Ok, NT is on tonight but I need an update ... sm

If you do this tonight, you'll not run into any problems! - sm [2008-10-30]
Tomorrow's Halloween!

Update on coffee. [2008-10-22]
I used the tablespoon method fromthe poster belowand then measured into my cup measurer. It was almost 1/2 cup of coffee grounds. The coffee tasted just a wee bit better, but still not good enough. I was thinking about buying some already measured coffee to see if that makes a difference, but ya can't just buy one (to test), so I think I'll play around with the measuring a little more. I'm also going to break open the 100% Columbian coffee hubby bought and see if that makes a difference. I had noticed that over the last few months, whenever I opened a new can of coffee, that whoosh never happened like it used to, so I'm thinking these stores/manufacturers are just keeping the coffee in storage too long....probably because of the high prices, people aren't buying as much. LOL

Can you stand another kitten update? [2008-10-15]
They are a month old today and I found a home for 2 of them with my sister-in-law. YAY!!! I'm hoping to keep the cream colored one or the orange tiger.

Update on jealousy/stepkids... [2008-10-10]
Okay, the man in my life with the kids did not come home until 5:30 this morning and at 5:32 AM I was telling him that I had taken all the disrespect from him and his kids that I was going to take and that we were going to have to just end this relationship. Don And ya know what? I just feel like a weight has been lifted off my chest...

Not tonight. [2008-10-02]
It's my bowling night (time away from everyone) so it's fast food night, but I love using the crockpot in the fall and I've been looking on the internet for quick easy recipies that I've been trying for the past few weeks.

Kitten update...sm [2008-10-01]
It's been two weeks since my car became a delivery room and I'm happy to report Mama and babies are doing fine. Two of them have their eyes open, 1 is almost there and the other still has his/hers closed. They are still in the box where I put them when I took them out of my back seat and the mother hasn't moved them. She lets me peep in on them, but is right beside me when I do and then jumps in the box with them. She's a super mom. Oh, I see on the pic the dark gray one is buried in the dog pile, er, I mean kittie pile, but he's there and has dark blue eyes like the dark orange tiger. Too cute.

Update [2008-09-10]
She came home from school today in a much better state of mind with regards to physics class. She spoke to her teacher who explained things a lot better not only to her, but to the whole class (she isn't the only one who was having problems). She had homework tonight that she did with just one question for her father. For now I'm going to let her stay in the class, but I'm going to keep checking up on her, and see what happens after her first test. Thank you all for all your help and advice.

UPDATE ON HURRICANE GUSTAV [2008-08-30]
Just updated to a Cat 4 Storm near Cuba. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone who will be affected by this storm. I hope everyone gets out safely and we definitely SHOULD NOT have a Katrina repeat. So far, it look likes officals are being Proactive and not Reactive as stated by FOX NEWS.

update [2008-08-25]
Well, 4 hours was probably too harsh to expect an 8-year-old to sit on a chair. He sat for about 1/2 hour. Then I went out and talked to him. My husband is not physical in any way. He has never laid a finger on me and he rarely even argues back with me. If anything, I However, I don I We have spanked our kids when younger, nothing more than a tap or 2 on the bottom. It probably hurt their pride more anything. However, we My other 2 kids don't have this problem with controlling their tempers. I seriously think he just is impulsive. He I basically told him that we all have to be in control of our own bodies and that sometimes it I also told him that I know that he knows how because he does it in school. He I also told him that I loved him but that his behavior upsets the whole house. He has to learn to get in control of it and to get used to people telling him what to do. He resists authority; he likes to think he In the end, I left him off the chair after about 40 minutes total and gave him a hug. I told him I loved him and asked him to apologize to his brother, which he did. He I know it's never over, but at least this one is. Thanks for the support.

Amazing finale tonight [2008-08-08]
IWell I guess now you know what qualifies them to judge. Debbie Allens students were way too cute, and Nigel could sure move those taps. Loved seeing the older dancers. Dimitri is still a dream. I'd take dancing lessons from him any day.

