I had the exact symptoms described, and it turned out to be GERD (reflux). The ENT diagnosed it by putting a little scope up my nose to have a look at my throat, changed my diet somewhat (didn't help), then prescribed Prilosec for a few months. I could have sworn there was something in my throat, but he said that was a common symptom. Weird! I hope your daughter has as easy a fix as I did. :)

I am so sorry this happened.:grouphug: Last summer, my dd's dog died of a stroke while dd was at camp. At the time, I was conflicted (to the point of being inconsolable) as to when to notify her. In hindsight, I am SO glad the vet and my ds convinced me to wait until she was done with camp. We picked her up, let her chat happily in the car until we were about 1/2 way home, then I told her. She at first was upset that I didn't call her, but she did finally admit that it would have ruined the rest of her week at camp, and knowing wouldn't have changed anything except that. I am very glad I waited. Again, at the time, it was a difficult decision, but now I can see clearly that it was for the best. There is never an easy way to share this news no matter when it is. Again, I'm sorry for your family. ETA: I just saw your additional information. I think your plan is a good one. Poor ds. :(

You forgot "You are doing more than I do, but I wish my house was cleaner." That's what I would have chosen, but I lied and said my house was still clean.;)

Hmmm...Just when I thought I had heard everything!! I've not heard of Walmart camping, but in answer to your question, if there was a sign posted telling me I wasn't welcome, I would stay out. I'm a rule follower, though, sometimes to a fault.

Just grass. The mulch at the park hurt my kiddos legs if they fell, so I felt like a little weed whacking would be worth it. They are getting so old now that we're talking about taking the swingset out. :001_unsure:

This was really helpful! Thank you all. Yeah, it is hard to differentiate whether they're talking about the insert or the cover. I will check out your links and find something I like. Fun!

We went on vacation, and the hotel had theses great white down-filled comforters, but I think they might be duvets. Anyway, I want one! I will describe it, and maybe someone can tell me if it is a duvet. It simply covered the top and some of the side of the bed. It was fairly lightweight but heavy enough to help when the air conditioning was chilly. It was a little fluffy, but not a lot. There didn't seem to be a cover, which is why I wondered if it was a true duvet. So I looked on Amazon, hoping to find the exact thing in a different color, but they have duvet cover sets. Would I need a duvet and a cover? There didn't seem to be inserts and covers. :confused: Do I have the concept down? Do you have any suggestions on where to find what I'm looking for that won't break the bank? (Geesh, some of those sets were ridiculous!) Thanks for any ideas you might have. :)

We replaced ours this year because ours were becoming threadbare!:blush: We found some great, thick but not too thick, nice pattered beach towels at Target. They were $9.99.

54. Yikes.

Gently here, but IMO you are very much overreacting. I can't imagine a sleepover without snacks, especially if the kid hadn't eaten earlier. I realize you are on a strict budget and this must have been difficult for you to see that the cereal was gone when you'd planned it for your own kids. I might suggest that you reconsider having guests over or maybe set aside the approved snacks that they can have. I'd make sure it was "fun" sleepover food just for your daughter and her friend as a special treat (if you can't afford to buy it for the whole family). I know it is hard to be on a strict budget. Sounds like you're doing a great job managing on a shoestring. Maybe just a few $ extra for special occasions could be added?

Unfortunately, this is normal. I just went through the details of my mom's E.R. bill, and your rates might even be lower than the rates around here. Ugh. I do know that if you can pay in cash, they might be willing to lower it some. Doesn't always work, but it's worth a try!

Our dog is in the midst of some serious behavior training. It is going very well, however, he seems to have forgotten some of his potty training! He is two years old but we got him as a rescue last year. He did pretty well going outside until we started having to keep him on the leash (for aggression, as per an earlier post). It seems like he doesn't associate going outside with going #2. It is so weird! He will come inside and wait a while, then go find a private place to poop. It is driving me crazy. He pees outside most of the time but still is occasionally going in the house. Oh, he will poop while on a walk as well, but we can't always walk him when he needs to go. The only signal he gives is searching for a place, which is great when we catch him but we rarely see him slip away. We have never house trained a dog before as we've always gotten house trained rescues. The internet is overwhelming with techniques, so will you please share the best training methods that have worked for you? Thank you! Oh, I forgot to add that his method before he "forgot" was to wait at the door and scratch. If we didn't happen to be in the room, he did not come and get us but would eventually just go in the house - NOT cool! What is the best method to teach him - bark? come get us? install a bell?

Our Wegmans has a 6 oz, 12 oz, and "industrial" size! I can count on them for all my tomato paste needs. :)

Thank you for encouraging me to think positively this evening! -We all had a dentist appointment today and everyone got a clean bill of dental health. -Staff at the dentist gave us two quarts of strawberries because a local produce supplier had extra and gave them 10 quarts. I can honestly say I have never come home from the dentist with produce! -I was so thankful for our pool today. It is HOT! -My mom (who has Alzheimers) had a great day today. -Our summer math schedule is being followed and kids have had good attitudes about it. That was fun. I hope someone posts this same question tomorrow. :-)

Glad you got a good result! I had a good experience getting mine repaired as well. :)

So when I keep him on a leash inside, do I take him from place to place with me? Does this help establish that I am the pack leader or is it strictly for control? He is usually fine, but I can see how it would be useful when he isn't "fine". Any tips on how to keep him from howling while in the crate? When we go to bed, do you recommend crating in a room where there are no people or can he be in my daughter's room? Kricau, he was bitten by the other dog, but the dog was definitely up to date on shots. Darcy was seen by a vet and cleared. I know what you mean about biting one of the kids being the last straw. I feel like that, but I also know we haven't tried training of any kind and while I am sick over this, my family wants to try that. Michelle, he is 2 years old but was completely non-aggressive for the seven months we had him (until April). I am sorry that you were bitten so severely...that is terrible. :( That terrifies me. I don't want to live with a dog I can't trust. I will contact a behaviorist a.s.a.p. In the meantime, thank you for keeping up this thread with me. I am kind of freaking out. Btw, my dd12 is hysterical thinking that getting rid of him is even an option. I would like to be able to tell her that there are people out there who will take on a dog like this if it comes down to that. Maybe a rescue agency?

