Hi FeelingGreat, I agree. Once I have a piece of paper saying "sole custody with reasonable and generous access", I'm in a position to say that I'll bring Kid over two nights a week. Right now, the existing piece of paper says "equal and shared parenting", so if I say no to a request to see Kid, I am sure it's going to come back at me as "Mom unilaterally and arbitrarily denies me access to Kid". I am progressing towards that new piece of paper, but much slower than I would like. Next stop is arbitration.
The situation is going to have to change in September because that's when my job (and Kid's school) ramps up and I will not have the energy to spend three nights a week driving to and from his place.
The idea about practicing out loud is a good one. I've used that (and used a similar script of talking points) to ensure that I stay on-message during negotiations or complex meetings at work.