In a surprising turn of events today, an agreement appears to have been reached between Britney Spears and her ex-husband Kevin Federline regarding the custody of their two children.

Britney Spears is waving the white flag. She’s given up the fight for her kids, putting an end to her months-long custody battle with ex-husband Kevin Federline.

According to Federline’s lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, Spears agreed today to give Federline sole legal and physical custody of sons Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, a month before the case was due to go to trial. Friday morning, Spears’ lawyer reached an agreement granting her more visitation time with the boys.

Spears pretty much accomplished the impossible. In 2006, when she filed for divorce, onlookers assumed the court would grant custody to the multimillionaire singer over the barely famous backup dancer. But as Spears’ life spiraled out of control, K-Fed’s stock rose.

“She snatched defeat from the jaws of victory,” said Paul Talbert, family law attorney at Chemtob Moss Forman & Talbert, a Manhattan matrimonial law firm. “K-Fed was the punch line to every joke when this all started, and now he’s basically the father of the year. It’s quite an accomplishment and a credit to his attorneys.”

I think at least for the time being this decision is the best thing for the kids. Children need to be with their mother, but Britney is clearly sick right now and until she gets better the children belong with the most competent parent. The odds were pretty long that Kevin Federline would’ve turned out to be the most competent parent, but to his credit it looks likes he has.

The important thing is that Britney Spears continue to get help for whatever it is that’s wrong with her. The real tragedy would be for her to die prematurely and leave her children to grow up without a mother at all.

-Melissa Gomez