Thanks for sharing that code with me -- I wouldn't have ordered without it! :001_smile: :hurray: Cat

Wow, so it was basically that you were getting dehydrated? What a relief!!! Thanks so much for posting the update -- I've been wondering how you were doing, and it's great to hear that it's something a little rest and some liquids will cure! :hurray: Cat

I do that, too... :blush: Cat

I'm so glad to hear your ds is on the mend! Cat

We bought the upgrade, and ds says it's way cooler than the free version. He plays it every day as part of "math class," as I wanted him to increase his speed with his times tables. We used BJU math (on DVD) this year, and I didn't think they did an adequate job with things like speed drills. Timez Attack seems to be working, and ds enjoys it a lot more than flashcards or Quarter Mile Math. Cat

I think your xh just solved your problem for you. If he doesn't think this is "something IMPORTANT," I think it pretty much tells you how careful he's going to be about finding suitable care for your ds while he and his gf are at work... what with it not being "something IMPORTANT" and all... :boxing_smiley: If I were in your situation, I'd nix the extra week, and try to plan a fun surprise for your ds when he gets back home so he doesn't feel too upset about not having the extra week with his dad. This is such a rotten thing for you, because you have to be the bad guy and your xh comes across to your ds as the injured party. :cursing: Cat

No advice for you, Karen -- just a :grouphug: I hope things work out for you. Cat

We use both PCs and Macs. I recently bought a MacBook Pro and I really like it. It seems to start up a lot faster than my Dell laptop. I would also second the recommendation for a 24" iMac; We have one of those in the family room, and it's terrific. OTOH, we have a Sony Vaio all-in-one in the kitchen and really like that, too... except that the Sony uses Vista, which I hate (and the XP downgrade doesn't work on this particular Sony model.) I would choose the Mac over the PC unless you can get the PC with the XP downgrade option, as you may find that some of your software is a little wonky with Vista. OTOH, if you already have a lot of software for a PC, particularly older games for the kiddos, the PC with the XP downgrade could be a much cheaper and more convenient option for you. So, basically, I am no help at all. ;) Cat

I can absolutely understand your concerns -- you want to be able to call the shots, yet have help available if you need it, and that seems perfectly reasonable, particularly since you'd have a birthing plan that spelled out the details. I don't think all hospitals require the IV with pitocin -- I know mine didn't, but I have no idea about the monitoring, as that was something I wanted, so I don't know if it was required. If you visit the hospital, have all of your questions written down and ask the nurse in charge about all of the details. The nurses usually know the procedures better than the doctors do, and are usually very helpful. It's such a tough call. The best thing you can do is research your options, and take a bit of time to make a decision. And there's nothing that says you can't change your mind at the last minute, right? If you're planning on the birthing center, but feel that something just isn't right, you can go the extra 5 minutes to the hospital. If you've already visited there, you'll know what to expect, so it won't be as stressful as if you'd never been there before. Good luck with your decision, Amy -- I often think it was easier years ago, when people did whatever everyone else in the family did, and that was that. We have so many options now, that it can be overwhelming, and we're always worried that we should have made a different choice. Cat

Rebecca, if I were you, I'd use my leverage and say no to the extra week. The more I read about your xh and his gf, the more concerned I am about even trying the day camp option. Honestly, this doesn't sound like the most responsible couple in the world. What if your (seemingly selfish) xh is running late and is an hour late to pick up your ds at camp? What if his gf (who your dh doesn't even think is bright enough to know how to make a doctor's appointment) forgets about your ds altogether? If your xh really wants your ds there for another week, he can take another week of his vacation and spend it with him. I initially thought he only had a total of 2 weeks vacation, but since he only allots part of his vacation time to his son, well... tough cookies if he's too selfish to think of his son's needs before his own. I feel badly for your son, but if he has ADHD issues, it's hard to predict how he will do at an unfamiliar day camp with kids he doesn't know -- and with potentially inexperienced counselors who may not know how to deal with him. I wouldn't worry much about it if he were going to a camp near you, but this is out of state with an inexperienced dad and a clueless gf. Your xh seems to think your ds is "older" than he is (if he's willing to leave him at home alone all day,) and if ds has trouble at day camp, he might tell your ds to suck it up and deal with it, instead of being sympathetic about it. Your ds is still just a kid, and while your xh loves him in his own way, he doesn't "know" him. These "home alone" or "day camp" or "unfamiliar babysitter" options seem ridiculous when your xh has more vacation time and is too selfish to use it to spend time with his son. If he won't take the week off, your ds returns home to you. And really, you're not saying your ds can't stay for the extra week -- you just want him to be with his dad. That's not unreasonable. Good luck, Rebecca! :grouphug: Cat

If you decide to sell them, send me a PM! (But I definitely can't afford $280 a pop!) We're starting SOTW soon and I would love to have the CD versions. :001_smile: Cat

It sounds like you have thought this through, Amy, and that you are getting close to a final decision. I just noticed something, though. In your first post, I'd initially misread it as meaning that your doctor said the hospital would consider you to be a high-risk patient, but now I noticed that it was your dh who said it. Has your doctor told you the same thing? Has he or she said you would absolutely need lots of intervention and monitoring, and that you have no say in how you will be treated? I'm just wondering if you have spoken directly with your doctor about your options, and toured the hospital's birthing rooms. I know that the hospitals in our area have gorgeous birthing rooms, and they are very open to having people like doulas and midwives in the room. I'm not trying to change your mind, but you mentioned that basically all of your costs will be covered if you choose the hospital, so I thought you might want to give serious consideration to the "good" hospital before you make a final decision. I know the birthing center is only 5 minutes away from the hospital, and that may well be your final choice, but I know that when I visited our hospitals, I was amazed at how nice they were (very hotel-like, and not at all institutional,) and how wonderful the staff was -- and when an unexpected complication arose at birth, my doctor was right there to deal with it, and everything turned out fine. A "quick" five minute drive to the hospital from another location would have been about 4 1/2 minutes too long for us. I'm sure you'll make the best possible decision for you and your family; I respect and understand all of the different viewpoints that have been offered here, and I hope we haven't frightened you with any of our personal stories. I know that all of us just want you to have the most comfortable experience, and a happy, healthy baby, too! :grouphug: Cat