Who do you want to win? Winner announced tonight!! SM [2008-08-07]
There is no way I could make that decision. This season has just been amazing. I must say that Joshua is outstanding andjumps higher than I can believe. They are all so wonderful.

update on 16 YO daughter. sm [2008-07-28]
Well, here is the latest. She saw the therapist on Friday and the therapist recommended that my husband and I be on the same page about what the limits and boundaries are, but that my husband be the one to take over the disciplining, be the one to have the conversations and explaining the expectations, compromises etc. with her. She recommended that we make it very clear what the limits are and make sure she understands them. She recommended that we stay calm and try to avoid threats, but rather try to communicate with her calmly and positively. That does not mean that she can do what she wants, it just means that once she understands what we expect, then how she makes her decisions will guide the consequences. So I have basically pulled myself out and told her that anything she wants to do she must get permission from her father and work out the details with him. He is much better at this than I am and I am hoping that she will develop enough respect for him/us to be willing to do her part. Time will tell. For now, she is still here and it seems to be working positively so far. We still have a lot of work to do and I am sure it will be a long, bumpy road, but if we can get her through these next couple of years and be successful in keeping her interested in going to college, that is my goal. I would hate to have her give up on that. However, on the other hand, if things don't work out and if she continues to be defiant, then as I have told her, she will have to live with the consequences of her actions. The end result will be up to her and she is well aware of that. Thanks again for all the support and great advice. I do feel relieved that I am no longer carrying the burden by myself. I still hurt a lot and I am sure that pain will be with me for a while. This is very hard for me, but at least now whatever happens, I am not alone and my husband is in it with me 100%. That in itself is helpful. I am hoping for the best, but I won't be surprised about anything at this point. Bottom line, I do know that we are doing everything we can. The rest is up to her. Thanks again.

Ok, now I definitely have to watch it tonight [2008-07-25]
and not wait until Monday. :)

definitely watch tonight! enough said! nm [2008-07-25]
***

latest update on 16-year-old daughter. [2008-07-18]
Well, I did it. I told my husband. He had a good stern talking with her about how what she is doing is not good and will not be tolerated, and told her that the rules were expected to be abided by. He grounded her for 2 weeks and we took away her license and car keys. She is beside herself and of course hates me more than anything because I betrayed her to her dad. Go figure. Anyway, now she states that there is no way she will stay in this house and will just run away. Or she will get a job and as soon as she can get some money together, she will emancipate herself from us. My husband told her that if she runs away, the next step will be something like military school. What a mess. He says we have to be tough or she won't get the message. This is so hard for me. I feel like I lost her. She wants nothing to do with me. I just hope and pray that someday she will understand that I did what I think is best for her. At least now he knows and he can help me handle it. If she does run away, at least now he knows. I told her I love her more than life and I am doing this for her own good. She just reiterated how much she hates me.(sigh) Thanks for all the good advice everyone. Please pray for me and my daughter. I never thought being a parent could be this hard.

update for today [2008-07-16]
My daughter and I had another big blow out. I told her that these are the rules and she is expected to abide by them while she lives in my house. She of course threatened to leave. I told her that was fine, but first she had to wait for her father and tell him she was leaving and why. I kept her in the house and did not let her go out. Pretty much literally watched her, listened to her curse me out, etc. But I did not relent. I kept telling her that she could have it her way or my way. My way, follow the rules and stop fighting me. Her way, tell her father what is going on and then feel free to leave. After a while when she realized that I meant what I said and would tell her father this very day, she calmed down and I could see she was afraid of my telling him. She expressed that she was willing to follow my rules and did not want her father to know. I told her that she was officially on probation with me now and anything more over the boundary I set up, then she will be her father's problem. I know I should probably tell him right now, but I actually fear for his reaction and I am hoping that if she takes me seriously, maybe she will come around a little more. Please pray for me and her and wish me luck. I am going to take it one day at a time. Today she was home and I did not let her go out. Tomorrow will be another day and we will see what happens. But whatever does happen, I will stand firm and I will not back down. I think she figured that out today. I'm hoping against all hope that this will get better. I will not hesitate to tell her father if the nightmare continues. Thanks for all the great advice. Everyone is really wonderful and I feel lucky to have this board at this time.

