I am making progress even if the after (not final after but more mid project) looks worse than the before. Today was $17 worth of pop cans returned. 5+ totes of donations to the church thrift store, 1 box of food donated to the food pantry, one huge box of books going to my friend's Little Library in her rural community, and one smaller box of books to my "grandson". Also gone are 4 large jump blocks to a local horse trainer, 2 boxes of burnable papers, and tomorrow 2 boosters and one life jacket are being picked up. 8am the electric company is coming to pick up an unused freezer. Progress.

That is a very good point. It needs to be realistically useable.

Thanks. I did locate one FB group for the area. It is more informational than discussion but will give me an idea. I have looked at several church websites and found one that looks to be a good fit.....Baptist that is a mix of traditional and contemporary with a huge community service focus. Positives is that a friend of mine attended there when she was up visiting her in-laws cottage and she said it was good. I need to make some phone calls to police, some social services agencies, etc. As well as the director of special Olympics. I have stayed at a cottage in the area a few times so am getting a feel for the area. I hope to go visit the church in a few weeks when my kids go to camp up near there. If I can work it out I will even try out the bus system. Everything sounds great.....except isnis 2 hours from our current location. My kids haven't moved areas their entire lives for the youngest 2 and since yesterday was 7 for the oldest.

I would suggest good heart to heart talks about inappropriate searches/usage with your kids and not just rely on external controls (although those are helpful as well). You can always have them turn in all electronics at 9 or 10 each night and have them charge in your bedroom. I had one that managed to access the neighbors wifi even though we are rural.

I am seriously considering relocating. Right now I am.about 10-12 miles from our town of 10,800. The county though has 237,000 people in it so while I am more rural, there are several city/town options. The area I am seriously considering has a similar population of about 10,500 but is in a county of only 32,000......so the city of 10,500 is the biggest thing around. Bug reasons I am considering it are that housing prices and taxes are lower, they have great access to medical and dental services and even mental health, great recreation opportunities, and best of all is that there is a county wide door to door on demand bus that would take my special needs kids pretty much anywhere they wanted to go for $1.50/ride school year and $18/month unlimited in the summer. That means my kids could get to/from a part time job, get to special Olympics practices, recreation center, Walmart, downtown, movies, etc all on their own. It would give them a lot more freedom as right now they need me to drive them.anywhere and everywhere. If you have moved to a new area, how did you research it to see if it was a good fit? Thinking special needs services, crime rate, general atmosphere, churches, neighborhoods, possible housing for them, etc. This move would take me 2 hours away from my current area but I think I could easily find a job (another thing to research) as I substitute teach, esp special Ed and those are almost always on high demand. Any cautions? Things you wish you had checked out first? Taxes, zoning, utility rates, etc.

I actually have a friend coming to help me in 10 minutes. I am working on major dejunking here. I will likely be selling my house in 6-12 months and life is taking a major change so I want to reduce as much as I can. We are actually having a garage sale in 2 -3 weeks as well as I have horse barn stuff, estate stuff plus my own stuff. It helps motivate the kids as mine LOVE garage sales.

My brother with health issues has a couch with dual recliners. He loves it and the ability to adjust it is great. His is one you can comfortably lay down on as well.

We have that in the family. My son was a great uncle before 30 as his bio sister's daughter had a baby. Me, I am not even a great aunt yet.

I have a few FB friends that are in to plexus. If I see a plexus post I hit snooze for 30 days.....then they get a fresh chance. Sometimes they only make it a day or.even just hours before.plexus shows up again and I snooze them again. I close to just unfriending them but I do/did like the.as people. I just don't want anyarleting stuff.

I just finished 2 books that I give 5 stars to. Three Little Words Three more Words Both by are written by a former foster child. Very powerful as I was a foster parent for 20 years, adopted 3 through foster care, and what made her story even more real to me is that she was in the foster system in the same county at the same time as 5 of my girls' siblings. Her story could have been theirs if they had had the same workers/foster parents as she had. https://www.amazon.com/dp/1416948074/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_hmYiBb20EV79K

The tall blonde guy is dd's boyfriend who is along for the trip. He is around so much it is almost like me having 4.

Guess we need to brag here. My kids all bought shirts that say Canada on them at the mall.....the WALMART in the mall (first time I had ever seen a mini Walmart as a mall anchor) yesterday.

