Cloris Lori Lorin Corie Corrinne Gloria Lorraine Doneshia Courtnie Melodie Noie

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If you aren't looking for a test, you can go online and search your state education website. You should find a list of skills that are to be taught in each grade. Our state calls them the Frameworks, but I don't know what other states call them. I have friends that will go thru those each year, check off what the child can do, and then begin teaching where the child can't do it.

I have friends that have done both, and done well. I know a couple of people that have even flown out of state to pick up vehicles bomught that way. However, I am not sure I would do either unless I could actually see the car first and have a mechanic check it out. I don't know why yours didn't pass inspection, but would it be cheaper to repair it rather than buy a new one?

Search your luggage before ever leaving home. Just a couple of weeks ago a friend's sister flew across country for a funeral. She grabbed a bag that her dh had not used since college. He had left in it some small objects that could have been perceived as a weapon. She made it to her destination ok, but on the way home was stopped because of what was in the bag (in an interior pocket she had never opened). Not only was she patted down, she was stripped searched. Aggressively. More than once. Because TSA was involved, she was not given the opportunity to call family for HOURS because apparently they aren't law enforcement and aren't required to give you that call. Finally a local law enforcement person felt sorry for her and gave her the opportunity to call family.

This depends on the state, and the courts. In my state the ad litem is an attorney. The attorney is paid from the same set of funds as the case workers, the judge, and the attorneys for CPS. We do have CASA (court appointed special advocates) volunteers that are not paid, and are meant to give an unbiased view to the courts, but only a select few children have CASA assigned to them. First the case worker or the ad litem has to request one, the judge then has to review all the reasons why one might be needed, and then, if the judge chooses, an advocate can be requested. Some judges never ask for advocates. In my experience as a foster parent in my state, very few of the really good case workers stay employed with the state. They are too overworked, and too frustrated by a broken system if they are really wanting to a a job well. The ones that remain stay behind and often do a poor job. Ther eseems to be no consequences for a poorly done job. It took 2 years for our dd's adoption to be finalized. We had 2 case workers that would literally come to court unprepared and then actually tell the judge that court ordered paperwork was not completed 'just because I didn't want to do it.' The adoption took so long that the federal government started leveling fines against the state, yet these women still have their jobs. On the day we were to actually finalize, the CPS attorney arrived with incomplete paperwork and our names spelled incorrectly, repeatedly, and said she didn't have enough time to do a spell check. Really?? 2 years isn't long enough? She wanted to postpone the adoption AGAIN so she could have 6 more weeks to do a spell check. If someone showed up at my door, they would not be allowed inside without a warrant. They would not have access to my children unless I have my own witnesses with them. I was on the wrong side of a false accusation and was seen as guilty before I was seen as innocent.

:iagree: The Bible doesn't tell us that a specific place must be used or a specific person must baptize us. In the Greek language, baptizo (sp?) means literally 'immersion' so I believe that one must be fully immersed in the water, but that water can be a bathtub, a ditch, a pool, or anywhere the water is deep enough to completely cover someone.

My daughter receives 8 hours of therapy a week so we do lots of school outside of the home. Sometimes we do it at a restaurant, sometimes the library but both are pretty distracting. A friend of mine several years ago would go to her church 4 days a week. They let her use one of the classrooms for her lessons. She said it worked great and made it feel more important somehow. But most of all she didn't have any distractions.

Well, until I read yourt last post, I was going to ask how old they are. My parents are not pet people at all. However when my son was 5 they were thrilled that he found a baby kitten, and then 2 years later thrilled that he was getting 2 more rescued by a neighbor. Then, 2 years ago, they gave him 3 goats and helped him set up in chickens for 4-H. However, in the last 2 years their health has started to go, and their patience, and the idea that someone would actually want an animal is almost offensive to my mom in particular. Somehow she seems to think that if she can't manage one, then no one else can manage one either. And, yes, cats are funny creatures. Depending on the cat, they seem to want to seek out the one person who is giving out bad vibes LOL.

I was 28 when we married, our first child came to us by adoption when I was 30. He was a newborn. Despite all our efforts, we were unable to adopt again until ds was 7, and again, a newborn infant. I was now 37 and my dh was 44. 1. By the time this possible baby was born, my son would be almost 8 so they wouldn't be near enough in age to play well together. My son adores his sister, and she adores her brother. Maybe it is because we homeschool but they are very close. They play well together sometimes, sometimes not. The hardest thing for me is that when we do outside activities that are age segregated, they are never on the same leagues or times as each other. Play dates for one or the other are harder to find as well because few have the same age spread. 2. I'm now a full-time homeschool mom; how would it be fair to a new baby to be "put off" and told to be quiet and to let us work. It's such a different "babyhood" than my son had that I wonder if it'd be wrong to do to a little one. A life surrounded by love is what I see. And honestly, it was my older child that has been told to be quiet way more than my younger. I needed her to finish those naps! 3. I'd be 56 years old by the time the child graduated from high school!!! Yep, and my dh will be 63 when dd graduates. 4. I doubt I'd be up for another child after this potential baby #2, so he or she wouldn't have a near-age sibling either. I've always disliked that for my son and now I'll have to mourn that fact AGAIN (to worry that the child's lonely, etc.).I ust look at it as them having a only childhood at different times. My son was an only child until he was 7. My dd will be an only child at home after she is 11, providing my son actually moves out. I know it will be hard, but I have no doubt that she will have other friends and activities to keep her busy as well. 5. I wonder if it just wouldn't be fair for the new baby -- to have an old mom. I'll be wiping the hot flashes when he or she is an 8th grader! Then I'll be like 66 when his or her children are born!!! I believe that God works things out. You won't be the only older mom, I am not. In some ways I am a much better mom with my second child. 6. I don't like the idea of being empty nested at 48 (as I will be when my son graduates high school). I'm wondering if I'm being selfish to have a child to avoid this. At least 2 of my friends have now become or will shortly become empty nesters in their 40s. I must say I do envy them at times! As their youngest is now leaving for college, I am dreading teaching my youngest to read this year. At least she is potty trained LOL. 7. How will this potential little one feel when his or her brother (my son) leaves home? My son has been an only for 8 years, but this child will come into the world with him and won't it be HARD on him or her when he leaves home at 18? He or she will be 10 years old. If they were only 1 or 2 years apart this could still be difficult. My dad and his sister are 7 years apart and they are super close today. After having a brother at home that teased her, she was kind of ready to be the princess of the house. Plus, she says now that she loved being the first one in high school with nieces and nephews. 8. I just love mothering. I'm a natural homebody and nurturer. I can't see myself enjoying anything else as much as I've enjoyed being a mom. I've never liked having one child. I always thought I'd have at least 2 kids. This may be your answer. 9. I do confess that the thought of returning to diapers and that much dependency does give me pause especially now that I'm JUST getting to where I can sleep in every now and then while my husband takes my son, etc. I admit this was really, really tough on me. Fortunately my dh was very supportive and helpful. I knew that any day he was off work, I could sleep in and he would care for the baby. One of the hardest things for me was quite unexpected. At 37 most of the other new moms were in their early 20s. For a time my dd was on special formula (she was a preemie) and I would have to pick it up at the health department (WIC). I dreaded those appointments just because I knew that some teen mom was going to comment how great it was that 'grandma' was with the baby. OK, yes, I could be a grandma (and some of my high school friends ARE grandmas!), but that really offended me. At church the other moms were also an easy 10 years or more younger than me. Other than babies we didn't have much in common. The moms my age only had older or much older kids. My son has a clsoer relationship with my parents than my dd ever will and that is difficult for me to think about. In the last few years their health has really declined and I hope I have more years with them. They don't have the energy to spend hours with my dd like they did with my son at the same age and that is hardest on my dd. She just doesn't understand why she isn't able to spend as much time with them as my ds. That being said, I wouldn't change a thing now. I am glad I have my kids. I have so much joy, love and blessing that I believe God timed it all just right.

I changed my last name to his. Saw no reason not to, and still don't mind really. I took his name, he moved near my family instead of his. I *think* that is a good trade LOL. We married in 1998 and I had no problems whatsoever with the name change - until last month. I bought a car the year before we met. After we married, at the advice of an attorney friend, I did the paperwork to get the name changed on the title (I was still making payments on it) to both of our names. We paid the car off in 2001. Last month we gifted the car to a friend and learned that the finance company terribly screwed up the title back in 1998, didn't catch the screw up, mailed it all messed up to me in 2001, and I didn't catch on until last month. The title is so messed up thanks to that name change that I have had to spend nearly $100 to get copies of lein releases, request a duplicate title, get someone to fill out an Affidavit of Alteration, provide copies of my marriage license, driver's license, go thru the local dealership to ask them to get involved because the finance company no longer exists....and I still don't have a correct title to give to my friends who can't get tags or drive the car legally until I can get this straightened out. All because I changed my name and wanted the name onmy car to match my married name. I should have just left it alone.

HUggies worked well for both kids after they outgrew the newborn diapers. Pampers newborn diapers were my favorite in the beginning though. My dd though was also able to use those big generic boxes of Members Mark diapers that we bought at Sams. White Cloud was ok, but not always. The generic and store brands in general did not seem to hold as much - we seemed to be changing more diapers daily than we did in name brands which ended up making the prices about the same in the end. My cousin at one time knew which diaper manufacturer made which store brands and would buy that way if she couldn't find the name brand.

And sometimes snakes are social. I would be calling the exterminator, like yesterday. You can also put down glue boards for rodents and if the snake crawls over it, it will also get stuck. Don't ask me how I know....

