Jean, you are so right. I have been going through the hardest time of my life and haven't posted about it for this very reason. It would sound like a soap opera all typed out.

Diet Coke, although I only drink about one a week.

My two middle children, now 14 and 17 are my extreme extraverts. When school is over EVERY day they have someone over or somewhere to go. I always, without fail, have a house full of kids on the weekends. It is totally exhausting to me as an introvert, but I know that's what they need so I rarely say no to friends over, an outing, etc. I would have never considered sending either one of them to school - the reasons we homeschool are too important to me. They are very happy and well-adjusted and seem to get their "people" needs met after school time.

The Lion's Paw by Robb White. I think it is OOP, but it is a great story about some kids who run away from an ophanage and sail around Florida on a sloop. It has lots of adventure and a great ending.

I've lived in the South all my life, and I pull over.

How awful. I will be praying for their family.

:lol::lol: Love the pic.

I had something similar happen years ago. My oldest son stopped using one of his legs when he was two. He just woke up one morning and wouldn't walk on it. We ended up in his pediatrician's office, who sent us to an orthopedist. Turns out, his growth plates in his hips were growing at uneven rates. We had to take him back every few months to see if the side he wasn't using was catching up. Right before they decided to put him in a brace, it evened out. The not walking on it part only lasted a few days. He never complained about it after that.

I used to be very happy and content and very proud of the life that my dh and I had built - purposely and with much hard work. Now, I have to purposely count my blessings and settle for "things could be worse." We have had so many things happen the last year that I am emotionally, mentally, and physically more exhausted than I have ever been. Most of it involves my son who is on the other side of the world - far from my reach. There is absolutely nothing I can do but pray and hold on for dear life. It has humbled me greatly and made me question whether or not I am a good mother - the role that I have realized defines my self-worth. I didn't start out to say all that, but that is where I find myself these days. It's also one reason I really haven't posted much lately. I don't feel like I have anything to contribute and can't seem to muster up enough energy to respond.

:grouphug: Praying for your dd.

I have one daughter who is very involved in dance and one daughter who is a competitive gymnast. I agree with the pps who said to stay in both for at least the next year. She is young yet to have to make a decision like that. I also agree that it would be much easier if they were in the same activity (we have a logistics nightmare around here), but someone else pointed out how much body type plays into their success as they get older and that may not be a possibility. Long and lean - dance, short and compact - gymnastics. My dancer could never succeed in gym and my gymnast does not have a ballet body at all. I say give it some time - it may be easier to make a decision a little later.

I always end by Memorial Day and start August 1. I plan our year to get in 36 weeks in between those dates. By starting August 1, I can take more time off for vacation, Christmas, etc. when we need to.

:iagree: My now 14yo daughter also crab-crawled, never would crawl on her all-fours. She also did not walk until she was 17 months old. She is now a very talented dancer, so I wouldn't worry too much yet. ETA: She was verbal very early. She could tell us where she wanted to go in complete sentences. The day I told her she absolutely HAD to walk (I was 7 months pregnant with her brother), she took off.

We had rib eyes, mashed potatos, and braised greens with garlic. I lost a bet with my 12yo son and he won - so he picked what was for dinner tonight. I also had to marinate his steak in root beer. :confused:

:grouphug: Praying for you.

I clean by task, except when I am "spring cleaning" which happens once a year around here. Then I go room by room, cleanout and cleaning, then move on to the next room.

:grouphug: Praying for you and your mom, Donna.

As soon as you can, with the medical issue resolved, I think you should move East. If you stay for MIL, I think you will be dealing with a lot of resentment (I know I would). You should be able to be near your family with their support without feeling guilty. Your MIL is so very manipulative and nasty, she probably will not be happy no matter what you do unless she gets to move in with you (DO NOT let that happen!).

I vote for Caroline Grace. My two girls' middle names are Rose and Grace.

Their website seems to be down. I went to my KISS Yahoo group and even tried a link from Ed, but that one didn't work either. Hopefully, it will be back up soon. HTH!

He is adorable. I can hardly wait until August when I get my first grandbaby, a boy!

I'm jealous. I really need a vacation, but we have five weeks of school left! Have a great time!

Agreeing that you are not a bad mother. My son was playing kickball and another kid threw the ball and hit him in the wrist. He kept complaining and I kept telling him to stop whining, because how can a soft kickball really do any damage, right? Finally, TWO WEEKS later I took him in and found out it was broken. Of course, I felt terrible. Hope your little guy feels better soon.

My 14yo dd will begin high school next year. While I will have a senior next year and have already graduated two, they were all boys. I'm finding that this is like starting over. She is very business-minded and tech-savvy. She has her own web-based business already. She is also very interested in fashion and design, so she is leaning toward fashion merchandising right now, but who knows?

:grouphug: Putting Fuller on my prayer list.