I agree with others, not weird at all. We had to put our beloved dog to sleep in October. We actually got two condolence cards from the vet practice. The first was signed by all the vets and office manager and then a second signed by all the vet techs and office staff. They all knew our Annie very well and loved her. They also sent us a plaster print of her paw.

So glad to hear the news! Praise the Lord!! Will continue to pray. Mary

But that's true of any assets above the limit put by Medicaid. So if you have stocks, or savings, or mutual funds, they also will have to be spent to qualify for Medicaid. I don't think we shouldn't save or invest because we might need to spend it for healthcare in our later years. Isn't that a reason to save? We have long term health insurance in addition to our life insurance. I'd rather Medicaid be my last choice when I'm in my later years; a fallback position if I need it. I had my mother's durable power of attorney and was intimately involved with her finances and health care the last years of her life. I watched her Medicare and long term care insurance be depleted, then her bank accounts after pre-paying her funeral costs, and then she was on Medicaid. I didn't care that there was nothing left when she died, but I know Medicaid got her the lowest care in the nursing home. It was a very sad and difficult time. I think it was the most stressful time of my life. Both my in-laws spent time in nursing homes before they passed, but didn't deplete their long term care insurance. Our parents' end of life experiences definitely made us want to buy long term care insurance. They odds are not in our favor and we hope it will help our children avoid the stress.

Whatever you decide to do about the lawn now, keep those pictures of the lawn from when you moved in in a safe place. Print them out if they are on your computer. Because if the lawn doesn't look like your landlady thinks it should look, she may try to withhold your deposit. If you have any other pictures of the house from when you moved in, do the same with those. Mary

We converted in August after our second dd got a Macbook Pro for college. Her older sister has had one for three years and loves it. When we got back from taking her to college we got our own Mac desktop. We are so NOT computer people and we could never do the maintenance on our PCs that they required to work up to potential. We were always at the mercy of techie friends to help us. So far I like the Mac. We did pay for Apple to set up the computer and transfer all our data from our PC to the Mac. It was worth it since we are not tech savvy. We also can get individual tutorials for a year. I haven't done it yet because I wanted to be more familiar with the computer so I wouldn't be overwhelmed with all the new info. I plan on going in over the next couple of months. I'm not sure about your Word documents transferring because we got Microsoft Office for Mac, so we are still using Word and Outlook. We could get the program from my DH's work for free and it makes it easier for him, since that is what he uses all day. I would do it again and I really like it. I think I will really love it once I get some lessons and learn more:) HTH, Mary

I got a Fraud Alert text from my bank (USAA, Love them!!!) on Tuesday night, before the Target info was public. It told me a charge of $717 had been made to a Toys R Us in New York. I immediately called them and they cancelled the card. They have already credited the account. I got the alert within an hour of the charge being made. I would highly recommend signing up for the service if your credit card company has it!!!! My dh and I both had our cards in our wallets, so they weren't physically stolen and we were wondering where the info got out. Then the Target story broke and we think that was probably it. Hopefully the new cards will arrive by FedEx today. USAA expedited them. I hate having to call all the companies that have the cc number automatic monthly charges, this is the second time this year! Argh! I had just memorized the new one and here we go again.

Congratulations!!!!! Almost the same thing happened to us 8 years ago. A For Sale by Owner sign went up and my dd pointed it pointed it out to me. They had a previous offer but the seller liked us because we obviously loved the house as she had. She refused a counter offer by the other buyer and said she wouldn't get in a bidding war. It was so fantastic and painless. Enjoy the excitement of a new house :001_smile:

You might want to post this question on the Chat Board. You'll probably get more answers there.

I would clean the ring weekly with jewelry cleaner. It comes in a jar with a little plastic basket in it. You put the ring in the basket and lower it into the jar and let it sit for awhile. There is also a little brush you can use to brush the inside of the ring. A water pik also works well for blasting stuff off the inside of jewelry. Also, don't wear the ring at night so your finger can breathe. You might try an anti fungal cream at night too. HTH, Mary

I found this web site to find out where a charity's money goes and how they rate for efficiency, etc .http://www.charitynavigator.org You can put the charity's name in the search box and get a rating and info for them. The Heifer Project didn't rate very highly. Check out their "Top Ten" Lists too. It is very eye opening.

