I wish we could see the titles that they are including. It looks like a great idea!

I was just popping in to say exactly what Hornblower suggested. Document everything! Doctors like to work in the world of facts. Behavioral and emotional issues are not generally something that they perceive as present unless there are documented incidents that they can point to. They need to see that a child has 10 incidents of self harm every day, that they have anxiety attacks every single time someone other than themselves whistles, or that they are 8 years old and incapable of putting on their shoes to go outdoors without crying. Those are facts they can work with. I don't know if it will work for your boy, but my ASD, ADHD, (multiple additional labels) child works best when I keep my voice entirely neutral. Sounding too excited about an outing is just as overstimulating as sounding frightened. Both cause her to not want to leave the house. The same thing applies with discipline. Direct eye-contact, yelling, and even sighing out of my own frustration simply cause the situation to fall into a downward spiral of anxiety-induced bad behavior. ETA: Our insurance did not require a referral to see a neuropsychologist. Hopefully yours works the same way!

Apple! We had an employee suddenly pass away, and his wife tried to repeatedly access his phone's photos but didn't know the code. Obviously, she locked it up, and made a general mess of things. I went to Apple to have the phone wiped, and was lamenting over the sad situation. Obviously, the store employee couldn't restore the phone to anything other than factory settings, but he worked his tail off for an hour to set things up so that the widow could later log in to icloud and access her family photos.

I can't use video or online courses that have instructors who use iconic teacher inflection. Every sentence does not need to end with an over-emphasized high note. I assume that anyone who talks like that is an idiot. I know it isn't fair, but I just can't get past it.

I think they are fun. Sorry you don't enjoy them.

What? How? Why? That is the weirdest thing I've ever heard! LOL (and I know someone who painted their toilet, so that's saying something)

There's a lot of history here. It would be nice if he interacted with family better, but you already know that isn't going to happen. A short and sweet "Sorry, I can't help" will allow you to move on. Leaving the matter open-ended will have you thinking over the matter endlessly while waiting for him to follow-up with another e-mail or call. For your own peace of mind, just tell him no. Then go and make yourself a cup of hot chocolate and watch a sappy hallmark movie that will trick you into temporarily thinking that all problems have a happy ending in 90 minutes or less. (((hugs)))

You are a better sister than I have ever been. That situation sounds so incredibly unbalanced on so many levels. Know that your effort serving them is a greater gift than any financial expense you pay. You are an amazing woman.

Love this thread! Dec 1st - Something that was new to you in 2017 - DS 12 choosing to take on a regular role in our family business. So proud!!! Dec 2nd - 2017 summed up in three words - Try, Try Again. Dec 3rd - Your favorite memory of 2017 - Traveling for a week with my father on an adventure to pick up our new puppy. So nice to have time for just the two of us, like we did when I was a kid.

Tracking is a skill that requires practice, just like decoding. Lots of kids with dyslexia try to read the entire text at one glance - this is why they seem to move at lightning speed, transfer letter sounds from one end of a word to the other, and change basic words like "in." It is a guessing strategy that requires diligence to break. Vision therapy did nothing to help in our case. That doesn't mean that it won't help your child, but personally, I wish I had fully committed that time and money to intensive tutoring rather than therapy. In Barton 2, you don't have very many skills under your belt yet, so reading a book is like drinking from a fire hose. Barton doesn't sell any stand-alone books until the end of level 3. If you are really set on focusing on stories, make sure you know that the each word of the book is accessible, use the notch-card technique (an index card with a notch cut out of the upper left hand corner) and go slow. Think of it as a chapter book - it is okay to take breaks.

I'd pick up a couple cheapo kits to build a trebuchet, catapult, and ballista, and let them figure out which is most efficient at distance, aim, force, etc. If you are also covering the renaissance, anything DaVinci is fun too. There are wooden models of his inventions, puzzles of his paintings and drawings, and all sorts of DIY books out there.

My girl is getting a build-your-own-computer kit this year. It is based off of a Raspberry Pi, and is Minecraft themed. I may win Mother of the Year in her eyes. Oldest is getting armature wire to up the skill level on her clay creations. My boy asked for a Matador Blanket and Travel Hammock to add to his camping supply hoard. I asked for an Accubow this year, hoping to increase my archery score. I'm making DH's gift this year - a promise to have the cookie jar filled on the 1st of every month (I'm a great baker, but lack motivation since I can't eat the cookies myself) I'll wrap up my cookbook and have him pick out which recipes he wants.

The Oxford Comma eliminates confusion. I am all for writing as clearly as possible, especially if all it requires is one extra key-stroke.

Those of us who have been victims are not all as you described. You are welcome to make your own household rules as strict as you would like, but it isn't reasonable to assume that everyone has done the same.

I don't think I'd be able to fit everything if I wrapped them.

We often have conversations centered around the fact that everyone struggles with something. Some are obvious (a person in a wheelchair) and some are not (a private battle with bulimia). We don't compare struggles, or say that one is "worse" than another, but I often will point out "that's just their struggle" when discussing a friend who is lousy at showing up on time or whatever. Fostering compassion for others allows for DD to feel less persecuted. She isn't the only one. On the other side of the spectrum, I also work hard to point out DD's successes. She is a fantastic sculptor, a dedicated dog trainer, and can tell beautiful stories. Those skills are what I want her to focus on. ETA - It sounds like the class isn't a good fit academically, I'd seriously consider removing her from that classroom environment to protect her emotional well-being. Does you district offer online classes? Some will allow kids to take a class at home online or during a study hall rather than in a classroom setting.

My kids were absolutely shocked when I mentioned that my next-door-neighbor growing up didn't have an indoor toilet. I never really thought much about it, but looking back I guess it was the end of an era since I never again met someone who actively used their outhouse. Miss Sarah was an avid spittoon user too. She would make a fabulous character in a novel. Our biggest link to history is a great... grandmother who was hung during the Salem witch trials. It is weird to see a relative's name in your history book.

Honestly, the cross contamination is probably your biggest nemesis. Unless you know the hostess extremely well, and can guarantee that they are extremely careful with utensils etc., I wouldn't eat anything I didn't cook myself.

We walked away from the marketplace last year. The prices were lower through a private insurance broker. How? Why? I have no idea.

Yes!!! Have the party. It will be fun.

That sounds about right for a 2 year old's party. The tone of your post is aggressively negative. I'm sorry you weren't able to enjoy the party. Do you have a history of conflict with the host? I wonder if that is coloring your experience.

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I wish more people would heed those signs honestly. We were at a large indoor event recently and there was a dog wearing a service vest on a fully extended flexi-lead barking and nudging at anyone carrying food. I have a hard time believing that the dog was working at the moment. :(

My pet peeve is people who completely ignore direct instructions. “Please don’t pat puppy until he has all 4 paws on the ground,†should not receive the response of “oh, I don’t mind!†I do mind! Jumping dogs are annoying and dangerous. I don’t want my dog to put his paws on people. Please don’t sabotage the poor 6 month old. He doesn’t have manners yet, but you are old enough to know better! PS - I’m on team leash-your-dog-if-he-can’t-heel-with-100%-success PPS - I’m also a proud member of the anti-flexi-lead coalition

Sorry for being confusing. I meant that a change from baseline to obviously visually severe over just a few months is odd. (Concerning would have been a better word) When a change is that drastic, it is important to make sure that you know all of your options begore settling on a course of action - that is why I suggested a second opinion regardless of what the doctor recommends.