Thanks.

If you have used/owned (or own still) a travel trainer (not 5th wheel) that had 3 bunks, outside kitchen, c shaped dinette, one slide (maybe 2)....can you please answer a couple questions for me? 1) which camper did you have/use? 2) did you have enough storage for all of your things to have a decent home? 3) what did you pull it with? 4) over all, did you like it? why or why not? (or even which things did you like or not like) thanks.

Please help me sort this out. This is concerning my 2 older kids...dd16 and dd15. DD has ALWAYS been reserved, timid, scared to do anything on her own, anxious etc. She has to work hard to get what she wants...not everything she tries she is successful at or comes easy. But she has recently become more confident in the areas she does excel it. (more on that in a minute) DS, just the opposite...to a fault sometimes...he just jumps in and does every he tries very well the first time. He is bold, brave, confident. When the kids were really little, dd wouldn't do anything first...but if ds did it (going down the slide for example for the first time), then she would try it. As they got older, dd became more and more frustrated with ds because he was always one step right behind her in many things...and often threatened to pass her (not that he would say anything...just that if he was that close, it was threatening to her.) Prime example: piano lessons....she started a year before him...but it wasn't long before he caught up to her....he didn't have to work as hard to achieve the same as she did with twice as much work. She didn't like that. Years later (like 3 years ago) we thought maybe putting her on a different instrument would help with that competition...so she started organ. Like everything else, it took her about 2 years to really come into her own...and gain the confidence to do well, play for church and be proud of herself. Her teacher says she is gaining much faster than a year ago. Just the other day, my ds said, "mom, I would like to try organ"....and right away, I felt like...here we go again...same story...different instrument. My DD just finally found something she can do that her brother doesn't do...and now he wants to do it also. And, of course, like everything else he tries, I am certain he will learn faster than she did...and catch up to her again. Everything we have gained with dd will go down the drain. Is it horrible of me to tell him as that soon as she goes off to college (in 2 years) he can take organ lessons if he wants? He already is taking piano and trumpet lessons. I don't know if this next piece of information is important, but I grew up with 2 brothers who are like my ds and I am more like dd. So I don't want to impose something on her, because of my experience growing up. Thanks...for your thoughts on this matter.

underside. hmm...can you get golfer's elbow from sewing or playing the organ? Those are her 2 main activities that she does with her hands. other than writing for school of course...

as I am thinking about this though...the pain isn't in her hand...it's in her arm...but it's connected to her hand...and her joints don't ache...I don't know. weird. I am hoping we can get to the bottom of this when we see the doctor.

I don't think Marfins is her deal either..the symptoms don't seem to match up. RA seems more likely. But, I am not thinking anyway that I want to dig deeper into this..thanks for giving me these ideas for sure.

I don't think this is her issue. The arthritis sounds more like it...since the "other" hand issue she had was some pain in the area between her thumb and first finger (on the other hand than this times issue)....RA is hereditary, yes? I am quite certain there are family members who have it. I am going to ask right now.

wow...yes, that is exactly what she has...but RA? She is 16 years old. I will investigate this more. thanks.

no, they haven't. I am making an appointment with a hand specialist....is that something I should request?

we have had medical care for the swan neck issue...she wears special rings on her fingers to help her with that. But, yeah...I am really beginning to wonder whether all of this is related somehow.

in case you didn't read my previous thread.. Yesterday (mid-morning...out of the blue) My daughter 16, comes to me and says, "my arm hurts when I touch the tip of my index finger". Upon further investigating and asking her questions, it appears when she touches (and sometimes bends) her index finger of her right hand, there is a tightness starting at her wrist and then it hurts mid-way up her arm. From what I have read, this is not carpel tunnel, as there is no tingling or numbness. We were just at the doctor last week with a different hand issue (other hand, completely different deal), but they were no help at all. And that pain has since gone away. (although by the time we went to the doctor, it was the 3rd time the pain had come...and then gone) And my daughter has something called "swan neck deformity" in 6 of her fingers. So I am now beginning to wonder if all of this is connected some how. Any thoughts for me?? thanks.

a friend of mine made a comment on a post, but that comment is now buried under 1000's of other comments. Is there any way for her (or me) to easily find that comment again?

I guess it mostly is in one place...but she says she can sort of feel it going up her arm..but the worst pain is at the ending point...midway up her arm. Sorry for all of the confusion. WE are supposed to get 5-8 inches of snow tonight....not going anywhere tomorrow...what can we do tonight....and tomorrow if the pain doesn't go away?

no numbness, no tingling sensations...just pain. It just came on all of a sudden. She woke up this morning and she was fine...then about 10 this morning she came to me and told me when she touches her index finger on the tip, there is a pain that goes all the way up her arm to about midway. She did say that when she bent her finger this afternoon it also hurt. I gave her a couple Motrin this afternoon....didn't seem to help much. What is NSAIDS?

this is actually what we own now...and we feel like we are on top of each other when we are in there together. One thing we want to consider is being able to school and camp at the same time...so we can camp earlier in the spring and later into the fall...but not fall be hind in our studies. So, in order to do that comfortably, especially if we have to be inside at the same time, we are looking to get a bigger camper...and this seems to be the natural progression.

we have 2 teenagers and 1 preteen....and we are considering getting one of those bunkhouse campers, but were wondering if our kids would sleep comfortably on the bunks. They are not big kids...dd16 is 5"1' and so is my ds 15. Dd weighs about 91 and ds about 100. ds12 is a small guy...so he would be fine. any thoughts? thanks.

my dd 16, just started complaining of a pain in her right arm. She says that when she touches her index finger, there is a pain about half way up her arm...a tiny bit between the finger and the spot...but mostly in that one spot. Is that a carpel tunnel thing? She plays organ and sews....would these be related in anyway? any insight would be great appreciated. thanks.

For those of you who have libraries who have totes or bags....I would love to know more about the contents...even for the bigger kids...thanks.

I did think about that. But when my kids were little, we would do a toy tote trade with some really good friends of mine...and our kids LOVED getting our friends tote...even if it was something similar to something else we owned...it was different...and somehow more fun. But I totally see what you are saying too... looking for more input. Thank you very much.

We have a very small library in our small town and I am on the library board. One thing we are thinking about doing is building thematic totes with books, puzzles and other learning things to be checked out and used at home. There would be a list on the tote to the contents and to the dollar amount if something went missing or was broken beyond repair. If your library offered this, would you check them out? Or would you be too nervous about losing or breaking something? If so, what sort of things might you like to see in the tote or what theme might your kids be interested in. Right now we are wanting to have the totes for toddlers...but if it would go over, we might try preschool and kinder totes. thank you very much.

yes, the strap is adjustable.

that is not my problem....not much going on in that department.

I don't think a wristlet would do it for me...and a big bag is...is well...too big...so i am still looking for the "perfect" bag....something that looks nice, but is functional...something that is comfortable for walking and biking all over DC in the spring. Hoping for some specific suggestions here. thanks.

this looks kind of what I have now..http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001CE0Z9O/ref=twister_B001CE0ZJ4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 only yours is more fun. I am looking for something that could be a tad bit nicer looking...but still very comfortable and functional.

I would love to know which one you have.