You are totally missing the point. I AM A CHRISTIAN. That is the point... Christians who make silly suggestions like "Let's call it a hallelujah party!" make the rest of us look bad. It is because of these situations that people don't take Christians seriously. We have enough battles to fight without making ourselves look even more ridiculous. .

No. We don't even have lawns! I live on a tiny island mostly covered with high-rise apartment buildings.

I love that word... Authentic. That's the word I needed today. For goodness' sake... Be AUTHENTIC. .

:iagree: My father had an affair when I was 11yo. My mom never told me or my brothers about it (we know now but not from her and not until we were adults) and she continued to raise us to respect our father. I have GREAT respect for her for not burdening young children with adult problems they are not emotionally equipped to handle. We could go on loving on our dad and not feel like we were betraying our mom. Their marriage was a wreck but they loved us. In the end, that sustained us. If she had told me back then I would have hated my dad for it and life would be very different. .

Donning my flame retardant suit.... So as some of you know, I work at a Christian school. About 75% of our students are professing Christians or are being raised by Christian parents. Still, I would say we are moderately conservative and not "fundies". We do, however, have a few extremely conservative parents and we always keep them in mind when making decisions in an effort to avoid offending them. So in our weekly leadership meeting we had to decide on the yearly request by some group or another to have ... You guessed it... A Halloween party on campus. Sigh. Well, the usual discussion ensued. Honestly, maybe I am just too old and cranky but this topic is so old and boring. The ideas... Let's not call it a Halloween party. We'll just say it is a costume party! (really? A costume party, with candy, coincidentally held on or very near Oct. 31? If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck...) Let's have a harvest party! (really? When is the last time any of us harvested anything and if you say we are harvesting souls I will punch you in the throat.) But my favorite... Let's call it a Hallelujah party! (A WHAT? Are you serious??? A hallelujah party??? What is a hallelujah party? Honestly, it makes me embarassed to be associated with Christians when they say stuff like that. And we wonder why people make fun of us!!! I know! Let's all dress up like ghosts and we will call it a Halle-BOO-jah party! No one will suspect! They will think we are still holy! I think I am going to hurl. :banghead: ) At least those who have reformation parties are celebrating an actual thing! Seriously, I don't care if you don't celebrate Halloween. I don't celebrate it because costumes are too expensive here and I am too lazy to make one. If you feel strongly about it, fine. But don't make up some RIDICULOUS alternate name for the party and then pretend like you are not "really" celebrating Halloween. Just buy some candy and eat it without guilt because that's all we really want anyways. And stop EMBARASSING the rest of us. :glare: I am sure this offends some of you but I am too exhausted from today's meeting about this topic to really care that much. Maybe tomorrow... :tongue_smilie: .

Virginia for sure!

:iagree: When they are older and better able to understand the complexities of relationships...the good, the bad, the ugly... then maybe. But before that you are giving them more information than they can handle. If the "scorned" spouse tells them it is mostly to satisfy his/her need for revenge rather than what is in the best interests of the child and I think that is selfish and wrong. Kids do not need to know all about the adult world. That's why they are kids. .

:lol::lol::lol: I would do the same thing! Can't you just picture it? You walk into the grocery store on pork chop day and ask for... Gasp... Fish! :tongue_smilie: what a hoot. Next week, follow the schedule but just one day off then try to convince everyone they are crazy and they have the day incorrect. Watch everyone check the date on their cell phones. You could have loads of fun with this! .

I call my in-laws by their first name. My dh, however, calls my parents "mom and dad" and the only explanation I have for that is neither my dh nor I are very close to his parents but we are both very close to mine. Maybe that's it? It was never a conscious decision. It just ended up that way.

#2 for sure. Living in Texas I would definitely want the pool.

No, it's still there. I just don't really update it any more. It is http://www.fischerfamilyadventures.blogspot.com

This week... Started Reading: What Angel's Fear: A Sebastian St. Cyr Mystery Still reading: Sin and Syntax: How to Craft Wickedly Effective Prose Alone With God by John MacArthur Completed: 33. The Strange Case of Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 32. Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy 31. Frankenstein 30. The Lotus and the Cross 29. Desiring God 28. Blood Feud: The Hatfields and the McCoys 27. Among the Gods 26. The Deadliest Monster 25. Faith of My Fathers 24. A Good American 23. They Say/I Say:The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing 22. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking 21. Insurgent 20. Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints 19. The Strength of His Hands 18. The Meaning of Marriage 17. Funny in Farsi 16. The Constantine Codex 15. What the Dog Saw 14. What is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission 13. Gods and Kings 12. A Skeleton in God's Closet 11. My Hands Came Away Red 10. The Omnivore's Dilemma 9. Dead Heat 8. Redeeming Love 7. Family Driven Faith: What it Takes to Raise Sons and Daughters Who Walk with God 6. Organized Simplicity 5. Year of Wonders 4. The Holiness of God 3. The Paris Wife 2. The Peach Keeper 1. Relic