Been a while - What's for dinner tonight?? [2008-07-15]
Looking for ideas! :)

UPDATE.....sm [2008-06-25]
After discussing the subject with my husband and coming up with the right words to say, I have spoken with my MIL and there will be NO MORE 4-wheeler rides. What a relief! And talking to her about it wasn I just hope she sticks to it. I told her I would bring the stroller along from now on, and she can my daughter around the yard in that instead. I feel much better for now, but I I will just have to remind her that I amthe mother, and when it comes to my daughter, it:)

UPDATE ON MY CAR sm [2008-06-06]
i took my car to my mechanic today and he said it it it just thought i'd pass this along in case any of ya's come across this problem.

Update [2008-06-01]
Some of you may recall a few weeks ago when I posted about getting into a verbal altercation with the mother of a child on the opposing team. I just wanted to give those of you who commented an update. We played that team again yesterday and the mother was there standing where I normally stand. I chose this time to stand on the opposite side of the field, even though my view was a little obstructed. I said nothing to her the entire game and didn I took your advice and kept my mouth shut. We lost the game, but that's okay because I had the chance firsthand to see the embarrassment a child suffers when parents get out of control Earlier this week, it was team picture night. The mother of the child on the opposing team was there, as was her husband who is one of the assistant coaches for their team. He made a nasty comment about the manager of his own team (using 4-letter words in front of the team) because the manager didnfired him from his assistant coaching position. So instead of just his mom standing in my usual spot, his dad was there, too. I can only imagine the embarrassment their child must have felt because his dad was not on the field. I know now that my actions could have caused me to be suspended from even watching a game or 2. I wouldn So thanks to all for your good advice. I have spent the last several weeks videotaping my kids rather than worrying about who

The dandruff girl update [2008-05-20]
My son stopped in to talk to the counselor about her today. The counselor had no idea she was exhibiting this behavior and thanked him for letting her know about it. Hopefully it My daughter said she saw her playing with her dandruff today, collecting it on a paper, but she didn Instead, she brushed it onto the floor, then she started picking at her arm.

Just bought a hybrid tonight [2008-05-09]
Three people I know are in love with their Toyota Prius hybrids, and one of those people is my cousin who is an auto mechanic. One of these people bought a Prius the first year they were available and has put 200,000 miles on it without any major problem ever. With my hubby commuting 50 miles a day, we decided to give it a go and bought one tonight. No deals to be made, because people are waiting for the cars at this time But we thought the price was fair, and hope we can drive this car for a very long time. Ours won't arrive for another 5 weeks or so, but that's ok. I'm looking forward to those 40+ mpgs that my friends and family are getting with their Prius.

Update sm [2008-05-07]
I just talked to my daughter She is really nice. I told her about the situation and that Iwas concerned, especially since the mom hung up on me. She told me she kept an eye on them in class and at lunch the girls sat together, and there were no problems as far as she could see. She felt I did the right thing by attempting to talk to the mother and also contacting her to let her know what was going on. She seemed to think that the friend has a problem sharing my daughter with the other girls and that she is a one friend type of girl. The teacher said she wonfriend mom at this time because it could escalate things and I agreed with that. The friend may be going to another school next year (they She also said she was going to make a note that they not be in the same class next year in case she comes back next year. I'm definitely happy about that!

Update: I am waiting for doc to schedule an abdominal CT for me - sent my husband a message saying [2008-04-10]
that they will be scheduling me for a CT today or tomorrow. His answer: 10-4, I hope you get your health in order. Exercise please. I am having abdominal pain, back pain, bleeding, etc. but I guess if I exercise it will fix all that.

