Oo, I actually did stuff today! 3 loads of laundry -- done - 3 more to do vacuumed house dusted dining room shelf with clutter (dusted clutter) dusted living room took shower tidied some clothes in bedroom tidy some more clothes in bedroom get rid of clutter in bedroom made dinner loaded dishwasher

Me too. When I started this thread I looked like a witch and my house was OK, but not really presentable (no filth or catpoo or anything, but messy--always piles of laundry, maybe the dishes crumbs still there, the dishes still in the sink). So not presentable at all. After reading all the answers, I also wondered why I couldn't. So I started fixing things, little by little. Not anywhere near presentable, but not 'end of the world' anymore. My goal is to get into a routine that gets me and the house presentable all the time. What I've found is, get one thing good and keep it that way. For example, if the family room has one way it looks good, just don't put anything else in it. Or, with me, don't wear pajamas after a shower, but put on regular clothes. It's hard because I tend to ruin clothes when I am cleaning so I tend to put on more ratty clothes to just be in the house, because they will get messy and I would have to change two or three times by the end of the day. Anyway, knowing so many moms do manage to keep it together has inspired me--so thank you!!!! (It feels nicer living in a tidier house--less stress and I am less grumpy.)

i love this.

RS is not a substitute for a real class, but it definitely gives you more confidence, which might make you have an easier time in class. I wouldn't skip a real class, or expect an equivalent proficiency from taking Levels 1-5 to taking High School Levels 1-5, but I would definitely use them as part of an overall language learning experience.

I don't even know who he is. And too lazy to google him. But since you guys don't like him, it might make you feel happy that some people don't know who he is. I'll google fun stuff...like kitten heel...

Would you actually consider getting rid of the horses? I get the impression you might be a softie and she knows there will be no consequence for this attitude. Getting up early is not unreasonable if you want to keep your horse. Showering twice a day is not unreasonable if you want to keep your horse. My DS showers twice a day regardless. Also, if it's hot, what's the big deal if you shower twice a day? Here is what I think: do not get rid of the horses. But DO enforce riding Monday through Friday. Don't say : If you don't do this, we'll get rid of the horses. She knows you won't do it. So the only solution is to make her ride the horse regardless. You'll have to get her up in the morning to do it. Set the alarm, wake her up, and tell her to do it. Do it every day. Unfortunately, that's the only thing to do with teens sometimes.

I have pale yellow in my kitchen too. All my trim is white. Now, my cabinets are oak and my floor is off white vinyl. So my only colors in the kitchen are the pale yellow and the white, with oak cabinets and off white vinyl. I don't know how white trim would look with your happy color scheme. I now want new yellow towels!

No riding, no horse. She doesn't have to ride it between noon and 3 PM when it's really hot. She could ride a couple hours at sunrise or sunset, every day. I think requiring something twice or three times a week is actually harder than requiring it Monday through Friday. Because you get lazy in the in-between days. If you do it Monday through Friday, you get into a rhythm and it becomes a habit that you start liking. I would require riding Monday through Friday, in the early morning or at sunset, so it's not as hot. Your daughter can take a nap in the middle of the day if she needs to get up super early for her cooler-weather ride.

Fill it in anyway. If they are such nice neighbors why would you let them make fools of themselves like that? But do it at night.

Please don't report the cats! I do think they should be kept in CN's own house though. I hate to see kitties taken away. There are few no-kill shelters around, and the old ones are the first to go. How about motion-sensor sprinklers? That should fix both the lady and the cats!!!

While I think the neighbor is horrible, I don't think OP should complain to the city about the 15 cats. I do think the neighbor should keep her cats indoors and off OP's property. But please don't complain about the kitties! I am a cat lover (not hoarder--mine are pampered beyond belief!) I would hate to see the kitties taken away from the lady, even though I think she is horrible!!!

Finish the laundry (3 2 more loads). Vacuum the whole house, upstairs and downstairs. Oh--empty the vacuum canister first. Find book I lost which DS needs. FOUND IT Take recyclables out. Clean the entry. Vacuum the basement. Make list of grocery shopping. Make dinner (leftovers from yesterday). Put books on new shelf. HALF DONE.

