We're also going to see Dream Girls...sm

You're making me hungry! nm [2008-12-01]
xx

You're welcome, Kaydie, I just hope it helps you. nm [2008-11-25]
x

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

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.

I understand, it's a part of you. You're normal! [2008-11-23]
...

No, I don't think they're hidden from us at all [2008-11-22]
Most people know, or can discover with a little research, that most of the things we get are easily preventable or cured, over time, by our own immune systems. Taking antibiotics for a cold is not only foolish, but dangerous. And not just for you, but for all of us. Itminor things. The best care you can give yourself, besides preventive care (stay out of the sun, you eat right, exercise, if you etc etc) is supportive care. If you donINTRUDER!!! ATTACK!!! Ideally I should be able to deal with my pain by growing my own natural remedies, but the Federal Government tends to frown on a garden full of opium poppies and marijuana plants. Willow bark just donhidden, they're just not encouraged or advertised. Being a heathen gives me a distinct advantage in the area of herbalism as we tend to try traditional remedies before running to the doctor. Even if I'm fairly certain that about half the time the traditional remedy makes you feel better because it's loaded with alcohol (in our case). No, drugs do NOT take too long to make it to market. They make it too quickly. Before AIDS hit it could take 30 years for a new drug to make it to market. Now they're being released so quickly they've not had time to test for long term effects. Vioxx is a good example of what can go wrong with that one. Who would have guessed using it long-term could kill you? It definitely damages your heart. That's just one of many drugs that were fast-tracked, that shouldn't have been, and that are now the focus of class action lawsuits after people have been injured or killed due to lack of long-term clinical studies. Are there drugs that made it to market quickly that have proven safe? Of course there are. Unfortunately there's no way for us to tell in advance how thoroughly something has been tested, how long it spent in R&D or how wide-ranging the clinical trials may have been. So we're all guinea pigs now. It really is a balance. I feel that for myself, itpersonal responsibility and we seem to have a dearth of it in this country.

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...

67 Firebird is my dream car sm [2008-11-18]
Very similar to the Camaro. My dad had a 67 Firebird when I was younger and sold it when I was about 13 so my brother and I wouldn't be able to fight over it when we could drive. It got wrecked about 2 years later

Yes, that's pretty much it. Phone tells you when they're due. [2008-11-17]
nn

You did the right thing. A year and a half ago 5 girls, sm [2008-11-13]
from a town that I used to live in, (1 had been in preschool with my daughter), just graduated from high school, were on their way to the family cottage of one of the girls, and they were all killed in a crash. There had been a text message sent from the driver's phone just before the crash. Everyone left behind was devastated. Hopefully your actions will save her life.

Yep, you're right about that plus [2008-11-12]
The Granny Smiths are a little tart if you eat them plainand the sugar and spices you add give them that great taste, not overly syrupy and sweet, just enough.

Not mandatory because it is for girls, at this point sm [2008-11-12]
I have wondered for some while if there is not a connection between HPV and prostate cancer. Given that males are infected at the same rates as females (with HPV), it should be given to boys too...who give it to us! Now, if there is ever a proven link between prostate CA and HPV, you will see it be mandatory so fast it will make your head swim. All you have to do it look at the procedures that are done for HPV infections of the cervix. I do them all the time. Girls at 16, 17, 18 in for their 2nd and 3rd conization of the cervix. The first one may cause an incompetent cervix, the 2nd one sure will and after a 3rd you won't carry a child to term. Did you know that a standard conization procedure removes the ENTIRE transformation zone and about 1/3 of the surface of the cervix? It does... The reason it is treated so aggressively is the extremely high rate of recurrence. Vaccinate your daughter, do it now, do not pass GO and collect $200. Just so you know, I see more HPV in the under 20 group, but there are plenty of married women in their early 20s with it and trying to get pregnant who have cone after cone.

I think you're giving them too much leeway [2008-11-10]
by thinking they might have done it out of habit. When you know someone doesn't do something, whatever it might be, you don't do that thing. They know she doesn't do the texting thing and they did it anyway. I think they were being snots.

YOU'RE the one claiming an IQ of 135 [2008-11-10]
So youdon Free country, I guess. That's up to her to defend. You said - What is so exceptional intelligent about you, may I ask? Did you invent something or what?Did I make claims to genius here? I said my IQ is 126, above average but definitely not the mental goddess you presume that to mean. I I was married to a Mensa member (yes, a certified genius), who also happened to be an engineer - the only things he invented were prescribed by his job. Mostly he uses his brain power to play Dungeons and Dragons! You're the one claiming to have an IQ of 135 - what did YOU invent, since you have preconceived notions of how those with higher IQ should behave? I gently suggest you study up on what IQ is and is not. Basically, it is the ability to learn. What one chooses to learn and what they choose to apply it to is up to the individual. The Bell Curve is good reading as to statistical norms regarding intelligence.

But it has made a lot of girls sick (sm) [2008-11-10]
some paralyzed. My friend's daughter got it and was very sick for several months.

I agree, they're not for everyone. Same with Rottweilers. [2008-11-08]
I have owned three Rottweilers, all at different times, two males and a female. You have to be a responsible dog owner.The posting above is right. You have to be a certain kind of dog owner to have these type of dogs. The owner must have these dogs under control at all times, both at home and in public. YOU must be the dominant one. That does not mean beating them or mistreating them. You have to let them know what is expected of them and what type of behavior is not acceptable. Rotties can be very domineering if allowed to be. They are big and powerful and they know it.The one I have now is a 7 yo male who I have had six years. I got him as a rescue when he was a year old. He weighs about 130 lbs. He is as sweet as can be.He is great with the kids and the cat. He has been raised with kindness and withdiscipline, and that is what he respondsto. He is a great dog.