Update on son [2008-04-09]
Once again I thank all of you for your responses. We (DH and I, with son) went to the therapist today. We did not tell our son about the appointment. We just checked him out of school. I really thought there would be a lot of drama but he went very willingly. My biggest fear after reading the post on his myspace was suicide. I myself have a history of deep depression and at 18 tried to commit suicide. Anyway, I liked the therapist immediately. After a bit of discussion with my son he asked me why I thought he needed to be here. I told him about what I read on myspace but since making the appointment I found out a few other things. I talked with each of his 3 closest friends separatley and they all told me very similar things. My son is 5 In my opinion this kid is an incredibly healthy eater for the most part, but take him to a Chinese buffet and he eats 2 to 4 plates full. Same thing with lasagna, he can He has never said a word to us when we are together as a family about eating too much, but when he is with his friends eating out, which is at least once a week or more, he always talks about how fat he is and even sometimes says oh I ate so much I have to go throw up now. They also talked about his moodiness but just sort of thought, we all go through those days, which I agree. When I told this to the therapist in front of my son he kept saying it was a joke. Well, 2 of his friends are very overweight. I asked him how he could joke about this in front of them. He just kept saying, just like about the myspace post, it is just a joke. Obviously there is more going on here. He then talked with the therapist alone for about 30 minutes. We took him to lunch afterwards and I asked him if there was anything he wanted to talk about and he shrugged his shoulders and acted like what in particular should we talk about, so I let it drop. We took him back to school and he did tell me he loved me before he got out of the car (I said it first and it is something we say in our family all the time). After school he seemed fine but only had a few minutes because he had to get to tennis. I think possiblyI over reacted to the threat of suicide, but I am now afraid of an eating disorder. His bedroom and bathroom are in the basement so if he is thowing up I am definitely not aware of it. Yes I will definitely be more aware of his actions after we eat together and it really sucks that I have no idea what he and the therapist talked about, but I do feel better for having followed through with the appointment. We go back in about 10 days so I feel the doc does not think he is about to harm himself. As a matter of fact he told my son in front of us that everything they discussed he could not tell me unless he thought there was a possibility of him harming himself. Gosh guys, this is soooo long again. If I didn Thanks!

Well he finally left....sm [2008-11-22]
He asked when my husband would be home and I said tonight and he left. He is staying somewhere else. He is getting an apartment next week 30 miles away from here he said so I am glad. I hate to say it but I am tired of babysitting. I got to where when he comes and won't leave I just stay in my office.

OMG!! SM [2008-11-21]
I live in South Mississippi and it is currently 44 degrees here. It is supposed to be 26 degrees tonight. If it was 17 degrees here I would not leave the house.

Here's my problem....sm [2008-11-21]
My dad is irresponsible and is in financial debt and doom. There is no way he can make the money to pay the bills he has accumulated. He has borrowed money he shouldnt have. Well the situation is... He has been knowing if he didn He refused to pay it. Every time he would get acheck he wouldn Well he kept not paying it for 2 months. Well yesterday they turned them out. It is freezing here. It is going to be in the 20s tonight. He said I don Well he was told and told to pay it and wouldn So now what does he do? As soon as he gets off work he comes to my house cause he don I can So I can He also said he had no money for food because he had to use it all for diesal for his dump truck. So I offered him food too. He also rumages through my cabinets for snacks. I feel like I am the parent and he is the child. My husband drives a big truck and he has been gone. When I tell him what is going on he gets aggravated because he is sitting at our house and all. He said he is a grown man and needs to step up and take care of himself but he is my dad and I can My husband will be home either late tonight or first thing in the morning and this is not going to go over too well with him. I am at a loss.

we're s'posed to believe this new guy is her husband? [2008-11-21]
i set the DVR, won is the season ending, getting all these new players? i hope they make it believable...

I need some help here -- [2008-11-20]
I am so depressed... I don I just filed bankruptcy 2 years ago because of this job. My income changed so drastically that I lost everything. My car, my home, all of it.I just got things back on track earlier this year and now this crap has to start all over again. I do not foresee being able to make my rent payments on my new house that I just moved into, my cable will be turned off tonight at midnight for nonpayment, I have an old car now and everything keeps tearing up on it and I cannot afford to fix it, I just looked in my closet and I have no clothes to wear anymore, I have gained 50 pounds, I cry all the time, I am by myself all the time in this house, my family all live about 50 miles from me, so it is not affordable to drive there all the time, I have no friends, and as you can tell, I am seriously DEPRESSED!!! I don I have done everything. I have no life outside of my home anymore. I never go out, I never take trips, my 5 year old grandson just this weekend asked me why I did not buy him a birthday present for his birthday last month (no money) and Christmas is coming up, which of course will be more of the same since there is no money... Sorry to unload, just needed somewhere to go for a minute...

you gave yourself your own answer [2008-11-20]
You need to move 50 miles and be with your family. I would start packing tonight. As far as I am concerned, if the cable is off, there is no reason to stay....you are going to be okay!

They talked about this on The View for 2 days and [2008-11-14]
even to the point as to how they have sex and thatmake me sick, especially now that she/he is pregnant again and due in June! BW thinks she's doing the world a favor by doing this special report. The reasonit keptits female parts was to have kids. What gets me is they never heard of adoption? Why not adopt? Because they wanted to make money, that's why. I don't know how many times they pointed out that she is now a legal male on all records, SS#, birth (how'd they accomplish that?), marriage license, medical history, etc. If she/he is a legal male, she/he shouldn't have the reproductive organs. Period. I feel sorryfor the kids. They will be so confused because they are going to tell them as soon as they to speak and/or understand. This world is going to h---- in a handbasket.

I can see why some folks are giving up their pets [2008-11-08]
I just took Spot and Nerys to the vet for routine senior kitty blood checks. I also got Nerys a refill on her prednisalone. It cost $325. Those furballs had better appreciate it tonight when I shove pills down their throats.

Thanks - see message [2008-11-05]
My kitchen smells wonderful right now - :-) I was thinking of using the crockpot but instead have a large kettle I'm simmering it in. After I posted the message I read the package and - ding! Low and behold it said simmer 2-1/2 to 3 hours, but like your message think its going to take 4, 5 or even 6 hours. Thanks for the info about how to tell if its done. That's something I didn't know. So tonight we may be snacking and tomorrow night it will be corned beef with steamed cabbage, carrots, and baby white potatos.

How do I tell the kids about Grandad? [2008-11-04]
We are going to see him at the hospital tonight, how do I tell them he has 2 weeks to 2 months to live? Or should I tell them at all and just let them visit with him as normal? The are 12 and 14.

Still more... [2008-11-03]
Why do new socks come in a ziploc package??? *someone mentioned that a while back but I just noticed it today Why did the waittress come by and ask us this morning if we were going to want more to drink when our drinks were nearly empty and we were just half way through the our plate of food??? ...well duh!! ...and then why did she ask dh a few minutes later if he was going to be needing his fork when he had finished his first plate of food, laid it on his napkin and was getting up to go get some fruit at the food bar??? *guess they didn't want us to eat more than one plate. LOL ....and why tonight after church when we stopped at Dairy Queen and I order a chicken strip basket and asked for some Sweet and Sour sauce did the girl ask me if I didn't want my gravy??? What does that have to do with sweet and sour sauce. LOL

Any tips on getting paint out of carpet? sm [2008-11-02]
My daughter had a party tonight with probably 10 kids here. One of the girls spilled a can of paint in the garage they were using for their haunted house and steppedall in it. Rather than staying outside until she got the paint off with the water hose, she tracked it all into my house! I am furious! Of course, she wasn She was playing and put my 16-yo I highly doubt she would go tracking through her home with paint on the bottom of her feet and she even came upstairs laughingsaying I stepped in that paint that we spilled. I said then what are you doing tracking it all through my house, get in the bathroom and wash it off! She is 12 years old and should know better.Kids these days are so disrespectful.........Any tried and true tips for getting paint out of carpet? Should I say something to her parents? This is the same child I almost sent home earlier today because she slapped my 9-yo son and I did call her mom about that and informed her of what happened and if I had any more incidences out of her she was going home. Hitting is not allowed in my house period! Geez, can I say this child will not be a vistor at my house anymore!

trick or treat? [2008-10-30]
Isit in the basement and eat 2 bags of Snickers instead of handing it out tonight. I hear those little candy bars up in the pantry calling my name. I figure I am saving the neighborhood kids from cavities, weight gain, stomachaches and a night of bouncing off the walls. I know they

how about some hot chocolate or big bowl of chili [2008-10-28]
I am going to make chicken with stuffing for dinner tonight and tomorrow meatloaf cause it is only going to be in the 40s for high temps.

