My experience as a substitute teacher is that this is very normal

I had a similar experience [2008-11-17]
I divorced my first husband in 1972 and it didn You will feel SO much better after you do it!

I have no experience but my DH has. He is 50 and [2008-11-07]
and just got out of them about 2 years ago. He looks fabulous! The only trouble he had was at first, his mouth was sore for several days, liquid/smooth diet, but after that everything went great. His were on for about 2.5 years and we could see the change after only 3 or 4 months. He is fastidious about his teeth (really always has been) always wears his retainer at night (a very small one inside the mouth at night only). Make sure you wear the retainer after they are off (assuming they give you one). You will be so happy with your results and the time will fly by. My DH was the ortho's oldest patient he had ever had!

Actually I have the opposite experience. Everyone [2008-11-03]
I know seems to think I am a doctor and can answer all their questions concerning their medical symptoms and those of their family. I have had people call me asking me about meds and what I think they should do.

not normal...usually a plan covers all the fancy phone options sm [2008-11-01]
if that was my phone bill I would freak out. Heck I don A good cell phone plan, with data included should not even cost that much because you get allowances for texting, etc. whose ever that is really needs to revisit their contract.

Anyone have any experience with CareCredit, sm [2008-10-30]
the credit payment plan for medical treatment for pets as well ashumans?

Not everyone's experience will be the same as yours. sm [2008-10-19]
Not every teenager who smokes pot ends up like your son. I am sorry you had to go through so much, but as far the OP's son I think you are totally overreacting. When you consider how many teenagers try pot or smoke pot, your son is definitely the exception to the rule. Sheclean up their act they need trust and encouragement.

Yes, and friends too. But school is where kids learn facts, so whatever their teacher says (sm) [2008-10-16]
they are going to think it must be right. I think that is unfair leverage to use to support your own point of view as a teacher.

Some advice from experience [2008-10-15]
If you dongood daughter, all my other siblings quit speaking to my father years ago, I should have joined them! Good luck.

Any advice and/or experience with teeth whitening? [2008-10-11]
NM

Sorry you had this experience with a pit...sm [2008-10-06]
But I don't believe it is a breed thing. I believe you were unfortunate to have happened to get a pitbull who did this. If your dog hadn't been raised with the cat I would say well that is just a dog being a dog but to be raised together and get along that is weird. But there are other dogs who are capable of attacking. I had a stray mix breed medium size dog. It didn't have any pit in it. I saw it kill a cat in my mother's yard. Brutally killed it. But it wasn't a mean dog to us. It also would try to attack our bealge pups. So I know other dogs are capable of killing animals. The pitbull can do more damage though than most dogs. But I have seen pictures of lab attacks on owners, Dalmation attacks on a child, many others. Any dog can do this. Personally I have a neighbor who had a little chihuahua and it was there little doll. They adored this little dog. Well someone who lives a mile to a mile and a half down the road has a Dalmation. It climbed the fence in its yard and went a mile or more down the road where the little chihuahua was outside peeing and mauled it to death with its owners watching. I mean they said the dalmation just attacked when it seen the little dog no provacation. So I know what other dogs can do too. But most won't. I hope you never have this problem again with any of your dogs. You had a most unfortunate incident with your pitbull and I believe this has rightfully left a bad taste in your mouth for the breed. But try to think of it like this. There are good people and bad people. There are good dogs and bad dogs. We have serial killers and rapists but we also have good people out there. Dogs are not different. Don't look down on the whole breed because of one bad experience. There are so many kind pits out there who have never hurt a living thing. Really.

College search - For those of you who have had experience - [2008-10-06]
In your opinion, is it more fruitful to go on an open house when all the departments are out there with handouts and such, or on individual or small group appointments with maybe a little more one-on-one? I'm overwhelmed already, and we've only been to two colleges!

I would definitely talk to the teacher -sm [2008-10-01]
and have your child moved aware from this nut case. When I was in 2nd grade a boy came up to me on the playground and stabbed me with a pencil in my forearm, nice puncture wound.....I do not remember anything being done to him in terms of a punishment, cannot ask my mom as she died a few years ago. I hated that kid from that day on though. Get this, he is now a doctor.

