[since things don't transfer well over the net, I'm going to preface this with a statement that it is heartfelt and not sarcastic] Oh, Elizabeth - I'm so sorry that the church you knew is being split up. When pedophile-a-rama finally hit the major news during Pope John Paul's papacy, I just... threw up. I mean, we'd been pretty hit or miss Catholics anyway, but that was just a step too far. I'd been teaching kid all about the concept of hypocrisy (!) - about how saying nothing was tacit agreement - and there we were, standing in Church. I still remember the day. There was sun streaming in through the left side of the chapel (pretty colors! she says in her best Ralph voice), and we stood up to say the Nicene Creed. I got as far as "We believe in one..." and then - bubkus. I just sat down and cried. I stared at that beautiful Mary statue and cried and cried and cried. Now, I know "holy catholic and apostolic" means "holy universal and from the apostles", but you know what? Peter was an apostle, and he was the first pope. And the current pope, as popular as he was, wasn't doing a d@mn thing to put all of those bastards in prison. And I got up and left. My mother was horrified. I told her I'd be back when I saw smoke. And got an apology. And people in jail. Maybe. So, fast forward. We got the man whom I dubbed the "Evil Santa". I was not convinced. (everyone I knew loved him - funnily enough, they now can't stand him, but I digress...) There were no press releases. No apologies. I kept checking the Vatican's website. And then a strange thing happened. Deep in the heart of google, on little blogs and hometown newspapers, I started to read about priests going to jail. Now, one would think being de-frocked first would be better, but actually, it isn't: as long as you have the collar, the Vatican owns your @ss. Funny thing about this Pope Benedict: he's not into pressers. The big Irish thing? It was in the works for 2 years before it hit the press. And so it goes, all around the world. The former "papal bulldog" is now off the leash and has slowly been talking to victims, ordering priests turned over to authorities (no matter the statute of limitations), instituting massive programs for youth safety that organizations worldwide are emulating, and has completely over-hauled the seminary system. All without fanfare. Because what's the point in doing it if you're doing it for a pat on the back? Oh, and he apologized. Repeatedly. Acknowledging that there is no apology on the planet that will ever be good enough. -- I grew up within the "cult of JPII". Never really liked the guy. Now I kinda know why: he had the whole world at his feet, and he looked the other way. Most of the world doesn't like Benedict. They think he's a Nazi. They say he's too smart for his own good, that he's a hard @ss. Yeah, well. He's smart enough to figure out that we can't stop AIDS with a bandaid (we have to get the guys to stop going to the prostitutes and then infecting their wives). We can't stop world poverty with food aid (we have to empower people). We can't survive as a species if we keep killing ourselves. We can't survive as a species if we don't procreate. We all came from somewhere, and none of us can prove where that is, so we might as well have faith. All of us. In my head that had something to do with your post. asta

{gently} As she has said above, epilepsy affects one's memory. It kills brain cells, after all. Paths have to be re-routed. Stims are especially tricky for people with a history of seizures because they literally go to the heart of the problem: stimulation of neurons. Depending on where a person's seizures emanate, how well controlled they are, etc. they may be able to tolerate mildly stimulating meds - but not usually. It is the Catch-22 of seizures: they make you tired, they fog your brain - but the things that "undo" that only make them worse. All of that points to mood. Honestly, it is really hard to parse mood and ADHD in a little kid who is comorbid for something else. When they are only ADHD, well, yeah, it's pretty evident. When they're adults, and you can look all the way back to childhood and see a pattern - that's easy, too. But for a kid with seizures, or any chronic health issue really, a doc has to be pretty experienced with comorbid disorders to differentiate between straight up ADHD and a mood disorder. Oh - and a mood disorder emanating FROM an organic disease tends to present a bit differently from the "book standard" as well - making things even more difficult. The biggest cr@pper of them all (and I always hate saying this) is that it doesn't necessarily "get better". And that doesn't mean it is anyone's fault. As in - that someone made a poor diagnosis, or someone didn't try hard enough, etc. Illnesses have a way of moving along at their own speed, on their own path. The advice I've always been given is good food, good exercise, good environment, and good research. There is usually something pretty exciting "coming down the pike" that can help out. On that note, since stims are out of the equation, there has been exciting research done with the ALS drug Riluzole (RILUTEK). It has anticonvulsant properties, is good for OCD, and helps with depression. I don't know what the pediatric designation is in general, but it tested positive for OCD. Another place to look may be something like very low dose Lamictal (I'm not sure how it works in Peds, but in adults, it is never pro-convulsant, but it does have a beneficial stimulating effect under 125mg). Topamax is a real go-to drug for raging that often brings clarity to people at low doses - 12.5 - 25mg (it is the higher doses that bring on the "dopamax" effect). Just some random thoughts there. I wish I knew more about Pediatric dosing - it is just SO different than adult. But... brain fog. It is all I can do to keep up with the Adult stuff. :-(

