Ignore this thread!

[lanalouwho]

Would a gift card for a few facials be a good gift for teen girls? I've never had a facial and have no idea if it would be fun and relaxing and special or like being waxed which I imagine is not fun. I'm thinking about it for DDs (13).

I've only had one facial in my life, but I enjoyed it. It was a little awkward at first having someone messing with my face, and they do kind of prod at blackheads and such. If that would make your girls uncomfortable, a mani/pedi is also a nice little pampering that is less intrusive.

 

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[Slache]

Would a gift card for a few facials be a good gift for teen girls? I've never had a facial and have no idea if it would be fun and relaxing and special or like being waxed which I imagine is not fun. I'm thinking about it for DDs (13).

I would not have been excited.

 

Starbucks

Target

Subway

[Slache]

Finally getting to school because I spent the entire day dying.

[Renai]

Finally getting to school because I spent the entire day dying.

 

I'm glad you survived your death.

[Renai]

I am not officially overwhelmed yet.

[Slache]

I'm glad you survived your death.

There was potato soup.

[Paige]

Krissi-  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

I'm a big fan of positive reinforcement for difficult kids and very little or no punishment. Some call it bribing, I call it doing what works. Our school has mandatory counseling and study halls/tutoring if grades drop or if there are a certain number of assignments not handed in. Does your school do any of that? The fear of being referred to that motivates DS.

 

 

[lots of little ducklings]

Good morning. I’m undecided on my life today.

 

I ran out of my miracle experimental med (Which a lot of people with auto immune problems take so I don’t know why the insurance company keeps insisting that it is experimental except that it gets them off of the hook for paying for it. ). I’m not actually sure when I ran out. I know I was out the day before yesterday for sure. I got over to the compound pharmacy before going to get MIL so I was able to take it last night. Anyway-this probably explains an uptick in pain and inflammation.

 

Plus it’s been particularly busy trying to plug away with normal busy life and also prepare for Christmas and it isn’t working. Also Dh has been gone all week and I miss him a lot even though him being gone actually means less work.

 

Plus Dd keeps having auto immune stuff and I wonder if I should be doing more to advocate for her. Though I haven’t been able to prevent my own autoimmune problems so it’s probably hopeless to think that I can prevent hers.

 

I could get fasting blood work done today but I think that I am going to wait until tomorrow because today’s labs would look horrible, I think. Did I mention that Ds was up until 2:30 or something working on his final project for his college class? I was in bed and slept some but pain was keeping me up.

 

So my choices today are to “just keep swimming “ on normal school etc. or if could take today off of school and try to get some Christmas stuff done so that it would stop stressing me out. Life would be so much easier to navigate without pain.

 

 

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A hug like, of course.

 

 

[Paige]

I am not officially overwhelmed yet.

 

I don't think that's the kind of growth mindset we're supposed to want.

 

I've only had one facial in my life, but I enjoyed it. It was a little awkward at first having someone messing with my face, and they do kind of prod at blackheads and such. If that would make your girls uncomfortable, a mani/pedi is also a nice little pampering that is less intrusive.

 

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They are into k-beauty and have been concerned about their skin/breakouts which is why I thought of facials. There's a local place that offers a special kind for teen skin. 

[Slache]

I schooled, dished, laundered and didn't die. :coolgleamA:

[Susan in TN]

I'm glad you survived your death.

 

:hurray:

 

 

I am not officially overwhelmed yet.

:hurray:

  

There was potato soup.

The key to any near-death experience!

[Susan in TN]

I'm so sorry, Krissi. Praying for you...

[AMJ]

I hope the bank sorts out your issues soon, Susan! We've had pretty good luck resolving fraud issues which unfortunately seem to happen more and more often.  :grouphug:

 

I took Baby to a middle school band concert last night and he didn't cry at all! He was a champ. DDa's new friend and her dad came to see her too because she had told them she didn't think any of her family would come.  :hat: We super stink and her friend and her dad are awesome for torturing themselves like that. DD knew her siblings didn't want to go and she thought Baby would get fussy and make me leave. I tried to talk DH into going and he said the other kids wanted him to do something else.  :confused1:  I hope he feels guilty that some other dad showed up!

