When we bought this vehicle in 2007, one of the requirements was that it HAD to have a DVD entertainment package. In our previous vehicle, we used the portable kind....the one with two screens that hook to the back of the driver/passenger head rests. That was a REALLY BIG PAIN. Seriously. Wires everywhere, kept getting unplugged, skipped sometimes, slid around, etc. And if we did not want it to play aloud (which grates on my nerves while driving) then we had to hook headphones to the screens and the wires from the headphones had to reach the screens. UGH. So an installed DVD was a must with our current vehicle. WE LOVE IT. It has never skipped. It came with 2 wireless headphones. LOVE those things! We've dropped them, had them fall out of the car, stepped on them....they are still going strong two years later. I can control the DVD from the front, or it can be controlled with a remote from the back. Well worth the money, in my opionion.

I would shut it down. I wish my parents would listen to the same advice. My little sister is now 15 years old. She started a relationship with a guy when she was 13 (he was 16). They met on the internet, he lives 4 hours away, and my parents allowed him to start visiting her. He would stay overnight, in another room, of course. But she's allowed to hug him, kiss him, put their arms all over each other, etc. My mom even encouraged her to kiss him. This is all happening at 13, 14, and 15 years old. Now he has just graduated high school and is now living at their house for a month. But my mom has taken this boy in and has become obsessed with him. My parents are Christians. I know that's not the type of situation you are talking about, but I have learned one thing from this. I WILL NOT ALLOW DATING AT ALL. No. Period. Nothing good can come of adult emotion and decisions having to be made by young people.

Also, look at the top of the mattresses (and underneath in case they flipped them) to see if you see any water spots....could indicate the canvas leaks.

I grew up pop up camping and now we have our own pop up camper now (but we bought ours new). Definitely definitely look for water damage to be sure that the roof or something doesnt leak. We store our camper in the driveway outside. There's not enough room in our garage. As for towing it, we tow ours with our mini van. Find out the weight of the camper, loaded. Then find out what your GVWR is on your vehicle. Definitely do not tow it if it is over the limit....too dangerous. When you go and look at the camper, look under the mattresses, make sure there are no holes in the canvas, pull out the awning and examine it if there is one, look in all the drawers and cabinets to check for water damage. Look on the walls and floor for water damage. Ask to hook it up and test out the electrical system, lights, gas, and the air conditioner if it has one. With an older model, it probably does not have an LP detector or a carbon monoxide detector (maybe not even a smoke detector) so you will need to get those if you decide to purchase it. Good luck! Camping is fun!

We bring in outside food. Actually, we've walked right through the front doors holding it and no one has said a word. I dont think I have actually seen a sign that says "no outside food or drink." I only have a treat once a week, so if I'm going to have my treat while at the movies, it is going to be something that I really really want. The movie theater does not sell any type of candy that I really like. So I bring my own. As for my kids, I usually bring them in some crackers, etc. I do not want them eating all of the junk that the movie theater offers.

Yes, we have those.....EVERYWHERE. Seriously, we cant even use our back porch because they live out there and poop all over everything. It's so gross to see those black lizard droppings! Oh you mean as a pet? :lol: No LOL...I actually wish I could exterminate them, but I'm sure they are eating things like icky spiders, which may be much worse.

This is me too. I always make sure I try to stay as honest as I can be. I know it is what God would have me to do and it is one of the easiest ways to do "good." As opposed to something like controlling my temper sometimes LOL....that is a bit harder to do. I dont think I've ever had anyone look at me like I'm crazy. I usually get thanked.

Honestly, if your mommy radar is going off.....I would not let him use the locker room. He is only 9 years old. If I had a son, he would not be using the locker room at that age either.

Dont worry, I wear mens swim shorts as well. Like you, I cannot stand the womens swim clothes. I have found long board shorts for my daughter 5 years old) , but I cant find any in womens sizes.

Oh yes...the lovely palmetto bug. Those are plentiful down here in Florida. And they give me the heebie jeebies. Seriously, I get all tingly feeling all over when I see one. I hate those things!

Yep, I'd say they are jealous. Consider yourself a very blessed mama that your son feels comfortable enough to hug and kiss you while playing baseball.

No way. Those are really long days, really little kids, and in a place where your DD knows no one....and she's only a kid herself. I agree with every single one of your points. No way.

I'm looking for more healthy snacks that my kids will eat as well...so far for snacks they will eat.... apple slices cantaloupe cut up banana slices organic cheddar bunnies organic granola bars organic fruit/yogurt bars cheese yogurt crackers with peanut butter on them dinner roll cheerios grapes slices of deli meat

I can honestly say that I've never ever ironed anything in my entire life. Isnt that what a dryer is for? LOL

I just made a trip to Whole Foods about an hour ago....so I'll list what I got there. But I split my grocery shopping between Whole Foods and Wal Mart. We try to eat organically for the most part. But what we really try to do is stay away from HFCS and any food dyes. We also try to stay away from meats/fruits/veggies that may have been grown with pesticides, etc. However, sometimes we end up having to buy regular ones from the local Publix because Whole Foods is a bit of a drive for us. And I might preface this by saying I ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY HATE COOKING. There, I said it. I'm not afraid to say that I buy pre-packaged LOL. I counteract that by buying organic LOL. But seriously, I really hate cooking. I do it for two reasons....to save money (as opposed to otherwise going out to eat) and to be more healthy (because restaurant food is full of dyes and HFCS). At Whole Foods I just bought.... organic ketchup granola bars cantaloupe bananas apples lemon juice lemonade apple juice juice boxes dinner rolls (not for dinner, just cause my 2 year old loves them) orange juice BBQ sauce crackers tortilla chips rice chips organic spaghettio's white and chocolate milk sticks of butter jelly spread lasagna noodles fruit/cereal bars some frozen/fresh veggies one premade pizza (quick dinner for the kids) Cheddar bunnies Wal Mart list usually looks like this: quite a few loaves of HFCS free bread peanut butter velveeta shells velveeta cheese yogurt burst Cheerios sliced cheese frozen meatballs some frozen/fresh veggies other sides I may need for meals like rice, noodles, etc. Then I also make the occasional run to Publix to buy their Greenwise meats....so there I'll get.... ground turkey ground beef chicken And any other meats I may need

Ugh. Ugh, ugh, ugh. We have a HUGE stuffed animal issue here. Let's put it this way.....we have two stuffed animal nets hung in the room. We have two huge laundry bins full of stuffed animals. We have two baskets full of stuffed animals. There is a laundry bin full of baby dolls. And there are still various stuffed animals scattered around the playroom/living room. My daughter LOVES stuffed animals (she's five). But I completely understand, I was the exact same way when I was a kid. And I still love stuffed animals as an adult. But something has got to give LOL. We are being overtaken by stuffed animals!!! My daughter cries and cries and cries when we have to go through them and get rid of some. And whenever she gets any kind of money, she will buy some sort of stuffed animal. The kid just loves them.

I wish I had known that he is a Christian. I would have voted! Danny was my guy (he's a Christian too), but I had no idea about Kris. I didnt even vote after Danny got kicked off! :sad:

Hi! We're leaving bright and early tomorrow morning to drive down to the convention in Orlando (we live in Jacksonville). Yes, you do have to pay the admission fee just to go shopping. The lectures are included for "free" in the cost. Are you a member of FPEA? If you are, the cost is $40. If you are not a member, the cost is like $75, or somewhere around in there. But those were the costs when I bought it a month ago, so I'm not sure if the price is more at the gate or not.

Usually I do about 45 minutes of squats, push ups, crunches, stretches, etc....then followed by 30 minutes on the exercise bike. But I am SOOOOO bored of that! So yesterday I went out and got the new Wii Active. I havent actually done it, but I kinda put the disc in and tried it out this morning (I had a bad headache so I couldnt really do it)....but I think I'm going to love it! I'll probably do it after lunch today.

Gosh, I was going to probably see her this coming weekend at the Orlando Homeschool Convention. I hope that she pulls through with a quick recovery. I'll be praying!

I used to have that problem as a teen and young adult. When I would stand up, my eyes would "go black." Then everything would be normal again within a few seconds. Now I have not had it happen in years. But do you have allergies? When I developed really bad allergies, I have found that I have spells where I feel sort of "spacey" and kind of "foggy". And I'm pretty sure it has to do with my allergies, as I've been tested for all sorts of things.

I LOOOOOOVE House! I thought I would not like the show, but I bought the DVD's for DH for Christmas. We're hooked!!! I dont know what it is about the show, but I just keep wanting to watch the next episode. We just started season two on DVD.

Does your camera have a manual setting? If so, you need to raise the ISO and lower the Fstop. Those words may mean nothing to you LOL....you can look in your user manual for an explanation if you have a manual setting on your camera. With a point and shoot camera, the photographs will look more grainy with a higher ISO than if you were shooting with a DSLR though.

Absolutely not. There's no way that I would let my 9 year old stay home all day long by themselves. Most children just do not have the right reflexes to know what to do in an emergency. Not only that, it may be illegal. And all in a child who is in an unfamiliar area, knows no one, and may have little impulse control due to ADHD, I would most definitely say no. Like the others, I'd ask ex-h to find childcare during the day....and if money is an issue, then you could help if you are financially able.

Dont let anyone tell you that co-sleeping is "strange." You do whatever works for your family. I co-sleep with our two daughters in one bed (ages 2 and 5), while hubby sleeps in the other bedroom. That's what works for our family at this place in time. They are only little for a while. Besides, hubby snores LOL! It is completely okay for your kiddos to sleep together at night.