Lots of good ideas. Encopresis/constipation can often be a cause/factor in the wetting. I work with imapired students and we often double up and add a liner. You get a urine liner (look at depends liner) and place in a pull up. Then rip a slit in the crotch of that pull up/diaper and put another one one size bigger over the top. This isn't cheap though but it really helps I agree with privately explaining to the 12 year old that you have limited water and need him to wear a pull up/depends. They make men's ones that have a colored cloth like cover that don't look like a "diaper".

I lost a lot on the old weight watchers points system. That worked as long as I did it. A friend of mine has lost 101 pounds over 30 months on wirght watchers. She is only 5' tall and went from a bigger 3x to a size 10/12/medium. She walks the dog, walks with friends and just does the newer weight watchers program.

Making friends is hard. I am considering moving to a new community for a fresh start but the whole making new friends thing is hard. I have lived within 9 miles the past 44 years....minus 4 years I was in college....a whopping 15 miles from home (but still in the general same community).

Ok, I have work to do. I don't have a linked in account....and don't even know how that works

I need a resume to possibly apply for a job teaching reading to adults in a GED program. I have a degree in Special Education/Psychology but it is 25 years old. I taught adult ed for 2 years, then homeschooled/parented for 20 years and most recently have been substitute teaching in special education for the past 3 years. I have not written a resume in 25 years. I don't know if you list references on the resume or not, what the current format is, how to word that I taught 3 cognitively impaired kids to read while homeschooling and hosted/organized group events, etc. I have never taught an adult to read but if I can teach reading to kids with special needs, I feel that I can do it.

Disney circle.can be set up.to.allpw.a certain amount of time.on each device during certain time.periods (like you.could.allow one hour during the block of time). You can also limit what sites/apps they can access.

I have a reservation for a hotel for next week. I got a decent rate and was pleased. Today though I check on line again and the rate had dropped by $14. That isn't huge but it is $14. I called and they just adjusted the rate for me, no hassles at all. I have seen the rates go up which makes me happy I booked early but I try to make it a habit to check the rates every month or so in advance and then again a week in advance just in case they went down.

I just finished Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter which was an excellent memoir of her time in foster care and being adopted. Other favorites that have really stuck with me.....A Man Called Ove, The Nightingale, The Orphan's Take, Born A Crime, Walking on Broken Glass, and Everything here is Beautiful.

More good ideas. I meed to investigate. Right now I live in a rural township about 10 miles from the nearest small town. Our community is mostly working class, lower to middle class with a larger percentage of low income. There would.be no $85/hour for tutoring, possibly $10-15. As a substitute teacher I get $90 for special Ed and $75 a day when I am the paraprofessional......so.seriously underpaid. I do.love subbing special Ed but I don't have a strong desire to go back full time in the same classroom every day. I love the variety of subbing, just not the pay scale.

Honestly I use Aldi taco seasoning mix, Aldi refried beans, Aldi cream cheese, and Aldi finely shredded cheese. I have never come home with any left from potlucks, get together, etc.

I will have to look at these ideas. I have a BS in psychology, elementary Ed K-8 and special Ed k-12 for cognitively impaired and emotionally impaired. My certificate though has lapsed. I have quite a bit of experience with kids on the austistic spectrum as well as those with severe multiple disabilities.

Taco and/or veggie rollups Taco Mix 1 box cream cheese, softened, with 1 can refried beans and 1 packet taco seasoning mix. Warm tortilla and spread on cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle with finely shredded cheese and roll up. Chill at least an hour and cut into pinwheels. Veggie roll ups Mix 1 box cream cheese with 1 packet ranch dressing mix (or use veggie cream cheese) and spread on warmed tortillas. Sprinkled with finely chopped veggies.. broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, etc. Sprinkle with cheese and cut up into pinwheels after they chill. These are a bit more substantial but are easy to make ahead and pull out as needed.

My interests and heart are in areas that are very low paying......special Ed substitute teacher, supporter of families in crisis, advocate/parent helper in medical areas for special needs kids, teaching esl classes to immigrants, teaching reading to kids/adults, working with single parents, housing for developmentally disabled adults, etc. Most of these things are either volunteer or very low paying.....or require another 2-4 years of going back to school full time. I need to find a job I love that pays the modest bills.