Well nobody else buys for my kids except us so there is no chance of doubling up on gifts. I take mental notes of my kids requests during the year and the ones they stick with over many months are the ones they get for Christmas. This year they all want the same thing... Legos, Shopkins and Skylanders/New Skylander game. The Legos and Skylanders they get every year and never tire of...Shopkins is new but they have played with the small amount they have everyday for the last few months so I know they won't change their minds. I keep all receipts in case of clothing that doesn't fit or the occasional double up of Skylander character because they have so many I have no idea what they already have. Anything randomly added onto the wish list after December 1st is ignored because whim gifts never get played with here. I tend to just stick with the tried and true... I don't buy big gifts for my kids in between Christmas and birthdays so generally anything that catches their eye in January is still very much wanted and not obtained by those times. I don't buy gifts for anyone but my kids because we have no family close so I don't have to worry about that. I don't buy gifts for DH because he does what you mentioned....says he really wants something and doesnt use it or gets it himself before the day. Now He only gets clothes from me which is something he never buys for himself. This year my kids are getting DD9.... Shopkins, Lego, Skylander characters, a wolf stuffie, clothes and swimmers for our vacation and maybe a desk for her room DS8... Shopkins, Lego, Skylander characters, clothes, swimmers and maybe a Lego table to share with DS6 DS6 ( my toy lover)...Same as siblings plus Imaginext Dino Fortress and two dinosaurs he has been wanting forever, Imaginext Batman toys to go with his Bat Cave, a kittie stuffie Santa is bringing the new Skylander game for them to share

Does Pink have Shopkins. My kids LOVE those things and they don't take up much space. My Ds 8 has never played much with toys. He does proclaim to love Lego but he does the same ..builds it once and doesnt touch it again. I buy him Lego sets anyway otherwise I would not know what to get him lol. Luckily my DS6 LOVES toys and plays with his own and any discarded ones from the older ones so they never go to waste. He always has a list a mile long and tells me in no uncertain terms what he does and doesnt want ( usually the whole toy store lol). All I can say is thankyou to whoever created Skylanders. My kids Number 1 interest. Without those figures my kids would be presentless every year. I hope they never stop bring out new versions LOL.

Yes I have mostly, just some laybys now to finish paying off but I count those as done as they are already selected. DH has been unemployed for the last 6 months so I had to start really early to make sure we had things by getting something every paycheck. Could not afford one big shopping spree like I usually do.

He wasn't even using condoms. He said the medication stopped it being passed on. I don't know if thats true these days with better medications available but I have a HIV+ friend contracted from a blood transfusion before screening became available and he was told to use them all the time. The guy is just scuzz.

I can't stand this guy so no sympathy from me. Kharma came back and bit him in the butt. His ex girlfriends have said he never told them and these were supposed to be serious relationships. My guess is the only reason he came clean was because of the money. If no one was black mailing him he would have just continued not telling anyone he slept with. So I am glad he was blackmailed...helped keep him from infecting some unknowing person.

All three of my kids want the same things this year. Some will be share gifts like video games and some will be individual even though they want the same thing IE Lego..they all get individual sets which they end up sharing and Shopkins they all get a different playset which again they will pool and end up sharing. For opening shared gifts I let them choose...they can nominate someone to open it or they can all grab a corner and rip which is what they usually do. Has never caused any problems. Even with different genders my kids have always shared their toys anyway and been pretty unconcerned about who owns what except for some particulary special lovey type toys. Santa gift this year is shared and it will be labelled to all three of them and will be a joint opening I am sure LOL.

DD9 a writer. ( This is my dysgraphic child who melts down if she has to write more then two sentences) DS8 wants to work at Kmart and be a Dad ( my gifted child ) DS6 a firefighter and a pet store owner that only sells cats

I am sad she is being discontinued. She is the only AG my DD has or will probably get and now we can't get her stuff...what a bummer.

