Can you lay down with her until she falls asleep in her room? Then you move to your room. That way you aren't having to move her after she falls asleep. If you fall asleep, then just move yourself to wherever. :) This may help her feel safer.

Probably nothing you haven't already thought of...grits, oatmeal (throw ins of dried fruit), other types of nut butters (if other nuts aren't a problem). I'm not precisely sure what type of kitchen situation you have, but if I had nothing but a cooking source and water, I would probably buy dehydrated eggs and cook them, making egg sandwiches. Also, depending on the circumstances, i wouldn't be totally invested in the food being breakfast items.

Another poster's post reminded me of a few more things. My daughter will turn 11 in 2 months. She had a recent weight jump and is now 55 lbs. I forget her height, but it's below 0% as well. However, her hair is not falling out (which apparently would happen if you became too small), she is physically active (soccer, cheerleading, karate, etc) and smart. (Apparently there is more brain fog when weight becomes too low). Shei s healthy, just small. Our doc ordered some bone tests and she tests approximately 2 yrs younger than her physial age. Our only big concern (which isn't that big) is that her bones are a bit weak and she takes calcium daily.

If you're worried about her weight, take her to see a gastroenterologist. They deal with a lot of weight issues and can double-check to make sure she's doing well. My daughter is no longer on the growth chart but is otherwise healthy and bright. They have checked for numerous things but have concluded that she's just small.

I've decided to not join the group I was thinking about. It occurred to me while reading that it's not a good idea for many reasons. In particular, I want my children to have like-minded friends. Thank you for all the thoughtful comments. I'll keep searching.

Would it be possible to pay extra for her to have a private room?

My husband is absolutely brilliant. When he started middle school he started getting into trouble and hanging with the wrong kids. He says he did it since he was bored. He was expelled from every public and private school his parents could get him into. This was quite an accomplishment since his parents were divorced/remarried (in different districts) and his grandparents also tried their districts. They are well-off so private schools were no problem, he just deliberately did things to get himself kicked out. They sent him to military school. He honestly had trouble forgiving them for it, but agrees that if he had been left to public school he would probably be in jail. Currently, he has a great relationship with all of his family, so cheer up - they grow up eventually. :) It's one of the reasons he insists that we homeschool at least during the middle school years. In your shoes (and it sounds harsh), I'd tell her to go to the gifted school and do well or you will place her in military school where she has to earn her fun time and the school work won't be nearly as exciting. I'm sorry. :(

You may want to bring that up with your pediatrician just in case there's something else going on. You have my sympathy. My oldest didn't potty train until she was either eight or nine, I've forgotten. I absolutely stalked wal-mart during their mark-down end of season stuff. I would buy multiple pairs of things for the next year to make it easier.

I live in a small town and feel your pain. :) If you know anyone who is a patient for any of the other doctors and REALLY knows them (socially or sees them a lot), ask them if they can talk to the doctor for you. (That also works for specialists). They may say they are full, but at this point, it just means they can be selective about who they will treat.

Yes, this is about what we use at home. And I may have my terms mixed up. When I say cover school, I mean cover church. We have to have a "cover" to homeschool. I will be teaching ALL academics at home (including health) but might use the co-op for classes such as art or music (my girls love both and would want to double up in those areas from what we do at home). I want to join a larger cover group for the activities (sports, clubs, extra-curriculars) and friendships for my kids.

I can sympathize. My girls were all asked to be bridesmaids at a relative's wedding (in my husband's side). We were delighted because they included the request to my oldest (who is disabled) and another child they were related to (also disabled). We practiced with our oldest (and the school practiced as well) on tossing rose petals and standing still. An hour before the wedding, the bride requested that my oldest and the other disabled child not be in the wedding. She said they could still wear their dresses to the wedding (since we had already bought them) and they could be in pictures, but not in the actual wedding. I almost pulled my other two out but my mother in law was about hysterical at the thought. I was pleasant and sociable and we left as quickly as possible. And yes, they were completely drunk throughout the entire wedding and acted like trash. They also had a huge expensive wedding without a thank you to anyone. Sorry. If you don't want to do it, tell her you can't. If you do, put on your pleasant face. ETA - Oh, and since it's a destination type wedding, pack plenty of food for yourselves. Even with a big fancy wedding, there was not enough food. Don't assume that they will provide or do anything for you or say thanks. And I agree about the purple shoes and extra parties. ;)

