21 when we were married. 19 when we started dating. Been together for 15 years now! If they are mentally prepared for all that comes with marriage and your daughter understands that she can't just run home every time her feelings get hurt. Not to mention the military aspect. Deployment, stationing across the country or globe. You know your daughter and if you think she is ready give your blessing. If not, be prepared for them to get married anyway.

We have 16x16 ceramic tile in ours. It gets cold, but, it is so easy to clean!

I sometimes expect my kids to do more than they are capable. But I still come home and find the dishwasher full of clean dishes and the sink full of dirty ones, and the kids playing. So, I informed them the other day that they were fully capable of doing the dishes without me asking. I got the :001_huh: look and proceeded to do it myself. I did a lot of stuff when I was my oldest ds age. In fact I usually had dinner ready when my parents got home. I plan on going on strike over the holiday break. Maybe then someone else will step up. I forget how old the OP dc are, but maybe you could just stop doing somethings. Do you ever hear "but I don't wanna!" We could flip it on them and have a temper tantrum when they ask us for something! :glare:

I'd ask her to go over her list again and make sure there wasn't anything that she forgot or changed her mind about. Then you will know if she still wants it. My dd loves her AG dolls. She has never asked for a house, but she loves all the furniture, food, and accessories. This year, we went over lists constantly, what the youngest wants changes daily.

I honestly can't say that my DIL would think I am a good MIL. I would like to be the one that the DIL or SIL sits around with friends and says " wow, my MIL would never do/say that. I love her! She's a great grandmother too!" but, I expect so much out of my children, and their friends, that I cant see myself being any different with a spouse. That being said. My house is a wreck, I have tons of laundry to fold, and I am on a message board ;) I have found that life will still go on if I have to match a pair of socks from a basket every day! So, I would like to think that as long as my children are happy and their relationship is a healthy one(by that I mean that they constantly work at it) that their relationship is their business. I'm just there to love and give moral support. After all, once they get married, then they belong to each other, not me.

I've always told my children that Santa was only real to those that believe in him. My older dcs know that I am Santa, but my youngest still believes. When my daughter asked me last year (8yo) if he was real, I told her the truth. She looked disappointed for a moment and said "well, I'm still going to believe!" she then winked at me and smiled. So, all get Santa presents and will continue to get one until I die!

I'd call the school and inform them the children are trespassing. They will call the students in to the principals office. If it continues, call again, then they can call their parents. Call your homeowners insurance and ask them how they would handle it if someone was hurt because of playing on the fire hydrant. If they tell you that it would technically be your responsibility and covered under your liability, I would involve the law. It would end up costing you more in the long run if one of them got injured and your premiums went up, or worse, they sued you for not doing your "due diligence" to maintain the safety of your property.

My MIL gives us the guilt trip every year about not driving the 6 1/2 hours to visit when she actually only wants to see us for like 5 minutes. We ended up leaving our camper at my FIL's vineyard so we wouldn't have to stay in their house. Then, wait for it, she made a comment about how she was seeing us too much!?! My FIL understands our lack of visitation and we actually see him a about once a month. LOVE that man! My kids love "Grampa" but could care less about seeing "Grammy". She is retired, but can't find the time to visit because of her commitment to playing the organ at church. Not that I would want her to. I talk to her brother in PA once a month and he is great! She found out from her daughter(MIL only calls him on Christmas & birthdays) that I talk with him, so she calls him and tells him how awful I am and that I don't fit in the family because I don't have a BS. Oh, and apparently, I am the one who has the spawn of Satan. She has been telling me that I needed to medicate my boys since birth basically. Aaagggghhhh! So glad my dh does not like spending time with his mother! I did refuse to go the last holiday he went there. I took the kids to my brother's house instead.

I have a friend that just buried her 29yo ds after dying from liver failure due to drug and alcohol abuse. He lived in her home and she supported him. He had no license, no job, and no money. He would drink her beer, wine, or liquor if she did not buy him his own. She was afraid to be harden him because she thought he would just die under a bridge somewhere. Instead, he died in her home. I think that you did the right thing! When someone is given multiple opportunities to correct a problem and still don't do it, then you need to take a firm hand. It is hard to be without family on the holidays, and no mother wants to make their child spend it that way. But he knew the rules and broke them. Maybe on his next leave, he will be more respectful and sincere in his regret of his past actions. He is after all an example to his siblings.

:lurk5:

We have a bark collar. I know it's not exactly humane, but when you have 4 dogs that bark when the wind blows and only one that won't stop when you tell him, you do what you have to. There are plug in things that will emit a high frequency noise every time they bark. We do not use food at all as a reward for behavior. We show them more affection when they do what they are supposed to, and ignore them when they don't. After a while they will only listen if you give them a treat. I have never had small dogs. Our vet told us to step on their back feet when they jump up while saying off. We don't use down because that is their command to lay down. Potty training is hard for that age. Kennel training is best when you are away. When you are home, I would take him out every couple of hours, make a huge deal when he goes outside. Eventually he will tell you that he needs out and reward him with lots of praise when he does!

