I have lived and traveled in many p,aces where there isn't a "non smoking/smoking" option except for very high end, western hotels, and we didn't want to pony up that kind of cash. So we stayed, with kids, in many, many smoking rooms. It was fine, no allergies or anything here and you get over the initial yuck pretty quick and don't notice the smell so much. You will notice it when arriving home to your smoke free house maybe, but I've found leaving suitcases and non washables on the porch for a day or so solves the problem.

I can't do a hug smiley, but that is what I am thinking, a big, full on hug. I'm so sorry.

It's a little hipster-does-old-lady, IMO. Which I would never volunteer, but you asked, so please don't hate me! But that is my first thought...

Lol! I will admit to saying "it's not rocket surgery" because I think it's funny, I suppose I may end up the subject of a thread like this though-!

Ds is also 12, and has been off for over a year. We just couldn't trade his happy personality for better academics, and since we homeschool could choose that. Yes, his math work is perfect medicated and he never skips words reading, but he was so subdued, and then emotional and sick feeling during wear off, we just couldn't do it any more. It's the major reason he really can't go to public school, I wish we had access to a school like yours (I've read other posts by you about it). It's not for everyone, but I'm glad you (and I) got our happy kids back!

Another frequent mover (military) who does nothing until I know for sure.

I'm so bummed about my summer I could scream. Youngest is at a ballet intensive and comes back right when oldest begins an every day, all day language program for 4 weeks. Youngest also starts a local intensive one week later, so for 3 weeks I'll be basically driving alll day shuttling them both back and forth (thankfully the times work out I can do that, otherwise I have no idea what I'd do!). Then 3 more weeks of daily intensive for youngest, and one week later school starts and the normal dance schedule. No time for a vacation (or money, lol) at all. Dh started a new job so he couldn't get off anyway...so...that's okay...what else would we do...right? Right?! No sleeping in or math catch up or pool time for us. Sigh.

Dunno, I never did it. A room mate did, and she did take a whole month (minus placebos) and wasn't sick. I am unsure of the exact dosage info, I'm pretty sure she was too hence just taking the whole packet borrowed from a friend. Not advocating this, by the way, as I am not a doctor nor do I play one on the Internet. I wouldn't think you'd get sick though, maybe a bit nauseous? It's just hormones, albeit in a large dose which is the point. I remember friends asking for them, as a non bcp taker, to use for this reason, I didn't have any to give. Umsami, perhaps student health is where the info originated from! I seem to remember the info being on the package insert somewhere, but I could be remembering wrong. Seems weird to me now it is a separate dose and an expensive one at that, but it's probably more reliable that way. The only Internet we knew back then was in the computer lab and not really a tool used to research this sort of things, so the info wasn't from there at the time I learned it.

Be taken in a large dose in case of an "oops"? Ie, what is now known as the "morning after" pill? I was surprised by the controversy when plan b first became available, because I thought it was common knowledge the pill worked this way. In college, if someone had an oops (broken something, heat of the moment, what have you) they found a person on bcp and took a whole months worth of the pills. I am not sure when I learned this as an option, but I was pretty young, and it was common knowledge among women. At least all the women I knew, and I didn't run with a particularly racy crowd or anything, just your average middle class women in their late teens, early 20s who were dating, trying to finish college, start careers, etc. Most of us were on the pill already, meaning an oops had different ramifications, but those that weren't (me) knew this as a back up option in case of emergency. I haven't ever asked a real life friend about this (though there are some I still talk to from those days and will have to ask them how they knew) but I thought I'd ask here if people had heard this/done this. I hope this isn't an inappropriate topic- not trying to start a controversy at all just curious as to how many knew this use for bcp a long time ago. It seems from reading the hobby lobby thread maybe not many do?

My oldest would be mortified if anyone knew, but he gets his waxed. Dh shaves his massive single eyebrow, but Ds got weird ingrown hairs when he tried it. Shaving his lip is fine, but he had problems when he tried the eyebrows. So, I took him (mid day, empty salon) to get it waxed and wow- what a difference! He looks like a whole different kid, lol. the salon insists many men do it, but he still finds it embarrassing. Both boys got dhs huge eyebrows, and it's funny how I never really noticed how much better someone looks when they have two instead of one.

One shift as a waitress at a small, expensive Italian place in high school. I had only worked retail before, but wanted to try for the tips. Tips were great- $60 that one Tuesday evening shift- but I hated it! Never sat down, smelled like food, yuck. I quit at the end of my shift and never waitresses again.

Woah- I never knew any of this! Ds eats raw broccoli by the boatload, as a snack. He just munches straight on the bunch. As far as I know, no ill effects? He eats it every day, one or two bunches (or whatever the big tree looking broccoli thing is called). My dad has a heart valve and must be careful of certain veggies due to coumadin, but I never knew of any other reason why more wouldn't be better in the case of veggies. Color me confused!

I'm watching this, our nearly 13 year old dog is too fragile for teeth cleaning, but...ugh. Tried greenies, she is a lab and she just eats them straight away, negating the teeth cleaning effect. We can and do brush her teeth (we wipe them with gauze, actually) but her breath is sooo terrible. The vet her teeth aren't bad enough to risk anesthetic just for that, so we are stuck.

