:iagree: Excellent post!

Can anyone show me where the Constitution states the republic has the right to health care? :iagree: And that's not to say that even if we are all granted health care that those people will walk into a clinic for help either. You can lead a horse to water... What do you call health care reform that forces its citizens to pay up or go to jail? Capitalism? Charity? Again, where in the US Constitution does it say that citizens have the RIGHT to "free" healthcare? WRT to the OP: yes, it is unconstitutional. Just as Social Security, Medicare, and parts of the Patriot Act are unconstitutional.

How old is your DD? When my DD went through her various 'teen dramas' (which actually started around third grade!) I allowed her to vent about it to me, and gave her advice if she asked for it. Otherwise, I let her handle the situation. Keep in mind though, I'm one of those "mean moms". I don't allow MySpace/Facebook. And she didn't have text messaging capabilities (on her cell phone) until about 2 months ago. So I think that cut down on the drama aspect a bit too.

What a great question! And everyone's answers are all so interesting. :) We live in south Florida. Believe it or not, I wish we lived closer to the 'action'. Aside from theme parks and beaches, there really isn't a lot to do. I would love to take my kids to DC one day...but it's a 10-hour drive just to get out of the state! LOL

Sounds like grandmas are toxic, IMO. I would advise your DD to ignore the grandmothers. WRT the hair. Tell your mother this: "I would rather have DD experimenting with hair color than to experiment with sex and drugs." Usually shuts the naysayers up. BTDT. My DD is/was a natural blond. Her hair color is currently pitch black. She's thinking of adding blue undertones to it. Whatever. It's her hair. :)

This may sound silly, but I pretend that I'm an actor recording the book for audio. LOL That way, I'm so involved in making sure that the story comes across as dramatic, that I'm not yawning all the way through. ;)

We're having corned beef and roasted potatoes for dinner (I can't "do" cabbage). I'm going to blog about our day later in the week. But... My boys wore green today, and I made some little leprechauns following this site's patterns (thanks to whomever posted this link originally!). They were waiting with a letter for the boys. The letter was a rhyming poem that outlined the rules for the game they would play. Then, I made 10 clues. Each clue led them to another clue. Clue #10 led them to a bag of "gold" (Rolo candy). That's it so far....the day is early still. :)

:iagree: The reason we went with BJU was mostly because they were being taught with Abeka in the private school they were in. We looked at Abeka first (to keep it consistent) and found BJU by accident. It came down to quality of the video lessons, and we felt BJU was the more current of the two. I will say that the boxed curriculum IS stifling at times. However, with the BJU grade kits, you also get the TM, so if you would prefer to teach (instead of the videos), that is an option. Both of my boys are very...structure oriented. They thrive on schedules and lots of structure. BJU gives them that. :)

I'll sit on your bench. :D My only disagreement is that I would be a smoker if it were legal. ;)

BJU Grade Kits. :D I would have been lost without the structure that they offer. Everything is planned for me: lesson plans, DVD lessons, worksheets, etc. All I have to do is administer the worksheets and make sure the right lesson is playing - if that's all I want to do. Now granted, we do tend to go a little further than JUST the BJU lessons. We do a lot of 'unit studies' on our own just because.:) For newbies like me, BJU is perfect.

Word for word, I agree with everything you have posted here. :)

1. The government encourages corporations to do business overseas and to hire cheap labor by over-regulating large corporations, and over-taxing small business. 2. Corporations that are privately owned are entitled to pay their executives whatever they want. Generally speaking, those that are being paid large amounts are usually the ones who work longer hours, sacrifice more, and are taking the bigger risks. Are you willing to do those things for that paycheck/bonus? 3. The government thinks they have a blank check in the form of tax payers. Thus, it's easier for them to "give" better benefits. If I thought I had a money tree in my backyard, then I would offer better benefits to my employees as well. It's pretty easy to spend other people's money.

This blog is stunning in its pain, reconciliation, and beauty. Thank you for sharing this. With regards to the OP, what a blessing you are for this woman. I agree with most of the advice already given. Please let her know that we are all praying for her and her family. :grouphug:

As the mother of a soon-to-be 18 year old DD, can I offer some suggestions? My DD went from PS to private school. I know how scary some of the PS kids are. I was routinely shocked by what went on in her PS - and it wasn't just the kids - teachers too! The most important thing you can do is keep communication lines open. Don't misunderstand here. You can NOT be their friend. You MUST continue to be the parent. I see a lot of parents being their teen's "friend" because they think that is the only way they will be able to keep open communication. This is a mistake. I kept very clear rules and boundaries for my DD. If I didn't want her to go to the mall on that particular day, or with that particular friend, I gave her a reason. I picked my battles with her. If dying her hair purple kept her from going to the "pool party" on a Saturday night, then purple hair it is! Hair grows out - you can't recapture innocence. However, you DO have to loosen the reigns a bit. When she hits 16, allow her to get a part-time job. That is an excellent way for her to learn essential life skills before she goes to college (money management, responsibilities, etc). Encourage her to branch out, but keep the "safety net" of your rules in place. The bottom line is, you have to trust that YOU have raised your DD to make good choices. You have to let her know that you trust her, and you have to let her know what will happen if she breeches that trust.

This really jumped out at me, and it is an excellent point. For me, it was a step-father (who encouraged eating disorders) and an absent bio-dad (military). I allowed Disney/Barbie for my DD as well. She's probably the most grounded, level-headed teen girl I know. I think it's because Dh and I raised her...not the tv. :iagree: I'm going to add another book to the mix of recommendations: Battle Cry for a Generation, Ron Luce

That's my neck of the woods (Lee County). :D Have fun you guys! :)

My DD volunteers for a local vet. She's been there for a year. She'll be 18 in June. Here's the thing; your child should be the one to put the request in. Not you. Your DD has to be the one to show the initiative. Have your child call the office where she wants to work and explain to them WHY she is interested in volunteering there (she wants to be a vet and would like to volunteer at a vet clinic for the learning experience, she would like to volunteer there because animals are her passion, etc). If that office says they're not interested, ask if they know of any other vets who would be interested in volunteers. DD's vet didn't have her sign anything. She calls them whenever she has some time and just goes in - there's no set schedule for her. Her vet has been extremely helpful with giving DD advice on colleges, reference letters, and 'showing her the ropes' of what a vet does. She's absorbed so much in the past year that it has just added fuel to the fire as far as what she wants to do with her life.

Ours is up. I lost an SD card with some of our pictures on it. :( But you can still view our blog in my siggy. :)

We are! Keeps everything running smoothly, and lets the boys know when their day is done. :)

There are two reasons why you shouldn't allow this.

Can't answer your questions, but had to reply. People think I'm weird for wanting my nose pierced as well. I'm waiting for DD to turn 18....3 more months! Then we're going to get it done together right before she heads off to college. :D

Except "they" would like to see "our" right to homeschool taken away. Given the current political climate these days, I think "we" should be on guard with regards to people like "them". Grammatical errors or not.

:grouphug: Everyone reacts to stressful situations differently. IMHO, you took care of the top two priorities fine. Use it as a learning experience for your DS (stranger danger, dog danger, etc.).

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20100302/us_time/09171196809900 Interesting read.

Mine's 17, and yes, we too are swimming against the tide. Our DD has had a part-time job since she was 14. She worked at an indoor-inflatable playground (franchise) for 2 years, and now she works at Burger King. Both of her bosses have made comments to her regarding her work ethic in a positive way. So I assume we're doing something right by expecting "too much" from her. I'm trying to raise kids who will contribute to society...not be another drain on it. Thus, I wear my "Meanest Mom in the World" title proudly. :D