I think this essay should be retitled..."Homeschooling Fallacies and Stereotypes 101". It made me smile for the day lol

Kinetic Sand is a huge hit here....along with that stretchy dough that never dries out. My kids are crazy over Shopkins this year...even the boys.. Duplo..my older kids still play with this daily even thought they also have regular Lego. It builds faster and bigger and they love to make houses for their figurines. Skylander figures...we have been collecting them for years now and have eleventy billion. My kids never tire of them. They spend more time playing with them off the Wii then they do on. Their most loved toy and features on every birthday and Christmas list and still make their eyes light up like nothing else. Imaginext toys Stuffed toys...actually in our house ..stuffed dogs and cats ( especially cats) My Little Pony Matchbox cars Littlest Pet Shops

I've always thought this about most religeous people compared to atheists...not just children. I know so many religeous people who do things for others because they are "supposed to" and then act all matyr about it. I've always thought those who do nice things for others because they want to and don't expect a reward for it to be way more altruistic.

Except we don't have that either here...We move every couple of years and not one of our wards/branches have ever held it. My Current branch has held ONE activity since my DD turned 8 and she is 9.5 now and it was something based on reading the scriptures. They get enough of that on Sunday...the kids want to do something fun and active...not sit around reading more scriptures. Anyway I signed my DD up for the local Girl Guides also attended by a few homeschooling girls in the area and DD LOVES it...the leaders are wonderful ..of course the only downside is they hold a lot of activities on Sundays which DD had to miss...but she is happy enough with just the weekly meetings. Then my boys got jealous because DD had something fun to go to and they didn't. I wouldn't even mind if my boys just played basketball every week at the church...at least it would be something.

Thankyou. I will look into it. I am not opposed to my kids going to other church denomination activities but my DH does ( sigh).

As a born out of wedlock child ( before my mum joined the church) and then growing up in the LDS church with a single parent I was always accutely aware of being different. We were never able to be sealed but had to sit through countless lessons on how being sealed is the only way to make it to heaven with your family. We were never invited to peoples places for dinner unless the other person was also a single parent because Oh my gosh what if my mum steals the husband and we were never allowed the missionaries over for dinner in case Oh my gosh what if my mum has inappropriate relations with them. We had no Dad so my brothers missed out on the father and son camps because no one would take them ...same as Scouts.. same as everything really. If you aren't the right type of LDS family then you don't ever really fit in.

I have to agree with this. What happens on the other end...if your child is gay do you have to kick them out of home at 18 and never let them come back...I could never do that. I know plenty of LDS parents with gay children...I wouldn't want to be them right now. And it doesn't matter what kind of compassionate spin the church puts as an explanation...there are plenty of fundamentalist LDS people who will use this as an excuse to shun thier kids or parents in public ...to give support that it is ok to treat your family members this way. It isn't.

No they decided to stay in the BSA because they were allowed to choose leaders in accordance with their standards ie. not gay. I was actually disaapointed as the church was saying they were going to introduce their own program for boys. Here in Australia there are no church run scout groups and was I hoping my boys would finally get a program to participate in...nope. I enrolled them in the local non-church Scout group the next day..If they get a gay Scout leader..I am fine with it. I just get tired of the USA being the only ones considered in this supposed world wide church.

I'm LDS and this is the first I heard of it.. I can get on board with declaring same sex marriage as apostasy as it is contrary to the churches teachings...but to punish the children...I won't ever accept that...it's not right. And disavowing your parents to get baptised...no way..no matter what my parents did/do I would never disavow them to become LDS. My parents make their own choices that have nothing to do with me..I won't stop loving them. I can see it coming...parents will soon be asked to disown thier children for being gay. I WOULD NEVER reject my children for the church...it isnt in me...I couldn't do it. I am temple married and endowed and if that day comes where I was asked to reject my kids for something they did I would happliy leave.