When we moved back to the us 2 years ago, I really struggled with this. The literal first day back, at the airport, my 10 and 13 year old went to find a star bucks while we waited for our dog to come out of baggage, and a woman followed them back to us to "make sure they were with parents". I about died. 13- my oldest was 13! You can't cross a highway overpass (no star bucks in the airport section we were in) and be gone 20 minutes, in public, at 13?! It hit me that suddenly my kids would have a whole lot less freedom if this was the prevailing attitude, and it is. 5 year olds don't get themselves to piano lessons on the subway here, which I did find remarkable, and 13 year olds alone at a coffee shop are suspect. I caught heck from a group of moms for dropping my youngest (now 12) at dance and they doors weren't open yet- it's in a strip mall,It's daylight, he has a phone, and he is 12...he can wait 10 minutes outside for the teacher, certainly? Apparently not, the dance school changed their policy because some mothers complained I didn't wait with Ds. We carpool with a girl who is 14, and her mom was running late and her other daughter had an appt. I told her to drop the girl at the corner store and go on to her appointment, I'd get her from the store and my eta was about 10 minutes...nope. The girl couldn't wait, in daylight, alone at a populated grocery store in a safe part of town for 10 minutes. People be crazy. My kids desperately want to move back overseas, where they can wander to their hearts content. Living in the suburbs doesn't help- no where to get to here really unless by car, so kids are stuck.

I'm so sorry others feel the way I do! Truly, I wish it was just me, but I am also irrationally feeling better that it isn't just me up late at night, stressed so much about money, money, money. We did everything "right" and those who also did are doing so well, and we are...not. I have a highly talented kid I can't give opportunities to because I can't afford them, and it kills me. I don't need anything for myself, but not having it for my kids just hurts. I'm tired of being sad and tired and worried. How I wish we all werent! And yet, I feel better knowing it isn't just me in this spot because sometimes I feel like I just must be bad or unlucky or deserve it somehow.

It's funny how different kids can develop. My walker at 7 months (I went straight to the pediatrician, it was my first child) is no more coordinated or athletically inclined than any other kid. My walker at a more normal 11 months is very physically gifted- very! I had a friend who had a baby a week before my oldest, and her poor husband would compare and compare, her baby walked a bit on the late side at 18 months or so. (fun fact, normal is actually 6 months to 2! Who knew?) if Ds jumped off something at the park when they were 4 and his child didn't, it was due to the "late" walking, etc. Pointless to have worried, it ended up being neither helpful or harmful for either child, like most things. As mine are the advanced ages of 15 and 12, my advice is just soak in every moment you can, not that you aren't of course, but oh, how I miss those toddler days!

I would totally do that for money. (can you tell things are tight around here? Hey, it's easier than housecleaning!)

Just keep doing what you are doing. Often when cats have an upset tummy they will become anorexic, it's like they forget to eat. When they start to feel better, they will eat on their own again, but often syringe feeding is necessary to get them over the hump until they recover. You are lucky your cat tolerates it well, I was in the er two months ago from a cat bite trying to nurse my 16 year old cat. I ended up having to put her at the vets for 3 days because even emaciated and sick, she was too difficult to medicate and feed. They sedated her and that worked. Dumb cat- I'm trying to save her life! She recovered and is her same old pissy self now, I recovered too. But be careful!

Ug. We had a set of grandparents who did this- even after being asked to stop, gramma roped grandpa (who is a sweet but very clueless old man) into doing it. Yeah, everyone noticed grandpa, who normally snores in a chair, hit the kid up to read. My youngest had vision trouble, still does but at age 5-7 was in the diagnosing/trying things and therapies stage. Gramma was convinced home schooling, not eyes, was the reason. Another child had a grandkid with vision problems too a few years later, and miraculously had the same issues despite being in public school, and gramma finally knocked it off and even apologized, sort of. You can tell the intent, and if it's "testing", please put a stop to it. It will damage their relationship forever if not, ask me how I know.

If I had access to (and could afford, because they do exist here) a school like Aimees, I'd send my youngest in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, we have access to "you square peg fits well enough in our round hole so we don't care" type schools, so we homeschool. It's working brilliantly for what it is, but I don't kid myself there are better options out there. We just can't afford them, so they might as well not exist.

I don't know about gerbils, but we had rats and one became paralyzed. They were nearly 3, quite old for rats, and had always been together. We waited a day to see what was what, but she didn't defecate at all so we figured this was quite bad. It took some calling around to find a vet who could euthanize humanely, many have no experience with rodents and they need special care- it isn't like a dog or cat. I had them both put down, I couldn't bear leaving one alone, and darned if I didn't bawl, over rats, lol. Not gerbils, and probably not helpful, but google or find a forum for the specific needs of euthanizing small animals. It can take some legwork to find a vet with experience who uses proper methods so it is most humane, should it come to that. Hopefully it won't, if he is eating and defecating that is good. Be aware they can easily get infections if he remains paralyzed though.

I had a first sergeant who said "goddawg" a million years ago. It's my go-to swear.

I did not mean to assign a value judgement to the feral cats, when I said euthanizing them was humane, I meant it. It is. But just because it's humane doesn't mean the relative in question is going to be okay with it, by taking the action of caring for the cats he/she has demonstrated a level of attachment to them. I'm not sure being elderly or ill means the same thing as relinquishing all choice over the care of animals, and it is something to consider. I know I'd be flat pissed if someone euthanized my pets because I couldn't care for them due to age or illness- it is important to consider the wishes of the relative, it isnt really about the cats. There are "more important things"...but this may also be quite important to the relative, and if so, options exist.

Trap- neuter-release is effective to stop overpopulation. It will not remove your cats, but not feeding them probably will also not. I'm sorry, but the elderly relative started caring for them and it seems very cruel to stop without his/her express consent. If they "have to go", trap them and take them to a shelter, where they will be euthanized, as feral cats do not make good house cats. It is humane, at least, but if was your relative, I'd be pretty pissed. If it were me, I'd take the dog to my house whilst the relative is hospitalized and use serious pesticides on the roaches. Not a fan.

I had a salient thought to offer...but my mind has been thankfully blank (bleached?) since reading the words "Lego p0rn". !!!