We don't have as rough a time as you, but when I first started cooking gluten free it was very difficult for me. What I ended up doing was making note cards of the recipes we could ALL eat (or if small modifications were needed for one person). I shopped daily and made sure I had that meal ready. Then I worked on the next day. I literally could only survive one day at a time at first, it was so overwhelming. Eventually, I have a week's worth of meals and that's all we ate for about a month. Once I realized that nobody would starve to death, I started branching out and experimenting. BIG IMPORTANT - If you decide to experiment on a new recipe, start early and have a back up for dinner. :) It will get easier. Just do one day at a time.

To clarify - I'm not sure that we'll be doing many, if any, co-op classes other than recreationals (art comes to mind). I anticipate that we will participate in many of their extra-curricular (soccer, book clubs, american girl, etc). They are fairly relaxed on curriculum but insist that Health be Christian based. The clarification was that it not discuss homosexuality. The curriculum must be approved which is how the subject came up. I can use an approved health curriculum without problem. But our belief on the subject is already set because we have had to already address it. But, if that is something they are focused on, I don't know how we will fit in. I can't imagine that homeschool kids discuss being gay, but should the subject come up in an activity, my middle daughter will absolutely tell them that being gay is not a big deal, it's just how some people choose to live their life. (She's my outspoken child). She would not correct an adult but she would a child. I'm not sure if the homeschool group would rather the topic not be discussed or if they are firmly against it. Our current homeschool group is only a cover church, so my kids do not do things with other homeschool kids. I'm not really sure what to expect from a cover church with lots of activities.

Updating in post #29. I have decided to go ahead and not join this particular homechool group. I could understand their advocating a health curriculum that taught abstinence, etc but their focus on this particular topic makes me think it's a BIG deal to this group. I'll keep searching... I do not want to be controversial. I am not asking if homosexuality is right or wrong. I am asking what you would do in this situation. We want to change cover schools to one that has move activities for our kids. I found a great one. I have a relative who homeschools who joined and a good friend who also is a member. I agree with every single bit of it except that they take a stance that kids should only have a Christian based health curriculum. When I asked for clarification, they stated that children should not have a curriculum that teaches about homosexuality. We not only have a relative who is gay, my in-laws' next door neighbor is a gay couple. When they are visiting her, MIL takes them over quite a bit (since they are good friends) to see their fish tank, play with their dog, etc while she visits. I don't have a problem using a Christian health curriculum, but I'm not going to teach my kids that homosexuality is wrong. Should I bother trying to explain my position to the homeschool group I want to join or just look elsewhere? In the grand scheme of things, does it really matter if they know or would I be a hypocrite for not being up-front? Editing to clarify - we have to use a "cover" school/church to homeschool. I will be teaching ALL academics at home. The cover church is for social purposes and clubs. They have to approve the curriculum and are very flexible except they state that the Health curriculum must be Christian based and NOT discuss h0mos$xuality.

Okay, I have a few more questions if anyone has a moment. :) Do I need to buy separate tips for each of my kids? Can I use this to brush and floss at the same time? If she bites down on these tips, will they break or bend? Is the hose long enough or can you get a longer one? How do you add stuff to the water? Thanks :)

Pegasus, thanks for the kind words. :) I've worked really hard (and closely with her dentist). We don't use an electric toothbrush with her. We have tried and she keeps biting down on it. I'm not sure if it's her mouth sensitivity (due to her autism) or whether time will gradually help her adjust. I'm hoping the waterpik will look like fun and encourage my other girls to be better at brushing/flossing. (One dd has no cavities, my other has had a few but has a medical condition that will increase cavities). I'll keep in mind to watch her gums when I start out. Hillfarm, I just looked into airfloss. I do like it, but I'm worried that it might be too strong for dd right now. I'll take another look before I order anything so thanks for the suggestion. black_midori - Thanks! I wasn't sure what the things were called so couldn't even google. They are pricey but if it looks like I need one, my in-laws would probably help out. We have the only grand-kids and they are VERY kind to us and try to help when they see a need.

