My DD5 already loves the American girl books, DVDs, dolls, etc. The books about the characters Samantha, Molly, and Kirsten have been around since I was a girl (I'm 34), so they should be very easy to find at most libraries. The books usually try to teach a lesson about friendship, courage, etc. My DD has been able to connect some dots regarding historical events because of the books. If you visit places like Williamsburg where the stories take place, it can give kids some background knowledge about the place before you go. In the back of each book, there's a non-fiction section that discusses what it was like in the time period when the book took place, which I think is neat. There are a gazillion supplemental materials as well-cookbooks, craft books, etc. for each character. I'd rather my DD read Meet Samantha than Junie B. Jones any day!

Jello whip- make jello, put it in fridge til set. Thaw cool whip. Use a mixer to mix the two together. Put in pretty dessert cups and top with fruit and/or cool whip.

My acupuncturist told me to cut out sugar and it really helped me with cravings, weight loss, and emotions. He explained that sugar really affects our hormones.

My acupuncturist told me to cut out sugar and it really helped me with cravings, weight loss, and emotions. He explained that sugar really affects our hormones.

I have decided to homeschool my daughter this coming year and I have struggled with how to discuss it with people, knowing that some folks automatically assume homeschoolers are stuck up and pridefu. We're choosing something different because we think we can do better. I think I'll try not to bring it up unless someone asks and if I do ask I'll say we're giving it a try. It seems some people carry around a huge load of guilt over not homeschooling. I just don't want to stir up conflict or appear that I'm being conceited about it.

I've tried it off and on but it never sticks for me. I just don't like how it discourages real life connections and encourages superficial relationships. My mom updates me on my childhood acquaintances lives, and I haven't kept in touch with them for a reason. She has all these pretend friends. There's something extremely pathetic about 60-year-olds on Facebook buying into this warped sense of reality. May sound harsh but that's my observation.

Rice cakes. Plain popcorn.

I don't think anyone has mentioned anti-diarrhea medicine or Tums or Pepto. But really, when camping, I can think of only a few things worse.

Just prayed for them. I'm so sorry.

It sounds like you're looking for a storybook with several stories. I don't have one of those, but I have these books in my Native American collection: Navajo ABC, A Diné Alphabet Book, Tapahonso The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, Paul Goble First Biographies: Pocahontas, Gleiter Scholastic First Biographies:Squanto Scholastic First Biographies: Pocahontas and for littles ones: Baby Learns About Seasons, Blacksheep

Yes! I have heard it called "crazy-making." The minute I started saying, "Something isn't right" is the minute all of my problems escalated to new heights! I'm still learning and growing but more aware than I have ever been, and I thank God for that.

Thank you for understanding. The fact that they are my parents does make it extremely delicate, and it's not just a matter of "putting on my big girl panties," and "why has it taken you this long to act?" My parents have bad behavior at times and they just don't get it. One of my therapists told me that sometimes emotional/verbal abuse and neglect can be harder to identify and deal with because of the fact that it is done covertly and it is that family norm, and there is nothing tangible to point to as is the case with physical abuse. So thank you for understanding that. I honestly did not know that my family of origin was dysfunctional until fairly recently. Fortunately we can break out of cycles that have been repeated for generations with awareness and hard work. I keep changing my mind on this as I work through it. I think I will go the route of limiting contact, supervising all visits, and not creating a huge, messy conflict. This will be very odd because we have lived across the country from them for several years, and now that we are within a day's drive we won't be seeing them that much. I will have to work through the guilt as you have touched on, but it's a small price to pay for peace of mind and my daughter's protection. Thanks again!

Yes! I thought it was a very creative concept for a movie.

Wrong like ethically? I don't think so. If it's in the terms of agreement that you can do that, I don't see what's wrong about it. I used to sign up for credit cards in mall stores like V.S. and J.Crew to get the 10% discount off of the first purchase if I made a big purchase, then I would cancel the card after I paid the first bill. Is that wrong? I didn't think it was, but maybe it was! Hmmmm.

I feel for your little girl! I've had situations where my daughter's personality clashed with another child, and where one child has been bossy and excluded others. It is tricky indeed. Personally, I'm not sure I would want Girl A as a friend for my daughter. Sometimes children want so much to be accepted that they will ignore bad behavior by the ring leader. If you feel it is worth staying in the group, I wouldn't give up just yet. As others have suggested, I would try having the girl and her mom over to connect one on one, if you like them! I wouldn't waste my time hanging around with people I don't care for, but that's just me. I would also try to prevent the exclusion during future meetings. But I would not discuss it with the girl's mom, or with anyone else in the group. It doesn't seem like the outcome would be positive. I agree with others that your daughter is too young to work this out on her own, but I don't think it's worth a conflict with another mom.

That is so cute! I remembering wondering if my life was real or a dream when I was really little.

Emily Post

I've never heard of them, but I know without a doubt that all the vocabulary workbooks I went through in high school certainly did help me when I took my SATs! So I would definitely focus on the vocabulary.

I would look at reviews on amazon or somewhere that you can see a big selection and compare. I got Calphalon stainless for a wedding gift 8 years ago and they've been great. I tell my husband that I need good tools to do my job in the kitchen (and I use them every single day) just like he needs good tools to do his handyman stuff around the house. :)

I'm definitely not an expert but my baby was always in the 5th percentile or below for weight. My doctor looked at the steady weight gain as a sign of a healthy weight. I usually nursed her as long as she needed to, every 3 hours or so in the first few months. She was and is perfectly healthy. Hope you find some answers that help!

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I'm so sorry! What a sad thing to go through.

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For those who are quick to criticize, I would like to reiterate that I am waking up to things that I have accepted as normal and that I'm doing the best I can to deal with this situation going forward. I recognize that I have not always handled things correctly. When all you've ever known is teasing and humiliation, it is hard to separate what's healthy and what's not. I know that is foreign to many people but that has been my reality.

In a more recent post, I said that after giving it more thought, I decided not to say anything about my daughter not wanting to go and that I would take the heat, not my daughter.