 

 

I am glad Paigelet liked the concert and that you both were able to be there for your DD.  I'm glad for her friend and her friend's dad, too.

 

Maybe Paigelet wants MORE concerts and music from Big Sis.

[lots of little ducklings]

Susan's Viking joke made my dh laugh.  (Me too, of course, but making him laugh is impressive.  He typically just rolls his eyes at me when I'm chuckling at the endlessly entertaining ITT.)

[lots of little ducklings]

(((Krissi)))

 

 

 

[AMJ]

:glare:  I had to read it more than once and THINK about it. I really didn't want to have to do that.  :toetap05:

 

 

 

Ok.  Sorry.

[AMJ]

Good Morning!!!

 

COFFEE!!!☕ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸

 

Thursday!!!ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘ðŸ‘

 

The only white we get around here is frost, no snow flurries. â„ï¸ðŸ˜© and no rain in the forecast, which sure would be helpful for the SoCal fires. And the drought. Looks like it might be shaping up to be another dry winter.😢

 

Tonight is the Electric Light Farm Equipment Christmas Parade in our small town. We look forward to that every year.

 

((Susan)) I hope the bank can get that straightened out!!

 

((AMJ)) as you plan out all these details!!

 

Now, Paige, noticing a cute guy is not at all guilt-worthy. If it was i’d Be in trouble. The problems start when you go beyond noticing.

 

 

We got home a few minutes ago from a long Aikido evening.  We were driving through rain mixed with snowflakes on the way home.  Freeze warning tonight.

[AMJ]

AMJ, oh never mind. I was going to say if you stop at Bucc-ees outside Temple I might be able to take lunch and meet you there for a sec. But I probably wouldn't be able to.

 

 

I'm sorry!  It will be the Madisonville Buc-ee's I'll be stopping at.

[Susan in TN]

I had Not Yo Mama's Banana Pudding, apple pie, and a chocolate truffle for dessert tonight. Think it was enough?

 

I can't tell a difference in taste between the salted butter I get at Aldi and salted Kerrygold butter.

[AMJ]

I'd take a picture of the bit of snow on the ground to show you guys, but I can't because my phone took a bath last week.

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

My friend accidentally smashed her screen on her phone.  She has a flip phone she is switching over to, and will buy some sort of ipod.  Lots of the park rangers have found out the flip phones get better reception in various areas than the smart phones do, and one ranger gave her a spare flip phone.

 

We now have sleet mixing in with the rain and flakes.  The cat is acting weird, wanting out but being fussed about the weather.  She keeps crawling under the couch and whining.

[AMJ]

Good morning. I’m undecided on my life today.

 

I ran out of my miracle experimental med (Which a lot of people with auto immune problems take so I don’t know why the insurance company keeps insisting that it is experimental except that it gets them off of the hook for paying for it. ). I’m not actually sure when I ran out. I know I was out the day before yesterday for sure. I got over to the compound pharmacy before going to get MIL so I was able to take it last night. Anyway-this probably explains an uptick in pain and inflammation.

 

Plus it’s been particularly busy trying to plug away with normal busy life and also prepare for Christmas and it isn’t working. Also Dh has been gone all week and I miss him a lot even though him being gone actually means less work.

 

Plus Dd keeps having auto immune stuff and I wonder if I should be doing more to advocate for her. Though I haven’t been able to prevent my own autoimmune problems so it’s probably hopeless to think that I can prevent hers.

 

I could get fasting blood work done today but I think that I am going to wait until tomorrow because today’s labs would look horrible, I think. Did I mention that Ds was up until 2:30 or something working on his final project for his college class? I was in bed and slept some but pain was keeping me up.

 

So my choices today are to “just keep swimming “ on normal school etc. or if could take today off of school and try to get some Christmas stuff done so that it would stop stressing me out. Life would be so much easier to navigate without pain.

 

 

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:grouphug:  :grouphug:

[AMJ]

The book I chose just for its cover is the most awful horrible book ever. I’m not going to keep reading it.

 

 

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Good choice.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Today turned around. We worked like dogs this morning. (Though not my dogs. My dogs are lazy.). The house is clean. Then we decorated for Christmas. I even wrote a short blurb that is good enough to send out to friends and family.