My experience....... [2008-09-25]
Vista requires a lot of memory (RAM)to run, so I wouldn't have anything less than 4 GB of ram, in order to make sure it doesn't freeze up all the time, which is a big complaint. My daughter has a new Dell with Vista, 4 gb ram, and says it works great, really fast. Otherwise, you can order online and get a computer with XP on it, with an upgrade to Vista later. Newegg.com, Tigerdirect.com, Dell..... all these have XP on their computers/laptops.

my experience... [2008-09-25]
I have a new Dell with Vista and my old computer with XP sitting side by side. I really do not see much difference, except of course my new computer is way faster. All the accounts I work on support Vista also and I've not had a problem.

i have not experience in a situation like this, but sm [2008-09-11]
he as i was growing up, i saw my dad control my mom, he abused her (i didn i wished for years that my parents would divorce. they never did. they he she can i felt so sorry for my mom all those years and i still do. i love both my parents, but sometimes i don i they are in their 50s and he needs to grow up. i guess i and today, i often doubt myself and hope i don i felt like a little slave sometimes. you need to do yourself and the kids a favor and leave. i think you when he you have to stand up for yourself and your kids. you don he he my self esteem is really low. my dad told me as i was growing up i was always too fat. he is much better with me today, but i still worry i many times i think i need to go to a counselor. anyway, please, if you can build up the courage to leave, you need to. if you have any family or friends you can discuss this issue with and get support from them, do it. i have a friend who was in a loveless marriage for about 10 years. they got a divorce. she didn the dad doesn but she is strong and you can be strong too. keep up posted on what happens. also turn to God. he we all go through struggles in life so that we can turn to Him for comfort and to also make us stronger.

From personal experience, do not stay [2008-09-11]
for the kids. They really do pick up on this. My oldest (she was 5 at the time) witnessed a lot of fights and other things that really upset her. Also, life is too short to be miserable in any relationship--especially if it has been going on for 3 years. If you have tried counseling and that did not work, then think at least about a separation. My family told me, after the fact, about how down and depressed I was before I left my ex, and the 100% turn around after I left. It does no one any good to stay when you both are miserable.

Talk with the teacher [2008-09-10]
I would schedule a meeting with the teacher. Tell her your daughter handles the tasks concerning her with no problem at home and ask what exactly is going on that has her concerned. I would also talk with your child to see if any of her comments shed some insight into how things are going at school and the type of interaction with the teacher.

Talk with the teacher [2008-09-10]
I would schedule a meeting with the teacher. Tell her your daughter handles the tasks concerning her with no problem at home and ask what exactly is going on that has her concerned. I would also talk with your child to see if any of her comments shed some insight into how things are going at school and the type of interaction with the teacher.

Wow - that sounds uncalled for on the teacher's part. sm [2008-09-10]
I think I would have had to bite my tongue not to say something too like stick your nose in your own business, LOL! I think I'd have a talk with the school counselor or principal and/or request a class change. You have that right. Teachers make a huge impression on our children and I would not put up with that.

Kindergarten teacher [2008-09-10]
My little one just started kindergarten this year, and already I am getting flak from the teacher. She called me to tell me that my daughter is having problems putting papers in her folder, and that it seems like her hands get flustered when shes trying to do tasks like this. She also tells me that I need to make her do things around the house, like clean up her toys, take her dinner plate to the sink, etc. (all of these things that she has been doing for a while now!), so of course I just say okay, not wanting to seem like a smarty pants by telling her she already does these things. After I got off the phone I gave my daughter papers and a folder and told her to put them inside. She did, without a problem at all. Well, I was dropping her off this morning and I was walking her downstairs to her class and I had her lunch box in my hand from when we got out of the car, and they have this basket that they put the lunches in that sits outside of the door. So as I am walking out I just put it in the basket and go to leave, and the teacher (who was heading towards the classroom) makes it a point to stop in front of me and tells me that I need to let her do these things on her own and not to do them for her. It took all I had not to explode in her face! If I happen to be carrying her lunch box and just put it in the basket myself, I see no problem with that. Its also the demeanor of this teacher that I dontries to be helpful and nice but is actually condescending and rude. I wanted to say, Lady, why don't you get your nose out of my business and go teach the class? UGH. She just drives me up one side of the wall and down the other!!

my experience [2008-08-05]
As I stated above, I was in the Army for quite a few years. I had soldiers under me who would have issues now and then. I knew the routes to go and the ropes so to speak of how to get them what they needed. I am sorry but you are not totally correct. Working on an Army base as a civilian is most assuredly not the same thing as being in the Army.

