Our old house was about the same sq footage but fewer rooms. It was $145 per week to have someone come every other week. That did not include much wiping of walls and cabinets or windows (those were done in a separate, deep cleaning, visit).

The warm winter skirts really aren't out yet. My girls both love long, corduroy skirts (sometimes called prairie skirts). I have had good luck finding them through lands end and boden (both are pricey but have good sales and can be found on ebay).

You aren't wanting to bring a toddler with you. He is 15 and I am assuming fairly independent. There is no reason you shouldn't be able to bring him so he can visit with your mom. I would tell sister that bringing ds is part of the deal because he is not ready to be alone for that long and because it is important to you that he get to see his grandmother (which isn't a trip you can swing separately). He can easily hang out alone at her house while you do wedding things if her issue is having time alone with you or being with just women for those events.

I absolutely get it. We have the same situation. I have done what desert rat did and started focusing on special experiences for my kids. They remember the trips and special events long after they have forgotten about the trendy toys and gadgets (or at least forgotten who gave them to them).

Our current school sends out cards the week before school starts. Our old school didn't release teacher information until orientation day (the friday before school started). Both do it this way to avoid having to spend weeks dealing with disgruntled parents. It is stressful for the NT kids so I can only imagine how it would be for a kid with autism. I would probably ask to have a notification date put in his IEP so that you can ease his transition.

I would call the office and cancel the standing appointments. No need to say anything to her. If they call to ask why simply tell them you have decided you no longer want to utilize their services. You don't need to elaborate. (though by the sounds of it she might be happy you are canceling and not question it) When you find a new practice just send a written records request (usually your new office will have a form to fill out that they will fax over)

Would your ds be willing to sign a medical power of attorney for you so that you can have full access to his doctors? It sounds like that might be a good idea at this point so you can ask the questions that need to be asked and get the information about his condition that you need.

As long as you are sure she will pass the CLEP I would call it good. (since she has to have that credit for the spring class)

I don't want to cause additional worry but lyme is far from the only tick borne disease in the US. I would definitely return to the doctor to look into her illness further (muscle pain is not a normal symptom of kid crud with the exception of the flu...and you would know if it was flu) http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/diseases/

We live about 45 minutes outside of Richmond, VA. I love it here. The summers are a bit hot but not terrible and we have 4 real seasons with one or two decent snowstorms a winter for the kids. I can be at a nice beach (Chesapeake bay, Virginia Beach or Outer Banks) in under 3 hours or in the Shenandoah mountains in the same amount of time. I can also be in either Raleigh or Washington, DC in under 3 hours with all those cities have to offer. Richmond has everything you could really want in terms of shopping and some great museums/cultural activities (traveling broadway shows, major concerts, etc). The cost of living is fairly low, the job market is decent and there are good in state college options.

If they aren't into sandwiches they can do tortilla roll ups. My kids love them with pb, beans and rice (basically a burrito), left over chicken, tuna, egg salad, etc.

It varies from child to child. I tend to go by behavior. Do they tend to listen and follow safety rules? Are they reliable about seeking help if they need it? Can you trust them to relay information accurately about what they did (not prone to fibbing)?

My default is steamed for just 3 or 4 minutes so it is cooked but not limp then sprinkled with kick'n chicken seasoning and shredded (not powdered) parmesan cheese.

The good thing is you can share the full membership with up to 4 other people.

It is certainly possible. I have a very difficult time being sedated and often the meds won't work at the doses that one would expect them to. They have to use alternate (less safe) medicines for me to ensure sedation.

Every year. I got smart this year and taped a multiplication table chart to the back of the seat so she sees it every time she is in the car (which is a lot). So far she hasn't forgotten them this summer.

It is great that you are doing that for your NT kids. Just a side note though, A SN kid is a very different situation than an NT kid that is lazy and unmotivated. My extended family has both. Nobody resents the SN kid (now in his 30's). He simply needs more to achieve the same as the rest of us. Everybody resents the lazy NT kid (again, in her 30's) who believes the world should be handed to her. She doesn't need more than everyone else, she simply wants it, without any effort. She has no family relationships anymore and when the enabler is gone (our grandmother) who knows what will happen to her. She doesn't have a single aunt/uncle/cousin that wants anything to do with her.

Your mower is probably fine. If poison ivy is that prevalent in your yard what most likely happened is there were vines on the trees you had taken down and it was sent through the woodchipper. All of your woodchips are probably contaminated.

I'm usually pretty good at finding things online if you want to pm me.

I agree completely. And yes, I personally know people who fit this description. The Civilian Conservation Corps was successful because it was a different time with a different work ethic AND there was no other option. An able bodied person couldn't choose not to work and just be given the means to survive. It sounds horrible and overly harsh but there is something to be said for letting people fail and hit bottom so they find the motivation to put forth effort to obtain what they need to survive.

One thing we learned the hard way, chickens will eat just about any plant if you let them free range. Ours made it through over a hundred dollars of perennials in a matter of hours the first time I left them in the yard unsupervised. You definitely need a top on the run, both to keep the chickens in and the predators out (ours can fly quite a few feet into the air). Also, we have chosen to keep one rooster to protect the chickens. He is a bit of a pain (loud and it took a lot to train him not to attack people) but he is overall worth it. Plus, nothing is funnier than watching the rooster chase the cat or neighbors dog across the yard when they get too close to the coop.

Stick to beaches with lifeguards and set yourselves up near their stand. I have grown up around the ocean as have my kids (7 and 9) . Our limit is no deeper than your armpits if the waves are low and no deeper than your waist if they are high (if I am out with them they are allowed to go out as far as I am willing, definitely over their heads). Make sure they understand what rip currents are, how to spot them and how to get out of them if they do get caught in one.

I would check with the business school to see what their requirements are. You might be surprised by what he needs because depending on his actual major within that school he may run some fairly high level programs.

I generally do honor it. If we don't it is because my child has a particularly special relationship with the birthday child and wants to give a certain gift (usually homemade). I try to make sure we give the gift separate from the party though so that the kids who did honor the no gift request don't feel bad. When we throw birthday parties we always request no gifts but include a note that if they insist on bringing one we request donations to xxx charity (usually the humane society or the local homeless shelter). It allows an out for people who really think they need to bring a gift that doesn't result in a bunch of stuff in my house.