Yes, I am very serious. I would feel completely differently if the father had a regular role in his son's life, but that doesn't seem to be the case here. It doesn't sound like the dad has any other children that live with him, so I assume he doesn't have the slightest clue about where to find suitable child care or responsible day camps. If he saw his son on a regular basis, I would think he would already have some child care options in place, but I seriously doubt that he does if he thinks it's ok for a 9yo to be alone at home all day while he and his gf are at work. If the OP's son was going to spend his days at the xh's mom's house or someplace else that she knew and trusted, I would certainly think that would be an acceptable option, but as things are, this is a father who is rarely involved with his son, and while his intentions may be good, I doubt he has much experience with things like hiring caregivers. I agree that this would be an excellent idea, but the OP and her xh live in different states, and I doubt that would be an option here. Cat PS. I am not, in any way, anti-day camps or anti-babysitters. I am, however, not particularly in favor of my son going to a full-day, out-of-state day camp with a group of kids and counselors he has never met. Maybe the OP's son is incredibly outgoing and would have a great time, but if he's not, what's the point? Time spent at a day camp isn't time spent with his dad, anyway, so why bother with an extra week of "visitation?"

Glad to hear it's not just happening at my house. :tongue_smilie: In addition to the UPS guy, my dh also lives in constant fear of the mailman and the FedEx guy, even he sees that they're only carrying envelopes... because those are the bills for all of the packages and big boxes that arrive addressed to me. And he knows that those bills are for him. ;) That reminds me, I've gotta come up with something really, really good for Father's Day this year... Cat

I agree completely. And if that's a problem, why doesn't he occasionally make the trip to visit your ds for a few days at a time? I would never, ever leave my ds alone all day -- not even in my own home, let alone in a strange house in a strange neighborhood. You have no idea what the neighbors are like, whether or not the gf and your xh would get home in time in case of an emergency, and whether or not your ds would be scared to death being left alone all day long. And what if he hears a scary noise or thinks he smells smoke? Sorry, but I wouldn't allow it under any circumstances. Realistically, your son will only have a few hours each day with his dad, anyway, because by the time he and his gf get home from work, it will be dinnertime, and from there, it's only a few more hours until bedtime. I think your xh is being extremely irresponsible for even asking you to consider such an arrangement. If he wants to spend more time with your ds, tell him to take some extra time off work while your ds is at his place, or else he can wait until he has some days coming to him and plan to visit your ds at your home. Cat PS. I don't agree with the suggestions to hire childcare or have ds attend a day camp, because your xh would have no knowledge of these people, and I assume you're not in the habit of leaving your son alone with strangers for days at a time. I would be livid if my son were visiting a relative and they hired a sitter to watch him for the day while they went off to work. Who knows what kind of nut could be watching your son? Regarding the day camps, you would know nothing about the quality of supervision there, and your ds wouldn't know a soul. What if someone was mean to him? It's not like he could call you and you could run right over there and get him. (Of course, for the record, my ds doesn't stay with relatives or go to day camp, anyway...)

:lurk5: Cat

There's no reason why you couldn't send your buyer a friendly email congratulating them for winning your auction and asking when you may expect payment. If you don't receive a reply within a few days, send another email and a second invoice. Have you read your buyer's feedback? Is there any mention of slow payment? Cat

Thanks so much for posting the update -- I've been thinking of you all day today, and am glad to hear the doctor was encouraging. It also sounds like she's being very thorough. I hope your results show that it's nothing serious, and that a prescription or two will have you feeling as good as new in no time. I have had both mono and Lyme Disease, and I know from experience that both of those can cause your symptoms -- I hadn't even thought of mono until you mentioned it, though! Please keep us updated when you can, and try not to worry. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Cat

I hope everything went well at your appointment with the doctor today. Please post when you can and let us know how you're doing. :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Cat

I would like to cast my vote for the "Look at all the books free-for-all" option. :tongue_smilie: Good luck -- hope you find lots of great stuff at incredibly low prices! Cat

I'm so sorry. His mother must be absolutely heartbroken. Cat

:lol::lol::lol::lol: Been there, done that -- more times than I'd care to admit!!! ;) Cat

I would throw them away. As I understand it, Danestress is right about grocery store eggs requiring refrigeration, and I wouldn't risk my family's health for a few dollars worth of eggs. You could try the float test, as was also suggested, but again, it seems like you're talking about fewer than a dozen eggs, and you can get very, very ill from tainted eggs, so I wouldn't even consider eating them. Isn't it worth wasting 2.00 to ensure your family's health? Cat PS. I should mention that I'm always paranoid about these food issues, so I'm usually the one who says to throw things away! :001_smile:

Good luck at the doctor today, Angie -- I hope it's nothing serious, and that they can just write a prescription for something and you'll be as good as new in a few days! Cat

How about BJU Handwriting? I like the looks of both their pre-cursive and cursive handwriting styles, and the worktexts are both useful and inexpensive. There's no need to get a teacher's manual. Cat