No, I am just stating my experience [2008-08-05]
What I have said is not made up, just MY experience! You need to present all sides here, not just there are options. You say that like the soldier has the option of staying here or not. No, she has to go through the proper channels, and REQUEST, not tell them what she wants to do. They can then say yay or nay!

oh, I definitely understand - just telling you what a teacher told me... nm [2008-08-03]
x

My daughter's 3rd grade teacher requested 100 mechanical -sm [2008-08-02]
pencils. Now can you imagine the needing 100 mechanical pencils (or even regular pencils for that matter) in one year. It is mechanical therefore refillable. I can see maybe a dozen, but 100???? A friend suggested a typo....I ended up buying two packs of 24 at 5.50 a pack. There was no way I was getting 100, what am I supplying her kids too??? Or all the kids whose parent won't buy any supplies? Or is she reselling them on ebay. I am definitely asking the teacher about that one or the school, definitely nuts.

I think what you are experiencing is all normal teen behavior. sm [2008-07-19]
I can't think of anyone that I hung around with in my teens that didn't run away. Trust me ---- they ALWAYS COME BACK.

Everyone seems [2008-11-22]
pretty happy. It doesn't seem prurient. I've been in favor of other situations in which people are free to develop on an internal time clock rather than one imposed externally & in that regard there's probably something to this, but the siblings following the first probably got the idea to continue for a long time from watching, so there's definitely a bias there. Would be interesting for someone to design a study comparing long-time thumb-suckers with children weaned at a later age. This woman would probably say that the experience of breastfeeding can't be duplicated or substituted with a bottle or a plastic nipple because the emotional part of it would be lost. I don't know. I guess it depends on the family involved. I remember on Six Feet Under, how Lisa & Nate were letting Maya sleep in their bed until she decided she didn't want to any more. I think there's just a whole movement out there comprised of people with similar ideas, & until someone does a long-term study, I guess I'd have to say any suggestion that it's out-&-out wrong is just conjecture or has a cultural bias.

Whatever sale item is most important to you [2008-11-21]
start there...early. Sale ads from Wednesday night's or Thursday morning's newspapers should tell you the store hours and sale hours. Many end at 11am. My dd and I like to go about an hour after stores open, though it's still dark outside. The crowds that were waiting in line overnight for the big ticket items are gone by then, and most everyone else avoids the stores until the afternoon hours, thinking they will be less crowded. Wrong they are though. There are more employees on duty early rather than later, so things move more quickly in the morning hours. We've also found the earlier crowds to be friendlier. DD starts singing Christmas carols while standing in line and soon lots of others join in. She's a blast to shop with. Then we go to a late breakfast and go home before the unfriendly crowds show up. Hope your experience is an enjoyable one.

According to DH, our budget is $1,000 [2008-11-20]
But more likely I We have 3 kids. We usually get them 1 big gift to share and then round it out with smaller gifts. This year, they It The breakdown of the other $350: Parents $150, Grandma $25, Gift Exchange $60, Siblings (from my kids $20, Niece/nephew: $40, Teacher Gifts $30, Student Gifts: $15. The remaining $30 will go to Toys for Tots! Each of my kids like to pick out a $10 gift to put in. I have 3 siblings and 1 that My brother that Of course, my 2 unmarried siblings also buy small gifts for my children, so we always get them a little something from them -- usually lottery tickets or a gas card for Sheetz. $10 used to fill We do our exchange party on Christmas Eve. It keeps the kids entertained and gives them a little preview of what I have to say I enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. It Teacher gifts kill me. It I usually go for a coffee mug with a Christmas scene or teacher saying on it and fill it with candy. Of course, DH thinks I do all this for Christmas for $1000, but why tell him and spoil it? We do a Christmas Club for $1000 every year and I just buy the other stuff here and there. We already got our Christmas gifts for ourselves -- a 46-inch LCD TV for DHand a Dooney Bourke purse with matching wallet for me. Now you all got me excited again about shopping next week. I I always wait until the day before Thanksgiving to do that so I know I won For those of you below who posted that you don Let me just say that I don I sometimes snag a deal or 2, but I learned a long time ago not to wait until Black Friday to get the most sought after items. Best to get them in Sept or Oct.