I just read my own post and realize that the title should really say "My dog IS aggressive." Sigh - that is so hard to say. :(

We got our shi-zhu/poodle mix last September. While he has always been hyper when he plays, he was wonderful until about April. Our dog witnessed our neighbor's dog being attacked and killed by the dog behind us. Shortly after that, he began showing signs of aggression such as nipping when the kids next door stuck their hands through the fence and snapping if we tried to move him off the bed. One day my dh tried to get a candy wrapper out of his mouth so he wouldn't choke (I know, probably not the best idea!), and he bit him on the hand. Two weeks ago, we went on vacation, and our dog (Darcy) was attacked by a dog while dh had him out for a walk. We noticed when we got home that Darcy was more nervous and touchy than usual. For example, someone dropped a peanut butter lid and bent down to pick it up, and he charged at them. Then yesterday, the dog went outside sick to his stomach and laid down in the grass. Ds14 went out to pet him and the dog jumped all over him trying to bite him. He did get his finger. Had he been a bigger dog, ds would have been quite injured, I'm sure. There was no warning growl or anything, which is weird. Our local Humane Society tells me that with proper training, there is a good chance he can get over this. I feel desperate, and I don't know that I want to spend the many weeks/months it may take just to see if he can behave! Dh and the kids think this is the route to go because "He is so wonderful 95% of the time." I am getting so jumpy and am so nervous worrying that one of us is going to do the wrong thing to provoke him that I wouldn't mind someone else taking him off our hands to train him and live happily ever after! Obviously something has to be done. Those of you who are dog people and especially those who have rehabilitated a dog's behavior with training, what do you think? Also, for the time being, what do I do with him? I know that sounds weird, but should he be out among us in the house as is usual? Should we crate him part of the day? He's sort of used to sleeping in it (unhappily so), but I will admit to being lax about this lately. He's dd12's baby and she has been letting him sleep on her bed - not after yesterday, though. It really scared me... I guess I am in a mild panic and am not sure what to do next. Everything I read says to try training. I guess that's what I do next? I am exhausted from thinking about this. Thank you for any help you can give.

Dh and I have an agreement. I will not tell him how much our vet bills are and he will not tell me how much he spends to maintain the swimming pool. We are both pretty happy with this arrangement!

I had to "strongly persuade" Mom go into an assisted living facility by telling her over and over that we loved her and wanted her to be safe. It seemed that pointing out safety issues and how much help she would receive while still being able to maintain a bit of independence was the most helpful way to go, rather than talking about her memory loss. She was scared of the memory loss and couldn't bring herself to admit the full extent of the problem or the inevitable decline. It wasn't easy to get her to the point of going, and that last week we had quite a fight on our hands, but she did go. The transition was difficult for her, but when she settled in, I wept with joy! She was SAFE, well fed (she had been forgetting to eat), received the proper meds at the proper time (also had been a major problem at home), and she had structure to her day. I am sure had she stayed at home, she would have declined much more rapidly. Fast forward 5.5 years, and she now leads a walking club for residents, is on the welcoming committee for new residents, has a "boyfriend" named Oscar (sounds funny for an 86-yr old!), and volunteers to read to the pre-schoolers who visit the home every other week. I will say that addressing the problem, figuring out what to do, getting the house ready to sell, dealing with siblings, and Mom's transition to the move -- November-March 2006-07 was one of the most difficult times of my life. However, I believe it was one of the BEST choices I've ever made. I shudder to think what would have happened had Mom stayed in her house. Feel free to ask me questions if you have them! I hope all goes well for your mother. I know it's very difficult, but I advise you to follow your instincts on this one.:grouphug:

Speechless... If I had a nickel for every time I've said "What is WRONG with people?!" in the last week, I'd be a rich woman! Yikes.

Oh, Sarah...I am so sorry this has happened. His adorable face (from the CB site) has captured my heart. I will pray for him and check for updates. :grouphug:

Wow! They are soooo cute - almost too cute to eat. Almost...:001_smile: She is talented, that's for sure.

I grew up eating sauerkraut with polska kielbasa, sauerkraut with pork chops, sauerkraut with pierogies, etc. I have never had it with anything other than a little bit of chopped apple and some brown sugar. Other vegetables?? Never.

Did Ashton Kutcher jump out at the end...I swear you've been punked. I have been a lurker on this thread and have eagerly awaited this story, but I couldn't have imagined it would be this WEIRD! My dh would have moved heaven and earth before he would let me serve something like that to guests or even to our family (and we are not picky)! So tell me, how on earth did you hold your tongue? I would have been so curious to know why she gave you that ridiculous list and then completely disregarded it when she cooked!? I could NOT have resisted asking her about it. You handled this whole thing quite well. I hope you never have to do it again.:tongue_smilie: