Something very serious to consider.

:lol: oops.... elder dear son!

I should add that one of my son's regular sleepovers in elementary school was at this guy's house... http://www.amazon.com/Enter-Past-Tense-Secret-Assassin/dp/1597971871/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1294716293&sr=8-1 ... He did not look that scary at home. We always hung out and visited, his wife is a real sweetheart, always so kind to elder ds. His son came to our house often too. We were blown away when the book came out. We moved and lost touch.

Two sets of sheets per bed (winter and the rest of the year). Two-three towels per person. Boys do not reuse, per my request. Have 4-5 extra pillows plus a spare set of sheets for the child's room that becomes the guestroom in a hurry.

My boys are past planned sleepovers but had them at our house, and went to friends when they were younger. Up until about age 10, we knew the parents well. In middle school, I just had to trust my instinct. Now, it's more of a "hey, it's late, can I stay here, Ms. Cathie?", or elder dh will call and say "it's late, I'm staying at so and so's house". So far, it's mostly been just guys. Except for once, and the young lady slept in ds's room, he and the other guys got floors and couches. She was not the gf of any of the guys, not that it would have mattered, her parents didn't want her driving home in the storm.

Yes, if there is real snow to actually go outside and have a snowball fight with. In all likely hood, it would be a short day, some snow play, some school work. Too hard in high school to take many days off.

I have one of those holes.... no problems leaving it unplugged. It's a Hamilton Beach.

I've had that happen on here too :)

The Patriot Guard does a good job at providing a barrier for families during funerals. I'm betting they will show up in full force.

That's not a terribly long drive. One long day, or two short ones. Just gas, food and hotel if stopping. 16 hours with stops.

We did it almost 30 years ago.... but it wasn't usually planned. People would be hanging out at one house, and the next thing you knew, it was late. Host parents would say "just stay here", and we'd call our parents to let them know. No coupling happened, usually it was a bunch of "just friends" anyways.

:lol: Great ending to your story!

Last cycle was shortly before my 35th birthday.... I'm now 45.

Drives me crazy when people don't send thank you notes. This should be done regardless of whether or not the gift was opened in front of the giver.

:iagree:Yep, and just when you think it's getting better, the pain returns.

:grouphug: Words can't express my sympathy for you right now. Just sending lots of hugs. Cathie

We attend a United Methodist Church. The children stay for the whole service. In our previous church, also UMC, they (4 y.o. to 2nd grade) left during the sermon for Childrens Church (not Sunday School, that is held at the same time as adult SS) and came back at the end of the sermon. Childrens Church was a lesson at their level.

Continue school until I have my masters. Go back to work so we can have more travel money, and save more for retirement, which would enable dh to retire earlier.

:grouphug: Prayers out to you and your family.

:iagree:I grew up in a church that was LCA, and then ELCA. We were taught the Bible is God's Word, not a bunch of stories. Not all are to be taken literally, though, some are metaphors, symbolic, parables (even in the OT).

A sad thing I've seen all too often.

I think that would have given me a head full of gray hairs! So glad he is okay.

A sick day would not count as one of our 180 days. I build in 2-3 sick days per semester (so each is 92-93 days). If we go over, then days will be added to the semester. Usually, we don't use them, and we do extra days of school, which are usually needed at the high school level anyways.

Hugs and prayers to all, these children will need so much, as some of them witnessed it, according to the news (we live in this town). For the parents of your cousin, I do believe there is a support group for parents of people who do these horrible things, as these parents need support too.

It is perfectly reasonable to have an adults only party. BUT you must give them more time than from Christmas to New Years Eve to find babysitters. Good babysitters are booked in November for New Years Eve. And they get paid extra on NYE, simply because they are in demand.