I think you are right. [2008-11-20]
I have had most of the day to think things over and cry. I did talk to him a bit and realize that it is mostly his pride (man-ness) that is the problem. I just have to stand my ground and not feel guilty for it, although I will anyway...I think that is just the female (or pregnant hormonal lol) way with feelings, etc. I have also been thinking today that even though things are getting really tough, we have been able to pay our bills so far. It's really going to suck with the holidays especially but it will be past in a couple months and life will resume as normal. Who knows where we will be by then but for now things could be much worse. Even with all the headaches, stress, tears, etc. it could be much worse if we lost a job or...well I don't even want to think about the other horrible things that people go through. Thanks for your support and understanding. Some times women just need to know that they aren't alone in their struggles.

bought/sold couple hundred items [2008-11-19]
i've had a good experience both ways. it is time consuming, communicating with customer/feedback/packaging items/mailing, etc. Like you, i thought of doing same. but you really have to have something special/in demand to market, or maybe do the drop-ship method where you don't even keep the inventory yourself to make a real business venture. I don't think it's any more of a golden goose than other business ventures however.

Amazing [2008-11-19]
I was around 10 years old when this happened, and to this day, in my mind I can see I dove repeatedly... I was just a kid then, but he sounded completely fake to me. Just...creepy. Amazing how clear that image is, for some reason; my first memorable experience of someone famous getting away with it. I think my little psyche was just completely blown away. Little did I know then that this is just the way of the world.

Our tree is undecorated until 12/24. [2008-11-17]
Maybe itLittle Christmas on January 6. Then all the decorations come down. A few of our neighbors do the same, but it seems that most people start Christmas at Thanksgiving and then have everything down the day after. I do have a selfish reason for enjoying the Christmas season, which is that my birthday is 12/26, and I LOVE having Christmas decorations up on my birthday! People with normal birthdays in the middle of the year don't get to do that!

Just curious...sm [2008-11-17]
as to why you have a deadline for putting up your decorations. We put ours up here and there AFTER Thanksgiving and enjoy the whole experience. Deadline just sounds like it would take the pleasure out it. Honestly not trying to start anything, Just sayin'.

Any chance you could visit family or a friend... [2008-11-16]
for a few days when he leaves the dogs? Or simply tell DH that you will only take care of your guys? Let hubby experience what a job it is. I have a cat and a large black lab and those two alone can keep me pretty busy. Can I believe in karma, and you have a giant reward coming your way one of these days, as domany of you other kind-hearted posters.

Eeew. This just popped into my head [2008-11-15]
If this she/he can claim to be a man, then when are they going to do the first female organ transplant into a man who wishes to experience the pain of pregnancy without becoming a full blown woman? Just the reverse of what this she/hedid. It would probably take as long to change, but how many real men would think about it if they could make all this money? Can you imagine the confusion? I thinkcloning is just as bad. Weoriginal not a manufactured person.

I agree, beans and all legumes are a great source for.......sm [2008-11-15]
plant protein and fiber. Great option for vegetarian. This is a great beanice dish: rice beans (any kind) onions (chopped small) olives turmeric spices Fry a little in olive oil or canola oil, then cook in water, 1:2, or 1:1/2, depending on kind of rice. You can substitute beans with lentils or chickpeas, or put all 3 together....

a kid's point of view ...sm [2008-11-14]
I just had conversation with a fellow Sunday School teacher about what GIFTS would be good to give this kids this Christmas. At one point this gal asked her son (12 yrs. old) if he had any ideas what the kids would like to get. His response gee, mom, I thought Christmas was about GIVING, not getting. Out of the mouth of babes, right? !! Maybe it Bet your children are just glad to have a good mom !!