This is not true of all pantries though. When we took a drastic pay cut last November I went to a few pantries myself. Some, like Salvation Army, were only 1 visit every 6 months. Others, especially church based ones that received most donations from their members, would say once a month but if someone was really in need would tell them to come back again sooner if they needed something. Pantry Foods were also a shot in the dark when I was receiving them. One visit might be great, then the next visit I might come home with 6 loaves of bread, 2 bottle of soda, and some weird candy and hot dogs. A few times it really wasn't worth my gas spent. There was also no limit to the number of pantries I visited each month. Some did require that I had a voucher saying I had applied for food stamps or that I had met the criteria of another agency, but some just requested my name, our monthly income, and that is it. When I was receiving WIC for foster children, I had to go in every 3 months for new vouchers and recertification. The next time she has to miss work for that, she may want to schedule time with another agency as well so she can possibly get more help.

There are most likely other agencies that can help her. Sometimes it just takes reapplying to get food stamps. In our area there is also the Community Services agency that handles the commodities from the USDA. Every 3 months they give out pantry stock items to those that qualify. They also have access to food banks and resources such as utility help, specialized classes such as budgeting, food prep, couponing, and so on. It make take several visits and lots of paperwork, but it could be worthwhile.

I would send the cards. Someday he may be left a widower and realize he was wrong and wants to be in contact again. I would do it just so he will know where you are. My dh had a brother that was very estranged from the family for many years. One sister worked very hard to keep up with his whereabouts and to maintain this one sided relationship. Finally, one day, he just showed up at her door. The family was able to have a somewhat ackward relationship for the next few years before he died unexpectedly. He only felt comfortable coming back because she had kept saying in a nonpressured way that she loved him and wanted him to know about her family. She never tried to give a guilt trip. It was always, "hey, I am thinking about you, love you and thought you would love to hear the latest about my family." He may not ever come back into the family, but he just might.

I buy in bulk and make in advance as much as possible. A couple of weeks ago I walked in as the store was marking ground turkey down to $1.50 a pound. THe cheap ground beef is $3 a pound on sale right now so I bought all the turkey he marked down, around 17 pounds. I came home and turned several pounds into meatloaf, more into portions that will work well for spaghetti or tacos, cooked some burgers that night, and then even made a couple of lasagnas. Almost all went into the freezer for meals later. If I can catch chicken marked down, I buy a bunch, add different marinades, freeze, then cook in the crockpot for a meal later in the month. I rarely pay full price for meats. I always check the markdowns first and go from there. I also plan my meals from what I already have in the freezer. I also only cook one portion of meat per person per meal. 4 people means 4 chicken breast halves. My dd eats less than one so my son or dh can eat the rest of hers. They will have plenty of side items to fill up on that are cheaper to buy. We have leftover night at least twice a week. If I see leftovers piling up, then I just refuse to cook something new. Small amounts of leftover veggies I save in the freezer for soups in the winter. I save meat bones and make my own broths as well. I do coupon some, but for me the real key is to simply stay away from the grocery store in general. If we are just needing milk, I have dh stop on the way home from work. He isn't one to buy extras so that works out well.

A gift card or some cash for food and gas while she travels. Snacks and a book for those times she is just hanging out at the hospital.

One of my favorite aunts is Katherine with a middle name of Frances. I really wanted to name a daughter of my own Katherine. My grandmother chose K over C because during the Depression one of the kindest people she ever met was a woman named Katherine. Frances is a family name as well. My aunt has always been known as Katherine, no nicknames. If you don't like Linda, maybe you can use a form of it like Belinda.

At your child's age, eyes can change rapidly as the body continues in that teen growth stage. I know that for me personally, I was seeing fine, then 2 months later I couldn't see anything. I would also go back to a VT for the exam if possible since they can do some screenings during the regular exam.

My MIL lives 2000 miles away and we have not seen her since 1999. She has never met our kids but she sends cards, gifts, and notes of encouragement regularly. She also calls every week or two. I wish we could be around her at least some, but we can't afford to see her and she won't come alone to see us. 1. She believes that we have taken time to make our decisions and even if she doesn't agree, believes that we are capable of handling any consequences. 2. Whatever we say we are going to do, she tells us all the reasons why we will succeed at that. She is this way for the family that lives by her, so I know it isn't just because we are not close physically.

I require that I have the most current password for any electronic device at all times. If I ever do a random check and I can't get in, the device is grounded and in my possession for a time. And, it can't be returned until I receive the new password. I have the passwords for iPod, iPad, FB, email, DS,....

Making out lesson plans and I have completely lost my son's health book and the TM to go with it. It is not on any bookshelf, in any box of books, in the back of my car.... also not in the frig, freezer, or pantry. I have also looked under my bed, under my dd's bed, in my dh's car, called a friend, and looked under all the couches.I was really really wanting to use this first for science this year since I have not decided on what else to do. HELP!

I think it depends on the student and the school. Most international students who came as exchange students to my school were only there for 1 year, usually in 10th or 11th grade. Since they left before graduation, rank and all that didn't matter. If they were there longer, say until graduation, it was because their parents were working in our area. Those students did 'compete' for placement at graduation. Some may have applied for scholarships as well, but I don't know for certain.

The suites designed for long term business stays are usually most reasonable and have small kitchens. I don't know how many, if any, will allow a dog though. When we last had to stay in a hotel long term, those were much more inexpensive than a regular hotel.