We'd go to the ER (and have) if it was causing an asthma attack that I couldn't control, or if it was also accompanied by a fever that was dangerously high that I couldn't bring down. Otherwise, I'd wait until morning. What has helped us get through the night with a child like that is to sit with him in the bathroom while the shower was running as hot as it can go, creating a steam room. (He wouldn't be IN the shower.) Once he's back in bed, have him sitting upright, not lying flat.

Thought of a few others: Nanny and the Professor, Hazel, Green Acres, and another all-time favorite -- The Avengers (with Emma Peel and John Steed).

The Monkees? My younger two watched a few of those and thought they were a hoot! Also, Bonanza? My all-time favorites (which others have already mentioned) are Dick Van Dyke, Bewitched, and Get Smart. :)

We didn't have a strict rule about this, but I think that when one of my older girls started wearing it in 8th grade (what is that -- about 13 or 14?), I felt okay about it. They've always been careful about how they use it, don't overdo it. Another daughter started wearing make-up powder even earlier because she had acne so young, and that was fine. Otherwise, if they started to wear much make-up: mascara, eyeshadow, etc., younger than 7th grade, I think I would have encouraged them to hold off a bit. I want them to always feel they are lovely enough as is, that they don't need make-up to be beautiful. I've never encouraged them to use it, but I'm not against it either.

I have an older teen who consistently gets only 5-6 hours sleep per night. It has been this way for a couple of years now. She is a happy, positive, reliable young lady who also loves being busy. She is often up baking at midnight/1 am. (I smell it in my sleep.) She is involved in a choir at the local ps, which practices at 7am. Even on weekends when she has a chance to sleep in, she is up at the crack of dawn. It just seems...abnormal to me. Are there really people like this? A couple other notes: this is my daughter who has chronic migraines. I don't know if there's a connection or not. She has never felt that her headaches interfere with her sleep. Another strange thing is that she can sleep anywhere. I don't mean she falls asleep during the day. She never naps or seems tired during the day. But for example, if we were staying overnight at a relative's house and there weren't enough beds, she'd just plop down on the hard floor without even a blanket, and sleep just fine. It seems rather strange!

Maybe summer will be a better time to get together with people? It's usually at least a little less busy...

Thanks again. I can't tell you how helpful this is for me!

Praying for you. Stay strong. There IS a light at the end of this for you.

I think it would be extremely difficult for me to homeschool my children with 5 very young ones in my home daycare. Maybe if my own children were older, so they could do most of the work independently, it would work out. I'd probably give the charter school option a try for a semester. You can always change it back again.

I use bleach on me, and that works great.

I would have let out a polite laugh and shaken my head with a puzzled look on my face, and then quickly changed the subject. Funny, just yesterday my daughter came home and told me a similar story about her run-in with a woman she hadn't seen in a long time. The woman told her, "You are so skinny!" My daughter wasn't sure what to say in response either.

I think your schedule sounds reasonable, given her pattern. However, before I implemented a rigid sleep schedule, I might first implement a time limit on the computer. That is, I might say she can stay up if she's doing something productive, but not to just fiddle on the computer. I know it's difficult to put computer rules in place if you've never had them... I have one daughter who really needs 8 or 9 hours of sleep per night. I have another who strangely only needs about 6. She is often just starting on a baking project at midnight. I know I have to work harder to keep the first one on a good sleep schedule. It's so important, and it can set a life-long habit.

We love Scrabble.

Wow, I wish I'd thought of that when my kids were little! That's a great idea! When our son was biking across Europe alone at age 18, we insisted he wear a dog tag -- like a military dog tag. I think we were able to fit his name and five phone numbers on it. It was about $5.00 or so.

Trying to do the same with our attic! I hope someone drives by to collect what I don't want...

Someone who is wise and lives her life accordingly, no matter what others think.

Thanks -- all the suggestions are great. I definitely agree about the business aspect. It is an area that I know nothing about, so it will be up to her to become educated about it.

I've heard she's had problems for awhile. Very sad, but not a surprise.

Hmmm... I don't know what number she wears. Sorry! Usually their store staff is pretty helpful.

That's an interesting question. We have tons of CD's (homeschool-related, games, etc.) that we never use anymore and will never use again. Does that mean it's okay to sell them? If we make sure a copy is not on our computer's hard file?

My daughter has always loved Levis for a similar body shape.

You can keep it for six months and see how much you use it. If you never use it, you can put it in storage for another six months. Then if you never miss it, get rid of it!

We really like Alistair Begg. Maybe his Scottish accent will actually make his sermons sound more interesting to your children! :)

If it were a really close friend, then my child would have given a gift anyway. Or, if it was going to be just a very small party -- say only two or three children -- then maybe we'd give a gift.

Well, I think it's quite tacky. I can maybe accept a couple asking for cash, but asking for cash for paying off student loans? That seems like you're being asked as a wedding guest to pay off something that should be their responsibility. They might as well have asked you to give them cash so they could pay off the cost of the wedding! :)