Lurking but haven't been active here for a few months. Removed personal info since I'm not posting anymore, just checking. I'm mostly fine LOL just trying to get control of my time. Wishing everyone great things in this new year!

(parts of OP snipped for space) I am greatly in favor of simplicity, and not overdoing holidays (plus I'm broke and lazy, LOL!) but I do try to make things happen so my kids have happy memories and something to look forward to. My girls do a lot of the decorating and preparations. I hang out nearby and provide snacks. BIRTHDAYS/GIFTS. One child has a birthday on or near Thanksgiving, another a few days before Christmas. We celebrate their birthday as if it were any other time of year, but since we aren't able to have several family gatherings for a birthday and holiday in the same week, with family (just grandmas) they get a birthday candle on the dessert of their choice, not just stuck in the pumpkin pie ;) Gifts can be simplified, and even very practical. Stocking stuffers are things we'd normally buy year round- toothbrush, character band aids, pocket size tissues, lip balm, candy, socks, pencils, etc. Regular gifts can also be "boring" like new pajamas, underwear, books, a new pillow fills a large box nicely, gloves/hat/scarf... It sounds like you might prefer they be wrapped in plain paper, maybe even brown kraft paper so thy blend in better than neon green movie character with glitter? :D The goal can be to have a few things for them to open up. My girls really did enjoy getting underwear- whether it was in their days of character-6-packs, or the upgraded Target 5/$20 stuff. COOKIES. The thought of Christmas cookies gives me hives. My mom was NOT a Martha Stewart, but she tried to be with Christmas cookies and I still can't laugh about it, it was so bad. I realized all my kids cared about was decorating and eating cookies. Baking wasn't the main event. So I found frozen pre-shaped dough at a restaurant supply store (Gordon Food Service) so we just loaded th frozen cookies onto trays, bake, cool, decorate. I also bought their tub of white icing, and bought some containers of sprinkles. You could also have a bakery/grocery store bakery sell you baked undecorated cookies. DECORATIONS Maybe instead of "Christmas" decorations aim for a little more "winter" such as a red tablecloth with white dishes, or a "theme" of silver and white? It doesn't have to look like Dr. Seuss' Whoville to look like Christmas. Except for our tree, almost everything we decorate with could be out from Halloween through Valentines Day and not look ridiculous. With a theme, it could be easier for your kids to help you. Instead of wandering around Walmart being overwhelmed, tell her that you'll spend $XX.00 on silver and white decor, and see what she finds. Then it's easy to say "No" to the neon animated light-up honking Christmas goose, LOL!!! Look here... this may be a planner for way more than you'll ever need, but it breaks things down into manageable parts. Gomthrough it with DD and a sharpie to mark out the irrelevant parts, and get some ideas for new traditions. You may end up blacking out 90+% of it, but skim through it as a guide. http://www.flylady.net/i/pdf/hoj_coj.pdf Traditions can be about doing stuff outside the house too- no clutter, LOL! Go ice skating and have the family wear silly knit hats or crazy color scarves. Wear pajamas or character onesies, bring hot chocolate in travel cups and drive around looking at lights. Go to local schools holidays music or chorus concerts. Go see a small ballet studios Nutcracker. I believe you can do this very simply, and it will be enough of a boost that your kids will love it, and still maintain your peace. Let me be the first to wish you Merry Christmas!

If I had a crystal ball, I bet it would show a scenario involving your car and some illegal activity which becomes your responsibility because it happened while the car was registered to you. Not only do I have concerns about a guy who took your car for repair estimate to buy it for himself and is instead having someone else purchase it, but alsomfor the person who would buy a car in this manner... or needs to go the shady route to purchase a car. Are you certain he actually paid for the repairs or will you be getting a bill for those?