That's true. I hadn't thought about it in that way. I'll try that out. Thanks!

Thank you for sharing your experience with it. :) All the best to you and your family.

I'm looking for any/all suggestions to help with my oldest daughter's dental health. She has autism and is non-verbal. She's considered severely impaired and cannot understand spoken direction. If she is shown what to do, she is typically compliant as much as she can. She breathes through her mouth and has a horrible overbite. Our dentist had suggested an ortho and we located one who would work with us. She had her first cavity this past visit and our dentist was concerned that her mouth breathing had started causing problems in her oral health. Currently, we floss twice a day and brush twice a day with baby toothpaste. (She doesn't know how to spit so we can't use fluoride). After brushing, we use gauze to sponge on a child's fluoride rinse. Because her gums are so inflamed (from her mouth being open), we use a dry mouth product (biotene gel) at night (and occasionally during the day) rubbed on her front teeth and gums. We are going to try placing four brackets on her front teeth later this summer. We aren't sure how she will do with braces, but if they go well, we will try placing more. Apparently some teeth are descending through the top of her mouth and we're trying to guide them where they should be. She just had three baby teeth pulled to make room and we'll be removing her tonsils/adenoids in another month to help with mouth breathing. She has other personal care needs for skin problems, recurring eye infections, etc. I'm trying to make her daily "spa" time :) a little easier on me. Would a waterpik make things easier? I have a lot of trouble getting her mouth open enough to get to her back teeth. She doesn't fight, but she doesn't seem to be able to open it that much. So, waterpik? How does it work? (Since she can't spit) Is it worth it? I'd love to get something to suction water from her mouth so I wouldn't have to towel off her teeth as I go along but I'm not sure they sell something like that for home use.

This may not help, however, when my grandfather (who passed away two years ago) was looking for a home, his three kids purchased it together and had it put into their name. (He paid for it, but put it in their name). He was given life estate which gave him the right to use it as long as he lived. Buying it and putting your name on the deed and her name for life estate would insure that you receive it back when she dies. Since it is not an asset, it would not be listed as property that could be seized if she owes debt when she passes away (medical bills, nursing home, etc). That doesn't help with your sister, however. Sorry :( I would start planning that your sister will probably not help in any way.

Thank you all! That's what we will do as well.

My two girls were invited to the birthday party of a friend of ours who has three girls. Two girls have a birthday this week and one will have a birthday in two weeks. (Interestingly, the mom has the same birthday as one of the girls this week as well). Should my girls each get a gift for each of the two girls? (Making four gifts) or just one from both of them to each girl? (Making two gifts) We can afford to do four, but I'm worried that when it comes time to invite them to our birthday parties, she'll feel obligated to send three from her family (since she has three kids and all three will be invited). She is not as financially well off as we are and I don't want her to feel awkward.

I love Ed Emberley's books and purchased several for my kids. They are simple and consist of drawing various shapes and then adding the details. My 7 yr old uses them quite well and my other daughters enjoy them. I believe I purchased some on amazon and they might show you how the inside of the books are laid out. It shows a progression for step by step drawings. We have the book of weirdo's and I think we also have one of monsters. (We have others, but I know the two above would appeal to a little boy).

I wouldn't correct her unless you ask her if the two of you can support each other in trying to correct each other's grammar and spelling. My best friend will correct my pronounciation and I always send important letters to her to check for many things. I do not consider myself well-educated in this particular area and I'm open to correction. I would be embarrassed if correctly openly, but she's private and discreet in her corrections. She did ask if I minded if she corrected me on things prior to starting to do so.

Prior to our move here, we have always lived in apartments. I know that their prices are not set in stone so it couldn't hurt to haggle a bit with houses. I would try to offer something in exchange. For us, my husband would do repair their computers at a set rate off our rent. There were some months when we had zero rent to pay which was wonderful. He would ask if we could "stack up" our 'barter dollars' and have no rent for December/January. The good old days of being absolutely broke....lol