Hope your dad gets relief from the pain soon and has a speedy recovery. As far as the tickets, is there any chance they bought trip insurance when they purchased the tickets originally?

Saving for someone else's destination wedding isn't always possible if a family has other urgent financial priorities or even priorities that don't include an expensive vacation at that time. I agree people can plan a destination wedding if that is their dream. They don't get to get bent out of shape, however, if people--even close family members--decline to attend because of the cost, time off from work, or any other reason. It sound like the previous poster's family is really being insensitive in brushing off her concerns about her family's ability to afford the trip. If they're planning on footing the bill for her family, it would be nice of them to say so up front. It sounds like it's causing her a lot of stress worrying about it because she says feelings will be hurt. That's just not fair to guests.

Probably as a result of where I live, the overwhelming majority of responses--even from strangers--have been positive. (When I took the kids along with me to vote, a couple of poll workers said "good for you" when they found out we homeschooled.) We're gotten some questions from family, but they were reasonable questions. Even the socialization question was reasonable because they were genuinely interested and really had no knowledge of homeschooling or what lengths families go to in order to provide social opportunities outside brick-and-mortar school. I've been lucky, I know, and I'm sorry for those who have had the opposite experience.

Check You Tube for "Fifty Nifty United States." (I don't want to risk posting a link even though we've been told it's OK.) I learned it in school eons ago. To this day I can still recite the states in alphabetical order. Yeah, I'm that nerdy.

I'm so sorry, Aimee. You've been dealt a really tough hand. You've done all you can and far more than many others would have done in similar circumstances. You're putting your kids' safety first as you should. Heartbreaking as it is, it sounds as though it's just a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt. If that's the case, there's really no choice. I'm with those who say they wouldn't tell the youngest kids the truth, though. No need for the them to know the details. Again, so sorry you're having to go through this.

I think it's natural to feel uneasy on anniversaries of tragedies, especially when we're innundated with news about the ghastly, truly evil things going on in the world and how they may be creeping closer. It might make you feel better--or at least a little more in control of the uncontrollable--to translate some of that worry into action. Brush up on your first aid skills. Review your emergency plans with your family. Make sure you have at least a few days' worth of supplies on hand in case you can't or don't want to go out (which is good old common sense for ANY situation). Donate money or items to organizations in the community that help people in need. Beyond that, hug your children, bake something delicious for the family, smile at your neighbors more, spare a kind word for someone who looks like he/she needs it. GIve of yourself. Pray for peace and the safety of innocents here and around the world. And know that you're NOT alone. Now I'm off to take my own advice...

If we were talking about something inexpensive I'd agree. It wouldn't even be an issue then. But we're talking about something the cost the OP quite a lot and which she might not be able to replace on her own. So yeah, I think it's perfectly OK to say something (again, kindly) if the friend won't because over time, things could fester if not addressed.

I agree she can't control what her friend does. However, several posts seem to imply that she's less than a good friend if--after waiting three weeks for the friend to broach the subject--she gently reminds her friend about what happened and directly asks the friend help in replacing the damaged item. There have been a few suggestions already about how to do that in a way that is kind and addresses the fact that everybody feels awkward about the situation.

When you (or your children) damage someone's property, you apologize. PROFUSELY. You offer to make it right, which doesn't sound like what happened. Even if the host is as gracious about it as the OP sounds like she was. (She didn't freak out. She put people over things in trying to calm the situation by saying it was just stuff.) You do it even if it's an accident. Even if you're embarrassed. Even if your child has special needs. Even if you think the host shouldn't have spent her money on the item in the first place (which is nobody's business). Even if money's tight (in which case you try to see what you CAN do). That's just the decent thing to do. Especially among friends.

It's not exactly sewing with needle and thread, but would he enjoy making moccasins? You can buy a kit at craft stores. Depending on the child's skill level, you'll need to help a bit. But they're fairly quick to make and something he can actually use when he's done. Just watch the sizing. If in doubt about what size to get, call the company before you buy. (It's disappointing for a kid to do the work and not be able to use them.)

Some thoughts (based on real life): 1. Child thrives in a competitive environment with other students 2. Child grasps subject matter more fully and enthusiastically with a subject expert as a teacher instead of the parent 3. Child is unmotivated with homeschooled subjects and by the parent as teacher resulting in tension, arguments, and loads of stress 4. Sibling conflicts are disruptive to the learning process Sometimes homeschooling just isn't the best choice for a particular child. Putting that child in a more suitable environment for him/her can make things better for everyone, including any children still homeschooling.

If wanting to wait for full details is viewed as some veiled bias, with what are we left then? Rush to judgment and nevermind the facts? How many times on this board when dealing with hot button topics have posters admonished others (sometimes indignantly) that they should not judge because they don't know the whole story about someone's food stamp use or a perceived incident of religious discrimination or a child's acting out in public? In those cases, the weight of sentiment is usually on "But you don't KNOW what's really going on" or "there must be another side of the story." And so often, those people cautioning a rush to judgment are right. With the benefit of a fuller 360 picture, the situation looks clearer. And understanding grows. Why on earth, with such a serious incident as a shooting, would people want to do less? That doesn't negate the very real social issues at play or the concerns about how things have been handled post-incident. There's going to need to be plenty of soul-searching and action on all sides in the aftermath. But refusing to "pick sides" until the facts are in? Considering that EVERYBODY has bias of one sort or another based on their experiences, wanting the full picture isn't weighting one side over another. Seems to me it's an effort to keep bias out and focus on what really happened. Since there are very different versions of events out there at this point, that IS "reasoned and balanced."

