Glad it went well. It is awesome when you get a team that gets these kids.

This stuff is SO frustrating. I went to ER last winter with my dd who needed stitches in her head. I mentioned in triage we would NEED versed if this was to be done. The ER doctor could be overheard in the hall saying that NO WAY was he going to sedate someone for stitches. Well, after he met her and saw that I was RIGHT, the NP came in and ask me "how can we make this SAFE for EVERYONE?" .....and we got the versed and dd let the NP stitch her up with no problems....but she banned the ER doctor from the room. Medical trauma is so real for these kids.

Is this for the lithium?

Thanks for all of these ideas. I have several that I can add to the list to send him over time.

I do appreciate all of these titles and ideas. For those who had read my blog you can see this is a complicated situation....to put it mildly. I am not a saint or any such thing. Just a now single mom trying to navigate this uncharted territory (there are no how to books for this) and do the best I can for my kids with the Lord as my Strength.

I don't know if I have read that particular book, but I do agree that some kids need some creative parenting.

If they enjoy hiking there is a lot of neat places. There is even a waterfall trail just outside of town. We found lots of good hiking just inside the Arkansas state line as well. Titanic was great but not sure younger kids would enjoy it

The above are my restrictions and based on the nature of his federal convictions.....aka crime convictions, not personal moral convictions 😀. Prison isn't as restrictive as I am. If I am sending it, I have to approve of it

I have to order them from Amazon, etc and have them shipped directly to the prison intake

For the most part yes.

Don't be so amazed. I am not feeling very gracious right now.

I don't have much trouble with lint. Then again, I am not super fussy either

Ok, my ex is in prison....for life. I am still his POA, etc as his parents and brother are deceased and our kids are all cognitively impaired. That said, I manage some money that is there for him for things he needs. The kids want to send a few books for Christmas. I need ideas that fit the following parameters No books that feature minors in them...an occasional mention is ok, but nothing even like Huck Finn where a minor is a main character. If a religious book, conservative Christian He enjoyed war/strategy things like Hunt for Red October, etc Nothing R rated Any ideas for me?

For a bed, we bought a foldable frame from Walmart. Super easy to put together and sturdy. The Tuft and Needle mattress has been a huge hit here with my 2 kids that I bought them for. We bought a box spring from Amazon that I have been very happy with as well.

For towels, my Kohl's Big One towels have held up well. Watch for their big sales. For kitchen rags/towels, I found that the 12 pack of wash cloths from Walmart work great

Air drying helps the elastic last longer.

My MIL bought me a new Honda Mini van before she passed away. At that time the new Subaru Ascent was not yet released so I couldn't even consider that. Now I see they are out and they look really appealing....esp. for Michigan winter driving and the 5000 pound tow capacity with AWD. Right now, I am more dreaming than anything, but would love to hear from someone who has bought an Ascent or looked at one but passed on it for one reason or another. I do often need seating for at least 5-6 adults since none of my kids (or their friends) drive so a smaller Subaru isn't going to work for me.

The lighthouse in our town is on the end of a pier....just a short walk from the beach/state park, and a very pleasant walk down the boardwalk to downtown. Not isolated at all....in fact there would be thousands of people nearby all summer.

Can we move around? Like live in the lighthouse for 2-4 weeks and then move to the cabin in the woods for a month or 2 followed by the forest fire observation home on top of a mountain in Montana? Then follow up with a few weeks on the beach, some time on a house boat, etc. I might even take a month in downtown in a big city.

My situation is a bit different as my ex is in prison for life for sex offenses involving minors. It is a tough rode and maybe hers is harder in some ways. One book that was the best one for me to read during the terrible mess as It's Not Fair: Learning to Love the Life You Didn't Chose by Melanie Dale. She is a Christian, as am I, but she doesn't sugar coat things but rather tells it like it is. I appreciated that. She might be missing him, as a person, but maybe more so, missing what she has lost....a husband to care for her and parent with her, a full time dad for her kids, a partner to do things socially with, etc.

I am finishing off my basement to be a space for my special needs young adult kids. It will have 2 bedrooms, a living room area, kitchenette (no stove), and a 3/4 bath. The flooring will be a medium oak tone luxury vinyl plank flooring. The cabinets and trim will be white as are the doors. Ceiling will be a drop ceiling with LED "can" type lights....I think. What are some good paint colors to look at? My daughter would like a blue tone for the bathroom but the rest of the rooms can all be the same color. There will be no natural light in the kitchen and bath areas, a small window in the living area and then an egress window in each of the bedrooms. Upstairs I have a nice yellow/tan color that changes greatly with the amount of sunlight. It can appear more tan or a nice sunny yellow depending on the lighting. I love that and we could match it (no idea what the original paint color name was) but I am open to other colors as well.

THIS is an important one. Something never covered in my family of origin.

Yes, do NOT feel guilty about getting nothing done. Recharge and relax. Enjoy the quiet and time to yourself.

If this is an order on line thing I say you as it sounds like he will need to try on any shoes ....and at that age/stage they often jump sizes and skip over a size...or two.

I can almost run my life off my phone...banking, appointments, emails, DHHS and Social Security for my kids, etc. I just wish I knew how to control the phone better for my young adults with special needs who are swept up into every major drama there is