Not an asteroid!?!?!? That's the lynchpin right there. ;)

I was going to post that. You beat me to the punch!

Yes, it really is. It's a county government and, for now at least, the old adage about better benefits in the public sector compensating for lower pay holds true where I work. My total compensation package is outstanding. My retirement is one of the best in the state and, based on what I've read, gives the federal gov't a run for its money.

Yes, the county government I work for also has a sick leave pool. Every FT employee can donate up to (oh, I don't remember exactly) a certain number of sick hours per year. Employees who work over X number of hours per week are eligible to use the sick leave pool.

I earn 6 hours of sick time every pay period (q 2 weeks) until I reach a maximum of - hmmm - 680 hours (I think). That translates to just over 28 shifts (each shift being 24 hours long). However, if I were to be out sick for 72 hours straight, I might need to provide a doctor's note. I disagree with this particular bit of the policy; however, I don't set policy for the governmental entity for which I work. The hours roll over every year; so, it's not a "use it or lose it" situation. The only way to "lose" hours is to max out and not take off using sick time. All in all, it's a various generous policy.

You know what Mark Twain said about statistics.

My uncle had polio as a child (pre-vaccine) and, although he recovered, his health has always been a bit fragile. He is also currently suffering from post-polio syndrome. Slightly OT - I heard a report on my public news station that doctors in the Galveston area have been treating people who have contracted a specific strain (endemic or murine)of typhus(!). ID researchers at UTMB & animal control in Galveston have discovered that 2/3 of the opossum population in the area are infected with this particlar strain. This is a bit unusual because murine typhus is usually found in cooler climes than Galveston.

And, truly, the inflection is everything. It is especially effective when paired with an arched eyebrow.

In an ideal world, maybe. Personally, I would never follow such a plan. Way too fraught with legal quagmires for my comfort. Plus, the reality is that if both parents die and there are no documents appointing guardians (and back-up guardians, ideally), the court will step in and appoint one. The court more than likely won't wait for a panel to make such an important decision. The reason one chooses back-up guardians is (1) the original guardians are unable to assume guardianship for whatever reason or (2) the guardians are unable to continue at some point for whatever reason. I think you'll find, BusyMom, especially if you use an estate attorney (which I cannot recommend heartily enough), that your attorney will try to dissuade you from the panel idea. Sure, situations change and guardianship may need to be revisited. But that is why one should review all one's estate planning every year or two. Legally making your wishes known will have the best chance of saving your children some measure of chaos and unsettledness (yes, it's a made up word) during what will already be a very emotionally trying time.

Don't make that decision for him. Allow him to make his own fully informed decision. He may be honored you asked him or he may say no. However, the best thing to do is to ask him. (I like the idea of sending a letter to him.)

Assuming this is an adult family member who wants to come with you, please talk with them about the issues brought up in the thread. Regentrude and others are correct; just the logistics of getting through customs and immigration can be long and involved. Then there are the issues of using to loo on the plane that Regentrude mentioned. I think that as wonderful as it is that your family member wants to travel, she really should work on getting her anxiety and GI issues under control first. Perhaps taking some smaller, less involved trips first might not be a bad idea for this person.

Appointing guardians for my kids is something I consider a hill. I'd write my own will so that *something* is in place. Whay dh and I did was to not only name primary guardians, but also back-up guardians. We also specifically listed who we *didn't* want and why. Depending on your state's laws this can help the judge make his/her decision by taking your thoughts into account. This doesn't mean that your wishes would be honored, just that you give the judge more information to work woth. I can't imagine the legal nightmare if both of you should die together and there are two "competing" wills. Would the one with the later date be the one honored? That's how it generally works, though that usually applies to the individual's will. No clue what the legal precedent is if each parent has his/her own will and they don't agree about something so important as their kids' guardians.

OP, has your family member flown overseas before? If not, she really should talk to her doctor about meds for the flight. It sounds like she thinks getting to a lavatory in the plane will be easy and that's not necessarily the case. Please have her think very carefully about this.

Well, I didn't think it was a joke and I hope you find a workable solution for everyone. If this family member hasn't flown overseas before, please do give careful consideration as to how that aspect will be handled, both in the airports and in the plane itself.

