Personally, since she indicates she ingested some degree (unknown) of lake water and now isn't feeling well, I would take her in to make sure all is well. She is *probably* fine, but with our dc, "probably" just isn't good enough. :grouphug:

I like the brand Red Rose - regular for mornings, decaf for before bed. I boil water in a kettle and steep my tea bag in a small ceramic tea pot, covered with a tea cozy. I add sugar and milk. I grew up with it and it is my ultimate comfort food. :D (I also enjoy a lot of herbal teas, too. But those come and go. My Red Rose is a staple!)

:iagree: Yes.

Ok, so you are driving her children around in your vehicle? If that is the case and it were me, I'd insist all children be properly installed in proper seats - car, booster, 5 point, whatever - depending on the child and the law. My dc are in safety seats beyond the law, but they are small and the laws are based on age. If my dc are in someone else's vehicle, I insist they be protected exactly as they are in my vehicle. If someone else wants their child to ride in my vehicle who isn't legally required to be in a safety seat, that is their prerogative. But if they are using a safety seat for their child in my vehicle, than I would absolutely insist it be used properly. I am responsible for that child's safety when they are in my vehicle. No jerry-rigged, misused pieces of equipment!

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

:001_huh: Wow. :glare:

No. School was a break from my crazy (toxic) mother. <sigh> My education was Ok. It wasn't stellar, but I was an avid reader. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on and I think that made up for a lot! ;)

I would be popping my top in sheer excitement, too!!!!! :party: That is just awesome!! :D

When I am trying to make something that calls for eggs, I google for a vegan recipe. (My dd7 is allergic to whites and yolks.) Probably just finicky, but we didn't like the Ener-G egg replacer. We ended up tossing the box after it sat in the closet, used 3-4 times, for over a year.

Hmmm, we recently moved to a new town and still haven't checked out the library. (Crappy horrible summer) I think it sounds like it is time! :D (We aren't using SotW. Am I even allowed to post that here??? :tongue_smilie: )

:party: (Uh, bump... :tongue_smilie: )

We are taking all of our dc to the King Tut exhibit next month. Our older 3 are excited and intrigued. What I would like are some links, books, movies, whatever, that you can recommend for a developmentally delayed 9 year old, a 7 year old, and a 4 year old to drum up their excitement and give them a connection to the exhibit before we go. Does that make sense? :confused:

:iagree: This is how we pay our bills, too. For us, it is free. Fwiw, when we rented, it was in our lease that there would be *no* deductions for things bought or repairs made. We *had* to let them know in writing what was needed and wait upon them :glare: to come deal with it. If we did anything ourselves, even with their knowledge, we were not reimbursed nor could we deduct. :grouphug:

All on my iPod. I had no idea they still played "How Can I Help You to Say Goodbye." (I actually typed that in time to the music... :001_huh: ) Our local country station used to have people submit a block of songs to be played at noon. I think it was 4 songs and they would dedicate them to someone for whatever reason. Some of those line ups would have me bawling all over the place! :tongue_smilie: Did you see the movie with Rob Lowe and Kimberly Williams Paisley based on the song The Christmas Shoes? :crying: I love Christmas Carol!!!!!!!! I mean, I cry, but what a wonderful ending!!!!! (OOOOOOOH, now I am loving my country music roots and wanting to dig out all the old stuff - Daddy's Hands. That one is really close to my heart!)

Maybe I missed the point of the OP. <blush> If you and your dh have discussed this issue and he still gives and gives without your input, then it is time for prayer, for both of you. He needs to sort out why it is so important to him to give $$ without consulting you. You need to sort out how to practically deal with a very real issue. Your not handing over the phone isn't any different (IMO) than his giving $$ without discussing it with you. So, while two wrongs don't make a right, there needs to be a resolution. He is acting behind your back which has led you to feel like you need to act behind his. Ugh. :grouphug:

Donating to charity is like anything else, it should be agreed on ahead of time by the both of you. If he was out spending money $15-$20 at a time on lunch out, a movie, etc., it would be a no-no. Well, even giving it away, it is still gone. When we bought our house earlier this year, I was overwhelmed by the way we were literally hemorrhaging money. A sweet friend PayPal'd me a small grip of money. I was shocked and horrified and told her she simply couldn't do that!! She told me, "Yes, I can. I make sure my family is taken care of, first and foremost. If it isn't, I don't give. If it is, I give as I want and am able." Well... there ya go! ;) (Incidentally, she is a "put your money where your mouth is" kind of person. She believes deeply in helping anyone she can, any way she can, any where she can. But *not* at the expense of her family's needs being met. I have a LOT of respect for this woman, in case that wasn't obvious.)

Seat and lid down. Little kids, dog, OCD about germs being "coughed" all over the bathroom by open toilet flushing... :D

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I wonder if there is any chance she was trying to get rear ended? :glare: It happens where people will drive like that specifically to cause an accident where the "at fault" is almost guaranteed to be the other driver, then they collect insurance money. I'm sorry. What a lousy day. :grouphug:

We have never travelled for baseball tournaments but have done extensive travel for soccer tournaments. Generally, the girls are bunked 4 to a room and the chaperones (2-4) share a room. The rules are strict and the environment controlled, but as far as I know, it isn't a requirement. Now and again, a girl will stay elsewhere with her family, but IME with the 3 teams with which we have travelled, it is rare. Also, IME, not all parents/families attend travel tournaments. I know dh and I go when possible but we simply can't afford to go to every travel tournament. When the girls were younger, they roomed with parents and girls traveling without a parent were all roomed together. I think a variety of approaches are "normal" or "typical" and you should do what is right for you, your child, and your family. If you aren't given the autonomy by the Powers that Be on that team or in that club, it probably isn't the right fit for you. I am too much of a control freak to allow anyone else to tell me what my child can or can't do, in a sense of over-riding my comfort levels. (For example, a couple of years ago, my dd's entire soccer team spent the night at the house of one of the girls on the team. The mother went around and collected cell phones. My dd hid hers because I made it clear to her that she was to keep her phone on her at all times, no exceptions. I had no idea the mother was going to collect them. I told her in the future not to hide her phone but to inform the adult that she isn't allowed to hand over her phone and they should call me. Either she keeps her phone or I will come and get her. For me, it is a safety issue. If my child needs to reach me, s/he will be able to do so quickly, easily, and privately using the phone that *I* provide and pay for.)

Kind of creepy... (I have read quite a bit about the Benders and certainly would never have linked them with the Ingalls! :001_huh: )

My mother is an extremely manipulative person. But, she knows she is and refuses to stop. I had a blow up with her over it some 15 years ago (or more!) and she said, "How else am I supposed to get what I want?" :001_huh: I am hyper about being manipulated. I am so "afraid" of it that I see it where it may not actually be present, due to the level of manipulation with which I was brought up. ::sigh::

Our 4 y/o collects all the dirty laundry and helps empty the mini trash cans in the bedrooms and bathrooms every morning. She also helps straighten up the shoe mountain by the front door.

:grouphug: Praying and praying! :grouphug:

True true words. :grouphug: You know ya got me here for you!!!!!!! <3 <3 <3

I was raised to state what I want/need and then ask. "I need a babysitter for tonight. Are you available?" Or when calling, "This is Cindergretta. Is Gracie Lou Freebush available?" IOW, I was taught to always phrase things in such a way to give the other person a graceful out. I think I am the only who was taught that. :glare: No one I know does it. Everyone asks me if I am busy/what are you doing/etc. and my go to answer is always, "I have no idea! I need to check my schedule and with my dh. Why? What's up?" :grouphug: