ha ha ha I have had to go back to the store THREE times & each time swore I was done. stupid cheap chocolate covered marshmellows. :tongue_smilie:

Ohhh a case at Costco?? I"ll check this out. Hubby & I saw it at the grocery store last night but it was expensive! It was $4.99 for a 4 pack.

Yes, I have before -a few times and I am planning on it again this summer. We are going on a 7 day cruise & leaving kidos w/ the inlaws! I would leave them for a weekend trip first if they've never spent 2 days w/o you-- Whenever we leave them, I make a paper link so my youngest can remove one each morning until the day we would be home (or make a calendar she can cross off each day!)... I'd say go for it, as much as I miss my dc dearly, it helps my marriage ALSO... my kids KNOW without a doubt how much dad & mom love each other & make time for each other!.

I lean towards a fun babysitters bag. I'd include animal stickers or fun pencils to give the child being babysat. Maybe Go Fish cards (they sell them w/ fish, w/ animals, w/ food, w/ letters, etc) Cute bandaids (just in case, the cute ones may distract a child),Odds and ends: fabric scraps, uncooked macaroni, dried beans, cotton balls, large bouncy balls for older children, just a few ideas!

My 19 yr old is a straight A homeschooled turned straight A college student who despises smoking of any nature & drinking of any alcoholic type (and dad & I drink here & there so it isn't the way she was raised). She leads the jr high girls in an accoutability group at church & is a proud to be virgin. She however has bright purple stripes in her naturally dark brown hair. I have no objections, I actually think its cute. The boy, now 13 wants to dye his hair black. I'd let him go lighter, or blonde highlights but not black. Double standards?? Maybe but don't care.

Yes the whole grumpy thing was/can be totally me. I get mad at the pillow for sitting wrong on the bed!!! For me, when I cut out carbs, I am at my worst-- however, this passes after a few days & then I feel sooo much better. When I plan on a short bit of being carb free, I wait until hubby is out of town, it helps the marriage last longer :tongue_smilie:

THATS GREAT!!! and this kid should get a lifetime pass to the aquarium for taking care of the bird! haha thanks for sharing!

ohhh sounds like fun.. my lil baby "springie .9" would love new friends!!! :lol:

My parents have/had one of these. Last we saw them, or discs made for the system was at Ken Cranes YEARS AGO. I'd still ebay them b/c I know those w/ players, would need them. I'll ask my dad his input.

This was going to be my input. When I plan dinners for a week, I ask each kido & hubby for 1 dinner input. Luckily my family is big on veggies so we always have at least two per meal. A complaining child in my house is allowed to voice an opinion (I like green beans better then corn) but not say, "the corn is corn/burnt/gross whatever) b/c that is just whining & rude. PERIOD. If in fact one does complain, they are dismissed from dinner for the night. You don't like it, you don't eat it-but then you don't eat. No child will die from not eating dinner yet they also learned if there are leftovers b/c not everyone ate dinner, guess what they get for lunch the next day :lol:.

We use Singapore math. I love it for my middle son but I think it lacks in daily practice. Does anyone have a favorite site that lets them generate worksheets w/ what they want (whole numbers, fractions, long division)? THanks for any replies!!

OK its April 2nd but I sent it to my son anyway!! This is FABULOUS!! He is a total 360' kid & is currently in Biolas youth drama program, they are doing SOUND OF MUSIC!! Love it! Thanks Ria!

I've told him its ok to leave a message on the mirror through the steam from the shower. But he didn't.... Prayers! Let us know how it goes!! Corb

Bbeen there done that, matter of fact, a few times. Actually in the summer, I can't let clothing sit over night in the wash. If they aren't to bad, just a slight smell & not any growth, I'd rewash them & use vinegar in the rinse. Your clothing will NOT smell like vinegar.

Got it! I think you have to call. This is all I found The Treasure Box- 1525 Faraday Ave Suite 200 Carlsbad, Ca 92011 800-207-5521 contactus@thetreasurebox.org Angel Food, you need to fill out a form for info on starting a center. Hope this is what you need! http://www.angelfoodministries.com/become_a_host_site/inforequest.asp

I do like that Angel Food has fresh veggies/fruit too. Although. the treasure box did contain a whole no hormone raised chicken, there were preprepared foods. My kids flipped over the bagel bites & sausage balls, b/c I generally never buy frozen prepped foods. The cookie dough was made with rice flour, you could taste a difference but my kids were use to it & liked them. We have both Angel & Treasure box within 2 miles of my house, I think next month I"ll try both & compare. For $30, it was by far worth it.

Karen, Do you mean so you can start one, just sign up to receive, or visit the main facility? I was able to find local churches & where to start one at my church if we wanted?