I think whether or not you wash your hair [2008-11-13]
everyday has a lot to do with the type of hair you have andthe type of products you use on it. I have what I consider normal hair. No perms, just colored, almost shoulder length. When I went through the big hair phase, I had to wash my hair everyday just to get the products out. Now that my hair looks more natural, I can usually skip a day. I only skip a day, though, when I Whether my hair looks good or not, I don But that's just me.

I agree, trust your pets [2008-11-13]
Dogs or cats for that matter. Whether they sense trouble or they sense the personality, it doesn they just know something isn't right. I have had this experience with several pets, including my cat. Yes, I said my cat. lol She is like a dog in a lot of ways. They just know when something is off and they will tell you the best way they can. I never tell them a person is okay or to stop barking. If things are okay or the person is okay they will stop on their own without me saying a word. Somehow they just know.

Wow, Perfect example. [2008-11-13]
That should have never happened. It was malicious or intended but things happen through carelessness. I don't think teenagers or young adults really get that until they either experience something like this or close to it first hand or have children who depend on them. It puts life in a completely different perspective. What a shame.

Stocking up [2008-11-13]
I have not lived through a depression and hope we aren't headed that way but think we probably are. As far as saving, I clip coupons but only use them if the item is also on sale or something that I use regularly. I feel coupons just get you to buy the brand name product when you would otherwise save more buying generic without a coupon. I look for 2 for $ sales. A good one is cereal. When it is on sale I buy about 10 boxes. Same for oatmeal. Anything that I can buy more than one and get it on sale, I do. I add to my normal grocery shopping so its not like I am spending a lot. One time I buy my meat and higher cost items, the next I stock up on whatever I can. As far as meats and vegetables, the bulk of my list, I buy what is on sale. Lots of soups and stews now that winter is here because it seems to stretch things farther and the meat is a lot cheaper to buy. I do not take anyone to the store with me, cuts down on impulse buying. I plan all of my shopping for one day. I find that cut down on impulse buying too. If I know I bought a special shampoo or something for me at wal-mart, I will be less inclined to buy something special the same day at the grocery store. I have an area in the basement where I can keep extra stuff, especially toilet paper, canned goods, and a deep freeze.

Thanks for your suggestions and kind words. [2008-11-12]
I am a very old fashioned person and generally speaking have the ideals that you speak of above. Making gifts, thinking outside of the box because it means more, putting aside the cost and really putting effort and thought into the gift - for any occasion. I know I have a short fuse right now with the hormones and it makes me not want to even try. Really my MIL is the only problem. Everyone else would love a thoughtful, homemade gift. I guess you sort of have to know her personality too. Generally speaking, she rubs me the wrong way but I try to just let things go. I just get tired of hearing the we are really going to cut back this year! when they said the same thing last year and it was a normal Christmas, then when I offer a suggestion she looks at me like I just cut someoneretired and bored. I did stand my ground this year though and tell my husband to deal with her on the Christmas morning doings. In the past Santa only comes to her house...so all the kids and grandkids have to cart their stuff over there to put under the tree and then wake up and drive over for presents in the morning. Screw that. In what fairy tale book did they read that Santa doesn't come to the house where the child sleeps?! Crazy how different families can be. Oh well, I'm getting off subject here but I thank you for your kind words and I'm going to try to change my attitude. I can only do what I can do. I suggested my homemade gift ideas to my husband and he then went through a catalog and picked out gifts. Granted they were $15-20 a piece but still. Every dollar counts these days. HI'm trying to look at it as one less thing I have to do or think about - I'm sure that's where he is coming from anyway. Men just think backwards sometimes.

I've been in a funk all day and suspect that [2008-11-11]
it will follow my normal pattern of lasting all winter. I love the tree and the lights and watching those once a year movies but I agree about the finances and the very non-hallmark family. Halloween is my favorite but I was a bah humbug for that and didn't even put out a pumpkin this year. Ho hum...

LOL My son is about this age [2008-11-10]
and I dread this day. lol I would run down to the nearest best buy and see what they offer as far as packages with updates. I know they have such things. Haven't bought one myself but know of people who have. Then, I would sit down with him and let him know that it's normal for a boy to be curious but that he needs to give things a little time. I would also discuss the dangers of the internet. i.e. purchasing things you don't want to purchase, crazy weird people, etc. 9 is very young in my opinion but kids are exposed to so much these days it doesn't really surprise me. He will be learning about these things in school very soon, not the way he wants to lol, or maybe suggest that you can get some videos for him to watch if he is interested. Usually the school will allow you to check them out and sometimes they are available through your library. I know this because our son's school mentioned it if the parent's wanted to view the same video as the kids or wanted additional resources for kids with questions. Around that same age my son started asking a LOT of questions just because of commercials and things he picked up on television. We had the talk and told him that he could talk to us any time, write a letter, make an appointment with a counselor or his pediatrician, or whatever he wants if he is embarrassed, etc. Since he has continued to ask questions openly. I think most of it is that the parent's don't make it weird.

I have had the pleasure... [2008-11-09]
....of working in several nursing homes as a CNA and nurse before coming to medical transcription. It's hard work and usually staffing is sometimes paltry, even in the good homes, but we really do care. Really. Every place has bad eggs, the hospitals, home care, etc., but everyone usually has to have some sort of heart to work in a nursing home. First things first...I always would check for jobs with this litmus test, and I recommend anyone do this. This is a make or break kind of ordeal. You look for the state inspection report. It HAS to be placed in a prominent place in the facility. If you cannot find it readily, ask where it is. If there is anything going on with hiding these documents, you leave and never come back. The other thing is to smell for stale urine or strong air fresheners. If you smell either of those, leave. (Do not check for BM smell--the smell often radiates and may be new, for lack of a better term.) Look at the residents. Do many of them seem content? Do you see aides with gait belts around their waists? Do the nurses look terribly stressed? Please also do not judge by tones of voices in the direct care staff. Often the staff must talk very directly, succintly, and abruptly--it sometimes comes off as harsh, but it's not--for particular residents to hear and/or understand. If you go in a facility in the evening, often the place is chaotic, particularly if there are demented residents. There is a condition known as sundowning that is very, very real. The ones with dementia who are sundowning may give the impression that care is not being given due to the chaos and behaviors brought by the condition. It's not the case. Usually these residents are kept in common areas until they are calm enough to retire for the night. If you go in the nighttime, often there is one night nurse for about 65ish residents. If you are so inclined to come in at this time and do not see anyone at the nurse's station for some time, know that the nurse may be tending to a medical issue and the CNAs are tending to personal care of the residents. If you ever see nurses eating a sandwich in one hand and writing in another hand while sitting at the nurse's station, this is sometimes the only break he or she gets. It's not out of disrespect that this is done. It is so that nurse can care for the residents as best as he or she can. What you are describing in your original post, unfortunately, is quite common, from what I have seen. Two people who are married a long time will often pass not too far apart. It seems people often do decide when they will go. As a nurse, it's one of the more incredible things I've seen. When I saw it happen, I always had the sense there is an extremely strong bond between the spouses that absolutely nothing could break. I'm not trying to say anything is amiss with your mother. I'm not. It doesn't always happen that way. I hope I don't come off that way. I'm sorry you are going through this, because no one wants to send a loved one to the nursing home, yet caring for an ailing parent is one of the most stressful things anyone can experience. I have never been in your position, so I hope I don't come off as too forward, rude, or presumptuous, but I wanted to tell you a little more about what you may be getting into. If you live in Iowa, I'd recommend you to a great one that has the best nurse I've ever met working there now. He has cooked up oyster soup in our kitchen when a resident stopped eating because the resident loved oyster soup. He has taken residents fishing for the heck of it. He wears a scrub shirt with chickens on it because many of our residents were farmers and like the shirt (and because my husband has a silly sense of humor and a wife with a sewing machine). I've known CNAs who buy (with their own money) residents pop and even steak just because the resident wanted it and could have it. Shoot, lots of us do it, even when we don't have a lot of money to our names. I loved to sing with the residents that had dementia (music seems to be retained) and chat about life with the residents who had their faculties. I promise it's not all doom and gloom. Sure, nursing homes could do better, but if you find the right one, it may just work out. All my best to you and your mother.

