DD has had this 3 times sm

Times gone by......... sm [2008-11-30]
I remember when I was a child the dime store in our town. It had everything from pencils to yard goods to toys to old medicinal remedies. They had a wonderful candy counter where you bought your candy by weight. You made your selection from the glass-fronted counter that was juuuuust above eye level for a small child. The clerk would scoop out the desired amount of candy with an old brass candy scoop and weigh it on an old balance scale. Then she would put the candy in a little white paper sack. There were all kinds, jelly beans, butterscotch that melted in your mouth, peppermint that really cleared the sinuses, and wonderful little maple goodies to name but a few. It tasted so much better than candy tastes these days. And yes, they had Evening in Paris and Old Spice and hankies for both mom and dad. I even held my very first job there in high school where I helped take inventory every year right after Christmas. We had to count each and every item (well, probably not the jelly beans) by hand. I remember counting boxes and boxes of pens and pencils and rulers. I miss that store as it closed down many years ago when the big discount houses started opening up in the nearby big town.

I have asked that question many times. See msg. [2008-11-27]
I have been told that fresher eggs are harder to peel. I've been told that you have to peel them immediately after cooling them. I've been told to peel them under running water. I wish I knew which was the right answer? How come some eggs from the same carton cooked in the same pan in the exact same way for the same amount of time are easy to peel, yet others are difficult? Grrr...

We eat out an average of 4 times a week... [2008-11-19]
linch and/or dinner. We usually spend about 20-30 for lunch and 30-50 for dinner. We vary our restaurants, donjust drenched in a different gravy or sauce. We used to like Olive Garden several years ago, but that is so non-Italian now it's not worth it, just your average pasta drenched in some too cheesy, fattening sauce. We have a great Japenese sushi/steak house near us, a great prime rib place, a vegetarian restaurant that I love.

I live alone now, but I remember other times sm [2008-11-19]
I am vegan and a celiac, not choices here...I am allergic to most proteins. I spend about $40-$50 one time a month and about $75 another time, as I only shop twice a month. I will go and have a huge bill of about $150 when I stock up, but that is only every 3 or 4 months. I DO keep an extensive pantry and every fall I splash out on about $200 worth of canned goods for the winter. I live in a very rural place and you can't always get out on the road to get anything. I buy the pantry dry goods primarily at Walmart and buy their own brand. I buy rice in large bags because that is primarily what I eat, and I keep 5 or 6 kinds...as many as I can find. Buying stuff to make celiac bread is extremely expensive and I don't have bread like things very much because of that, and I even make my own flour mixes, but it is still expensive. When I had a family, I fed 6 of us on $250 a month, and it was not that long ago. I would go every 3rd month for bulk dry goods. I baked all our bread. We ate primarily fresh fresh and vegetables, beans and tofu. The kids had eggs and cow's milk, but I didn't because I am allergic. We always had plenty of food, except for bread. Although I baked 8-10 round can loaves 5 times in 2 weeks, we never had bread, and I can't eat it! LOL They never seemed to grow tired of oven warm bread with my homemade canned preserves and if I made 8 loaves, only 4 or 5 made it to the next day.

LOL!!! One of the few times I actually [2008-11-11]
LOL'd when I typed those letters . . . heavily!

I love it too. We go a couple of times a month.. [2008-11-07]
spend about 500 bucks each time. Sometimes we come home with money, sometimes not, that the second time same thing, hit for 1500 bucks. I usually do pretty well, only play penny machines and have won as much as 800 bucks on one spin. We never spend more than 500 each. It's our vice and we enjoy it. We visit my family every year in Philly and for the 2 weeks we are there we usually gamble at least half the time. We save our money, take a couple of thousand with us for that purpose only and if we win great, if not, that's okay too.

I watch it 12 times every season on the TBS marathon. I can't wait to do it AGAIN for 15th year. [2008-10-26]
nm

I know it is very harsh...the thing is I have asked her so many times (sm) [2008-10-21]
and the things she says are hurtful to my children. I am not petty and it is not over something small like candy or just having a difference of opinion. The things she says to them really scare and upset them. She let them watch a woman giving birth on TV once when they were very young...I had not explained yet to them exactly how a baby gets out...they were both very upset. She also has told other family members that she believes my husband is a child molester and that he has made my son, who is 11, gay. My husband is not a molester. My son likes girls. He has no idea she ever said that, but if he ever heard that she did, it would probably be very devastating to him. Each time I have sat down and tried to explain to her that we donoh, yeah, that She kept the kids while I was gone overnight this past weekend and I specifically asked her not to say anything that would scare them. She let my daughter invite a friend to sleep over. She told them all about ghosts and demons and how she once saw a demon in her closet. The girl sleeping over got scared and cried to go home at midnight. My daughter called me on my cell at midnight crying because her friend was scared and going home and she was also scared. At what point do I draw the line?

How many times have you contacted a gov't official? [2008-09-17]
As in your state senator or congressman, etc., to complain about something. What did you complain about and did you get a response?

My husband I have, many times. Gas gouging, oil, immigration, Iraq. sm [2008-09-17]
he calls about anything he feels they should know about. You would be amazed at how easily you can get through to talk to them. If they are not there, their aide will take a message and you either get a phone call back or a letter. In Michigan we have Carl Levin, Debby Stabenow, and Vern Ehlers. Their aides and my husband are on a first name basis. Literally. The aides are the front line of the reps and sens etc. They DO make note and you DO get a letter in the mail about your phone call. It doesn't really change anything, but at least the elected officials are aware of what the temprament of the voting public is.

I have contacted gov't reps many times, as well. [2008-09-17]
Since the anthrax attacks years ago, if you contact them in writing, email is preferred. I usually email or call, and I always get a response. It's not like they're going to change everything based on my one call, but it does help them to know what constituents are thinking.

I've done it so many times -- most exciting thing [2008-08-29]
Wow, where do I start? I left MI when I was 23, having heard San Diego was nice. I loaded up the Chevy and headed West. One of many, many adventures I I Atlanta, Chicago, LA, San Diego. I I have a CB radio to keep in touch with the truckers and they would always help me when I would break down, overheat, or need any sortof help. There is nothing like seeing this great country of ours one slow mile ata time. Colorado and Utah are by farthe most beautiful, but treacherousbecause of the Rocky Mountains. As far as moving to a city you donthe Chamber of Commerce for any particular city for all sorts of information about their town --- also part of the adventure. I always loved being a stranger in a strange land. And fear, oh yes, but more bravery than anything. I If you're young and courageous, I say totally go for it!!

I've done it too a couple of times. [2008-08-29]
I moved from OH to FL when I was 19. I wanted to get away from the snow! I had the best time and wouldn't trade the experience for the world. I lived in Atlanta for 5 years, moved from there 5 years ago. The area was way too congested for my liking. Just to go to the grocery store was bumper to bumper traffic. As a matter of fact, there was traffic any time of the day or night. Even when you leave Atlanta and go 1 hour in any direction, you are STILL in traffic! It was ridiculous. The other thing about Atlanta that we did not like is that because of the rapid growth, we had trouble hiring anybody to do anything. We would get estimates for work on our house. They would want the money up front and then say we. It was awful. We ended up always hiring illegals (which there is also an abundance of in Atlanta and surrounding area) who always did a good job and always showed up! It even took 6 weeks to get a phone line put in. I could rant and rave for a long time about Atlanta but you get the picture. I really cannot recommend it. On the other hand, I am feeling a little jealous of your freedom. Do it while you can! Good luck.

nah, just young the first two times. nm [2008-08-21]

My kids get this in the summer at times [2008-07-31]
I tend to think it I wouldn Benadryl wouldn't hurt him, though, (and it might give you some peace and quiet -- LOL).

Check the wait times in Canada for MRIs, etc, and see... [2008-07-30]
how bad universal healthcare really is. Believe me, nothing isfree...if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

You might have to copy and paste to open this, as I tried a few times and it does not open. SM [2008-07-10]
It is worth looking at and warms your heart.

DD has had this 3 times sm [2008-06-23]
and each time a different diagnosis. First thought to be a swollen lymph node (from cat scratch) and put on antibiotics. Second times many months later was thought to be a cyst and put on antibiotics. A year later again, was told it was MRSA and put on antibiotics. Each time it went away and since the last time in Feb. hasn't not returned. Still don't know for sure exactly what it was but antibiotics did the trick every time.

the last few times I was in our local [2008-05-09]
all the people working the windows were pushing the 'forever' stamps, telling everyone about the rate increase coming and you should buy some now before it goes up again. One postal worker even told one of the customers if she lost the stamps for 5 years and then found them she'd be able to use em. Personally, we snail mail so few things in our house these days that when I bought 3 books I figured they will probably last us about 5 years.