Choi Sung-Bong on Well, I'm now going to leave this week's pity party. a

Oooo -- gardening! Do you have a botanical garden or a garden society? I know when I lived in "big city" with a great botanical garden, they were very active in the community, and would even let teens volunteer. They held tons of events and interacted with all of the garden societies (roses, veggies, organic, urban gardening, etc.) and sponsored the big "Garden Show" every year (it was a massive fundraiser with "show gardens", speakers [really good, helpful ones], and the opportunity for the entire community to submit plants for judging [just like a county fair, except for live plants]). The county extension can also hook you up with the local Master Gardener program as well. You take classes and then go out into the community to help people with their soil and plant problems. It's a great way to meet people and groups. Many of the societies have a significant elderly population that are just a WEALTH of information, and a great source of stories for kids. Since HS kids tend to be well behaved, I imagine you could probably convince them that the kids wouldn't be a problem... asta

They can also be caused by head injuries (yes, even a concussion can cause mild "black eyes" that don't want to go away) and recurring seizures. You should see me the morning after I've had a seizure in my sleep. I look as if someone smacked me. And it doesn't fade immediately, either. If a person has an undiagnosed disorder, they can have that haunted look for most of their life - often attributing it to "migraines". a

I don't think ignore lists are used as often as the concept of being "deliberately ignored." It took me a bit to figure it out, to tell you the truth. I finally saw the pattern: A person will write out an answer and then, a few posts later, a couple/few of posters who had written different answers prior to the person being ignored will write/agree to essentially the exact same response. Then that "group" will do a "well isn't it great that the 3 of us found the answer!" kind of thing. Or the OP will thank them. As someone I know has said "The internet: where you can be in Jr. High forever." asta

Tammy, I feel for you - I had SJS from a combination of anticonvulsants at one point. To this day, if my dosages are tweaked 25 mg in the wrong direction, I start to go south. This is my "go to" article I always show to people when they ask "WHY does this keep happening???". I know the anticonvulsant part doesn't apply to you, but there is some great other info in it that will probably interest you (and bore other people to tears). a

So Angel didn't sell out to Wolfram and Hart? a

On a positive note, they could put on a production of Godspell and not even need to make a set... But hey, while we're on the topic, how about St. Mary Maytag's? Because everyone needs an agitator over their head... a

Speaking of which... Does anyone else remember that hideous "The Way" movement back in the 70s? All I can remember is sitting cross legged on pillows in a big ROUND room, kind of amphitheater style. with the priest in the middle. It was so, so... groovy. Blech. (or maybe it was just a Franciscan hippy thing - who knows...) a

You remember in Dumbo when there are psychedelic pink elephants running amok? Um... yeah. a

Oh! So THAT is how people justify not letting their kids read Harry Potter! asta

She wore a pearl necklace... (oh, oops, wrong audience) a

Which passage in the article are you referring to? a

I think that is one of the biggest difficulties in finding a history book! a

Whole article I found it interesting. a

Yeah - hugs. Kid is an introvert. His experience at "college day" was... less than exceptional (oh my GAWD! texttexttexttext you mean we have to go to CLASSESSSSS??). He wants to know where all of the grown ups are that are his age (17) because they certainly aren't in his country. Serious sighing going on around here. I'm trying to just slow down and focus on single subjects that interest him (to keep his mind off of the fact that he thinks the world is going/has gone to h*ll and I can't help but agree with him). a