lol I think I found my twin! [2008-11-08]
Same philosophy in my household. Donepisodes to prove the point. My husband and son like to play those games every once in a while but I toss them right back and now it is to the point where we don't even have to discuss it. They get the message through actions loud and clear. My favorite is when hubs does laundry and leaves all my clothes on the corner of the bed. Hahaha! First, folding is the hardest part...second, I have no problem doing only my laundry and no one else's. What's funny is it takes him a bit to catch on, usually when he runs out of underwear! lol What's good for the goose is good for the gander! Not to mention the kids too. At the age of 9 my son started doing his own laundry. Didnbut it :)

I used to be this way too! [2008-11-08]
It is very unnerving and no matter how much I would get done, I always found myself adding to the list of things to do! Below are my solutions to help me, some the same as other posters. Make a list. Put EVERYTHING on the list. I find a sense of calm and accomplishment on crossing off even the smallest task from the list. Use a calender. Break it out into 1 item (or 2 if they are small) per family member. Leave the general house cleaning (bathrooms, dusting, etc) until a few days before. If anyone doesn't help or gives you problems, well cut out a task that you usually do for them. Make them do their own laundry, if you pick up after them just toss it in their bedroom or somewhere they will notice making it an inconvenience for them, not you. Or if necessary, skip making dinner a few nights. Do pizza 3 nights in a row and I guarantee someone will notice and ask why! Before you start holiday decorating, eliminate as much other clutter/nick nacks as you can. I find that if I get rid of some of my day-to-day pictures and do-dads, coffee mugs, etc. hanging about that it makes cleaning much easier and really lets the special holiday items shine. Afterall, everyone has probably seen your normal daily stuff some time in the past anyway. After my decorating is done, I put these daily items in the holiday boxes so they are easily switched out again when the holiday is over. If you have a mother-in-law or aunt or someone who is overly helpful, let them help! I didnthat that he will help me every time. lol He knows she) If you have someone that you know likes to bake, ask them to bring something that you have had in the past. Tell them you or one of the kids just love it! and have a craving for it. It will be a compliment and they will look forward to bring it for you. and most importantly, think of what it is like when you go to someone elseShe I'm sure you probably do and remember these people think the same thing. They really don't care what your house looks like and I'm sure being that they aren't having many visitors, their house isn't that clean for the holiday either.

I'm sorry [2008-11-08]
I didn't mean to make you feel like your opinion wasn't wanted or valid. Like you said, I believe the OP wanted both sides, just discussing an alternate view point and really looking for more info on your point of view. It's good to have info from people that have different ideas. Something like dosing is not something I have thought about and it completely makes sense. I believe as part of the vote it stated that growing it yourself, for medical reasons, would also be legal - unless I am remembering incorrectly and someone please feel free to correct me. That would bring a valid point of dosing and if you have family members whose to say they aren't going to take a little here and there without medical necessity. Overall I am basically just speaking from experience of watching a family member die of cancer and take all the meds possible without relief and often wondered if this would have been a viable option for their comfort. Had I known where to get it, I probably would have gotten it for them illegally - but I would have had no clue where to begin with such a search. Yes, that's a lot of emotion going in to a big decision but I think emotion is a big part of medical treatment too.

Gabby, I am with you. I went for the first time in my life last summer. sm [2008-11-08]
I had a riot and came home $5 richer, so I was happy. I too was amazed at all the people there and this was on a Sunday afternoon. LOL. But I have to say the noise would drive me NUTS!!! Constant dinging, clanking, etc. I did have fun watching everybody and their various techniques for chunking in coins. I stayed on the cheap slots as there were acres of slot machines. I would go again in a heartbeat as I did have fun. And the food is good too. LOL. My experience is if you are into people watching, a casino will give you HOURS of entertainment value.

Heck yeah! [2008-11-07]
My daughter is a few months younger than Celine's son. She has her hair buzzed by her request. (I use the 3/4 inch buzzer guide.) She is tops of her class, very respectful, and loves to help out her teacher in class. She is well behaved, but she does pick on her little sisters sometimes like any kid. She's a really good kid. When we go to the nursing home to visit my husband (he's a nurse), the residents typically assume she's a boy because of her hair, which annoys her. Otherwise she is as girly as can be, much girlier than her mom with long hair! I figure it's just hair--who cares as long as the child can handle the hair issues? Eventually there will be much bigger battles to be fought than the length of hair. Go Celine!