I've been married almost 16 years and for all those years my dh has NEVER put the stupid dish towel back where it goes when he uses it. He just balls it up and tosses it on the counter. :glare: And in all that time I have consistently overstuffed the garbage can and it drives him nuts. :tongue_smilie: I realized it tonight as I was putting the dish towel away AGAIN. :lol: Out of all the ways in which we have changed and compromised over the years, these two things have remained the same. So how about you? What little things have you and your dh been bickering about for your entire marriage? .

I don't feel that kind of pressure on FB because everything for me is just a quick post or quick photo. But I stopped blogging for the same reason. There was just too much pressure to be funny or interesting or inspirational or whatever in my blog posts. And my life just isn't all that interesting. :tongue_smilie:

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

:iagree: That's the feeling I was having but you worded it much better. It is either a Roman Catholic school (which then means it IS a religious school and prayer should be fine) or it is NOT a Roman Catholic school. It IS false advertising of a sort to pretend to be a religiously-affiliated school but then want to act in every way like a secular school. If they have divested themselves of all their previous religious trappings and are a fully secular school then no prayer would be appropriate. This is not targeted necessarily at that particular but at any school that does this. There is one here on the island that says it is a catholic school and sounds like a catholic school but they have no religion or catechism of any kind, no chapels, no prayer, nothing at all related to religion and when asked will tell you they are not a religious school. One of the families that attends my school (a very religious school) inquired about school there and religion classes, etc., and was told "We're not a religious school. You will need to go to Dalat for that." The parent said "But I thought this is a catholic school?" and they said "It is. But we are not religious." I don't get it. .

:iagree: It's interesting because there was a time where I'd be upset over the change too. But after many experiences here watching people "combine" several religions into one of their own making (as in they say they are both Hindu AND Christian), I am a lot more discerning regarding group "prayer" anyways and which ones I care to take part in. .

Neither of my adopted children have major or even moderate RAD issues. The most I can say is that they are both rather shy but I have no idea if that is because they are adopted as plenty of non-adopted kids are shy, too. RAD is very real but it is not an automatic thing. You need to be aware of it and go into this with your eyes wide open but also be assured that those scary stories do NOT happen with every child. BTW, both my dh and his sister were adopted at birth and neither had RAD issues either. .

About a 9. I have always been a 10 on the girls girl scale but living here means compromise...my hair isn't always perfect when it's 90 degrees and 90% humiidity! But I still would never leave the house without makeup. Not even to grocery shop. :tongue_smilie:

Well, since this thread is ABOUT newborns, there really is no need to champion them. There is also no need to hijack it in an effort to make those who adopt newborns feel guilty. Adoption of ANY kind is a wonderful thing. Notice how I said "a" wonderful thing...not the most wonderful thing...or the only wonderful thing... One thing doesn't have to be bad in order for something else to be good. I was a foster parent to FIVE TEENAGERS at the same time in between adopting infants and I have a birth child so I have experienced many facets of parenting and they are all wonderful in their own way. The OP asked for advice on adopting a newborn. It's great that you adopted an older child but coming onto this thread and referring to the older kids as "the good stuff" and infants as messy and undesirable was uncalled for and in poor taste. You want to advocate for older child adoption? Start your own thread. I guess the mommy wars never end. :glare: .

And I am glad for people who prefer older children as it "frees up" beautiful, cuddly infants with that wonderful newborn smell, cooing sounds, snuggled in the crook of my arm, in a ball sleeping on my dh's chest... you know, the "good stuff". :rolleyes: .

13 was much worse for us than 14. Ds did start puberty a bit early so by 14 he was already almost 6 feet tall and shaving. He still has his days but I find that humor is the best cure for his moods along with food, a hot shower, and sleep or time alone.

Seinfeld Friends Frasier Cheers Psych

We adopted our ds from Korea and he was 7 months old when we got him. We adopted our daughter here in Malaysia and she was only 12 days old when we got her. It is possible!

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