 

 

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[AMJ]

I’m waiting in the van for dd15 to get done with her tutorial party. I should call ds22 and see how he’s doing. Haven’t heard from him in a while.

 

My card has been cancelled and we may have to cancel dh’s also. And change our account numbers. All the purchases were to online natural remedy/vitamin stores. Except for purchases from the Miami Dade College Magazine website. :huh:

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:

[AMJ]

Yeah, I was starting to get happy until I saw "eastern route." :(

 

 

Yeah, I'm sorry about that.  If it weren't for the time of year I'd run up I-25 and stop off and see you, but I would rather not drive Raton Pass in slippery conditions on this trip.  Flatter land it is.

[AMJ]

I have Spotify playing "holiday instrumental".  Music to clean by. 

 

 

While driving to Aikido I had DD text me a reminder to pack some Christmas music for the long drive ahead of me.  I could listen to George Winston and Windham Hill's Winter's Solstice recordings for hours!

[AMJ]

I am in so much pain, I can't stop vomiting, I have a migraine, I can barely walk or I make it worse. I hate everything. Like a week and a half late and it wants to kill me. Alex is bringing me cars to help me feel better.  :001_wub: He hates it when I'm alone with bed with no toys.  :001_wub:  :001_wub:  :001_wub:

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

 

Good boy, Alex!

[AMJ]

The road to success is paved with form rejections...

 ETA: Plus they make great fire-starters, wall paper and I can decorate my desk with a spike where I can impale them when I'm feeling low, and so forth. Oh, and paper airplanes--don't forget how many paper airplanes I can make! And what about paper wads for the cat to chase, and scratch paper for testing paint colors...so many uses!

 

 

You could write another book:  1,001 fun and fancy things to do with rejection letters!

[Renai]

I don't think that's the kind of growth mindset we're supposed to want.

 

 

Are you sure? I thought it meant it could go either way - officially overwhelmed or completely stone-cold crazy completely calm.

[Slache]

Elephant juice all. Goodnight.

[luuknam]

Breathing is totally optional.  :glare:

[KrissiK]

Krissi- :grouphug: :grouphug:

 

I'm a big fan of positive reinforcement for difficult kids and very little or no punishment. Some call it bribing, I call it doing what works. Our school has mandatory counseling and study halls/tutoring if grades drop or if there are a certain number of assignments not handed in. Does your school do any of that? The fear of being referred to that motivates DS.

he is in a very good class called Acadmic Game Plan. There’s only 9-10 kids per period and the teacher keeps track of their grades, assignments, late work, etc. He really likes the teacher and does get a lot of work done there, but it doesn’t seem to be enough.

[Another Lynn]

Good Friday Morning!

 

Youngest has a swimmeet this weekend, so not sure how much I'll post.  Or, I may get bored and stalk ITT all weekend.  Either way, ds 15 turns 16 tomorrow.   :svengo:  We're celebrating at lunch today because of the crazy weekend (he has TKD and extra play rehearsals too.)

 

COFFEE!!!!  

[Slache]

This morning from Analytical Grammar's FB page comes "There is no 'we' in chocolate."

[Slache]

Oh my! Did all of us actually SLEEP last night?!! So quiet here!

 

I'm up and have like a trillion things to remember and do today!!

 

It's 28 degrees!!

 

Grandkids coming over tonight!!

I've been up since 3 but don't look at my phone until 5.

[AMJ]

Houston residents may need to raise homes after Harvey

 

 

 

 

The above headline is incorrect, no?  Shouldn't it be "raze"?  (I see things like this and then doubt myself.)

:lol:  Nevermind!  I should have read the story.  Doh  They actually need to raise them up to keep living there.  I figured they had to raze them because of all the damage from the flooding. 

 

Note to self:  Read the story.

 

 

 

Many houses do need to be razed.  They have flooded regularly with big weather events, and while raising them will get the house itself above the trouble it will not save vehicles in the driveway (most lots don't have enough room to raise the driveways far enough too), and the house will be cut off since the neighborhood streets will be too flooded for weeks.

 

Other houses just need to be raised a bit.  These are in neighborhoods that will drain fairly quickly, after just a couple of days, and the water didn't get deep inside the houses.  