I have no idea what the adoption process is like from a personal stand point, I have only seen friends go on this rollercoaster & know it is tough. Prayers that the paperwork situation will work out and you'll only have the short wait. I have been following your bog on & off & your family's story is sweet. Katya looks like she just belongs home with you. Thinking of your family! Corby

:iagree: yep and on top of that they are state funded .This means I have $1500 credit for my 7th grader, $1300 for my 5th, ad $1200 for my Ker to spend on curriculum 7 classes. We have to purchase from their vendors, but rainbow & office depot are a vendor so I have NO problems w/ curriculum or ink!

I read the replies and unless i missed it, I'm kind of surprise no one has suggested what I am going tosay.. Im sry if I miss understood something but what I got was that this 15 yr old is living in your house w/ free internet & free phone service but has TONS of attitude acting like you own him? The law states you must cloth, feed & keep their basic needs met. Internet, which he claims the "don't care" attitude & phone are NOT basic needs. I'd cut them off. I'd adapt the eat it or go hungry method many of us did when our kids were younger (unless you know for fact it is something he has never liked). If he drives, I'd stop that now, it all changes once they drive. I'd remove the door from his bedroom. He can change in the bathroom, basically I'd cut his life down to BARE BASICS and start over. He has been given privledges of an older responsible child, with the being responsible part. How does that work? Hubby can't collect a paycheck w/o working... I've also ALWAYS taken the stand w/ my kids, its NOT what you say, its how you say it. I welcome any opinion they have as long as it is said with respect. When my 12 yr old boy got out of line a few times to much it only took one ANGRY situation with dad telling him to NEVER speak two his wife like that again for the boy to get back in line (99.9% of the time). Does he do anything physically active? With my teen boy I can tell when his body has been dormat for a while, a good lawn mowing, pool cleaning, car washing or ivy cutting helps A LOT. Reward anything good you see. A little atta boy goes a long way with teens. When my older teen was growing up, I'd be known to put I love you notes under her pillow now & then. She never said anything to me about them, but recently 4 years later- I saw them all in a box in her desk. Hang in there mom. He will come back to you over time, until then just count the days until you can smile when he comes to you with parenting issues of his own!!

[quote name=Ria;865263 If I may offer a bit of advice - and this comes from someone with older kids - at some point you need to start giving your child more freedom. Now' date=' you know her best, and perhaps she's still too immature or easily swayed...you have to do what is best for her. My point, however, is that at some time in the not-too-distant-future, your dd is going to be on her own, away from you and your rules. I think it's best to teach kids how to handle that freedom gradually, rather than supervise their entire lives and then suddenly drop them at college. My twins (sophomores in college) have seen way too many kids go absolutely wild because for the first time they are not under their parents' thumbs. Ria Aahh.. oh wise Ria.... A friend of mine had a rude awakening when she realized her 17 yr old was graduating high school, & going away to college. It dawned on her half way through senior year that the girl wasn't allowed to go many places on her own, not date unsupervised, not attend "concerts" even Christian ones, not hang at the mall, -- the point was in 6 months the girl would be completely on her own with no non-mom life experiences. I want mine to experience a few bad none life changing choices before they leave my home so I can help them work through it while they are under my roof. I grew up in a conservative Christian school and agree with what Ria said, come college-- many of my peers spent the summer after freshman in rehab for drugs/alcohol. Surprisingly sad the number of friends I lost to drugs, lifestyle choices, etc. those first few years on their own...

Isn't parenting hard? and here I thought the terrible twos were tough-- they are NOTHING compared to teens in a house!!

This is completely & totally a good reason for a 4 year old to freak out. This is the "unless there is a problem" type of sitution that requires a parent to help retrain the child.Poor little guy!!

okkk... I'll step in it-- WHY? Why can't you do that to him? You said you don't even know what he would do. Maybe, just maybe-- he'd realize he HAS TO and would do it himself. I know I know, that sounds MEAN and HEARTLESS and UNCARING but.... You are saying you can't make him sit on a potty and cry all day? You're not making him to anything however you are giving into his learning a pretty fabulous manipulation skill. I cry b/c there is something I DON"T WANT TO DO and mom gives in. I know, I'm grumpy so ignore me. I just see so many 8 yr olds that CAN'T take out the trash or CAN'T carry a bag OR CAN'T whatever so mom steps in to do it for them then those moms wonder how their 14 yr old got the "the world owes me" attitude. I know I know... ignore me, I'm back in my cave now...

Yes twice. One was an accident & I felt sad. The other a drug overdose & I was able to trace back over the days it had happened. We'd lost contact & he appeared after 6 months of silence back in my life wanting to "hang out". I knew he was on drugs & I'd recently left that group of friends for that very reason. He was trying to get clean & the weekend I told him no that I didn't want to hang out, he went off the wagon & ODed. I don't blame myself b/c I know his addiction was years long, I just feel like I let him down b/c I should have, beings as I'd been there, I should have done more..... His mom is a great friend of mine today.