Married June 21st and due in March (per the news report I read)...hmm. Honestly, I hope it was a "just before the wedding" pregnancy because I find the whole Duggar courtship model a bit creepy. Either way though, they are 23 and 25 and seem happy about the pregnancy so congratulations to them. I had my oldest at 24 (though I had been married four years and finished college) and I was more than ready.

I've had a very similar experience. My doctor won't say I "outgrew" the allergy but she has said it appears to be better (though she also says I should still carry an epipen).

I like thinking putty for the kids to manipulate while doing schoolwork.

I second calling in the professionals. They guarantee their work and are definitely worth every penny.

I use the out of milk app. You make a list then check things off as you purchase them. The checked off items go into a separate section at the bottom of your list and can then be reviewed and "unchecked" every week as needed when you are making your new list.

This is one of the things that drives me nuts about kids activities. Both mine played rec soccer...1 hour of not particularly strenuous activity. Each week required a half time snack of fruit and a juice box and an end of game snack of gatorade, a sweet (fruit snacks or similar) and a carb (crackers or similar). I finally flat out refused to do more than bottled water, orange slices and cheezits.

J Crew Boden

I would never give out that information for a consult. Once you choose an ortho and agree to a plan of treatment it makes sense if you want to finance treatment since that is basically a loan from the practice but not until then (and even then I would not provide my childs ss #).

I leave my 3rd and 5th graders for short (less than 10 minute) runs in to places in our smallish suburb of a decent sized city (30 minutes out). I won't leave them if I am actually in the city, or in the larger suburbs that are 10-15 minutes closer to it. I also won't leave one alone, either they both stay or they both come in. I always leave the moon roof open and the car off and locked (take the keys with me). (and never leave them in the middle of summer or dead of winter.

I order most stuff from discount dance. The only thing I don't order is shoes because dance shoe sizing can be tricky. For a 4 year old you might have luck finding the shoes you need at a thrift shop (I have purchased a lot of tap shoes from once upon a child). As they get older they wear the shoes out so you need to buy new, I always take them for a fitting at our local dance store.

Yup. My kids have absolutely loved going to grandmas and digging through the bins of toys and clothes in the attic. I have quite a few things set aside so my future grands can have the same fun.

I certainly don't think it is brave. The brave thing to do is to stand up and fight, and continue to do so until you win. To give up and let mental illness win is not brave. I don't necessarily see it as cowardly though, just certainly not brave. (and I feel differently about those who choose dr assisted suicide in the midst of certain, very painful, death).

I've never heard of copayments and deductibles being paid by the company.

I would put them in those ziploc disposable containers rather than ziploc bags so that they are protected from being squished. Then use ice or preferably, dry ice, in the cooler to keep them cold.

We got a puppy 2 weeks ago but he will be about 150 lbs. He is great but a lot of work (we're up to 11 times I've had to remove his teeth from the basket on our hearth this morning).

I find these situations interesting because the default is for the public to assume he was shot because of race. Nobody is willing to consider that his skin color might not be the issue, it may just be that he was being a punk. Still not necessarily justifiable (being a punk isn't a reason to be shot) but it is possible that not everyone who has a negative interaction with a black person has that interaction because of their race.

You didn't do anything wrong, that just wasn't the right dealer for you to work with. I have bought a lot of cars (both new and used). Some dealers will negotiate, some won't. Some will negotiate a lot, some will only make small adjustments. Keep looking and you will find what you want at a price you think is fair.

I would let her go if she wants to. If she is on abx and not contagious to the other kids the worst that will happen is she will be worn out and feel worse at the end of the day. That to me is a real life lesson about not pushing your body that is worth learning so it wouldn't be a complete loss (and maybe she would be fine and have a blast).

Given the additional information I think I would call the office and demand to speak to the doctor himself. I would simply explain that the care and information I had received thus far was inadequate and I expect that to be remedied or I will need to begin a formal grievance process to get what I need to properly care for my son.

I would put in writing that you want your parents to have immediate guardianship and that you give them the authority to appoint an alternate guardian as they see fit. Even though you think you know what would happen things can change (or you could get a bad judge and technically if your parents pass on guardianship your kids go to the state who then determines who will get them, your parents don't get to decide).

Allowance is not tied to chores. My kids are 7 and 9. They get $5 a week to do with as they please. They are expected to help out around the house when asked simply because it is what is right (help with laundry, vacuum, empty dishwasher, clean up own rooms, wipe down bathroom counters, etc). If I ask them to go above and beyond around the house I will pay them a bit extra.

I don't think there is anything wrong with really looking at your options. Research some areas you might be interested in and look at the job market. Deciding if moving is even an option is the first step. If it is you will need to sit down together and choose what to do. If it isn't you can focus your energy on figuring out how to make your life in your current location what you want it to be. Fwiw, I left an area like you are describing for an area about 30 minutes outside of a big(ish) city. It was hard but so worth it. I am much, much happier and my kids absolutely love all the opportunities they have here.

It is always worth looking into what happened when you have that gut feeling about something. I have found that my mother's intuition is rarely wrong. It may not be anything sinister, they may just be nervous because so many people sue for no real negligent or criminal reason now because they don't like the outcome, but it is worth trying to find out.

I would definitely look for a nutritionist to meet with. One thing that stood out from your post is that your son eats potatoes. They are terrible for someone with high cholesterol. My significant other has genetic high cholesterol issues (in his 30's) and following a strict diet manages it fairly well. The few times we have gone on an extended vacation and he has relaxed the diet (potatoes, beer, white bread) he has had triglyceride numbers in the 300's the next month.

That would be a dealbreaker for me. I am an adult.