We required a regular fitness activity. That does not mean team sports. Martial arts (not just TKD, also look for things that might spark interest beyond fitness like Kendo) Dance Local walking or hiking club outings Playing drums can be quite a workout Check local rec and community offerings some have teen only fitness, CrossFit, Zumba, weight training and yoga classes Geocaching Family walk Family bike My nephew was in marching band, my very team sport oriented sister watched one practice and quickly realized her son was getting a workout hauling that tuba around. I found cheap personal training on groupon for one of my dc Anyway daily movement is important, along with longer and/or more intense activity 3-5 times a week.

I would go. You are moving and may not see some of these people again. You know that, that's why you really want to go. I would pack a change of clothes just in case you need to stop driving on the way back or you decide to stay overnight while there. I believe you work Monday through Friday and not on weekends. Just evaluate what you need to do on Sunday to determine how much wiggle room you have. This stuff should all be gone Sunday. If you go prepared with options you will enjoy the event worry free and likely drive home tonight with no problems.

Mostly I'd go with giving him the Legos. The exception would be if his gifts were more expensive or if the others are getting some wrapped essentials he does not need at this time. Essentials would be things like shirts or gloves. Because he is 9, I might remedy the situation by making an early run to Target. I'd get something like silly putty if the issues was his gifts were overall more expensive. If the issue is related to essentials, might grab a plain solid color tee shirt be or a pair of gloves. We balance present costs as well as present totals. Sometimes that means present totals are slightly off.

However, it's not unusual to take longer for gluten to clear your system and really feel the effects. I often hear the suggestion of strictly following diet at least a month. And you should get a list of things that contain gluten -- it's everywhere, including soy sauce and licorice.

my ds participates in Best Buddies at his high school. He wouldn't be able to communicate with me about options so I need to ask ya'll. His buddy is female and a senior, but it appears the gifts are just going to be grab bag style. Not all buddies show up to every event. So, I need a gift that can be for a male or female aged 14-18, less than $15, it could go to someone with a disability or one of the buddies. Probably should be a thing not a gift card.

I don't have a tattoo. My friend and her dh each got one for the first time at age 41. His is a portrait of their dd who died of cancer at age 8. Hers is a flower in the dd's favorite color with the dd's name on it. So, a late age to get a tattoo, but clearly of great significance.

Buying a car is not comparable to education. Car is a means of transportation. The type of car does not limit career goals and aspirations in a lifelong impact. Having any car can actually assist in expanding academic and career opportunities. It can actually provide more freedom of thought and movement. Giving tuition with a restriction on course of study does the opposite. It restricts freedom of thought. The practical me knows having a degree, any degree helps. Many places just want that box checked and they don't actually care what the course of study was. So I want my kid to have a degree. I also think young people who have no responsibilities (no kids, not married) should pursue their dreams. There's is no other time in your life you can have total freedom like this. A lifelong career in academia may not happen, but he knows that. He's going to stay on his current path. He hopes he wins the lottery in his field, but he's also in the beginning process of considering what he can do instead. That's his path to follow, not mine to force on him. Someone mentioned arts. I do give practical guidance. At one point DD wanted to study writing. She wrote all the time. She has notebooks and notebooks of writing. She spent a lot of time talking about stories and going to workshops with a neighbor who is a writer. However, one thing DD does not do is let people read her writing. Taking that a step further, the idea that someone would edit her writing was horrifying. So, she eliminated creative writing as a degree program. Another example is my neighbor's DD. She is an extremely talented artist. She decided specifically against art because creating her work was so personal she didn't think she could do it and sell it. Her mother took a long time to get over the fact she wouldn't pursue art.

Celiac can definitely have neurological symptoms. DD was diagnosed at 4. Her major symptom at the time was absence siezures. EEG at the time showed hundreds a day. If you didn't pick up on the seizures you would notice ADHD behaviors. DS is not officially diagnosed. He has had genetic testing and has two genetic markers for celiac. He has numerous diagnosis, many of which are significantly worse when gluten is a regular component of his diet, among them anxiety, ADHD depression, organizational deficits. At one point, he had some serious OCD behaviors that interferred with the whole family's functioning.

I understand some of you are saying that if parents are paying for the degree they should be able to limit choices. I can see saying I will pay for four years or I will pay only if a certain GPA. I can't see deciding my dc major. Doing that just means you (the parent) are controlling their lives for years to come. You are not only deciding how your child will spend 4 years, but also what careers he might choose from after. At that point it may be harder for him to go for what he wanted and he might have been better off taking loans and studying what he wanted in the first place. Then what happens if he doesn't stay in that career field, do you make him feel bad about the wasted degree you decided he should pursue? Too many strings.

Pretty awesome!

Cleaning service is a great idea. I know you'd really like the kids to eat better, but those meal prep companies still require some work. I had a cleaning service once a month when I had littles and was working. I dropped it when I became a SAHM. I didn't start again when I returned to work because I didn't have extra money. I do wish o could afford it again. I loved coming home on cleaning day. Everything looked great. It made me feel less stressed immediately

Yay! Class of 1987 here.

my SIL is very close to one, but not evacuated. I'm wondering how she can breathe. She has asthma. I hope all can stay safe and these fires get contained quickly.

I think the idea that young people decide what career choices they want at a young age come from a time when people got a job and stayed with it their whole lives. That doesn't happen anymore. There are no companies that you stay with forever. There are careers you can train for and start and then find them obsolete after 10 years. Being able to be flexible and find new paths in life is essential. Changing majors, taking all those gen eds that seem unrelated to your plan at age 18, can actually help build that flexibility.

I have a DS with a November birthday. He was reading at 4. He progressed rapidly through early chapter books to Harry Potter 1 and 2 by the end of K. He was also ahead in math. His preferred reading was actually nonfiction so he had quite advanced knowledge of science and history. He went to private school halfway through grade 2. It was a school that had an advanced curriculum, they still had him skip a grade. We left that school due to bullying a few years later. DS homeschooled again and then did public high school. Long story short. DS is 23 and in grad school. I know now that grade skipping did not help him at all. He was going to find his way academically anyway. But he was so socially immature and had no executive function skills. These are things you won't notice in elementary school. If I had it to do again I absolutely would not grade skip. Dh was really pushing it and kind of over ruled me. I actually skipped 2 grades. It was not good for me. I convinced myself it would be different for ds. In your situation I'd go observe the public school program. If my gut told me it was safe and pleasant, I'd do that. I'd have stuff at home for ds to explore/read on his own for enrichment.

Yes. They distribute to kids with a range of ages and interests.

Praying everything works out!

I make my dh turn over. He doesn't really wake when I do this and doesn't remember in the morning. This mostly stops his snoring long enough for me to get to sleep. If I'm stressed I may need to try a few relaxation exercises to block out my thoughts. If dh is sick he may snore a lot and this doesn't work.

I don't know about school, but I'd insist on dance every day.

I'm not decorating. I'm not doing cards. I'm not sure how I will do Christmas Eve dinner or our traditional dessert and games on 12/23.the week before and after I have a heavy work schedule. A little bummed about letting so much just go.

If you have the minimum, but not all the "preferred" there's no reason not to apply. They may not get a bunch of applicants with all the "preferred" requirements. You may end up in the interview pool with some people having the preferred requirements, but maybe you will interview better. Definitely worth a shot.

Is it ok to post about going to the championship soccer game or even all the doors practices you do. A friend of mine has a kid in a regional orchestra. She posts videos. Is that wrong.

If it is in a government or other organization that uses computer sorting the application that does not have all the requirements may not be looked at all.

As a kid who was told there were only three jobs worth considering, I felt very constrained in college. As an adult I've been at times resentful that my time in college was spent not focused on the job I really wanted and I never had the opportunity to return to study that field. I think I would have been very happy and good at that career. So I advised my dc they would go to college. They would study anything they wanted. I only wanted them to get a degree. Oldest took five years, two transfers, two years at cc in the middle. He's now pursuing a master's. DD is in her second year and on her third major I think this one will stick--she has 4 in major classes this semester and she's already consulted advisors about grad school and internships. Neither are studying topics where job opportunities abound. Both are happy (that counts for everything in a family where fighting depression is a serious thing)

I would not sign their names. I'd be careful about what info I included about them if the card included a letter, since their info is their story to tell. I'd sign it "the Smiths".