Thats a good point about the cameras. I hadn't really thought of that.

I agree with all of the physical things that pp listed. Those items, especially sleep, are incredibly important to good health. It's also important to realize and believe that you (general you) are just as important as your family members. Moms don't have to be martyrs or even place everyone else's needs above their own. I highly recommend Flylady for encouragement on loving yourself. Just an example : when dh and I were struggling financially and had four littles, Wednesday night was my night for a bubble bath and facial. It was my "me" time, and the whole family helped make it happen :-).

Agreeing here that child abductions are becoming more bold. I think we talked last year about the girl grabbed at Dollar General while with her mom. As for video: Do your parks have security cameras? Our city parks do. In the city next to us, the parks even have there own police dept. Is there anyone else you can report the attempted abduction to? How about going higher up in the dept? As someone else suggested, can you contact the local news? I'm surprised a camera team didnt show up. Here they monitor the police channels and would jump to report a possible child abduction. Usually when a child is involved, all the stops are pulled out to find the culprit. So sorry that you had a different experience but am thankful that your dd is okay.

If she likes it, then could she wear heels? I'm thinking this would make it look like the length she wants. No one is going to point out that one mom is floor length and one is tea length. Now floor length and mini dress is probably a different story :-)

Freckles by Gene Stratton Porter.

Thank you! I used to use a butter bell, but the butter kept slipping out when the temps got too warm. I think this will be a great replacement.

Not sure how to advise you on whether to paint it or not. Going to white should be fairly inexpensive. Your quote sounds way out there. If you want to go back to the wood look though, it'll be more difficult and more expensive. If you do decide to paint it, a layer of Kilz primer and then the paint should be all you need to paint it well. Just tape off the spindles before painting. FROG tape is the best we've found for the paint not bleeding through. Instead of paint, would you be happier with a different stain on the bannister.

We have a wall of Billy bookcases with the extenders. Dh matched molding to the bookcases and put it around the top. The look like beautiful built-ins for a lot less work and money. They are approx 15ft long and 8ft high. Most of our books live there. We also have bookshelves in each bedroom for favorites. I stopped buying books several years ago unless it was something we absolutely loved or a vintage book that couldn't be gotten at the library. We love having books and think it's money well spent. I do have to say though that when the kids were young, we used the library for children's books instead of buying them. They got a wider variety and my bank account didn't suffer as much. Best wishes as you enjoy your children and your books

Sometimes dh does a search for the appliance, repair, and problem. He's found lots of info on message boards that way for our cars and appliances. If it's a common problem, there may be a youtube video on how to do the repair.

Like Creekland, I mainly sub for high school. I totally agree with her that it's finding that line between too strict and too lenient. Your reputation will absolutely proceed you. More than anything don't let them know that you're nervous or scared. Just try to go with the flow. If you have an absolutely wild class, don't worry. It will end! Just keep everyone safe and accounted for by the end of the day :-) Realize that it's not your fault but that other factors are at play. Administration already knows what you're contending with, Basically, I try to treat students as adults and not children. For example, if the teacher has left busy work -- i.e. dot to dot with plotting points for Honors geometry - I have no problem with a student who asks to read or work on another class assignment that is productive. i leave a note letting the teacher know that I okayed it. Now if they just wanted to be chatting the entire class, that's a different story. I have a similar restroom policy, let me know you're leaving and sign out/in. I don't question anyone who needs to go, but I do let them know the sign out list will be left for the regular teacher. Humor is good too. Students always try to sound cool around you with their latest slang ( That statement makes me feel really old! ) Sometimes I surprise them by understanding it from Urban Dictionary. Most times I don't have a clue so I good naturedly ask them to educate me. They think it's funny and usually explain it to me. Being interested in them is a good thing. I think some of these ideas will translate to your elementary teaching. Elementary for us is k-5 with class changes beginning at 4th grade. Try to treat everyone equally and be firm but not overly strict. In the early grades the children move as a group so you'll probably be more concerned with behavior inside your classroom instead of containing them as we do in high school. Many times simply moving a disruptive child to another seat will take care of the problem. I do this sometimes in middle schools and after about fifteen minutes ask them if they'd like to go back to their original seat. That way they're not "under punishment" the entire class and almost always try to behave better. Never threaten your class --- " I won't tell you to be quiet again " or something similar Be fun when you can. Find a signature reward that is yours and yours alone :-) For me, it's leaving one minute before the bell rings. The high school kids absolutely love that extra minute, and it's not enough time for them to get into trouble. For early elementary, I might play Hangman or have an extra 15 minutes recess, if possible. If you sub in the same classes/school don't have a favorite who always helps or runs errands. Above all enjoy being with the kids. If enjoyment isn't possible, then ask yourself why -- is it you or the students? I've always found that to be an interesting question after a helluva day. Best wishes as you make plans for subbing :-)

Broccoli and Beef with quinoa.

I like subbing because of the flexibility. Some things that make it easier for me are to only work the same days each week and at the same schools. You get to know the kids better this way and have a better overall view of how the school functions. This takes most of the surprise out of my day. Another feature that I absolutely love about our district is that every teacher must have a sub binder in the main office. It has ALL of the info I need for the day, including an emergency lesson plan in case lesson plans aren't left for that day. Maybe your district does the same. If I didn't have that info, I'd ask at the main office for what I needed. I also write anything that I specifically need to remember at the side of the whiteboard so I'm sure to see it during the day. Hope that helps.

Hyatt Place has this in all of their rooms. You can get either a king or two queens and a fold out queen sofa. I really like the set up of the rooms because they have a partial wall between the fold out and the other beds. The free breakfast is usually good and well-stocked. The only thing I miss having their is a microwave in the room They do have a mini-fridge though.

DD and I agree with your daughter that 1 and 2 are a bit too boyish for our tastes. Target may have something that works for you. Is she old enough to wear women's Old Navy shorts.? Their shorts have pockets and come in several different lengths including 5inch and Bermuda.

I'm a former high school teacher. I taught almost ten years in inner city and rural schools and currently substitute teach a few days a month. My certificate is current. Two of my teaching years saw me teaching outside my subject area on a waiver. It wasn't uncommon for that to happen.

This color goes well with Sea Salt.

nm

Janeway, I just want to encourage you to love and encourage your husband, Dh and I have faced unemployment, and it's scary. We've also had the uncertainty of choosing a job offer when others are still out there. When I really sit and think about it though, I realize that it's scarier for my dh who has the onus on him to provide than it is on me to follow and make the job/salary work. Sure we wives can buy the rice and beans and cut the budget to the bone, but it's our spouses who feel the failure of it. Decide you're on his side, and it'll make whatever you have to face easier since your'e a team.

My littles usually had two or three pairs. As they got older, the boys usually had two or three and our dd had goodness only knows how many. Pjs are her thing, and she shops the clearance sales for them.

Interesting. I'm in the Southeast and rarely see the bikini tops with Daisy Dukes. Actually we rarely see bikini tops at all unless it's near a waterpark or pool. I'm hoping these "cheeky" shorts don't hit the mainstream here.

Wow. I'm thinking you're in CA, but bikini tops!?!

Okay, thanks to Quill I looked more closely through the different styles that Crimson linked to! Um, not sure if that was a good thing or not! I'd say the ones I've seen on campus are comparable to the thong styles on Amazon that are covering more. The more severe thongs are probably not what I'm seeing. There are however cheeks hanging not peeking out.

I included "girls of all sizes" just to illustrate that the observations ran the gamut. No slight was intended. ETA: That sounded defense. Sorry.

I have no idea. It does make me cringe when I think of sitting down in germy classrooms with all of that skin hanging out.

No. All the ones I've seen are jean shorts. If I had to guess, I'd say they cover less than an average swimsuit bottom. I've seen them with long tanks and with regular shirts. It's really different than anything I've seen before.