Registry only lists people who got caught and convicted... (Not totally doubting your assessment, just pointing out the unfortunate flaw of the system)

:rolleyes: And I thought the parents of the 15 & 25 year olds were crazy. That is an entirely new level of looney. Any Boy Scouts around selling popcorn? I'd buy a big bucket and settle in to watch this drama unfold :rolleyes:

There is nothing in the law requiring you to provide any prior educational records. Not even for high school. Your 12th grade EVALUATOR can require transcripts (your own are fine) for previous high school work in order to sign the state diploma form This is all assuming you're homeschooling, not cyber schooling or private tutoring. All you need to begin are affidavit and objectives. Portfolio at the end of the year is only seen by the evaluator who will provide an evaluation report which you would send to the school district Standardized tests are required in grades 3,5, and 8- only your evaluator sees the results, there should be a place on the evaluation report checked off saying the results were included in the portfolio. If the school,district believes you are out of compliance, there is a procedure they have to follow. Calling and asking for stuff (whether or not it is required by law) is NOT part of the procedure. Click around here- VERY thorough and concise explanations. https://phea.net/pahomeeducationlaw/

Other. I would not have given a push, but I also would absolutely not allow holding up the lesson. I'd hope the lesson began without the child As described, not abusive.

When my girls get their learners permit to drive, after they get the Big Speech about our zero tolerance policy and consequences for texting or other device use while driving, the very first thing they learn is to NEVER asssume that any other driver is actually following traffic laws, especially red lights at intersections. We always look to see if someone appears to be running a red light, and sadly, we're rarely wrong

You're welcome. Unfortunately, we have way too much experience in that area. It has been incredibly damaging. I can at least hope that, since this was an event for girls, it won't end up with a rant on how being female shaped will cause boys to stumble since boys weren't present? :rolleyes: Please, be firm with the coordinator. If she assumes the girls intent was to "look hot" and it wasn't I promise her words will haunt this girl for years. Mine can still quote the people who said rotten things to or about them, and even just in general at classes or events. Also, out of curiosity: what were the other girls not in uniform wearing? Almost every time I saw a girl get a modesty beat down there was another girl wearing a nearly identical outfit, often getting praised for her stylishness, but the second girl wasn't busty, skinny, or wearing the three-strikes-you're-out combo of makeup, something form-fitting/shaped, and b00ks

Agreeing 1million% Don't make this into a modesty beating. my girls have never tried to intentionally "look hot" (words escape me, but you know, going for that attention-grabbing outfit?) but due to their looks, figure, and/or clothing choices it sometimes just happens anyway ;)

Facebook accounts with names like HusbandWife Lastname, with the profile pic of the two of them. I can never tell who is posting, commenting, or who I'm talking to in Messenger :( People on Facebook with very active sales businesses or ministries who don't have a separate account for that so I can choose to follow or block one, the other, or both Or maybe Facebook just needs to be banned :D

COUNT CHOCULA!!!! Oh my gosh I think I ate a box of that stuff every day for a few years of my life :wub:

Whatever happens, I hope the court doesn't rule that the original contractor has to perform the work. NO WAY would I trust him to do a good or even acceptable job, even if he is truly capable of top-level artisan-quality work. I would never trust a buttonhole like that to not intentionally screw something up just to be a spiteful weinerhead. If I ruled the world, I would get three estimates for builder-grade (not bottom, not elite upgrades) tile installation from local established businesses of good reputation, and require the original estimate guy to pay the average of those estimates for one of those contractors to do the work.

Normally I'd agree, but this is a party to welcome new members and no new members will be there to welcome

This is sad. We have not gotten any new place settings since our wedding shower 23.5 years ago. :( I have three children, 1 away at college, plus the ones at home have boyfriends who frequently join us for dinner. All girls have friends who are regular guests as well. The most matching sets I could pull together would be three with dinner plates, bowls, and dessert plates, with matching mugs. We have two teaspoons and two iced tea spoons, six forks, don't know how many butter knives, no steak knives (which is good because we can't afford steak LOL) many mugs, and three glasses. We do have 11 dinner plates, 7clear 4 white. We have about 5 different silverware patterns, but very few that make a matched place setting And none of is is inhat cool eclectic mismatched style... just odds and ends and enough to get by so we never really replaced anything. Somehow we manage to feed small crowds, and I use paper/plastic when necessary If I were buying a new set, I would get service for 12. 8 would be enough for each DD to have a guest, and 12 fits comfortable around the table with both leaves in place. Of course, the chairs won't match, but that wasn't part of the original question ;)