I think it's a bad idea. I am obese and I think a lot of the reason is I think food is a happy, reward-type thing, instead of sustenance. I struggle every day with this. This is how my mind works: I am stressed out = I deserve a croissant. I did something good = I deserve an ice cream. DS did something super = I get ice cream. We finished school for the year = we go out for more ice cream. Granted, not all the ice cream is on the same day. But the mentality of reward with food is there. I know, I know--there is moderation in everything, and my struggle is more with moderation than with the reward-system. But on days where I detach consumption of food from daily life, those are different, calmer days. Those days have helped me lose 20+ pounds. But I still struggle. And I think it comes from a lifetime of seeing food as a reward. Please don't flame me and tell me I should have moderation! Of course I see nothing wrong with a family celebrating with ice cream, etc. I do try--and the OP did ask.

If your student has put in 4 credits' worth in hours, but has only covered 2 years' worth of high school credits, I would list what you proposed in your OP and give 0.5 credits for each course. If your student has covered between 3 and 4 years' worth of high school credits, and has 4 credits' worth in hours, I would list them as Japanese 1, 2, 3, 4, and give 1.0 credits for each course. Have your student take a practice Subject Test in Japanese and a practice AP Test in Japanese. See what happens. If your child does well in either, I would give the 1.0 credits for each course and call them Japanese 1,2,3,4. The subject tests in Spanish, French, and Latin really need 4 years' worth of real studying to do well in them. I will assume it's the same for Japanese. And if your child does well on the AP Japanese test, then it's clearly 4 years' worth of courses and you should award 4 credits for the work done.

It is my experience that women who say these things tend to be gorgeous sans makeup--you all know the type! Grrr.... With my face and body type, though, no makeup and shapeless clothes = I look like something the cat dragged in! Without artificial enhancements, I look like Uncle Fester! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Fester

Dude! How come I didn't get an email? How do I get on this email list? I don't do facebook.

wait--I just re-read your OP. You say "it's not equivalent to what I did over 4 years in Spanish." When I first read it, I assumed you meant your child did more. Did your child do less? Sorry--I need clarification. If I'm wrong, disregard my previous post.

nm

No one is upset at them being friends. Everyone is upset that he needs to hang out with younger kids--not a big group of multi-age people at a party--but only younger ones, at a sleepover. And more people are upset at the admitted fascination. And the dad is getting bad vibes from this person. It's not merely socially inappropriate. It's red flags. Of course you can have friends who are different ages than you if you're a kid. But an adult shouldn't be fascinated with a kid or invite himself to the kid's sleepovers. These are social boundaries that shouldn't be crossed. Unless he is a favorite relative, older cousin, uncle, or someone in a mentor-type role whose presence is greatly enjoyed by the teens, it's too odd.

I wish...

You (both) sound quite nice and forgiving! If that were my situation, my tendency would have been to ignore the day but that would be pretty mean, I guess...

Put a picture of you with the weight loss. Why wouldn't you be able to do it? They look like your normal hair, but with giant bangs.

This. is. horrible. I cannot imagine. I hate her words that she "let you get away with" no alone time with her. WTH? I am sorry you had to deal with such an idiot. I guess she means well. ????? Maybe. What a moron. The poor kid has no business having a conversation like that. I shudder to think of all the meek submissive parents who let their young Aspergers kids go through this kind of questioning and have goodness knows what psychological harm done to them. She frankly sounds like a perv. Since when do doctors mandate alone time with Aspie kids to ask them if someone touched their privates??? And threaten the parent that next time they will require it??? Did she think you would kowtow and submit your child to this? Man.

I had a really intrusive psycho pediatrician when DS was 4 months old. She advised me to stop b-feeding every 4 hours because he was so big. She also said I shouldn't hold him or rock him when he cried because he would be spoiled. B-milk was all he ate--it's not like I was giving him doughnuts! I ignored her. Why do some pediatricians think they have to tell us how to parent? If I wanted advice, I would ask.

When I first started reading your post, I thought it was rude for your guys to plan something in the hearing of another poor teen who would feel left out. I felt it was unfortunate but fair-ish that the poor teen spoke up and said "hey I'll come along too!" -- I was picturing a socially unskilled but happy young teen. Then you said he was 23. I'm with your DH now. Just forget about the whole thing. 23-year-olds have no business feeling like they belong with little groups of 16-year olds. OK, now that I see what I wrote it sounds so mean! But when MY DS is 23, he better not be hanging around 16-year olds, unless he is a camp counselor or something!