 

Other neighborhoods need other measures, including Emergency Management developing further plans on managing the reservoirs.  Many of these neighborhoods have never flooded before.

[AMJ]

Is this a thing? Because maybe I'm misinterpreting it. It's for women who are called to go above and beyond... the normal Christian Life..? Like everyone else is? I feel like I'm missing something. But they literally talk about how grateful they are to be such good Christians. I'm so glad that I'm humbled and not drawn toward that particular sin or what not. It's very odd.

 

 

It sounds rather like the big-O Oblates in the Catholic church, as opposed to the little-o oblates.  My Dad is a little-o oblate, and has a long-standing relationship with a certain monastery.  He has helped them out repeatedly over the years and doesn't advertise the fact.  One of my uncles is a big-O Oblate, which is more political than devout, and talks big about doing good (his contributions in reality tend to be quite small, but he gets a lot of official recognition for them).

[AMJ]

I don't understand why the kids get so mad about me asking them to clean up their mess - i.e. take their plate to the kitchen and clean up the crumbs. I just don't get it. This is not a new chore. But half the time they end up screaming and arguing and they lose privileges etc. It just... why is this worth fighting over?

 

 

It's one of the few ways they have to try to assert some independence -- complain about being bossed around and required to do things they don't necessarily enjoy.

[AMJ]

The weather report is now saying that our cold wet rain may turn into a light dusting of snow tonight. I would like that.a

 

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We actually got nearly an inch of accumulated snow!  Woohoo!

 

 

Correction:  1 1/8 inch on a small table in the back yard, and 1 1/2 inch on the flat cover of my pick-up truck's bed.  Woohoo!

Edited December 8, 2017 by AMJ

[AMJ]

I attempted to take a nap. Then we went down to the parade route and set up chairs. Now i’m Drinking COFFEE☕ï¸â˜•ï¸â˜•ï¸ With peppermint mocha creamer because when I get stressed I eat and things are extremely stressful with oldest DS right now. His grades are in the cellar, he’s got 2 weeks more of school and I keep getting emails from his teachers “D is missing 5 assignments in math right now...†and yesterday I was having a discussion (yes, a loud discussion from a very frustrated mama) and he kept saying we expect him to be perfect and we keep pressuring him and I’m like, “pressuring you to be perfect? Straight A’s is perfect. At this point I just want your grades to be above 60%†I just don’t know what to do with him. I would like to homeschool him, but that ship has sailed and I cannot bring him home, both for my sanity and the sanity of the other kids.

 

 

:grouphug:  :grouphug:  :grouphug:

[AMJ]

I need some gift ideas for the teens in our church youth group. Mostly girls. Couple of boys. All living relatively not well off. And it needs to be pretty inexpensive for me to purchase.

 

 

Mittens and gloves?

[AMJ]

:grouphug: Krissi.

Is he not doing the work, failing the work, or losing the work?

 

 

Is he possibly worried about what happens once he graduates, perhaps causing him to try to delay graduating?  I only ask because I know someone who was doing exactly that....

[AMJ]

he’s not doing the work. He really struggles with organizational skills. He’s fairly bright, scores well on the standardized tests, but just keeping track of everything..... aye-yi-yi!! The one bright spot in all this is that he’s taking metal shop this year and loves it. And he’s discovered he has an artistic bent, so we have all kinds of decorative things around the house made of metal. So, if he can continue in Industrial Arts, get a high school diploma and go through the Jr. College in our town, which apparently had a good welding program, I think he will be able to do pretty well.

 

 

Okay, never mind my previous suggestion.

 

How is he with the instructor of metal shop?  Would that instructor perhaps be willing to have a word with him about how to remember to get his other work done?  Is there perhaps a consequence of him losing metal shop if his grades in other classes slip too low (like band and sports often do)?

[AMJ]

 

 

That is quite lovely!   :hurray:  :hurray:  :hurray:

[AMJ]

Would a gift card for a few facials be a good gift for teen girls? I've never had a facial and have no idea if it would be fun and relaxing and special or like being waxed which I imagine is not fun. I'm thinking about it for DDs (13). 