It's snowing just outside of Philly. [2008-10-28]
We'll see what happens tonight.

oops meant abominable snowman, not abdominal snowman - HA HA HA [2008-10-25]
Guess I'm working too much. HA HA I'm going to laugh the rest of tonight on that one.

I am not alone! The news is driving [2008-10-23]
me nuts! But I am like a person with a sore tooth and your tongue canhere, and then they post the child's name on the screen. If the parents don't have anymore sense, you would think the TV station would. They have practically made themselves the pedophile home shopping network. And yes, I have actually written to all the major Houston stations and only one bothered to write me back, the NBC affiliate. I don't know if they stopped doing this, but I just saw one yesterday on ABC, so that had no effect on them. Oh, well, enough of my soap box.

aww Thanks! [2008-10-23]
I live a couple hours up the road from Tampa, but my daughter and I have been going down there about 5 times a year for the last 6 years to see them. Started out just going to see other teams play, but fell in love with their heart. I'm a very happy camper right now, no matter what happens. My daughter is actually at the game tonight. Her first WS game. She's really excited. She transferred down there this fall to college and what great timing LOL. Thanks again :-)

I have a problem with the coffee's presented here [2008-10-21]
Theyand some kind of Green Mountain Coffee. All those gourmet coffees are too high in price here - $6.99 per 13 ounces is ridiculous! Never heard of Fresh Market coffee or Boca Java, and yes, I clean my pot out once a month. I did not change coffee filters but that's a thought. I've been using the cheapest I could find, but the same brand. Been using the same filters for years. We Tomorrow, I am going to try 100% Columbian coffee that hubby bought. I already have 3 kinds of coffee in my 'fridge besides the new coffee, and he bought the biggest can you can buy (why? I don't know.) I will update you on using this coffee, plus I think I will buy some different coffee filters. Maybe it is the coffee filters. I do have some older ones not made for this coffee pot, but will use one tomorrow and see what happens. Thanks for all your help and I'm open to more suggestions. LOL

I completely understand...sm [2008-10-13]
I am scrambling tonight trying to get some lines in because my work has been so slow I only worked 14 hours Monday until Friday. This weekend I got about 63 minutes of dictation so that will add some lines. I have to scramble to work about 20-25 hours per week.

I'm not working - so why am I at my computer? [2008-10-12]
Today is the first day off I've had in about 2 weeks or more. Sometimes it feels like I haven't had a day off since the 5th grade. Weather is getting cold here in Oregon so bringing our plants inside (we're expecting a freeze tonight). I should be cleaning, quilting, and doing a ton of other things, so now that I've read this board I ask myself - why am I using my off time to type? HA HA HA - Okay I'm off to clean.

I'll second that! [2008-10-08]
I have only done it once though because I feel incredibly guilty doing it...well make that twice...I did it tonight too. :)

Friday [2008-10-03]
Home made chicken pot pies for dinner tonight. It's so chilly outside today. Plus, I can easily toss it in the crock pot during lunch. :)

Its a semi-cooking night for me [2008-10-03]
First I have to say I love ham and beans. One of my favorite winter food. Tonight DH said he would like to snack - hooray! so its chili dip for us. Sooo easy - I can of chile (any kind you like - we always use no beans) and one 8 ounce package of cream cheese. Heat together til cream cheese is melted. mmmmmmmmmmm - I can eat the whole thing alone.

Yay Fall!!! [2008-10-02]
I'm cooking up a pot of chicken and dumplins tonight and a homemade peach cobbler...I heart fall!