Have to hem DDs costume and make a leopard tail, Then have to sew some velcro on Supermans shoulders for his cape to attach because apparently Superman hates being choked around his neck Then DS2 needs his Ninja pants hemmed up so he doesnt fall on his face doing Ninja stunts Oh and DS2 just asked me to sew a Ninja outfit for his stuffed puppy ...LOL... so not happening.. Halloween is tomorrow here and its already 9.30... just got the kids in bed so time to get it done...although I would rather not.. I detest making costumes

Nothing very original here DD will be a leopard, DS1 wil be Superman, and DS2 will be an ( awesome) Ninja

I agree with Deee..I feel safer with our venemous animals then I did in the USA knowing people can carry guns in their pockets and bags. It gave me the panics at the LA airport seeing the heavily armed guards..we never see that here, even in our airports the security don't have weapons out so visibly(Unless maybe Sydney, I've never used that airport). I think I have a better chance against something I can kill with a shovel or squish with my shoe then some crazy person with a semi automatic weapon.

In my experience, no. I have a brother like this and honestly even when they are telling the truth you can never fully trust that they are. In my family we always say " Well " brother" said this..but you know what he is like...so we will see if it is true or not". He's been like that since his 20's and he is close to 40 now. It's like he started out lying when he was into drugs and in trouble with police and everyone else you can think of and then even when he eventually straightened his life out he still has to lie about everything because his past keeps coming back to bite him in the butt. It is really embarrassing when your brother is giving you a ride in the car and you get pulled over by the police and discover your brother has no licence... especially when it's the middle of the night, you have three sleeping kids in the car and you have to call someone to get you because you can't drive a manual car. I guess I was the stupid one...I know what he is like... I should have asked outright if he had a licence instead of assuming he did becuase he was driving everywhere. Once they get tangled up in lies it's very hard to stop lying because you have to keep lying about the lies. It has alienated his family, my other brother and wife don't talk to him. My mum and I do..he's actually a good guy, but we know we can't believe a word he says. I would never leave my kids with him...and he knows it. Not that he is irresponsible with them but there has to be a certain level of trust there and there definately isn't.

My DH has a snake story too...must be because they are both Canadian..they lack natural Aussie survival instincts. And the story probably goes something like... (true version) I saw a snake sunning itself on the road ...(DH version) all of sudden this snake just leapt out of nowhere and started chasing me down the road... to which I always reply... I think you're confusing our snakes with your bears again luvvy... LOL

I guess I should watch that show...I don't know what half those things are and apparently they live in my suburb LOL. No need to be afraid of those things...just don't touch them. There is really only one rule you need to teach kids in Australia .... watch where you put your feet and hands...that about covers everything .... Nothings going to bite you if you don't touch it... And don't discount those Magpies...my mum who was visiting from the USA got hit in the head by one the other week. I told her it was because she'd lost her natural Aussie survival instincts.. My kids and I walk under those same trees all the time and never get bombed.. cause we know how to use body language to frighten them off LOL. Keep a respectful distance from the wildlife and you won't have a problem.

Oh goodness no.. My kids hate schoolwork as it is. They would think it was a joke at first and then when they realised it wasn't the tears would start... especially from the 6 yo who,LOVES his toys. They would rather go to school if it meant they could get toys for Christmas. My kids think of homeschooling as something mum makes them do...they most likely wouldn't choose it if they had a choice... so I doubt they think of it as a 'gift and a priveledge...LOL. But maybe your kids like school and would be alright with it..I dunno...I don't usually get my kids things I was going to get anyway.

All three of my kids used a walker from 5 months of age...all three were walking independently by 8-9 months. It doesn't hinder regular development if used spareingly. To OP I would have her evaluated... the falling over is not right. I knew a 1 yo who was walking but would suddenly fall like that... straight on his face with knees locked....he was diagnosed with major issues. I once also knew a 4 yo who wasn't walking...it was odd ( in a sweet way) to see her crawling around at playgroup. LOL.. I only laugh because there was nothing actually wrong with her...she just lacked the confidence. She walked like a normal 4 yo holding peoples hands but if you let go she dropped to her knees and crawled. She had been evaluated of course...which gave her mother enough peace of mind to roll her eyes and smile as she crawled around with the babies lol. Evaluation is good idea whatever the outcome.