How many times does this have [2008-05-08]
First, you have to find out if you qualify. Then, look online on the IRS website to find the schedule according to your SS#. Of course, if you didn't use direct deposit for your taxes to begin with, they will send you out a check and those won't be sent out until later. It is not a crock - we got ours on time, according to the schedule!

I saw her on TV several times when they featured her on one of the SM [2008-04-15]
health stations. They told her story from birth. She is adorable. Her name was Kennedy.

I dated his younger brother a few times. NM [2008-04-08]
X

How many times could you forgive... [2008-02-22]
Your spouse for having an affair? I just found out that a friend of mine's husband has left her twice for another woman and both times she has forgiven him (this happened before we met). I just don't know if I could do that twice, once MAYBE, but certainly not twice...how bout you?

How many times are you going [2008-02-14]
to mention that his father never contributed any money, not a penny? Since you keep repeating it, it must be very significant in your mind. His father never contributed a penny to raising him. Now there is a rift between you and your son because of money. Anybody else out there think these two points are more connected than they may appear to be on the surface?

how many times have you [2008-02-14]
x

The spleen can enlarge and/or rupture if [2008-12-01]
not watched. My daughter had it and though there wasn't much done, she did go back to see the doctor a couple of times.

Why did they say your dog needed a bath? [2008-11-30]
I just throw my collie mix outside when it rains and maybe take him to the groomer 2 or 3 times a year. If he was rolling around in mud and dead animals, that would be different.

About the coming change to all... [2008-11-30]
If there's anyone left on the planet (well, maybe it's just this country) who doesn't know this, and isn't sick and tired of hearing about it, seeing TV spots about it, etc. It's been going on for what, almost a year? It started before Feb 2008 because some got the idea THAT was when it was going to change, but it was 2009- over a year away. I haven Thinking it was some big news story, I read it, and I don't know if it's been saying this all along but, along with saying you won't get (or might NOT get) good or any TV when it changes, unless you get a converter box, it also says YOU CAN USE A VCR OR DVD (as a convertor)! Not a lot of people don't have a VCR or DVD player and if not, you can get a cheap one for $39.99 or so. So, you can hook up your antenna to the VCR or DVD player and that converts it to the digital the TV needs, and you also get the VCR and DVD player (if you don't already have one)? So, why haven't they said this before? Or, if they have it wasn't stressed. People can get coupons to buy a converter box, more wires and things to hook up, when they can use their VCR or DVD player (or buy a cheap one and watch tapes or DVDs or record, etc. on them, too)? Maybe I have this wrong, but I know it said you either MIGHT need a convertor box, OR a VCR or DVD player to get the digital signal (just not with your TV and anntenna) Just thought I'd pass this on, in case anyone who uses an antenna still hasn't gotten a converter box but might have a VCR or DVD player (or would rather buy one, instead)

I'm sure some of your relatives are feeling sm [2008-11-30]
the same horrible crunch. Feel them out gently. Together you can approach the insensitive members of your family. Instead of saying you won say you can instead. It's the sign of the times, and not a reflection on you. You can have a very merry and wonderful Christmas without gifts. It's love that makes Christmas Christmas! Merry Christmas to you and all the other posters and readers!

Hubby with hearing and greedy problems [2008-11-30]
Dear NOT Silly Girl, I am a clinical psychologist and now teach medical transcription. I lost my deaf old sweetie 2 years ago. He was incredibly vain about wearing aids and/or his glasses. FINALLY got him to an audiologist in Canada (half the price than here in US) but getting him to wear the aids was another matter. Solved it by training just like dog or horse. Yep! Intermittent positive reinforcement - rewards, treats, smooches, etc. I told him I would only go out to dinner or shopping with him if he wore the hearing aids. Refused to go out of house with him unless he had them on -- and he loved going out! It worked, except then I still had to repeat everything 3 times inside! Many, many frank discussions also helped. Turned out he was incredibly vain and thought he looked old with hearing aids. I finally convinced him that shouting at people REALLY made him look old. He got contacts instead of glasses. As to self-centeredness, that has to be educated out of him, too. All this takes time. Just talk to him about values whenever he acts that way, and when he stops the selfishness, reward him. That is not acceptable behavior in an adult -- and I would tell him so directly. Good luck. Rosie By the way, I would take

The update on kitty - sm [2008-11-30]
I have been overthere at various times of the day and making sure I was there at the regular times I had seen him previously (sometimes 4 times in a single day!) and have not seen him again. I have waited in my car for him and gotten out to call *kitty.* I still have the carrier in my car and I am ready to bring him home. I have put out 2 cans of really yummy canned food over there for him, but they have gone untouched. I sure hope the little guy is okay. I will continue towatch outfor him!

