin 'K-Fed' Federline left her and their two kids, Kori, 5, and Kaleb, 3, for Ms. Spears.

Shar's a shining example of a celebrity who's got a real handle on this parenting thing others seem to take so lightly!

Thanks to our friends at Black Celebrity Kids for the photo.

[BCK]

Is Britney making a real effort to get her kids back?

The runaway train wreck last Monday lost custody of Preston, 2, and Jayden, 1, indefinitely, after a minor meltdown upon arrival at the courthouse for her deposition. Ignoring the pleas of police officers, Spears made a U-turn and inexplicably fled. This, of course, did not sit well with ex-hubby K-Fed's lawyers.

Yesterday, Spears finally showed up and actually stayed two hours at the Los Angeles office of Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan. The singer has missed numerous appointments for the court-ordered cross examination. Kaplan is expected to grill her about past drug and alcohol use, her repeated defiance of court orders and other matters pertaining to her parenting skills. Evidence gathered will be used to try to prove that primary custody should be granted to Federline. A custody trial has been set for April.

Kaplan told PEOPLE magazine:"Kevin wants nothing more than to be able to parent his children with participation by their mother. But the best interest of the children require that they be in the most sound, safe, nurturing and consistent environment. That is paramount.”

[icydk]

This is both mind-boggling and tragic at the same time. Yes, Britney does need very special help. Like round-the-clock pychiatric treatment. We can continue to bash/mock/flip off this troubled young woman, or we can start heeding her desperate cries for help, if only for the sake of her boys.

The headline-grabbing drama queen stayed true to form and got herself committed last night after a three hour standoff with law enforcement officials, in which she allegedly locked herself in a room with one of her young sons, refusing to hand him over to her ex-husband Kevin Federline. Spears is now on a ‘5150 hold’ at Cedars-Sinai hospital in L.A. , meaning she's a danger to herself and others. It is alleged that the fallen pop star tried to kill herself. Entertainment Tonight reports that Spears will receive psychological evaluation for the next 72 hours.

Emergency services–police, medical and fire crews–were summoned to Spears' home Thursday night at around 8 p.m. after she refused to hand over her boys at the appointed time. It is alleged that the singer was under the influence of an unknown substance, however Life & Style magazine reports that her blood tests came back negative. “There are no traces of drugs or alcohol of any kind,” a source close to the Spears family told the magazine. Thank goodness–one bright spot in this whole dark and sordid affair.

Spears eventually relinquished her boys at 11 p.m. Strapped to a gurney, a disoriented-looking Spears alternated between bouts of screaming and hysterical laughter as she was whisked off to Cedars-Sinai. Among the things she's said to have been screaming was that she wanted to die, and that she "would rather die than let him have my babies."

Poor, poor Britney. Let's keep our fingers crossed that she gets the help she so desperately needs, at last.

[CNN, ET, Life & Style]

Shame, shame, a thousand times, shame on any parent who uses their child or children as a pawn/tool of manipulation. That means you, Britney 'mother of all train wrecks of a mother.'

PageSix.com reports that the bitter tart refused to let her sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, open Christmas presents given to them by their grandparents.

“Britney would not let her boys open the gifts from her mom and dad,” a family insider said. “Apparently she hid them, and she told [her ex-husband] Kevin [Federline] she might send them back to her parents un-opened.”

Lynne and Jamie Spears are apparently being punished by their daughter for 'forcing' her into rehab last year. Lynne Spears' decision to keep Britney out of the loop regarding her sister's pregnancy probably tipped Brit over the edge….wait a minute, she can't fall any farther, can she?

To her ex's credit, K-Fed reportedly chewed Britney out over the phone for her characteristically selfish behavior. “Kevin told her to stop acting like a spoiled brat,” the insider added. “He asked her to give them to him and he would let them open them.”

Turnabout is fair play, I suppose.

Ms. Paragon of Virtue herself, Britney Spears, has been put through drug-testing, the loss of driving privileges and mandatory monitoring of visits with her two sons.

But she's decided to have K-Fed called on the carpet for allegedly exposing her kids to pot smoke. Britney plans to have her boys' hair samples tested to see if they've been exposed to marijuana.

According to a source, the pop tart "says she can smell it in the boys' hair and on their clothes when she has her visitation with them." A positive test could prove that 2-year-old Jayden James and Sean Preston, 1,  had been exposed to secondhand smoke and would probably lead to K-Fed's temporary custody being overturned.

Proving yet again that she considers herself above the law, Britney Spears today bailed on a date with the legal system. 

The 'runaway' trainwreck was scheduled to give a deposition, under oath at the offices of Kevin Federline's attorney, Mark Vincent Kaplan in Los Angeles as part of her custody battle with her ex. But she did not show up!

Paparazzi were posted outside the lawyer's offices, running streaming video as they awaited the arrival of the pop singer, who was supposed to be questioned by Kaplan. The attorney has reportedly already obtained depositions from associates of Spears, including her former manager and bodyguard. (Hmm..those should be verrry interesting!) 

Spears and Federline agreed last month to shared custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, at Christmas. Federline now has primary custody and Spears is only allowed monitored visits.

But the perpetual adolescent again thumbed her nose at the court system. Kaplan wants to grill her about her past drug and alcohol use and her failure to follow court orders. According to People magazine, the lawyer has complained that she has evaded a deposition four times over the course of a year!

I guess this makes number 5!

There just are no words.

Britney Spears spent some 'quality' time with her two sons recently –at her favorite hangout, the Four Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles.

Spears, Sean Preston and Jayden James reportedly had a great time, while being watched keenly by a court-appointed monitor.

The visit was brief, and by evening, the boys were back in the custody of Kevin Federline.

Britney then resumed her regular routine–driving aimlessly around Los Angeles.

[Source: perezhilton.com]

Kevin "Father of the Year" Federline is denying reports that he's pressing for more $$$ in child support from Britney. 

Instead, the self-styled rapper is supposedly focusing on the 'best interests' of his kids.

K-Fed's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, issued a statement to TV's Extra denying the rumors.

"There has not been and is not now a request before the court for a modification of child support," Kaplan states. "If Mr. Federline had wanted to increase child support, it would be very easy to achieve and would have been requested long before now."

Kaplan goes on to declare that Federline's actions are "based upon the best interest of the children as his highest priority."

Lawyers for the feuding former couple will get a break over Christmas. They're not expected back in the courtroom until next year.

The Spears/Federline kids will get to spend Christmas with their train wreck of a mom!

TMZ reports that a deal has been hammered out between lawyers for the feuding couple.

Spears will open presents with the kids on Christmas day, since K-Fed got the kids for Thanksgiving dinner.

Hopefully, the menu will feature something besides the Cheetos, Skittles and Fanta that Britney loves so much!

Kevin Federline and Larry Birkhead both share the number 7 spot on Details magazine's "Good Father" list!

I guess the criteria for this award must have been the man who chose the most messed-up blonde bimbo to impregnate! I know we shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but c'mon now, what do Anna Nicole Smith and Britney Spears have in common? Woes, woes, and more (self-inflicted) woes!

The decision makers at Details probably made this list tongue-in-cheek. Or, they could be mistaking ego-tripping custody battles for actual paternal care.