Mine mostly did Playmobil at that age!

If you're going to use a cooler, I've had best luck keeping melted water out of containers and plastic bags by using empty peanut butter jars. After screwing on the tops tightly, do a few wraps of duct tape to cover up the seam where the lid meets the jar.

I've had bad asthma flareups. If it were me, I'd send her to LA to stay with friends, and insist that she see a doctor to assess her and clear her for flying. I wouldn't risk flying her home without a medical evaluation, instructions, and tools that a flared up asthma patient should have in their tool box. A big component of asthma is learning to manage it, and for her that means managing it even when she's away from home. ETA: If it were me, I'd also let her see her friends in Seattle if it can be done safely. She's already dealing with the disappointment of leaving camp.

Is she routinely monitoring her peak flows and pulse ox levels?

This is a good idea. Some nursing mama cats will accept an orphan kitten.

Poor baby. You can try Pedialyte, or dilute the formula with Pedialyte (or a homemade version). The replacement milk is a huge change from mama's milk. Plain chicken baby food--first foods with just meat and water--diluted with formula may also be worth trying. It's like crack for healthy kittens.

A BBC headline: Hillary Clinton: Nominated for President, but not for the front page. http://www.bbc.com/news/election-us-2016-36908283 Newseum article about it: http://www.newseum.org/2016/07/27/history-has-its-eyes-on-her/

This was the photo of her that one paper in my area ran with the article: https://blog.apimages.com/2016/07/26/july-26-2016/#jp-carousel-51549

The Washington Post even pointed the finger back at itself...sort of. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/07/27/hillary-clinton-won-a-historic-nomination-but-bill-was-on-on-the-front-page/

This story may pick up steam today. We'll have to keep watch. http://nymag.com/thecut/2016/07/papers-announce-hillarys-nomination-with-bill.html

I found a kitten that turned out to be younger than I thought at first based on his size. He was actually a very well fed 7-10 day old kitten. Good idea to check with the vet. If you see any signs of him not doing well, it's important to get him to the vet ASAP and not wait it out. Tiny kittens fail very fast. He never took to bottle feeding, but I used one of the larger medicine droppers. It was a challenge the first few days, but he caught on and turned into a demanding little kitten milk tyrant in no time at all. http://www.walgreens.com/store/c/walgreens-medicine-dropper--spoon/ID=prod6210356-product My kitten was pretty distraught the first few days and needed lots of cuddling. I put a hot water bottle under some fleecy blankets in his bed so he'd be sure to stay warm. Eventually I transitioned him into a pet taxi so we would have a way to contain him. You can find about all things orphan kitten, plus some very helpful forum members, here: http://www.thecatsite.com/ ETA: Tiny kittens are totally irresistible. Because of my allergies I immediately started finding a home for ours, and actually had three offers to take him. In the end he never went anywhere and he's now my big ten year old cat.

The paper copy of the Chicago Tribune has a large picture of Bill. My local paper has an AP photo of a delegate holding a paper head cutout of Hillary. They did have room for a very large photo of a dog in a story below. :huh:

Political beliefs totally aside, I have to say I was unexpectedly moved while watching that historic moment.

First a disclaimer, this is coming from the perspective of been there, done that and lived to tell about it mom expertise, not professional expertise. I was just wondering how these things would be teased out. I have anxiety and panic disorder and the inability to cool down/warm up. How would they know if it is sensory or anxiety? 1) For sensory issues an occupational therapist would do an evaluation based on questions/history and diagnostic testing to look for signs of sensory issues. Asking about what sorts of situations and environmental factors cause anxiety would be part of that evaluation, because those might be red flags for sensory issues. I think it's very difficult to tease apart precisely what's caused by anxiety or sensory, or by other issues. Take the example of a child walking into a gym full of noisy children and having a meltdown. Breaking that specific instance down is incredibly complex. Was the reaction from an immediate sensory overload to the noise? Were they in a state of heightened anxiety because the last time they encountered a similar situation it was distressing? Were they exhausted or hungry or upset about something already, so their threshold of what they could handle sensory-wise was lowered? Is social anxiety a factor? Were their speech/language processing issues so the child was caught off guard because they didn't know what what coming, even though the parent thought they'd prepared them? We humans are so complex and these issues so inter-related, that what's helpful in the long run is to recognize the presence of the various issues, become educated about them, then treat and/or accommodate as needed. If sensory issues are walking hand-in-hand with anxiety, recognizing/treating/accommodating for those can be a big help. Heightened sensory response can be driven by heightened anxiety, and visa versa. Taking that same kiddo into a noisy gym when they've been prepped by a social story so they know what's coming, when the event is sandwiched between some planned, beneficial sensory activity (ie swinging) and when they have noise cancelling headphones in their backpack so their anxiety is reduced because they now have a way to control the noise if needed--together these may turn a meltdown situation into a manageable situation. Second, what level of sensory issues is normal? For example, my dd can't stand clothes as night but seems fine during the daytime. I can't stand seams in socks. Is one thing normal but three are not? Or is it simply the combination of things that make a diagnosis? 2) Our responses to sensory stimuli fall all along a spectrum, but for me it was most helpful to frame it up not in terms of normal/not normal, but in terms of how those issues impact functioning in the world--both in the present and the potential to impact functioning in the future. I'm fairly sensitive to tactile stimulation--can't stand tags, wear fleece and cotton every day unless I truly can't avoid it, can't focus if there's even a little wrinkle in my socks. I'm also allergic to wool, so as a child when my mom dressed me in wool I not only felt like I wanted to crawl out of my skin because it was itchy, but I was also a hot, rashy mess and you can bet I threw a fit the next time I was pushed to wear that outfit. Now as an adult I can make clothing choices for myself so it very rarely causes me issues. My husband is more sensitive to noise than the rest of us, especially when first waking up, but he's controlled when expressing displeasure about it so it's not damaging to family relationships. Now a child who can't handle a room full of noisy children is likely to have some challenges in a school classroom or group activity setting--sometimes so much that it greatly restricts participation. Lastly, at what age should they be able to tell the difference between hot and cold? Dd has always switched this in terms of room/outdoor temp but nothing else. I thought it was odd but something she would get eventually. 3) I can't tell you what age children should be able to tell the difference between hot and cold, but for mine it was during the preschool years.

For search terms, use temperature regulation along sensory processing or sensory integration. You should come up with some hits along these lines: http://aspiewriter.com/2015/07/temperature-regulation-why-does-my-autistic-child-refuse-to-wear-a-coat.html If you haven't had any evaluations done on here, there's a book called "What Your Explosive Child is Trying to Tell You: Discovering the Pathway From Symptoms to Solutions" by Douglas Riley that's very helpful. ETA: By way of advice, I'd offer that these sorts of issues are rarely standalone issues, hence the book recommendation. For example, sensory integration and anxiety can be so tightly wound up together that in situations such as a crowded room, it can be impossible to determine which is the cause of the distress. Think of what it's like when you're forced to wear itchy or otherwise uncomfortable clothing, and how you put it on and know what you're going to feel like two hours later. Or that sense of wanting to hurl when you were pregnant and got a whiff of green beans or whatever food that made your stomach want to lurch. Or being exhausted or being hung over and someone is blasting music or your chattiest relative calls up to talk non-stop when you just woke up. Once you've experienced those a time or two of course your anxiety level is going to rise just at the prospect of facing it again. So in terms of diagnosis and accommodations and treatment and moving them forward, it's important to recognize both the sensory aspects and the anxiety aspects.

I'm also all ears, so thanks for starting this thread for us newbies. I've made the macaroni and cheese linked in an earlier thread. We didn't care for the seasonings or texture, but I totally loved the one pot, quick, no draining method. I figured there would be a learning curve and this has good potential. The second dish I made was a recipe for two small, marinated pork tenderloins that I usually do in my dutch oven. It wasn't quite done after 25 minutes so I popped it back in a little longer and the meat came out great. The problem I'm having now is the silicone ring smelled strongly of the marinade even after washing. It was soy and Worcestershire sauces, oil, onion, and garlic, so it's not a pleasant odor and I'm really sensitive to odors hanging around on stuff. I looked around online and tried soaking in baking soda and vinegar and dish soap overnight. I also tried (twice) the vinegar/lemon rind steam method recommended on the website, plus some extra soaking time in the solution afterwards. It's improved, but not gone.

Maybe that was where you went wrong. Try a walk-in favored by young adults where they give $20 buck haircuts. :rofl:

Crockpot Chicken w/ Black Beans. http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chicken-with-black-beans-cream-cheese-89204

We dealt with activities as they came up, according to what we could afford, and also taking into account what they were putting into it and getting out of it. All my kids were in music so we supported them with purchasing their first instruments instruments, activity fees and costs for most trips, and lessons as long as they were practicing. If they wanted second instruments, were going on big trips, or weren't practicing, then they contributed more or picked up the costs. Kids with more promise weren't given the more expensive options. As mentioned, all of my kids were in music and were given the same advantages. The one that was by far the most naturally talented--and who we all expected to major in music performance--eventually chose another route, while the two that are strong musicians, wound up seeking music-related careers. In hindsight the one thing that I would have done differently is to set activity funds aside along the way for the one of my kids who wasn't as much of a "joiner" as the other two. Late in high school this one finally found an activity--a very costly one--that he very much wanted to participate in and we didn't have the funds. Yet all the years while he was growing up we'd been picking up all of my daughter's dance costs. In the end he wasn't able to participate in the activity for other reasons, but I never felt good about not having the funds after 12 years of dance, and if I could dial back the clock I'd change that.

Midwest $50/month gas (furnace only) $155/month electricity $100/month water, sewer, trash (trash/recycle hauls everything) $95/month landline and internet (reimbursed by employer) $115/month - 4 cell phones no cable - $10 Netflix plus Amazon streaming included in Prime

I would suggest looking at other blueberry scone recipes to see a typical ratio of blueberries to flour.

College costs for 2 kids this year and 3 next year. Not doing it all, but helping as much as we can.

My 10 year old cat was that kitten out of a feral mama, found in the backyard when he was a week old. I also was originally going to foster him--had a home lined up and everything--but of course fell in love with him and kept him instead. Friends who knew cats well took care of him when he was about five weeks old and told me to look out because he in constant play attack mode. I believe the words they used were "mighty little hunter." For that reason we neutered as soon as the vet would allow it (think around 9-10 weeks of age). I do think it was a combination of his own feisty temperament and lack of discipline by his own mama, but it took years before he settled down and even then he was a more temperamental. For those first few years he attacked everything that moved, and even things that didn't--such as spots on the wall or wallpaper. From the beginning my husband was firmer with him than I was--flicked his fingers on his nose when he'd try biting or striking--and he's much better behaved with him than with those of us who were just nice to him and didn't discipline him. The spray bottle of water than is often recommended didn't work with him because he loved water, as in he'd stick his face in the shower stream. Of course he had a fun, sweet, adorable side too, but he doesn't like handling and isn't a lap cat, even though he was very cuddly when he was little. Because of allergies I'm totally fine with the non-lap cat part, but the family honestly would have preferred a "nicer" cat. He's social and likes to be with me most of the time--just doesn't like holding and petting much. Being resistant to handling makes grooming, giving meds, etc. difficult. It's also made vet visits challenging and he has to be put to sleep in order to have a thorough exam done. His aggression also improved when we started letting him outside--being an indoor/outdoor cat worked out much better so he could burn off some of that energy. Because I had young children and their friends, I did have to be more vigilant when he was little, but it turned out he was calmer with new children coming around than adults. Even now that he's older and more settled I don't let a repair person in without putting him away first, just to be on the safe side. We didn't/don't have any other inside pets when he came into our lives, but if he hadn't been mixing well with them I might have gone a different direction and let him go. I haven't regretted keeping him, but he's definitely MY cat since I was his mama, and not a family pet. Since this is more than a passing interest for your daughter, I'd suggest inquiring on this board where you'll find many knowledgeable people. Even if you do wind up finding another home for him, it would be good for her to learn what steps might help socializing the feistier ones. http://www.thecatsite.com/

Two more words: Gym shorts. And dress pants. Maybe not now, but later.

Make ahead sandwiches for a crowd: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-a-sandwich-for-a-crowd-232725