I don't know. I wasn't there. People can--and sometimes do--things that defy explanation. Did that happen here? Who knows? The issue is the FACTS are stil being determined. And until all the facts have been gathered, the various (and possibly conflicting) witness statements reviewed, the forensic evidence evaluated, nobody really knows who did what and why. People can speculate all day long on both sides. But that's all it is--speculation. To come down with absolute certitude before the facts are all in and all the evidence is evaluated isn't responsible or fair to EITHER party or their families/communities. I get that people feel strongly about what happened. I get that there's a history of negative interaction with police that may affect how people view what happened. But neither of those things should count for more than the actual facts of this case. And we're still waiting for those. Complex, real life investigations don't wrap up neatly in an hour like a TV crime drama. And just because people want to wait for the facts to be known does NOT mean they aren't concerned about what happened and how to prevent it in the future.

For allergies, we were told to switch to a food that had a protein the dog had not been exposed to previously. That meant duck-and-potato based dog food. It helped.

I edited your quote here. I've also had to hunt down nurses for a family member in pain and run interference, so I hear you. (It was obvious the nurses were very busy--not their fault.) That said, I would report this to whoever is in charge in the hospital. Ignoring a reasonable patient request because you "don't know"? Find out! Skipping basic cleanliness before providing wound care? No way! Not acceptable! I don't care how busy they are. You don't put the patient at risk. No wonder people come home with hospital-acquired infections. I get that nurses are swamped and most are doing their level best to provide good patient care in difficult conditions. But nothing will change--including unreasonable nurse to patient ratios--until this kind of stuff gets reported and documented and publicized. Your poor son.

It's VERY easy--perfect for kids, too. (Mine love it.) You can get some cute critter kits with instructions and materials at Rainbow Resource. Or there are books available. I've seen them in craft stores as well as online. Most craft stores carry the supplies, I believe. Depending on where you go (at least in the U.S.--I don't know about Switzerland!), some stores sell packs with smaller amounts of several colors, while others sell large packs with one or two colors. Good luck with it! ETA: I believe the Rainbow Resource site tells you this, but if not, you'll need to buy a foam square block to use with the kit. RR sells those, too.

Most of the students were referred to the help center by faculty.

I could never get behind that model. How much more would taxpayers be taxed in order to provide this minimum income? Would supplemental programs be required for those who chose NOT to use the money to pay for necessities such as food and shelter? Would people be required to hold some type of job in order to qualify--or is breathing enough? What happens when the powers that be decide that $18,000.00 (or whatever the amount is) no longer is sufficient? I can just imagine what kind of "judging" would go on in that kind of system. ETA: Like everyone else, I'm referring to able-bodied people, not those who are ill or truly unable to work, for whom there is an obligation.

I wouldn't do anything more without seeing the dermatologist. I'm not familiar with most of the remedies she's tried (honey, toothpaste, etc.). But as far as the Proactive and/or OTC meds go, did she use them long enough to be able to judge if they really worked or not? I'm not saying she didn't, and I'm well aware that they don't work for everyone. But one thing our doctor cautioned us was that it can take many weeks (longer than I realized) for certain topical ointments to work. He found that teenagers often get impatient if they don't see results quickly and stop using the product before the ointment has a chance to do its job. Acne stinks.

Not a landlord, but I would expect a place to be clean. I'd also say "no thanks" to this one. If the landlord has already made it clear he won't put money into the place, I'd worry about what would happen if repairs were needed. Wouldn't getting the place cleaned fall under the appropriate use of the previous tenant's security deposit? Hope your mom finds someplace nice.

Exactly this. I've had to delay starting a week in the past. Taking that time to prepare and get things organized can make a big difference--I think--in how you feel about the year. If Mom's calm and has the situation in hand, it helps set the tone for when the kids start saying "I don't wanna."

I've never heard of that and would not have thought to ask. Thank you for passing that information along.

I'm so sorry for your loss and that the stress and difficulty of what you're already going through was compounded by the airline. What they did was just plain greedy and heartless. Take the time to grieve now. But I agree with those who've said you should publicize this later. AA deserves to be embarrassed publicly for taking advantage of people at a vulnerable time. What I'm going to mention next won't help now unfortunately, so I'm only throwing it out there in case it may help anyone else reading. Buying insurance on the ticket when you book originally can help with unforseen situations like this. We once had to delay a flight for a family member because of a death. I don't remember all the details, but I think we may only have had to pay the difference in the flight costs. We didn't get hammered with the huge overcharge that you did. (Of course, if there were reasonable accommodations made for bereavement that wouldn't have been an issue.) Again, so sorry for your loss and all you're dealing with.

I'm aware of the earned income tax credit. But the post I responded to talked about refunds, and the earned income tax credit is not exactly a "refund" in the truest sense (edited to clarify: a return of funds you actually paid). So saying refunds are "ours" read incorrectly to me. When I get my tax refund (if I do), it is not public dollars. Please note that I am NOT making any kind of judgment on the earned income tax credit. Nor am I saying that how one spends the earned income tax credit should be subject to scrutiny.

A person's tax refund (money refunded because owed taxes were overpaid) does not fall under the category of "our" tax dollars.