Anyone? I'm no longer automatically following threads I respond to.

Probably should be the other way. Struggling Learners should be a sub-board under Special Needs. (Former Sp. Ed. teacher here.)

I'm having a problem with following content too. Last week, when I posted in a thread I got notifications every time someone posted in that thread. Today, I replied to a post and I'm not getting notifications when people reply. I've checked my settings and can't figure out what to do.

What part of the country is your brother in? The OP's BIL salary sounds about right (or even a little high) for the South. My DH (also a Mechanical Engineer) was once offered a job in the Northeast with about a 50% salary increase, but the cost of living was so much higher there that it would have equaled a pay cut for him.

I usually try to text back "Wrong number." Just don't do this: . :D

Wasn't that someone else's wedding? I'm confused too.

Any of those beaches should be fine in June. If you go in May, however, you would want to go as far south as you can to St. Simon's/Jekyll or Tybee because it would still be pretty cold at the SC and NC beaches I grew up in Georgia and SC and now live in NC, so I've been to most of the beaches you mentioned. They are all nice and have their own unique charm.

I like the first line of the article: OK, so now we know poll workers aren't zoologists. http://greertoday.com/greer-sc/in-focus-giraffe-party-2016-launched-at-greer-poll/2012/11/08/ Join the Long-necks! Giraffe Party 2012.

Same here.

That has got to be the sweetest thing I've heard in a long, long time. Thanks for sharing.

bumping for the evening crowd.

Song Pop! is my favorite. I also like Bejeweled Blitz and Spider Solitaire.

I hope you do qualify! I know the headquarters is without power at the moment because of Sandy, but they are hoping to be back in business early next week. And we don't use that much either, but the medicated lotion they use 3-4 times a week is $1/oz and each boy averages 1-2 oz / use. Unfortunately, this particular lotion is now over-the-counter, so insurance no longer pays for it. Having free Eucerin to use as needed between the medicated lotion is gong to be nice.

So far I haven't met anyone outside of my family with ichthyosis, but just in case there is someone else here who qualifies, I thought I'd pass on info about this amazing program. Beiersdorf, the makers of Aquaphor, Eucerin, Nivea and Hansaplast offers a free case of lotion to those requesting it with a note from a physician. Check out this blog post from ConfettiSkin.org for more info. All three of my boys have ichthyosis and we spend a lot of money on lotion. This program will be such a blessing to our budget.

This may explain why my very tall 12 yo came home with much less candy than everyone else, including his very short 13 yo friend. He's experienced "height-ism" since he was young, though. We keep telling him that it's good to be tall once you're an adult!

:grouphug::grouphug: RC, my mom is about 12 years ahead of you on this journey and while things have been better for the past 9 months or so, I constantly live in fear that the next crises caused by one of my brothers is right around the corner. I know if she could give you advise, it would be to let him fail *now* and not bail him out. He needs to learn that his choices have consequences and it's better to learn that at 18 than at 30. (Things have been better these past few months because after counseling she decided to kick one brother out and let him reap what he had sown. He hit bottom, got help, and is now doing great. The other brother, while not a financial drain on my mom, still has lots of issues that are emotionally taxing for her.)

I'll add my voice to the "keep them" chorus. My MIL kept my DH's Playmobil and my boys love to play with them when they visit her.

I grew up in Greenville, SC and now live an hour away in NC. My facebook news feed blew up last night with posts worried about Autumn. I had scanned the threads here and knew about this impending giraffe birth, but didn't know she was in Greenville. I think I'll take the boys down there to see the baby. The paper said it won't be long until the baby is out in the public area.

I live in NC and we have very strict public smoking laws. I rarely see anyone smoking.

That's what I should have done, but I did respond. It really is so unlike me, but I was in a really touchy mood last night. She responded so gracefully and we had a wonderful discussion and she ended it with, "It's so great that we can have a civil discourse even when we both feel strongly about (*****)." It turned out well, and I see that as an unusual blessing!

I can't be more specific without breaking the rules, but it would be as if she complained about someone mooning, while doing it herself.

I just read a post on facebook from someone who was slamming a public figure. The whole (long) post was about respect and how this public figure didn't show respect in a particular situation. However, throughout the *entire* post, she called this public figure a name that was meant to show disrespect. This is the second time she's called out someone for a behavior, yet demonstrates that same behavior in her post. Does she really not see how hypocritical that is? I just don't get it. I want to respond, "Pot, meet Kettle."

:grouphug: Have you looked into The Total Transformation course? It is for parents who have kids just like the ones you describe. I think joannqn has experience with it. You might want to send her a PM.

My boys are 7, 10, and 12. One is a gymnast (9 hrs/week in the gym) and two are swimmers (4 hrs/week in the pool) and I've battled with the same thing with them. They used to take too long to eat and they were always "starving." The thing that helped me the most is setting meal times and snack times (beginning and ending) in stone and not varying or extending them ever. (There is some variance from day to day, but never more than 30-45 minutes.) Here's what I'd do: 1. I would have breakfast as soon as I woke up (unless Dad could feed them before you got up) and grab my shower after I'd finished eating, but kiddo was still finishing his meal. Don't clean up the kitchen just yet. Wait and clean up breakfast and lunch at the same time. I have my boys put their dishes in the sink and I put any food away, but I don't do anything else. You can start school as soon as you're finished with your shower. 2. I'd set lunch time at 12:30. Do the breakfast and lunch cleanup while he's finishing his meal. 3. I'd provide healthy snacks before and/or after each sport. 4. Snacks not related to sports time may be eaten at any time except one hour before a meal and they need to be easy, easy, easy. ie something that you don't have to prepare and that he can eat while still doing his schoolwork like crackers, cheese sticks, bananas. Seriously, though, if you schedule your meals and snacks, his little body will get used to it and meals will not take as long. You may have a couple of days where he whines and complains about starving, but honestly, he's not starving, he's just hungry. You have to be strong and remind yourself that it's ok to be hungry sometimes and he's not going to die because you make him wait until the next scheduled snack or meal. I do think this is harder on mom than son, but it really, really, really works. :grouphug:

Curel is really good.