It's currently 27 outside, but inside it's in the high 50s because out heat is broken. Waiting on the repair dude...

In the future, only give your exILs a choice of one gift per kid. They are asses, you know it, they know it and life goes on.

I'm fine with the rating systems that are here now. They are, to me, no different than post counts.

Another thing that was good for me about the journal was that I could say all the horrible things I wanted to. This way I didn't have to fear saying them to our daughter, and having my emotions impact her relationship with her father. His sins were mostly against me, and I needed them to stay that way.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got about single motherhood was given to me before I was a single mother. It's this "nervous breakdowns happen, and then they are over". You will learn that when you hit a wall or the end of your rope that you can in fact keep going. The wall will break, and it's just a short drop to the floor from the rope. A baseball bat and beating the bed helps a lot, too. Kids will believe you when you say you're just getting the dust out of the bed. The best thing I did was have an online journal where I could just go and type out everything I was feeling. It was locked down so that only the people I wanted to could see it, and even then I could make posts that were only for my eyes. Sometimes I would just sit down and type whatever was eating me alive in my head and let the tears poor. I couldn't see the computer for the tears, but I could still type. This is, in fact, a death you are grieving. It's many deaths all wrapped up in a horrible package you never thought you'd be given. It's the death of your marriage, the death of the dream of providing a two-parent home for your children, it's the death of having a partner for life, it is so many deaths. Understand that you are grieving and give yourself the space to do so. One time I was crying after a nasty-gram from my then husband. My step-mother found me and I cried and she patted my hand. I blurted out "I don't want to drink from this cup!" She's a Lutheran pastor so she knew what I was saying. I told her I felt horrible for thinking that, for daring to likening my pain to that of Christ before his murder. She said she had thought the exact same thing. Many of us do. No one ever intends to be a single mother, and for many of us it is our worse nightmare made flesh. But you WILL survive, and things WILL be better. You WILL make it, second by second, minute by minutes, day by day.

No to all three, except for the rarely used DSLite my dd keeps in her room. It's not to be used after lights out. Bedrooms are, to me, for sleeping in.

I, too, have mixed feelings. My dog goes everywhere with us because she is an Omega and freaks out if she is away from us for very long. While we don't take her into places of business with us she is something of a service dog. It's not official, but she helps me with my PTSD. Freya is a Miniature Schnauzer and less likely to cause allergies in people. Normally she cowers behind me, but sometimes she'll bark at people from behind us. Sometimes she'll come out of her shell and sniff hands or legs, but I've never had people complain about it. Normally I keep her from people *if* she is curious unless they say it's okay. What use to drive me batty was dogs in playgrounds. I took care of a toddler who was TERRIFIED of dogs, and the playgrounds always had huge signs saying no dogs. I had one woman tell me she didn't care if she was ticketed. Also, dogs drinking out of public water fountains makes me see red.

I both agree and disagree with this, For example - the movie "The Butterfly Effect" deals with making child pornography. It does not graphically show it, or even directly talk about it but the issue is there.

Have you asked the rector? S/he may have it locked in their office if someone found it and turned it in.

Well, it depends on the age of the "children" involved. Are we talking younger teens, teens, older teens, toddlers? Sex in general doesn't upset me. Pedophilia, on the other hand, upsets me a great deal.

I'd sit him down and explain to him that his penis is private, and that people may feel uncomfortable seeing his. I'd explain that yes, it does feel good and that's okay, but that good-feeling is a private feeling and he needs to only do it in private in his bedroom with the door closed. If he continues to do this in non-compliance with th aforementioned rules then I would agree with the hand washing as a reminder suggestion.

I agree with what nmoira has said, but with a bit of a difference. I'd suggest keeping the board down or read only all of Jan 1st when doing the maintenance. It's better, IMO, to be up sooner than expected rather than later than expected. If we all know the site is down on Jan 1st then we'll stay away and not sit in out chairs and start checking promptly at 6AM for the board to be up.

I'll be annoying and point out that you don't actually hate money. You hate a *lack* of money. Money is evil, but it sure does buy pretty things like water and heat.

Could it be that your parents thinks she gets gifts from her other family? My step-mom was very clear with me when my Dad died that I was getting nothing in his will because I am the only heir for my mom, and my step-siblings all have a rich father to inherit from where as my half-brother only had his parents. I do agree that the level of gifts your step-daughter gets should be equal to what the other adults are getting. Since the other adults got a gift AND money, so should she. Since one of your younger kids brought it up, use that as a jumping off point. Mention that your DS noticed the disparity and was upset. When he noticed it, you noticed it. Ask point blank why the inequality is going on.

Are there any specialists that deal with his condition?

There are many answers to your questions, many ways to fulfill the call you have in your hearts.Observing the liturgical year might bring some of that depth and meaning into your life that you're yearning for. Switching churches might be the answer. But then again it might not. My advice would be to start where you are, and look at the things you do love in your current faith practice. Then, see if you can define what you feel is missing. You've very good at expressing that now, but the answers may change with the answers to my first proposed question. Understand that eventually the newness of different rituals will wear off and they will be just as tiring as the ones you currently have. What will you do then?

This sounds like a problem you've been dealing with for a long time now. However you have been dealing with you in-laws in the past does not work, so I would try a different approach.

So every person in every picture on that site has agreed to having the pictures posted? I find that difficult to believe.

There was a bumper sticker I saw in Wyoming that I love and want. It simply said "Normal people scare me". I don't want to be just like everybody else - I want to be how G-d made me. Yes, I am a special and unique snowflake and anyone who disagrees can kiss my grits. If my Mom had said something like that to me I would have said "Well, Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year" and hung up. Luckily for me my mom did substitute work in public school. When it was announced that her grandbaby would be homeschooled she literally cried with joy and thanks me.

I hate that site, and hate is a pretty strong word in my vocabulary. It makes fun of people, behind their backs, and serves no decent purpose in society at large. Really, how pretty did any of us look after giving birth? Would you like those photos up for everyone to point and laugh at?

I'd leave it be. It's not the type of science kit that she'd love, but it is valuable father-daughter relationship building stuff.

There may be a button that locks the touch pad. On my laptop it's at the top and center of the track pad.It really doesn't look like much and has weird symbols on it. One click for one, one for off.

First off *HUGS*, then secondly - advice. When I kicked my husband out it took a while for him to actually get out. I was numb for a while, but I had a preschooler who needed me. I pulled myself together as best as I could and went on with my routine. It helped my daughter to know that though some things fall apart some things stayed the same. So, stick to the routine and kinda follow the lead of the kids.

I'd take the door off her bedroom. Kinda hard since you live in a rental and might not have storage for the door, but it's what I'd do. If she can't be trusted to do the right thing in her room, then she looses the right to privacy.

I think that is why they won't be making the rest of the films : (