I was just about to post this! We want a yurt very badly... Another option that I've seen is to put up one of these. That's just the first google link I grabbed. Lots of people who buy land and are building a home themselves put up one of those with a bathroom and minimal kitchen (they are easy to insulate, BTW) and simply partition them off with bookshelves or whatever while they're living in them. Once they have their "real" place built, it reverts to a garage, hobby room, etc. a

I just gave kid a spine for TRISMS. For History Makers, it was Usborne's Encyclopedia of History (could have just as easily have been Kingfisher's). For the next one, I used "A Little History of the World" by Gombrich. I know it sounds young, but really, it isn't. It has great jumping off points. Next, we used VanLoon's "The Story of Mankind". But you have to make sure you get an older one that has his original sketches in it - not the cheesy one Amazon gets away with selling that is actually just a bound Xerox of the free Gutenberg edition. Both the Gombrich and the VanLoon were written at the beginning of the 20th century and subsequently have had mini "updates" done by their children. They are great in that they are an unvarnished, first hand (in many cases) look at history that kids can really get into -- and they make a kid WANT to look up the "rest of the story" (since they are an overview). By the time we got done with those two, kid didn't really need a spine, so to speak. We'll be using Bennett's book for American History, but we have so many books and DVDs for world history, a single spine would seem "small" at this point. HTH a

Thank you so much for writing that, WD. It's pretty much the entire reason I don't use Apologia. a

You know, it's funny- when we lived in the US we called it Whole Paycheck also. Now we live somewhere else that has a store of similar design whose name I can never remember so I just call it Whole Paycheck as well... The biggest bummer is that they ALWAYS have that odd produce that no one else has. A

"Child of God" is the reference, not child of the Priest. In the RCC, the line of succession goes Jesus -> Apostles & Peter -> Church (Pope, Cardinal, Bishop, Priest). So... it isn't viewed as the Priest saying "yes MY child", it is viewed as the Priest relaying a message from from God that you are his child and worthy of concern. Does that make sense? (but I can see how it could be annoying; I get a lot of 'girl/lass since I'm around many Irish) asta

Vasectomy? That subject has been discussed on this board so many times it is OLD hat. bean dip a

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION FAMILIARIS CONSORTIO OF POPE JOHN PAUL II TO THE EPISCOPATE TO THE CLERGY AND TO THE FAITHFUL OF THE WHOLE CATHOLIC CHURCH ON THE ROLE OF THE CHRISTIAN FAMILY IN THE MODERN WORLD I will preface this with this quote: It happens. And it is not elucidated how it happens. This is essentially what I pasted previously. People try their best. People are human. People sometimes fail. The Church recognizes this and points out that the Sacrament of Reconciliation is there for them. EUCHARISTIC CONCELEBRATION AT SHIVAJI PARK HOMILY OF HIS HOLINESS JOHN PAUL II INTERVENTION BY THE HOLY SEE AT THE PLENARY OF THE 59th GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS ON THE TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT As a final note, in regards to what you bolded above, the Vatican doesn't say a lot of things. They never say the word penis. They never say IUD. It took until last year for them to say condom! What they do say (in beautiful prose, I think) is that God gave humans free will. Now, the RCC may be the Moral Authority of what constitutes a good decision on many, many items (for Catholics - others would disagree, obviously), but they still acknowledge that, when it comes right down to it, people are human first, and the final authority is God, not the Church. I think that sometimes, for some people, that message gets lost in the flowery language. Hence the Holy See *also* consistently implores people to seek out Clergy. asta (who has read more of the Vatican's website before 8 am than should be allowable...)

Martha, You know know I love you like a sister - but the Church does say to only have the children you can care for. I can't look up the source right now because I'm not at home. Above all, the Church cares for all of its children. A