re: ex wife keeping my kids need court to make her stop i guess

Mud so are you divorced or not?
If not you need to get officially divorced if money is tight go to divorce mediation and make all your agreements official. The mediator (usually a lawyer or paralegal) will walk you and the soon to be ex thru the paperwork. Be civil for the children. Once you agree the mediator will take it to the family law courts and make it official. My advice and LISTEN TO ME. Threat this divorce as a business. Thrust me don't budge on who claims children on taxes each year, every other weekend, who pays their medical and denital when you two are divorced, etc. I was trying to be the better person in my divorce and got frickED. My ex fricked me over and she had everything planned thru her friends and legal advice which I had no clue she was doing. If she asked for the divorce thrust me she got a plan in place to frick you. BE PREPARED !!!
Good luck