What are your future plans for school? What do you intend to do next year, first grade? Are you going to homeschool? I am a retired or graduated homeschooling mom. My second dd went off to college this fall and she was homeschooled from 1st - 12th grades. She did go to pre-school and kindergarten from 3-6. She has a birthday in early October and missed the cutoff in our state which is 30 September. Since her preschool was a private one, they could have moved her up from 4 yo pre-K to K if we wanted. We decided not to because she was a leader in her class. She was self-assured and tying everyone else's shoe laces :001_smile: I have never, ever regretted it. If you are planning on homeschooling you can assign whatever grade you want to and graduate her when you want. If you are planning to send her to 1st grade next year and have her go to a brick and mortar school, there are lots of ramifications about your choice to sent her to 1st grade at 5 that probably aren't apparent to you now. All of this is given in a gentle spirit and not meant to be critical of anyone's choices. I just know of all of the benefits my dd had from starting school later even though she was homeschooled. DD was involved in lots of outside activities and co-op classes so had plenty of interaction which children in her grade/age/peer group. Because she was usually one of the oldest in the class she was up to speed developmentally and wasn't struggling to keep up. Socially it was easier for her because she was older than most. When her teen years arrived she was comfortable and wasn't the smallest/youngest/most immature in the group. That can make a big difference in social interaction. She took college classes at the local CC as junior because she was already 16 at the beginning of her junior. She also took dual-enrolled classes on-line. Because of that she went to college this fall with 33 college credits already under her belt. She went to college as an 18 yo instead of a 17 yo. Doesn't sound like a big deal but there can be a BIG difference in maturity between an almost 18 yo and almost 19 yo! These are things we didn't even think of when we decided to leave her in her pre-K class. We just knew she was happy there. This is a long way of saying, if your dd doesn't have to be in the kindergarten class to provide child care then I would pull her out. She is only 4! As many others have said, that is still a baby. She wants you. There are plenty of other ways she can socialize in groups and have friends at 4 without going to a school where her teacher doesn't like her. And if you aren't going to homeschool her, pull her out now and put her in another kindergarten next year. There is a big difference between almost 5 and almost 6! Just my 2 cents, Mary

If you crochet the chain with a hook that is a size larger that the one you are working the project in it can help it from getting too tight. Also don't tightly grasp the project and don't pull the yarn tightly. The key is to relax :001_smile: It is easier to start with crochet. It takes greater manual dexterity to knit-two needles. Also, it is easier to correct a mistake in crochet. Correcting knitting has a big to chance of dropped stitches leading to a run. If you watch a righty crochet in front of a mirror and look in the mirror you will see how to do it left handed. I have taught a lefty to crochet and knit and it was difficult for me. I would try to do it left handed and it taxed my brain majorly!

I know nothing about this church or the pastor. From the information I could get from googling, it appears erratic behavior/infidelity from his wife took place over the course of ten years. They tried counseling and dealing with it for a long time. The things I read said she is getting psychological treatment. So on the surface (of course I could be totally wrong) it doesn't bear any resemblance to "the Dougs."

Vision Forum was run by Doug Phillips, not Doug Wison-different companies. Twelve years ago my husband and I were at a conference where Doug Phillips spoke. We had just returned to homeschooling and moved to the states from overseas. We had no idea his position in the homeschooling community. We went up to speak to him during a break. He was very friendly and my dh, an attorney, was speaking to him about something legal. My dh said in passing that I was also an attorney. The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly and the look Doug Phillips gave me was very cold. It turned instantly. Over the years as I learned more about him I realized his reaction to me could have been totally expected. I am very sorry for his family. I hope this situation leads to a vibrant relationship with the Lord for Mr Phillips, away from the legalism he espoused.

