I have my children done with a few things put away in case we get a foster or two. Most everything I buy for them is either on sale or clearance or both. A local toy store went out of business in early summer. I bought snap circuits, legos, games and other toys 50-75% off. Each fall our local B&N has a huge clearance section where I pick up a few things. I also use the coupons that Toys R Us and B&N send out each month allowing me to take 20% off of one item. By doing this, the savings really add up and I'm able to purchase nicer toys than I would otherwise be able to. I keep 3 boxes in my attic that are for gifts only. If I do over shop then what ever is left over goes towards their birthdays. For Christmas I only have 6 adults left to shop for and they mainly will be receiving gift cards.

Our insurance has pretty much reached the point of being awful and almost useless. I work in healthcare and have worse insurance than most of the patients I see. I pay $280 per month for the privilege of having a high deductible plan with a $5600 deductible, after I reach $5600 out of pocket I then have to pay 20% of all costs until an out of pocket max of $10,000. While that doesn't sound too terrible, the problem we are having is that our insurance company is telling all of our providers to collect 20% at each visit, even though we have met the $10,000 out of pocket max. When called they will only say that they are behind in processing claims. Because I have a medically needy child, I have had to budget and have spent $1000 per month for health expenses. Then my work has decided that they will no long give raises, only every other year market adjustments. At this point I'm not sure I can afford to work anymore at the job that I love.

Could you make a payment on the hospital bill? Your parents wouldn't have to know that you did it. My medical bills don't distinguish between my payments or insurance payments on the statements.

I think you did the right thing. It is so easy to have an accident in a crowded pool. Night time just makes it worse.

I love to order from : http://www.northernsun.com/ This is where I buy for Dh.

Calico critters usually require very little to put together plus they work well with playmobile. When dd was little I just put the very little pieces in a zip lock bag and gave her the bigger ones to play with. As she got older and was more responsible I gave her the little pieces.

I would get several shoe boxes and fill them with different things such as little cars, dinosaurs, play doh, duplo blocks, crayons and small pieces of paper, kitchen utensils to play with, pom poms and a little pan or bowl with a spoon or big tweezers, wooden blocks, paper and stickers, a movie and special treat, a couple of board books, ect. I have found with ds that by having boxes that are a surprise goes a long way to helping with boredom. I can mix the contents up so the are always "new" and different.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Food for thought - when applying for any kid of assistance, agencies will look at your income. They never look at how full your freezer is or how much basic cooking ingredients are on hand. Since your husband is still working, now is also a good time to purchase things like extra laundry soap, dish soap, toilet paper and such these are all items that can add up when you are on a limited budget. Make sure everyone has socks and underwear that fit and are in good shape, life is better with a good foundation.

We considered building because we loved the land where our house is. After considering all our options we ended up purchasing a modular home and making some modifications. Our children were tiny and I did not want to take that much time from them. We have been in our home for 7 years and are still very happy with our choice. One thing that we did consider is that this will probably be our last home so we made design choices that makes it easier for us to stay here as we age or to care for an aging parent.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Does he have a weighted blanket? When my ASD boy gets over tired sometimes its the only thing that helps.

Fiestaware! My favorite part is that on the few occasions when I have broken a piece they have only broken into two or three big pieces even when dropped. Unlike my Correllware pieces that shattered into a million sharp shards that I was finding even after vacuuming and mopping.

:grouphug: We do not have a family member with this disease but several years ago I was on a website for parents with medically fragile children and many of the parents had children with Ehlers Danlos. I did find the website that some of the moms referred to. Hopefully this will help. At the bottom there is a link for patient support. http://ednf.org/what-eds

leftovers of Mrs. Wilkes chicken http://www.grouprecipes.com/37473/mrs-wilkes-baked-buttermilk-chicken.html/print

:party:

:grouphug: :grouphug:

This is how dementia started with my husband aunt. She just seemed a little paranoid but it wasn't until she had a full physical and neuopsych assessment that the extent of her dementia became known. During this time she lived independently and worked full time and was able to do so for a couple more years until the dementia progressed.

Harry Dresden series by Jim Butcher.

Most hospices offer free bereavement services. There is usually a limit but it would at least be something.

I'm doing it now. It is possible to go back to school. I think it sets a good example for my children. Yes, I do value education. Its not easy though. Some days are better than others. Having a supportive spouse is making all the difference.

When our doctors office did that so many people complained that they changed back to the old way.

I ordered pizza.

Scrambled eggs and fruit or a nice quiche.

My favorite cheap meals: breakfast for dinner scalloped potatoes and ham potato soup homemade chicken soup an homemade bread red beans and rice chili I wait until the grocery store adds come out to decide what I'm serving. Also if I normally buy something that is really on sale I will buy two or three. I try to keep between $10 -$20 a week for "stock up money." For example there is only one kind of refried beans that ds likes. They are normally $1.19 a can. I budget to buy 4 cans each month = $4.76. When those beans go on sale for $.69 per can I will buy 8 for $6.32. Next time I shop I use the money that I would normally spend on those beans to buy something else that is on sale. This helps keep my pantry full but I also save a bunch. Certain foods I buy at certain times of the year. Condiments and salad dressing really go on sale in the summer months. During that time I will buy all the condiments and salad dressing I will need for the year. It sounds like a lot but no really. The savings can be huge though because often these items are BOGO at my local grocery store.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

If your state has a child abuse hotline, try leaving a message there. I have heard that in some states if a call is made to the hotline it adds a little pressure to the case worker. I don't know if it would help in this case but its worth a try.