 

 

I'd probably be more inclined for a spa gift card in general, rather than facials specifically, or maybe something for having their nails done. But I've never had a facial either, and I'm almost certainly the wrong person to ask. It's not like getting waxed though - I know that much.

 

 

If the place doing the facials does other things too then Luuknam's suggestion for spa card in general is a good one.  It lets her pick and choose what she'd like to try, and she can blow it all on one pampering session if she likes or spread it out a bit.

[Susan in TN]

Good morning!

 

We are dragging today. How can you have snow in Texas and there is nothing here. NOTHING! Except cold. :glare: It's actually good that there is no wet weather forecast here for the next 10 days because I don't want anything cancelled and/or rescheduled.

 

We have children's choir dress rehearsal tonight but that's it. Hopefully we can get banking issues resolved today. I have to finish some stuff and get the kitchen cleaned.

 

Coffee!

[Critterfixer]

he’s not doing the work. He really struggles with organizational skills. He’s fairly bright, scores well on the standardized tests, but just keeping track of everything..... aye-yi-yi!! The one bright spot in all this is that he’s taking metal shop this year and loves it. And he’s discovered he has an artistic bent, so we have all kinds of decorative things around the house made of metal. So, if he can continue in Industrial Arts, get a high school diploma and go through the Jr. College in our town, which apparently had a good welding program, I think he will be able to do pretty well.

If he's very visual, could he map it all out on a calendar that you have a copy of, keeping better track of assignments? This is a good time for him to work on building some supports that can work for him when he's older. 

It sounds like just getting assignments completed would help him bring his grades up to a pass, or higher. If he can simply get the assignments written down--class, work, date due--and bring that home, you could show him how to break up the work into manageable bits, organize them on that same school calendar, and get in a habit of always checking it with you to make sure he's on track.

 

ETA: I depend on some external support to get things done. If it isn't in my face, I won't see it. I have to plan when I'm sending out to agents, when I'm writing, when I'm proofreading, when I'm supposed to be cleaning this or that room in the house. By refusing to fret over whether or not I can remember to do this or that, I really save myself a lot of grief by just limping along on my paper crutches. 

Edited December 8, 2017 by Critterfixer

[AMJ]

We actually got nearly an inch of accumulated snow!  Woohoo!

 

 

Correction:  1 1/8 inch on a small table in the back yard, and 1 1/2 inch on the flat cover of my pick-up truck's bed.  Woohoo!

 

 

I forgot to mention:  DD13 built a moderate-sized snowman and sat him on my canopy swing.  Then she gave Mr. Frostles a pet named Flake.  Flake has a big bag of mini carrots because he's hungry, and it would be nice for him not to eat Mr. Frostles's nose.

[AMJ]

Good morning!

 

We are dragging today. How can you have snow in Texas and there is nothing here. NOTHING! Except cold. :glare: It's actually good that there is no wet weather forecast here for the next 10 days because I don't want anything cancelled and/or rescheduled.

 

We have children's choir dress rehearsal tonight but that's it. Hopefully we can get banking issues resolved today. I have to finish some stuff and get the kitchen cleaned.

 

Coffee!

 

 

DH had to drive a ways into Houston early this morning.  He left early and took it slow due to reports of black ice on overpasses and raised roads, and got there safe and sound.  He should be returning to his usual workplace about now, so he's still driving in winter icy conditions.  He grew up in Colorado, though, and has a clue.

 

 

Yesterday I bought another ice scraper for my truck, and extendable one with a snow brush.  I was at the auto parts store getting new wiper blades, and decided to buy another scraper instead of taking the one hanging in the garage.  I'm glad now, since this will leave the one for DH should he need it while I'm gone.

[Critterfixer]

Oh my! Did all of us actually SLEEP last night?!! So quiet here!

 

I'm up and have like a trillion things to remember and do today!!

 

It's 28 degrees!!

 

Grandkids coming over tonight!!

Yes, I did sleep. We are down in the teens this morning, but the sun is up. The boy made a fire, and I revisited the despised chore of thawing the chicken water every morning. I also reminded them that they will get water on the floor doing it. NO BIG DEAL. Will keep a towel handy, and they can clean it up when they get back in the house. The floor gets an extra mopping.