So, I was curious and looked up caravan campsites near London. It looks like there are 7 campsites for RVs that generally ring the M25. It seems all of them presume that the campers would take public transport into London and the City. Some look like they have hook-ups and others are for tent camping. If the family member were able to ride a bus into London or take a train, it looks like it could be a fun trip. Of course, then the family would need to take the bus, tube, or taxi to get around. Some of the big sites y'all might be interested in are FAR from each other and walking wouldn't seem to be feasible. Most of the campsites advertise being anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes from London (by bus or train). I'm just afraid, OP, that your family wouldn't be able to enjoy the trip as much if you tried driving an RV within London itself (assuming that's even allowed). The public parking that is available (and it isn't a lot, by any means) is meant for cars - and small cars at that. I hope you find a workable solution.

Not feasible at all and much harder overall on your family. Assuming your family member is able to make a transatlantic flight (and don't underestimate some of the difficulties of using those small lavatories!), I'd probably follow Jane's advice. Set up a "home base" in a smaller town outside London. That way those who are able/want can day trip into London and those who wish can stay in the smaller town and be more comfortable. Honestly, if my family member's travel anxiety was such that I thought the only feasible way to travel was in an RV (caravan in England, IIRC), I'd plan a different trip.

Yes. :) Thank you all for the information! All I remember from my year of TX history (some <mumbles incoherently> years ago) is that I had to memorize all 254 counties AND correctly label a black line map with them. I'll hopefully be able to look at all the links later this week. Thank you so very much!

I'd like my upcoming 5th & 6th graders to have a year of TX history. I'm working 80+ hours a week right now and don't have time to research as much as I would like. Does anyone have in fantastic resources? Both students are good readers and OK writers. They also love map work. We live in Central TX and will visit the usual places in addition to reading, assignments. Thanks!

So, he's dropped off and safely ensconced at encampment. And it only required two (that's right - 2!) trips to a store to pick up things he and dh forgot to to pack. Honestly, I probably would have let him tough it out; however, dh felt bad forgetting the items. We were not the only parents rushing through Walmart either. <shakes head> The funny thing is that we also dropped off a bag for a senior cadet in Ds' squadron. He had forgotten both his dress shoes and running shoes. Kids!!

Thanks for the commiseration! Creekland, <brehon plugs ears and sings a happy, ever so slightly frantic tune> I recently discovered the beauty that is a Mexican martini. Bliss! P&G Mom, bar's open. What's your poison? MysteryJen, my two older girls are competitive swimmers. I threatened them within a inch of their lives if they took scissors anywhere near their suits. Apparently, I was negligent in telling my son the same thing regarding his dress uniform. Ethel Mertz, consider your post liked. I'm on my phone and for some reason I can't like your post. Buckle up and hang on.

OMG!!!!! We're leaving in an hour to drive my son to CAP encampment. He gets his uniform shirt on, then decides that the cardboard strip behind his ribbon bar is too long and annoying. Mind, this is *the same* cardboard strip that has been used for months! No word of it annoying him. Today he decides to trim the cardboard. Not only was the ribbon bar AND cardboard still on his shirt, his shirt was still on his body. (?!) You know what's coming, don't you? Wait for it... He ended up cutting his uniform shirt. Yes, his dress blue shirt which he needs to wear to check in at encampment. Dh put a small iron on patch on the inside of the shirt; but, the cut is still visible. DS' reaction, and I quote, "Huh, I didn't know that would happen." (AAARRRGGGHHH!!!!!) Someone tell me his brain will re-engage at some point. Please. Oh, he'll turn 14 next month. It's 5:00 somewhere in the world, right?! ETA: verbs are generally considered useful

Thanks, Rose! I'm not sure if it's enough, though. Argh! The indecision. Should I add some geography? Beef up science? Add a pinch of this? More of that? <sigh> I have no idea. I do know that when I showed my previous post to ds he gave it a grunt and a thumbs up which I take as agreement. :)

I like your list, Rose. Those are pretty much my goals for my ds.

This Native Texan would say the same thing! Your second paragraph simply wouldn't be written by me in this situation. There's giving grace and then there's being a doormat. Inexcusable way to treat anyone, let alone people so giving of their time and effort.

Is your bed near a window? I mean, is your side of the bed parallel with a window such that you could install a window unit A/C? If so, in addition to what I wrote above, I'd go to Home Depot, Lowe's, Costco, etc and purchase a window unit. They're not that expensive and don't eat that much energy. We did that for our bedroom and it helps tremendously. It really sounds like something is off kilter with your hormones or something. Has this always been an issue or has it recently become (more of) one? When was the last time you had your duct work cleaned?