I taught my dds and some of their friends using the books Sewing Machine Fun and More Sewing Machine Fun. http://www.amazon.com/Sewing-Machine-Fun-Teach-Myself/dp/1880972042/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383066540&sr=1-1 and http://www.amazon.com/More-Sewing-Machine-Teach-Myself/dp/1880972050/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383066730&sr=1-1 They are both out of print, but there are many available used and cheap! They have diagrams and games as ways to learn about the machine. They also have projects, particularly the second book. They work well to familiarize a new seamstress with the machine and help her get comfortable before moving on to a project. They also teach the proper vocabulary for the parts of the machine, which I found very helpful. If you have one of the newer machines that does everything, like cut the thread for you, then the machine described in the book would probably not match up to yours:) HTH, Mary

I saw a television investigation special (think it was ABC, but can't find it again) on the case done about a year ago. Dr. McNeill sounds like a sociopath. He falsified his undergraduate transcripts to get into medical school. Before getting married he ran up all sorts of bad debt writing bad checks, we're talking tens of thousands of dollars and went to jail for it. After his wife died he sent his adopted daughter back to Ukraine to "visit" her sister. She traveled on her Ukrainian passport and dad kept the US passport. He than used the passport to get mistress a name change and tried to get the house he owned with deceased wife put into mistresses name. They got caught for that and all sorts of other fraudulent stuff and went to jail, federal prison I think. I think he did it and is so arrogant he never thought he'd get caught. I hope they have enough admissible evidence to get a conviction.

Super Bowl Sunday 1985 on Maxwell Air Force Base, Montgomery, Alabama. I had already been there for two weeks taking a course on "how to be an Air Force Officer" before starting the eight week Judge Advocate course (course for lawyers on military law). DH arrived that Sunday for the Judge Advocate course. He didn't need the two week course because he had been in ROTC as an undergraduate. He walked into a Super Bowl party wearing a grey University of Arizona t-shirt. We started talking about law and ended up talking all evening. We were assigned to the same small seminar groups for the whole eight weeks. We sat next to each other the first day and since we placed name tags in our spots that day we all sat in the same spots for the whole course. We ended up studying together for tests and did a moot court case against each other(I won :001_smile: ) He ended up graduating 1st in the class and I was 2nd. (My mom asked me if I "let him" beat me, no I didn't) He went to Okinawa and I went to Washington state but we stayed in touch as "friends." Of course this is all pre-email, internet, Skype etc. We used regular mail and phone calls. I had HORRENDOUS phone bills! I knew he was the one, I just had to hang in long enough for him to figure it out. I visited Okinawa the next November and wrote lots of letters. One year later I was stationed in Korea then 7 months later so was he. We were still 3 hours apart, but at least it was the same country. Six months after he arrived in Korea we were engaged and got married in Korea four months later, a little over 3 years after we met. We will have been married 26 years in March. We just saw one of the instructors from the JAG School at a luncheon yesterday as well as a member of that class. Made me feel old! :001_smile:

When she says she may quit "next year," is she talking January, or next school year? If she is talking next school year then I'd wouldn't worry about it at all. Who knows how she'll feel by then, and if she still wants to quit, I'd let her. If she wants to quit in January that is different. My dh and I abided by Stars "You Finish What You Start" philosophy. Whatever our dds started in the fall they were obligated to finish out the school year. We found that there were always ups and downs where they wanted to quit something. It was more emotional than anything. They just didn't want to do the activity that day, for a myriad of reasons. We'd just say, "if you feel the same way in June you can quit. Of course for our dancing dd'a studio we had to sign a year contract that obligated us to pay even if she quit. So I'd always ask her in the fall if she wanted to continue, reminding her she was obligated for the whole year if she said yes. Then I'd sign the contract. In the early years she'd talk about quitting on occasion and I'd just remind her of her obligation. When the next fall came around she'd want to keep dancing. She is now majoring in dance in college and on year 15. Of course none of us want our children taking part in activities they don't like, but the "You Finish What You Start" philosophy allows them (and you) to figure out if it is really the activity they don't like or something else. HTH, Mary

I never thought I'd hear a story where lice is a good thing :001_smile: My 23 yo dd is in her first year teaching. She moved back home for her job and is teaching 3rd grade. She walked in the door last Wednesday screaming, "LICE, LICE, LICE!!!!!" She had seen them crawling on one of her students. Her classroom is now striped of area rugs and she brought home the pillows to run through the dryer at high heat. She has had me check her head multiple times because she says every time she thinks about it her head itches. I think she will get a chuckle from your story. Hope your son and home stay lice free :001_smile:

:iagree: :iagree: :iagree: We are big BSF (Bible Study Fellowship International) fans here. My husband and I have completed the 8 year series and he has continued on as a leader. Our dds also each completed about 8 years of the childrens'/school program. BSF follows on average 32 weeks over the school year and goes in depth. They have a program for kids that mirrors the adult program. I believe my Bible knowledge/understanding grew exponentially through my study in BSF. There are many different good Bible studies available but I believe you learn the most if the study is regular; you have to really look at how it applies to you and dig deep; you are accountable to complete it and stay on track; and you are studying the Bible itself, directly, not some book about the Bible. Blessings, Mary

Don't have specific advice, but your friend should try out Ballet Talk for Dancers. It's a board like TWTM for dancers and their parents. There is great information available there about dance schools. HTH, Mary

How old is this teacher? Is he single, or married with no kids? If so, I would cut him more slack about the due date switch. I think a lot of young teachers with no kids, particularly male ones, have no clue what is happening in families after the kids leave school. They don't understand that kids have outside activities, sports, music lessons, and siblings with those that they have to go with. And then of course there are meals and family time, and family plans on the weekend. . . . Now if he isn't young and clueless, then he is just being selfish-his time is more important than his students' and their families' time. The vocabulary word comes across as subtle bullying, although again if he is young and a fairly new teacher he could think he is being "cute." Something that would create unease in a middle schooler can really mess with the mind of a 4th grader. It can destroy the respect a child has for their teacher. Either way, I think it would be good to discuss this with the principal. If the teacher is young I might take the tack that you just want to help the teacher become more understanding of the impact of his actions on the students and their families to make him a better teacher. If he is an experienced, mature teacher I'd be more forceful in how I addressed it. In that case, it does come across as bullying. Mary

Hope your DD grows and matures through this. I know it is so hard when our dc don't embrace our values and take a path we disagree with. :grouphug: :grouphug: I know some kids just need to do things the hard way to learn. It's hard for a parent to watch. :grouphug: :grouphug: Will pray for protection for her and peace for you. Mary

You will be okay :grouphug: :grouphug: . I have launched both of mine and survived. It was easier though because we knew for years that oldest was going to college which gave everyone time to process. When you know something is coming you can be mentally and emotionally prepared. So sorry this came with such short notice for you! My oldest went 12 hours away for college. When she graduated she got a job there and stayed. Youngest just left for college last month, but she is 1,000 miles, 16 hour drive away. But the transition has been eased because oldest moved back home in June. She couldn't get a job directly in her chosen field after a year so came home. She got a job here in 10 days and is living at home for the present. We live in a very high cost area. Plus she likes being home and we like having her!!! What an unexpected blessing she has been. But I can honestly say we had fully adjusted to her being 12 hours away. She was happy there and succeeding. I know when my oldest left it really helped that I was still homeschooling her younger sister. I really enjoyed the one-on-one time with her. Focus on the dc still at home and enjoy your time with them. Be encouraging to you dd as she leaves and help her succeed. As hard as it is to launch our dc, that was the goal all along! I don't remember if you have shared anything else about this dd, i.e. if your unhappy with her bf, or his mom, or her choices. But if it isn't a healthy situation for her, work hard to keep those lines of communication open and let her know she is always welcome at home, while still encouraging her to succeed where she is. It is so hard to let our dc go :grouphug: :grouphug: After I graduated college and graduate school I went in the military. I married a man in the military. We went all over the world. My mom was a widow and I was her only child. One time when I was upset that we were being sent so far away from her (we were already on the other side of the country) she encouraged me about the assignment. She told me it was one of her favorite world cities. And she said something that made a HUGE difference to me and I have told my ddd this. She said, "You have to live YOUR life." When I'm missing my younger dd, I will remember you and pray for you :grouphug: Blessings, Mary P.S. I forgot to add that sometimes being away from home makes the dc appreciate what they had. Every time my oldest came home she was easier to get along with then before. :001_smile:

My almost 19 yo dancing dd is off at college. She is majoring in dance (ballet focus) and also taking all the prerequisites to get into Physical Therapy school. This will be her 15th year dancing. I am kind of in withdrawal at the moment. She didn't get her driver's license before she left (no time!) so I was the ballet chauffeur and I worked a lot at the dance school, costumes and front desk. I haven't been at the studio since dd took her last open class before leaving for college in the middle of August. Plus she was last kiddo. So no homeschooling and no dance. I can't say I miss it exactly. I like the big blocks of time to get projects done. But it is QUIET around here. And it is the time of year for Nutcracker auditions . . . :001_smile: