Hugs from me also.

I'm glad you are making an appointment with a counselor. I also believe if a child asks for counseling then it is very important to make this happen. This will be money well spent.

Listening in......

For the cell phones, our family purchased a really cheap cell phone unlocked phone for a "travel to different countries phone." The most important thing is that the phone HAS to be unlocked. We have this one. It is a bare bones very basic unlocked phone that you can install any sim card that works in that particular country. https://www.amazon.com/BLU-Advance-Unlocked-Smartphone-Black/dp/B072N6BD9V/ref=sr_1_6?s=wireless&ie=UTF8&qid=1514834163&sr=1-6&keywords=unlocked+phones You might need two though, for the two different cars. Then, you can install a sim card for your phone(s). Look around, there's a ton of different ones available. This one popped up on Amazon when I typed in German sim card. This one includes 1 GB of data, but there are other sim cards that don't include any data that are cheaper. //www.amazon.com/Included-Calling-Excellent-Coverage-Throughout/dp/B01HQ16WS4/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1514834294&sr=8-8&keywords=german+sim+card Honestly, we found this to be the best option even with purchasing new cheap unlocked phones. With the power adapter, they also have a ton on amazon with good reviews. https://www.amazon.com/European-Adapter-Schuko-Germany-France/dp/B004SY5O5K/ref=sr_1_9?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1514834757&sr=1-9&keywords=european+electrical+plug+adapter Your trip sounds like an incredible experience! Have fun!

Hugs.

Nothing in the link, but overall, we have had positive experiences with renting from Amazon.

My son has severe pronation and he in particular has found one pair of shoes that works GREAT for him. They are expensive, but it doesn't matter to us because they help him so much. https://www.healthyfeetstore.com/brooks-beast-16-mens-running-shoe.html Also, on this website you can search for pronation and find shoes that are designed to help for over-pronation. I have found it to be a very helpful website for buying shoes for him.

No problem, I would

When I cut my hair short, I realized the same thing! I actually called my hairstylist back and explained that I really didn't know what I was doing (and yes, felt kinda stupid too). But, it was the BEST thing ever! She had me come back in and taught me how to style it. I would do try it, and then she would tell me what I was doing wrong and how to fix it. Honestly, best thing I ever did for my hair

Hugs. Remember, you will be okay.

Cash is fine, but if you want to give a gift here are some ideas. Some have been what my own children have received and liked so I'm not sure where to buy them. Adult coloring book with pencils Cupcake kit Joke book Beginner knitting kit Cute journal Huge candy bar sold during Christmas time. I would say don't overthink it. I would buy something and be done. Personally, I don't like these gift exchanges at all. We just buy something random and go for it. For your future child. In the high school crowd Starbucks gift cards are the most coveted and stolen gifts in my opinion. Just FYI to help you out when your kid is older.

The hive doesn't agree on things very often. With this many people saying this is a bad situation, please try to talk to daughter out of it!

We also told the truth when asked. But, NOW that everyone is old enough to know everyone plays the Santa game quite well. Santa comes to our house every year, and sometimes the teens make cookies for him.

My overpronater was helped immensely by good shoes. They were pricy but we felt that it was mostly a medical expenses. Healthyfeetstore.com can give you an idea of what kinds of shoes might be available.

Does she like audio books while driving? Just because she doesn't like to read doesn't mean she can't fully enjoy an audible subscription. In fact lots of people are so busy when they are older that audio books are pretty popular.

Or, maybe someone conscience might not want her sex anywhere near a dumpster...,...

We played Escape the Room game last Christmas. I had low expectations going in, but it ended up being so much fun! I wouldn't play with too many people though. We had seven people and ended up playing it 3-2-2 people, repacking it per instructions between games. It seemed to work better with less people. We did this with 13 year olds and up, and worked great.

We think the Hershey's hot chocolate recipe is great.

The Ranger's Apprentice was popular here.

Really, this is a bad situation all round. Here's the thing: If the girls that she is continuing to be friends with treat the other two that were "kind of cut off....in an awkward sort of way" This exact same thing could happen to your daughter! So, because of that I would have a long talk about how she can only expect to be treated the same way these girls are treating others. If the tables turn, these same things could happen to your own daughter, and I think that she needs to be prepared for it. Personally, I would advise her to not engage in the drama. I would also advise her to start reaching out to other people and groups. There is no need to burn bridges with her friends now. This can be a long slow process where you help her find situations where she would be exposed to other possible friendships. Things take time. But, I would begin NOW explaining that not all friends are like this, it's okay to make new friends and slowly drift away from a toxic friend group. I think moms can help find situations that you think might be possible places to finding new friends. Honestly, these girls don't sound like a healthy place for your daughter to hang out. I'm sorry. These things are terrible.

Hello! I know someone here will have the answer to my question! My husband wants to download and listen to his favorite songs while working out. (There is no wifi) He has an old windows phone that does not have data. He has no desire for a new phone and likes his phone So, I had THOUGHT that we might buy an ipod and download songs to it. But, for some reason the ipods seem really expensive! (What happened when I wasn't paying attention?!) What is the cheapest way to get old favorite songs on a device (or his Windows phone) for listening to music these days? Thanks!

I personally would not send the email or letter either. It's already clear. Accept it and make your boundaries to protect yourself and your children.

I personally would not send the email or letter either. It's already clear. Accept it and make your boundaries to protect yourself and your children.

What an exciting adventure for Toby!

DawnM, I believe this thread is so large that people are extrapolating and replying to others' and possibly giving ideas to help all different kinds of people and situations that feel this way. I think it can be helpful to a wide variety of people and myself have been appreciating ALL the different kinds of ideas that are being offered up. 😀 It's okay that their ideas might not apply to you and your family, because the ideas might help someone else. It seems to be a wide issue that affects families in different ways.