Ugh. Tone in written communication is so hard! I get it wrong all the time! I, also, am very sensitive to any perceived distancing by others. That said, I do think you are being overly sensitive, and she may be as well. She may have interpreted your email as criticism or a complaint. Since you don’t know exactly why she requested you to use the other email, try not to assume it is personal.

We used Frio cooling cases for dd’s insulin.

I am concerned that the 6yo may be getting the message that she is entitled to touch and hold another person. Of course a newborn can’t express autonomy for herself, and requires the physical care be done by another, but the mother absolutely has the right to establish autonomy on behalf of her baby. The mother of the 6yo needs to be teaching her children to respect autonomy, not feel entitled to violate it, even if it is a newborn baby.

Only when you are practiced. I am teaching cursive to 2 middle school kids and I had forgotten how slowly new learners write.

I think it is the up and down motion that records steps. Wearing a Fitbit on my wrist, I get credit for steps while playing the piano—no back and forth motion, just up and down. And pushing a shopping cart does not record steps—no up and down with the wrist.

A bit of mindfulness? Look for 2 or 3 things you have never noticed in your house, or looking through the window. Identifying as many sounds as you can hear. Be aware of your breathing. Touch something and really explore how it feels.

I have been journaling today to help me with an ongoing issue. An option?

BTDT with MIL and facing it again with my mother who is 83 and declining. Dh and BIL forcibly took over their mother’s affairs when she refused to allow them to make needed repairs and deal with her rat infestation. She came to live with us and died after 11 years—much longer than anyone would have guessed based on her declining health at the time. It was about 5 months at the end that took intensive care giving—toileting help, transferring between bed and recliner, bed sore care (she had a bed sore before her fall that started the end, but she hadn’t said anything nor sought care) in addition to providing meals and routine housekeeping help. We did get hospice for her for the final 3 months, and they were invaluable, but it still became too much, as I was essentially on call 24/7. We had just decided to move her to a nursing home when she caught the flu that went through the family and died within a week. During that time dd became very depressed and I was too busy to notice. I deeply regret that now. Then after MIL’s death I became depressed, and kind of checked out mentally, furthering the cost to my family. We moved my mother 2000 miles to be here so I could help her as she aged, but after going through the experience of my MIL, it depresses me to think about the months? years? of potential care. MIL was tiny in the end—only 75 pounds, and my mother is double that. I could lift MIL, but no way can I lift Mom, who expects me to care for her by keeping her out of a nursing home, as she did for her mother. But her mother was mobile until 36 hours before her death. My mother has many health issues at 83 that her mother did not have at 99.

I also would appreciate an invite.

Try stretching the fabric slightly as you stitch, which will add in more length of thread for a given length of fabric. (Which is what the zigzag stitch does— stretching the fabric will do it even more.) It will likely make a wavy looking seam, but should straighten out just fine when the headband is stretched. Good luck with your project!

Ds used the mesh kind at the dorm as a freshman. It carried his flip flops as well as his shampoo, body wash, shaving cream, razor.

Would you rather not know?

My childhood friend married at 16 (3 weeks after her birthday) and had her 1st within a year. By the time she was 21 she had been married and divorced twice and had 3 kids. She has grandchildren older than my dd (who was born when I was 37) and became a great grandmother at 56.

We have a LazyBoy reclining sofa with the center seat back that folds down with cup holders. Win! It is a manual recliner. We also have a LazyBoy power recliner from when dh injured his foot. I really like the power recliner because it adjusts to more positions.

Speaking of learning resilience, what if what is ideal for one type of individual is the worst case scenario for another? What if the differences among individuals precludes any best practice? Anxiety, as mentioned above, and inherent sensitivity might make the difference between learning and thriving from a set of circumstances and going to live under a bridge.

It seems unanimous! Let him keep his winnings.

I can think of a few scenarios that would make this a possibility: an extremely small and intimate wedding due to family circumstances such as a dying parent or due to extreme financial constraints. Growing up Mormon, the possibility of a religious exclusion of wedding attendance was always in the mix, but this doesn’t seem to apply here. Barring these few possibilities, I would consider it extremely rude, like a gift grab.

Totally light hearted here. Ds19 is on a Carribean cruise with his girlfriend, her immediate and extended family, and family friends to celebrate girlfriend's high school graduation. They intended to pay his way as part of their graduation gift to gf, but we insisted on paying to avoid all kinds of issues. On board ship, ds has won 2 poker tournaments for a combined winning of $1250. (He has developed an intense interest in Texas Holdem, studying strategy and practicing over the past school year as a freshman in college, maintaining a 3.9 gpa) Would you ask him to reimburse you for part of the cruise expense? Or let him keep his winnings for his own use. If it matters: 1 We can afford the cruise amount. 2 He knew about and planned for these tournaments, asking dh and I to front him some $ with an agreed upon payoff if he won. The reimbursement would be above and beyond that payoff. 3 He works part time at a fast food restaurant and has some money in the bank. His tuition is paid with state lottery scholarship for high gpa in hs. We pay his other college expenses.

In my state, Georgia, 16 and 17 yos have a driving curfew from midnight to 5am, no exceptions. So that would preclude picking up a drunk friend between those hours. Ds got a call once from a drunk friend, and declined to drive. I only knew about it much after the fact, so wasn’t involved in the decision.

0 of 2.

Thanks for the update. At what point does it go to a judge if you all can’t agree? Would that be a better outcome for you? Please continue to update us. There is an object lesson here for those contemplating "friendly" divorces.

(((hugs))) I'm so sorry you are both going through this.

Oh Melissa, my heart is breaking for you.

Good for you for putting yourself out there! I hope the visit goes well!

I absolutely would test. You don’t have to have an IEP, even if she qualifies, right? As the mother of a 21yo who had very mixed abilities and issues, I wish we had tested when it first became evident. She wishes she had been tested in order to understand better what her brain was doing and learn coping skills instead of waiting for it to sort itself out (it never did. And increasing anxiety made everything worse)