Here is another one for wtf?! http://www.salon.com/2014/08/14/mother_arrested_for_dropping_f_bomb_in_front_of_her_kids/

I remember my midlife crisis. I tortured myself with regrets, really made an art form out of it and ended up really depressed. Or maybe the postpartum depression made the midlife crisis worse, hard to sort that stuff out. My biggest regret was all the opportunities that I wasted. But hindsight is really cruel so now I try not to do it at all. I want to spend the second half of my life worrying less and being more in the moment. I have a masters degree and I am happy I did it, but I wish I had chosen something way more lucrative than social work. But then I think that maybe that was what I needed to be doing kwim? I don't regret hsing or being a SAHM but wish I could have made more money when I was working, thus the social work regret I guess. My youngest is almost nine and by the time she is ready to launch I am going to be pushing sixty, too late to start some new career. My only option would be something entrepreneurial and that is not me. I have been able to sell some things at a local knitting store, but it is more for fun than money. I don't even make sweatshop wages doing that. And Amira, even with the masters degree I am still the bartender in the room. Actually, I am the busboy lol. But at social events here busboys are in short supply and interesting/brilliant people are a dime a dozen so I try to take some comfort in that.

He has to talk about big government. He is Rand Paul lol. Maybe it is the big government being in the pocket of industrial military complex (or military industrial complex, I have sick kids and am not thinking straight). And I think it was Eisenhower who first called that alarm.

I think Rand Paul does a nice job breaking down the problems http://time.com/3111474/rand-paul-ferguson-police/ (and that is the last time I wil ever say that lol).

This conversation made me think about this article. It is just too easy online to make hurtful comments or maybe forget to be diplomatic lol. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/13/trisha-prabhu-google_n_5675110.html?utm_hp_ref=teen

I really don't believe that religious belief or lack thereof predicts kindness or thoughtfulness.

We have a cavalier too. I love him. And he loves everyone.

Get the puppy!

You might want to go with a different tint :laugh:.

http://themoth.org/radio http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

How does one walk toward a god they do not believe exists? It is like assuming that everyone really does believe and those who say they don't are choosing to walk away. And I am not trying to be confrontational or anything really. I find your posts to be interesting and sensitive while still being true to your own beliefs. I just don't get it. I am betting there are a fair number of people who do not believe but go through the motions because of family or guilt or whatever, they still don't "believe". Are they walking away?

The thing is, what I am taking away from the OP is that she has been bending every which way regarding just about everything in her life. And a person can only bend so much before they break or get angry and frustrated and refuse to bend. So sometimes you bend more and sometimes you say "no more." Only Peacefulchaos knows where she is with this. And some of us are more bendy than others lol. Frustration, anger, unhappiness... all can be pretty reliable signs that it is time for a change. What that change should be depends on the person and their unique situation.

In addition to the evaluations I have found a dome magnifier really helpful for my dd with reading and vision issues. She loves it and the amount of reading she initiated herself picked up when we got it. There is also https://www.bookshare.org/ which will give you free downloads of books if you can document your child's vision issues (letter from an pediatric optometrist did it for us). Then your ds can manipulate the font to a comfortable size and there is an audio component with our iPad app too.

I just say "no" and keep moving. It has been a while since this involved a tantrum as my kids are older, but I would just try to ignore it along with all the disapproving stares that came with it lol.

I did it to go to Spain. It was awesome and dd (who was three at the time) was fine with her grandparents.

I am sorry you are so stuck. Maybe it would help to focus on the dissatisfying things in your life that you can change. Sleep until nine and lighten up on some of the expectations you have put on yourself. Try to find some fun in the day to day kwim? Sometimes when hsing was getting to be really a drag I would just declare a project day. Everyone gets to pick an enjoyable project (including me) and just dive in. You could also start doing some research about moving, just to move your focus a bit to a better place in the future. For us, and this is just me, I would not accept, as an adult, my parents or in-laws giving me ultimatums like that. I would cut them loose first. But that is just me and I totally understand that others value family differently than I do and would not make that decision. So good luck with whatever you decide to do and I hope your FIL comes to his senses and sees how much pain he is causing for the people he loves.

I loved his stand-up. When dh was young people used to stop him to tell him how much he looks like "Mork". So obviously I thought Robin Williams was pretty hot too.

I am another happy pie that needs to get a life.

No.

Sometimes change is good. It can be really invigorating. I love moving. Before we bought this house I moved every couple of years. Now sometimes, no matter how much I love it here, I think about how fun it would be to move someplace completely new and different. It would be an adventure. Homeschooling was never a calling for me so I totally get that. And why can't you get up at nine? Get up at nine if you want. You are actually in charge of your own life and your expectations (lol no comments from people who know me please, about unrealistic expectations and you know, do as I say and not as I do). My in-laws live halfway across the country and that is just about right. We just got back from a visit and there were tears and Jerry Springer moments. So even though I don't get to vote on your life, I vote that you guys get the eff out.

Ours was covered too. I think we had to pay two hundred.

I like Neutrogena.

Whatever it is, it will be in a clean house.

Star Wars is good. Star Trek is GREAT. ETA: So am I cool or not?

Luanne, I wish you lived down the street. I would bring you a nice lasagna and a bottle of wine and let you try to set me straight. Hugs!