Our schools book fairs are about 50/50 decent books and junk ($5 cellphone shaped marker sets, $3 makeup shaped erasers, etc.). The books are more expensive than Amazon because they are full price but I am willing to support the school/library so I suck that up. I generally give my kids $20 each and let them pick out a couple of real books...no toys or trinkets. Our local college education department holds a book fair for teaching students and that one has some great choices at great prices.

My 7 year old just started swimming in sept and had her first meet. She managed a c time on her backstroke and freestyle but dq'd her fly and breast. Not bad for only 12 practices before the meet. She can't wait for the next one.

I did it. My oldest was 2 and my youngest was 1 month. My dh had been home for less than a week following a 6 month deployment and I went out to run errands. I took the baby since I knew she would be waking up and want to eat soon but left the 2 year old, for the first time in 6 months. I hopped out of the car at the bank and ran in to cash a check, luckily it was late November in the mid atlantic so it was cool and my errand only took 10 minutes. The next day I went out with no kids to finish errands (since I went straight home after I realized I had forgotten her) and drove to the regular grocery store instead of Costco. Autopilot, tired and preoccupied parents and deviations from routine all contribute to these accidents.

It's not a supplement but CBT has really helped my anxious kid learn to handle her stress.

It sounds like it's time to have an adult conversation with your son. Something basic but straightforward along the lines of "We want you here and want to take care of you. If you don't want to be here we won't force you to come home but we also can't send money because we have no way to ensure it is used for your needs. We have arranged for social services to provide money for housing and food to your birthmother for you. We have also arranged to have your aunt available to take you out to purchase shoes, food, etc directly for yourself if you need those things. You are our family and we will always do what we can to take care of you."

There is a fish that eats snails. I think it is called a loach but I'm not 100% sure...black and orange stripes and very easy to keep alive. Our aquarium store recommended it when our tank became overrun by baby snails and it took care of the problem in just a month or so.

We were offered a Luke Field home during my husband's first tour in HI but declined because they required a signed release absolving the military of responsibility for any lead/asbestos/chemical poisoning your family may suffer (I was pregnant with our first). We ended up living by the water on Pearl Harbor Peninsula. This tour we were offered one of the new homes on Ford Island but opted to live on Hickam for convenience (they are now allowing all services to live on the various bases). They have put up a ton of new housing on Ford Island. There are three large neighborhoods that have gone in since the first time we were here (just 6 years ago).