I just need to VENT and see what you all think...Beware...this is long...sm [2008-11-30]
I have tried twice to tell this story but deleted it both times because the story is just too long so I will be as short as I can. I have a bunch of ROTTEN TO THE CORE sisters.My sisters are just about the worst people I have ever met in my whole 43 years on this planet. There is one who is especially bad and I just told my other sister that if she ever dies, to please not call me as I won I come from a very large family with 5 sisters and 1 brother with my brother being the oldest. He is not involved. He sort ofleft the family years ago because he couldn They did terrible things to him after his divorce. We rarely see him now.I am considered a scumbag and a loser because my husband and I don We don We don We can We love our children with everything in our souls. They have made fun of me and my husband and insulted us to our faces.My husband and I have a difficult marriage as he is tough to get along with so they hate my husband My sistershave all gone out to dinner without inviting me. I have found out because of someone They have made threats and sent rumors flying throughout the family, without me knowing, about calling DCYF on me. I heard that one too from a slip of the tongue. I cried for 2 hours in the shower that day. They talk about everyone and I mean everyone badly. They have awell known reputation ina couple of our towns here for being mean horrible girls. They are about as fake and phony as a person can get. Sweet and all smiles to your face and when you turn around, they stick that knife in as far as they can get it in. They have what they have in their lives because of what someone has given them. My sister had her property given to her by her in-laws. It is worth about $1,000,000. My other sister had land given to her by her husbandto lessen their mortage burden so now they owe almost nothing on their $500,000 house. They think they are fabulous people. They think they are the cat In the past years when we were all talking and I would be invited to a holiday, I was not spoken to at all the whole time I was there. I am a venter and I always have been so if my husband and I are fighting, I will always go to my older sister (one up from me) and vent and vent until I can She gets on the phone the second I leave and tells every person in my family what is going on. They in turn judge me and my husband, make their threats, and so on. This is also happening to my oldest sister and her partner (she is in a gay relationship but was always dating a man and was married twice) and my sister The three of us, me, my sister and her partner, and my sister We get along well. We are happy with each other. We don Whatever happens in each other lives, we just accept it and don I now attend holidays at my sister I don I don The sisters (I like to call them the Witches of Eastwick) all attend holidays with each other up at my sister The three of us are not invited. My older sister has a son. Several yeas ago, my sister and her partner had a terrible fight with him. He went to the witches and told them a bunch of lies and now they have pretty much shunned her and her daughter and me too because we still talk to her.I have a sister, who is involved in all of this, that I speak to on a regular basis. She is close to my kids or at least my oldest son. She pretty much ignores my other two children and they tell me, It She is the one who has spread rumors about me in the family trying to get everyone to call DCYF on me. I heard this too by a slip of the tongue from another sister a few years back. I tend to be a forgiving person so I quietly forgave her for this without her ever knowing that I knew what she was trying to do. Now that they are all inviited to the holidays up to my sister They are extremely fat just like her. These holiday trips up north are usually kept quiet and I only know about it the day before they are leaving to go, which is when she inevitably asks me to come feed her f******g cats. This is how Iknow that a big party is going on up at the cabin and once again only the chosen selected few are going. This is usually for 3 or 4 days and they get fed twice a day so I have to goto her house twice a day. Sometimes I have to give them medication and the last time she asked me, I even had to soak her sick cat She lives about 20 minutes away from me. This girl would NEVER, NEVER, EVER do this for me. My husband and I took our children on a cruise 3 years ago and we have a cat and I never asked her to do this for me as I know she would have laughed in my face. I have been feeding her cats for years now when she goes away. Keep in mind though that she was in the select chosen few to be invited up to the cabin. I was not as I am considered trash in the family. I am SICK AND TIRED of feeding this girl My sister who invites everyone to go is a mean, horrible, sadistic, vicious, backstabbing wretched b***h. No one will say anything to her like, Gee Pat, where is everyone else? Didn They could care less. All they know is that THEY were invited. Anyway, I am sorry this is so long. I cananymore. I have been thinking of this all day all weekend long. I am really to the point where I just don I am goingto tell my fat a** b***h sister to fnd another way to get her cats fed because I She is just using me and believe me when I tell you, she enjoys it. She is verydiabolical. She loves it that I am not invited and she and her husband are.She even questions me and counts the cat food cans to make sure that I came on all of the days they were gone. These people have balls of brass and I have had ENOUGH.I am just sitting and waiting patiently for the next time she says, Oh, we Can you come and feed the cats? I just canNo. I can I will never feed your cats again! Find some other sucker to do it! I believe that they are severely narcissistic people and this is nothing to take lightly.These types of people are very destructive. Do any of you have family members like this and what do you do about them? How do you stop them from making you feelsad, lonely, excluded andless than you are or deserve? I think it is time for me to cut all ties with them. I just can

OMG [2008-11-28]
Bitten? My hubs went out one year for 3 items at WalMart at 5 a.m., got all 3, but almost got trampled at the checkout, was shoved a few times, and said never again.

Boy men are such children - sm [2008-11-26]
my DH is a j*e*r*k like that too sometimes. He refuses to stay at my dad's house because he re-married so quickly after my mom died. (he wants to stay in hotel--which is very expensive where they live--....though we have not done it yet because as yet he has refused to go, so I go w/o him and the kids and I have lots of fun--he did go once 2 years ago though he made us stay at a friends apartment, very silly). There is more to it than that but that is a big part of it, and he thinks my stepmom's family thinks he is a loser. He is hung up on what people think about him and imagines slights, looks, etc. all the time, very hard to live with. But he know I will leave him in the dust and do what I want as he is acting like a 2-year-old. I would just go and not worry about him acting like a baby. If you stay home with him you will be mad, resent him for making you miss out spending time with your mom (which you will regret if something happened to her any time soon), and probably have a boring day at home while he watched football all day and you cook or twiddle your thumbs. He will probably never be the bigger person and bite his tongue and go, though he should. Men really are babies though at times.

Hanging around your house (as long as [2008-11-26]
you are home) I do not see as a problem. My daughter is 14 and really the only place I let her go with a gruop is on church outings where I know they are supervised. She does have a male friend that hangs out here (same age) at times, but I am always around. As for hanging out at a pizza place, there are probably older kids there and I would be a little leery of that.

Hanging out at your house is a good thing [2008-11-26]
as long as you are there. My house became the hang out house, and it was hard, especially when I was trying to get my work done. But I knew where they were and could step in and keep things under control when necessary. I donrule of 16 which meant my sons could not date until they were 16 years old. Boys don't really seem to fight this so much. My oldest didn't have a steady girlfriend until he was 18. My youngest was 17 when he first started dating. I also had problems with some of their friends being just plain rude. They'd swear, never say please or thank you, and just generally act like snotty brats at times. That wasn't a problem for me. I corrected them and taught them manners. I used humor, which again boys seem to respond to. Usually, when we had girls over who acted that way, the boys were quick to correct them, and I didn't have to step in myself. As far as going out, my boys did go out to hang at the local pizza parlor in mixed groups when they were 13. I never had a problem, but they were held to time limits. I think itYou know, I Good luck!

Thank you to all for suggestions/advice [2008-11-26]
It It is so isolating working from home sometimes. I don Working from home is a mixed blessing sometimes... I do this so I can be available for my kids, but at the same time I feel I am always working and can On the days they don Iguess I thought it would be easieronce they got older, but it is just as complicated in many ways.Well, another day off from school is almost over and at least we all survived.

Oh YES they are all like that LOL [2008-11-26]
Or at least I am sure the majority are. I have less of a bad time with my 13-year-old than I did my 18-year-old when she was that age, but we still butt heads at times. I have been honest with her that I do not trust her friends, but we agreed until SHE gives me a reason not to trust HER, then I will back off a little. She likes the older boys (like her mother did) and that worries me, but she has a good head on her shoulders and most times understands the limitations I give her. Thankfully most of her friends started doing stupid stuff long ago and she watched and learned from them (not to mention her older sister :)! Its a tough road, feel free to email me privately if you ever need an ear to bend.

I can tell you they are defiant at that [2008-11-26]
age. If I were to tell my daughter to make her bed or clean up the house, she argued. Then when I changed my tune and said be a slob if you want and acted like I didn They really test you at that age. Now that I look back though, I realize there was never a dull moment and I miss those days. You have to keep thinking unconditional love to get you through the rough times with your kids.

Calling all you animal lovers - live and let live or intervene? - sm [2008-11-25]
I have a dilemma. I am an animal lover and have something I cannot come to a conclusion about. At a restaurant where I eat lunch every Friday with a friend of mine, I have noticed a young male kitty hanging around outside looking for food. This past week he ran up to my friend and rubbed her legs and quietly meowed. I purposely did not try to pet him because I knew I would get attached and ignored him. Well, ever since then I find myself thinking about him and wanting to rescue him. Meanwhile, I already have 4 inside cats (2 rescues, 2 Maine Coons) and hubby really does not want another cat in the house because a few years ago I promised we would never have more than 4 (had up to 5 at one point previously). I actually have a huge screened deck he could stay on indefinitely because I do not believe in letting cats run loose for their own safety. I could provide plenty of food, a warm place to sleep, and veterinary care. At some point I would even probably work him into our household, but I just cannot do it at the moment. Just not sure I would be doing right by that kitty because I am sure he would be upset and confused for a good while as to where he was and what was going on, but is that better than being hungry and cold? I know there are lots of animal lovers out there. What does everyone think??

I Have Never Been So Frustrated In My Life [2008-11-25]
I asked my sweet hubby for a sewing machine as I wanted to learn the basics of sewing. I cannot for the life of me get this machine to work. I was able to somehow get it right once to use it to mess with but I cannot seem to get it right. These machines are so finicky. I took it to a repair shop the other day because my friend who can use a machine couldnt figure it out either. They fixed the tension etc on the machine and told me a couple tips about the bobbin. Worked perfectly fine when they did it. I get it home and cannot get the *(* thing to work to save my life. I have threaded and rethreaded, got my book out and tried again. Have taken the bobbin out and tried to put it back in a hundred times and it is a mess. I am ready to throw the *(^% thing out the window!!!! I cant learn to do even a basic thing cause I can't seem to get the machine going to start with. AARRGGHHHH

About tatting sm [2008-11-24]
I tried to learn as kid and I just didn't get it. The gal who tried to teach me was very good and got me interested, but I could not get it. It is very like making a fishing net. Those little knots have to be just so or you end up with a knot. I have done that more times than I can tell you. I had a neighbor who handed me a can before she moved. In the can was a shuttle and some tatting thread. She says to me TO ME! LOL I'll bet you don't know what that is. As it happens, she didn't know what it was! I picked it up and said bet I do...and started to tat. By the time I was in high school, I could TAT pretty well. I made a couple of blouses for work that had Peter Pan collars. One was baby pink, the other baby blue. I embroidered on the collar and then tatted enough matching lace for the edges. I loved those and wore them a very long time. I wish I had time to make another one in white, but most of my efforts going into sewing for others. I have 15 pr of boxers on my sewing table for my son who won't wear anything else...as in he hates store bought boxers. He is married and should grow up, but he won't until I am gone and can't do it for him any longer. Right now, I have a soft sheer crepe that I am making into a wedding dress for my daughter. They are going to the JP in January before he deploys and we'll do the first ceremony. When he returns they will get married by a lake in Minnesota. He wants to build a pontoon with his dad and get married on the pontoon at sunset. We'll do her wedding gown next summer. Both dresses have to be baby pink and please don't ask! She gets what she wants, it is her day(s).

Thanks, was thinking the same but hate to do it. [2008-11-24]
My kids loved it all, then they turnedorganic andvegan, etc., their kids are fussier than they were, but they don cheese. Funny, as I was food shopping yesterday, one little girl was screaming at her mom to buy some Kraft mac cheese, the orange kind. So I guess theyYuckkkk! they say.There is just so much room for all these different offerings. Peas are out! You're right it's only one day and I'm only the grandmother so they will eat again at home at night.

Mac&Cheese [2008-11-24]
LOL, I made homemade mac and cheese a couple times and the kids didn But they love the Kraft. My 12 yo niece recently told us that when she was little she though Grandma made the best mac and cheese in the world. Yep, it was Kraft in the box. I wouldn In our family we just always make mac and cheese for the little kids and they're happy.

I have an old friend--or ex-friend really... [2008-11-24]
I let something stupid, the details of which I really cannot even remember fully get in the way of our friendship and I miss her terribly. I realize now that it was stupid and that one little let down - or big let down, for that matter - is not bigger than all the times that she was there for me. I was selfish and stupid and not as understanding as I should have been of where her life was at that point in time. Sometimes, I think that taking the back burner is what we need to do to be good friends. I wish that I had been older and a little more understanding when this little (should have been little, anyway) fight happened. I might still have my friend.

First off, you're pregnant [2008-11-24]
that in itself will make this situation feel 10 times worse than it is. Having said that, I do agree that I would be a little miffed, myself. It She I would also agree with the poster below that you have grown apart. Being that you Ifun years before I got married and then before I had children. You're just at different places in your life. The best way to handle the situation is to go to her party as planned. I would not splurge for the $50 gift card. I If youwild days. You don Anyone would understand a pregnant woman would be tired from such a long travel and then the party. When you leave, be sure to seek her out and let her know that you If not, let it go. If you haven Believe it or not, some people would think they didn You have so much to look forward to and baby showers are way better than bridal showers/receptions anyday. You can eat as much as you want and all your guests will say is how cute you look. Don

Have you ever been disappointed in your [2008-11-24]
DD or DS on how they are raising your grandkids. I don't want a rant on DDILs or DSILs. I spent the week-end keeping the Grands while mom and dad worked. They do not listen well at all. DGS is ADHD, he is not doing well in school and his behavior (at home, not school) is awful. Like I say they do not mind, and DD and DSIL let it go until they are mad and then they yell and threaten to spank them. The kids know that 9 times out of 10, nothing will happen, so they don't quit. They do listen to me and their other grandmother, because if we say we are going to spank, we do. They also do not eat well. They eat, fishsticks, chicken nuggets, pizza bites, peanut butter, french fries, yogart and maybe a few other things. Mom and Dad are junk eaters so they don't serve other things.

Well, at least they're working to [2008-11-24]
support their children. Raising kids in this generation isn The pressure are on parents these days isn In addition to making sure our kids are well taken care of and that we attend the all important PTO meetings, baseball meetings, wrestling club meetings, soccer meetings, football meetings, dance recitals, cheerleading practice, on and on, we also must make sure our 1st and 2nd graders are doing their 1 hour worth of homework each evening and in addition to that make sure we are reading a book to them every night. These are the requirements now set by the schools. The parents must also deal with sex, drugs, and peer pressure at a much younger age than you probably did. Just last week, I had to explain to my second grader what a virgin was. Did he learn that word at home? No, he learned it on the bus because our school district decided to save money by busing all the kids together, high school through kindergarten. The meals you mention your GKs eating, that More than likely, your GKs won You seem very harsh on your kids, and IIs either one ofthe parents involved in their children Do you have any idea how much time that takes? Arethey struggling with finances? Were you a stay-at-home mom or work-at-home mom? Having to get kids ready in the morning and get yourself ready, then spend 8 hours a day working, only to come home and pick up the same kids and do homework with them is not an easy chore. More than likely, your DS and DDIL are tired. Instead of criticizing, why not ask where you can help? Maybe you could offer to make them dinner once a week after work. Give them an evening out without kids to just relax a little bit. I As for the kids But aren Maybe he Maybe mom and dad didn I, myself, grew up in a home where I had frozen pizza at least 2 or 3 times a week for supper. My mom worked nights and my dad didn If my mom could make us a meal before she left, she did. Frozen pizza didn I graduated high school at 140 pounds, normal for 5 tall. My mom and dad were there for everything for me, though, and it It Your words are so harsh and I just have to wonder, if you think they Is it because you know the children are well taken care of, just not up to your standards? Perhaps you should have a conversation with your DS and see what his impressions of your child-rearing of him were. Perhaps there were areas you could have improved on.

Wow! Was a nerve hit??? [2008-11-24]
I didnLeave it to Beaver. That's just not the case. By the end of the 1960s and into the 1970s the pendulum had started to swing so far toward women having careers that we were often belittled for choosing to be home with the children. Remember Hillary Clinton's cookie baking comment during her husband's first campaign? In fact, stay-at-home moms were the norm for only one brief period in our history right after WW II in the post war boom times. There was a pretty awful recession in the 1970s, and I remember gas rationing and long lines at the pumps. My mother had to work two jobs, and my father, who was in construction, was often one of the first to feel economic ups and downs in his paycheck. But we had dinner together every night at the kitchen table. Before the stay-at-home mothers of 1950's t.v. fame, most mothers worked. They had to. Only the very privileged stayed home and waited for Ward Cleaver to come home from the office. My grandmother, who lived to be 94, God bless her soul, was born in 1908. Her mother died during the great Spanish flu epidemic in 1918. My grandmother was the eldest of four children, and at the age of 10 she became the woman of the house. She stopped going to school so that she could cook and clean and took care of her father and siblings. And no one thought that was wrong. It was expected because there really weren't any government social services -- no welfare, no foster care. Eventually, when her father's depression over the loss of his wife became so great that he couldn't manage to bring home an income, people in the neighborhood just took over. The two eldest children went to live with other families. The two youngest went to an orphanage. My grandmother's father just drifted away and his children never saw him again. My grandmother married at age 20 and had four children during the depression. Talk about having it hard. When I was a young mother trying to make ends meet and I'd cry to my grandmother, she brought me around to reality. She told me what it was like for her to raise children during that time. Many a night she cried over whether or not she could even feed her children or if they would have a roof over their heads. And she wasn't alone. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, was in the same boat. The Great Depression was enormous. She and my grandfather worked wherever and whenever they could. They brought home a dollar or two at a time and fed their children buttermilk and potatoes. They didn't sleep, they worried all the time. Today, my grandmother's washboard hangs in my kitchen on the wall next to my dishwasher. It reminds me that I have no right to ever say that things are harder on us today. They aren't. Generally speaking, most Americans have so many more advantages, choices and opportunities than those who came before us. Yet many in my generation and the one or two generations behind me are just whiners and crybabies who don't think about the big picture. They even dare to say they have a harder time as parents today. Please. Not even close! Every generation seems to believe that, but just a short trip through a history book proves otherwise. I'm not that very old. But I've raised my children and I raised them well. I know what it takes to do that. It takes self-discipline, sacrifice and consistency. And you know what? That's exhausting. Parents today are tired. So what? All parents are tired. Offer it up, as the old nuns used to say. The kids have homework an hour a night. So what? They should have homework, and parents should make sure that it gets done, because education is important. There are parent-teacher meetings to attend, coaches association meetings, scout meetings, dance lessons, school recitals, etc. etc. etc. So what? Balance it out, quit what can't be done, do what can. Work because you have to. The kids have to be fed. It's still easier than it was a generation ago, two generations ago, three and on and on. We're parents to young ones for only a short time. Which reminds me, let's not forget about birth control. Most of us have 2-point-whatever children these days. I'm the youngest of 7. Most of the families in my neighborhood when I was growing up had 4 or more children. Today women can choose to have as many or as few children as they want. That means that we parent for far fewer years than the generations before us. I'm done with day-to-day parenting after just 20 years, and in fact, it got much easier on my day-to-day schedule once my boys were in high school. But my mother had children at home for 34 years. Imagine the number of cloth diapers for 7 children for year after year after year. Yes. I had it far easier, and I know it. So when I was exhausted raising my two boys, I just sucked it up and kept at it. The OP, I think, probably didn't want to be as blunt as I'm willing to be. She IS helping by babysitting her grandchildren while her children work. I'm sure she loves her children and grandkids, but I'm willing to bet that if she dared to say to her children the things I've posted, her children would react just as you did and she'd end up cut off from her family. To the OP: I hope it helped to vent a little, and I want you to know that I understand.

Agree with OP [2008-11-24]
Whew, this hit a nerve with me! My last guy thought everything we owned (that I bought) was community property. Anything anybody lacked, mine was theirs for the taking - be it my food, yard tools, my car, my cell phone, anything at all. He My most unforgettable time was when he whined and begged until I charged him a $500 tool set on my credit card. Within a week he had loaned the entire set to a brand new acquaintance, and gee, wow, someone stole it from THEM. Of course, if Ihave a problem withthis I am just a selfish B who doesn OK, so be it - I'm not a charity for every mooch he meets just so HE can look like a nice guy. Those of you who think that possessions mean nothing, perhaps they don But it gives you no right to think mine mean nothing to ME. Nobody else has a clue what sacrifices I might have made to afford my possessions, or how much sentimental value they may hold, or how difficult they may be to replace. Some of the old junk I own was handmade by my grandparents! IMHO, its a violation of trust to sneak something out of the house owned by someone you love and put it in the hands of strangers. Whose feelings SHOULD matter more? The needy stranger? The wanna-be Mr. Generous? Or the OWNER of the item? OP, your husband needs a wake up call. Take something that has great emotional value to him and hide it - the harder to replace, the better. When he finds it missing, tell him you loaned it to someone you barely know because you felt the need to appear magnanimous, and you KNEW he wouldn I think that should get the message across, and if it doesn't repeat it as many times as necessary.