We try to "Pay it backwards" whenever we can. Just pay for the person behind you in a drive thru line. One day, I was in Chik-fil-a and paid for the person in the drive thru. She ended up paying for the person behind her.

My husband is a tile contractor. Depending on the type of tile, you definitely DO NOT want to use any scrubbing bubbles or tylex. It bleaches and deteriorates the grout and if the tile is a natural stone, it will damage that also. You can use borax(with some lavender and rosemary essential oils) to get an initial clean on the grout and may want to buy a grout sealer so the water won't soak in and get moldy. Method has a daily shower spray that is made with natural plant alcohols and smells wonderful. You just spray down the shower after the last one gets one. Then let it air dry. Vinegar and water is actually what he recommends for cleaning all tile surfaces.

Plantar fasciitis is caused from the muscles of the calf being too tight, placing strain on the Achilles tendon and the attachments on the bottom of the foot. High heels are terrible for this. The shoes that advertise that they work your legs, have been known to help reduce the tension. Stretching is the best! But, it needs to be pointing toes up, not down(dorsa flexion not plantar flexion) Massage is fantastic at getting the muscles to relax, but stretching is the only way to long term relief. If you can combine both, even better! Do you have a wii? Get the fit board and a yoga program! No heels! Good arch supports! And Stretch! Staying off her feet is also just a temp fix. I see many foot rubs in your future!!!

I am addicted to my Apples! I have an IPhone and an Ipad2. As far as screen size, kids don't mind it as much as I do. I like the larger screen cause I have trouble with the little one sometimes. Plus, my fingers are bigger, so..... There are apps that can be used for the iPod but not iPad because of screen resolution. So, my suggestion would be to figure out exactly what apps you want and then choose between the two. Do you have a local Apple store where you can go and look at what's available for the iPod?

Most have policies about being disruptive to other people. My suggestion is befriend the meanest looking librarian there and if it happens again, let her handle it ;) I would have said something too. A lot of teens use the library as a place to hang out because their parents don't actually know what they are doing, they just know they are going to the library and hope they are actually studying. I hate it for you that you had to pack up and leave because of these kids. Just remember that every situation is a lesson for your children. How you respond or react teaches them how they should do it. But sometimes, its hard to be the rational adult when you are dealing with disrespectful teens.

No, I'm new! But I hope can make some people smile! Sometimes my pessimistic humor wins out over tact.

I think the biggest thing at her age is just giving her multiple media to work with. Get some of those plastic containers and give her different pastas, beans, buttons, and beads. Plus, sponges and different thing she can use to make texture when painting. We did something when I was little and cut a pattern into a potato and painted with it. I remember it being cool, but not the exact details. GOOGLE! You can also get some of that kids clay you can bake in the oven if she wants to try that. My dh9 is my artistic child! She took scrap fabric and sewed together a purse for her Gramma last year. It was adorable. Not That she could use it, but it was cute! Don't worry about structure so much, but if there're any art exhibits in you area, take her! Also, Indian reservations usually have museums where they display native art. FIELD TRIPS :hurray::hurray::thumbup:

:grouphug::grouphug: Matthew 18:19 When two of you get together on anything at all on earth and make a prayer of it, my Father in heaven goes into action.

So, after laughing about everything, it reminds me of many an instance of interupted Tea parties. Let's see, my 12ds was walking into my room while I was walking out of the shower, sans towel. My DH had forgotten to close the bedroom door, that I had closed before I got in the shower to avoid this situation. My 9dd walked into our room while dh was having a tea cake ;) and he yelled at her. She ran crying to her room. I dressed and followed, explained daddy didn't mean to yell at her, she just needed to remember to knock and wait for a "come in". I then yelled at hubby for being so mean and, no more tea party. 7ds knocked on the door during afternoon tea(door was locked) to ask if he could eat a cookie for a snack, DH yelled, "yes, now leave us alone!" OP, if your husband is a reader, Preparing your son for every Man's battle, is an amazing Christian book that your son and hubby would read together. Tell him there are sports analogies and it might make it easier!

Would he be interested in writing a girl that likes camping, hunting, fishing and art? She has an older brother that is a war/history buff, and a younger one that is into everything!

Start a group at your church or ask your local HS association about ideas

I am going to be using Cursive First. It goes back to when that was how they originally taught children to write before they learned print.

I got rid of all but what I have actually seen them play with in the last 2 months. We filled up bags of broken toys and threw them out. We took all the good ones to goodwill. If you have a lot of stuffed animals and you are a smoke free home, I would check with your local police and fire station. They like to give distressed children something to hold when they respond.

Not in HS yet, but have issues with chores. Not sure of your religious views, but there is a scripture about do everything without complaint. You could make her write it 3 times for every complaint. We have a chore jar( you could make a schoolwork jar). I used a plastic jar and put the "cost of each chore or rule" not done on the jar. The kids each have a set of poker chips(yeah, I know, but that's all I could think of for color coded different amounts) with their names on them, they start out the week with x amount of money(you could do playtime minutes) for every rule broken, chore not done, or complaint made, they have to put their chips in the jar. so at the end of the week, I either owe them or they owe me. Let me tell you, the first week my kids had to pay me, put an end to the problem.