Does she have to wear a new dress? Can she just wear something she already has? It is so difficult to find dresses for girls, you have my sympathy! Have you looked online? (I heard of a place called Shabby Apple today.) You're running out of time and most stores will have run out of dresses pretty soon.

When was the last time she had a trim? Take an inch or two off and see if that helps. I'm still brushing my 9yo's long hair to get the tangles out. She just can't reach it well enough and doesn't realize how tangly it gets underneath. So I do the major morning brush, and she does the best she can the rest of the time. (When I was that age, I got a huge tangle/dread right behind my ear, where my glasses were. It had to be cut off. I had no idea it was there. I remember what it was like!) Do you braid her hair at night? That is a big help to us. If she doesn't want to put up with serious brushing, just chop it off. Those are the choices, really.

I know, he wasn't even wearing a neckcloth or a coat, he wasn't dressed! This from the girl who felt that shaking hands with a man was too familiar!

The North and South miniseries was racy compared to the book. I was pretty scandalized to see the story end with them kissing--at a railway station! In public!! (In the book she hides her head on his shoulder. And ta-da!--they're engaged.)

I love mine. For the past few years I've been unable to wake up without light, so in the winter I would drag my carcass out of bed at 8 and still feel sluggish and tired. Mine is just a light, it starts at 6 and is full brightness at 6.30. I place it so that it's right in my face, and I wake up feeling good!

Yep. I am selfish, shallow, and entitled. Just like I said. You are a much better and more unselfish person than I am. :D Look, no one said they didn't want to end hunger or never give to charity themselves. And if YOU want someone to give you a donation instead of a present, then great. But to me they are two different things. When I give to a charity, I do it for myself and the people who will benefit, without bringing gift-giving into it. That's a different section of my budget--and as I think I said above, not a very large one. The end.

Me too. She's the best, and your laid-back daughter will probably enjoy the combination of dry wit and explanations of why manners matter.

I'm sure that many people don't feel that way. But there have certainly been a lot of statements on this thread implying (or outright stating) that people who don't like charity donations as gifts are really just selfish, entitled, and shallow, and not as unselfish as people who do like them.

This is exactly what I have been trying to say. :iagree: Perhaps those folks who get a lot of apparently meaningless gifts from every distant relative and acquaintance are more likely to feel that presents are just more junk they don't want, and like the idea of less junk and more helping others in need. To me, the solution to that problem is to get rid of the excessive gift-giving. We did that years ago in our family, and everyone is happy. So, at Christmas, I get two presents and I don't spend all that much. Now, I can take all that money I don't spend on my many SILs and give it to charity if I like. They can do the same with their money. And we're all happy. But telling them "I gave to charity! It's a present for you! Aren't I a great person? You are shallow for not giving to charity!" strikes me as unnecessary tangling of two different things. And, editing: This too. I would never say a word.

Yes, I think it does! I love how that chapter conveys how precious books are to the girls. The photo here shows children waiting to get into the NYPL branch on the lower East Side, and reminds me of that book. :)

I love presents! I don't get very many, and I appreciate them a lot.

You might like this from Northanger Abbey: Also, another L. M. Montgomery heroine, Emily of New Moon, loves to read.

I don't care about getting a gift. I only get one or two at Christmas (from parents and husband); we got rid of presents for adults years ago in our families, and it's very nice. For all my little nieces and nephews I generally sew something cute than costs $5 or less each (this year it's cute pillowcases). So it's not like I'm expecting big gifts or money spent. You don't have to give me a gift at all, and if you'd rather give to charity, great! Do that. But I'm not going to see your charity donation as a gift to me, unless that's what I asked for or you know that's what I want. Sputterduck, I'm sorry you're upset and I'm sure people will be happy with your ideas, since you obviously put a lot of thought into them. To me $20 per gift is a pretty large budget, and if you can't afford it then bake them cookies or something. There's no need to buy everyone a big present.

:iagree: I'm one of these folks too. Donate to a charity, great! Or give me a present, fine. But unless I've asked for it, it comes off as "I wanted to give money to a charity and get points for giving you a present at the same time."

Ooh, that's a great cape! Where did you find the pattern? I need a link!!

We are more broke than we ever have been since we had kids, so we're keeping it pretty simple. I always do try to keep it simple, so it's not really that different, but last year they got AG dolls and nothing like that will happen this year. I'm also cutting back on the cost of gifts for others--my parents and in-laws are getting a nice framed photo of the kids (hey, my mom asked for it!) and while I generally sew something fun for the nieces and nephews, it's pretty simple this year--everyone gets a cute pillowcase. Also, no packages being sent overseas, and Christmas cards will be emailed.

Sure, what the heck, I'll sign up.

For you and for all the other people who have responded to my question, thank you for explaining. I had not realized that was part of Catholic teaching.

Of course. You have to shave and all. I always laugh at myself and I always do it.

I read the First Things article, but it didn't address my question that I could tell, so here goes. So, I know that Catholic doctrine says that Mary was born without original sin. OK, so far so good. But you folks seem to be saying that she was also sinless, which doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Does that mean that Mary is also believed to never have committed any sin during her lifetime? I had thought that being without original sin would mean that you were born innocent, but why would it follow that you could not commit sin after that?

My plain old grocery store potatoes sprout. Invariably, if I leave one or two in there for more than a week or two, they sprout quite a lot. But where in the world do you buy crushed tomatoes that aren't in a can?

Oh! My brother lives in Wisconsin, in Steven's Point, it must have been the same snowstorm! He just posted photos on his FB account.

I'm not any sort of counselor, but that sounds right to me; how can you honestly forgive if you haven't honestly acknowledged what happened?

I think I'd try to swing it so that you can refuse any Wii's for your kids, and so that your son doesn't know. Is there any way you can keep this from him? That is a really low blow and I see no reason why he should get his feelings hurt like that. I dunno, maybe it's unfair to your daughter, but I'd want to say "Sorry, none of us need Wii's."

I don't think we know enough about the case to be able to judge these specifics.