You're right. Not enough compensation. [2008-11-06]
nm

At 12 & 14, I think they're ... [2008-11-04]
old enough to know that the situation is very critical. Personally, I'm not a big fan of giving a time line on life. People can surprise you for the better...and for the worse. I would, however, let the kids know things were serious. And hugs to you for your loved one.

Yeah, you're delusional. nm [2008-11-03]
x

Well of course you're not gonna buy a bag with a hole in it, even if you put it there! LOL nm [2008-11-03]
x

A mother's dream! My children are young so (sm) [2008-10-29]
right now they say sweet things, well at least my 8 year old does...lol. I only dream that when they are your daughter's age they will think that highly of me :-) Congratulations!

"You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" - [2008-10-27]
:D

They are but in a different way than you're probably [2008-10-23]
http://www.buylighting.com/Dimmable-Compact-Fluorescent-s/113.htm

Thank you so much. I am definitely doing this for the girls this Xmas now. nm [2008-10-23]
.

Where are you? We're still 2.99 in upstate NY. [2008-10-22]
xx

My family decided last year to just enjoy the holidays [2008-12-01]
We're all adults, no children, and live in small homes or apartments. I NEED tons of stuff, but have no place to put much of anything, and can't afford to reciprocate with a gift. Same with a couple other siblings. My mom's been impossible to buy gifts for, for probably the last 10 years. I was the first to bow out the year before last. I started the ball rolling because I just plain couldn't afford it anymore, and was too busy working all the time to spend hours on end in a department store. I had a new job, no PTO, and NO money, so I alerted everyone that I wasn't going to play the game that year. Turns out it was a relief to all! And last year, without all the holiday 'getting mauled at the mall' disasters, each of us had quiet, happy, stress-free holidays. So now that we've eliminated the gift-giving aspect of Christmas, I finally can look forward to the season and enjoy it again.

These 10 things definitely ain't right: [2008-12-01]
1) MTSOs who want people with top-notch skills and experience, but don't want to pay them what that skill is worth. 2) HMO's: So-called *health-maintenance-organizations* --yet they spend every minute and every dime of their far-too-large profits on denying healthcare, meds and procedures to their patients. These organizations have ruined American healthcare, and many American lives. HMO's have been a con-game since their inception. 3) The Bailouts: Giving money to companies who can too bad for the rest of you.* Then the Big Three show up in DC to beg for a handout, and fly there in private Lear jets. My answer to them would be, *I too bad for the rest of you.* 4) Apartment managers that won't allow even a single quiet, well-behaved pet, but will rent to people with continually screaming small children, and out-of-control older children and teens. Give me the pets for neighbors, ANY day. 5) Businesses that give an age-discount to absolutely everything that walks, runs or flies, but not to the middle-aged middle-class, who need it the most. Take the ski-industry: Young children ski for next-to-nothing, and sometimes nothing. There is a Teen Discount. There is a Student Discount for college kids. There I'll probably never be old enough - it's a carrot-on-a-stick, always just out of reach.) There are even corporate (UGH) discounts. But for those in my age group, who barely make ends meet but like to go up once a year for a couple days of bliss, there is NOTHING. 6) Travel-lodging deals that are always based on double or quadruple occupancy. What about singles? NOTHING. 7) TV commercials that are about a million decibels louder than the regular shows. Why can't it all be the same volume? Same with online newscasts. THEIR commercials will blow your eardrums out if you aren't quick enough turning down the volume before they start. 8) Surround-sound: Everything is too loud, already! Why do we need it coming at us from 4 directions? Why do people living in tiny apartments feel they need it? I've lost count of how many fights I've had with neighbors over this issue. Same with movies and music concerts. Why do they feel we need to feel the music in our SPLEENS? I went to Universal Amphitheater last week. (Now named something else). There is actually a sign outside warning that the decibel level inside might damage your hearing! (?!?!?!) Why do they need this? (To avoid lawsuits, obviously). If it's so loud you have to post a warning sign outside the entrance, then DUH.... it's TOO LOUD! 9) Banks that charge you a fee to use their ATM. They (I haven't actually been INSIDE a bank in YEARS).... and they want to charge US for using the machines instead of the tellers? Forget it. I won't give those banks my business. 10) The Post Office: Talk about rewarding slow, inept performance! The worse their employees are, the longer they seem to stay there. I'd rather have a root canal than go to a P.O. during the holiday season.

Here are my thoughts [2008-12-01]
Health insurance that doesn't include dental or vision - They're all from the same body, right? No insurance if you have a pre-existing condition. I second the one about the huge salaries and bonuses for CEO's that they get even when they are fired as their companies are failing. Gas prices that go up faster when the oil prices go up than they get lower when the gas prices go down. Shows on Bravo about the Real Housewives, million dollar listings, and ridiculously expensive vacations with people behaving like spoiled brats, when our economy is so bad.

The people in the next neighborhood over have pot bellied pigs [2008-12-01]
They have three of them. They're too cute. I'm sure they eat a lot, but from what I know they're supposed to be good pets. My brother-in-law was actually going to get one once. I can't remember why he changed his mind.

Cowboy Magic [2008-11-30]
Cowboy Magic is great stuff. If she has any really bad snarls or is matted, use the gel and put it on them and leave it for a while. They It's what I use on the horse's tails when they're a mess and we're getting ready for a show.

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

Plus size [2008-11-29]
I would think if she weighs 300 lbs and is 5 tall, she wears a size 30, or 4X. If she I would also try to shop at Catherine They I do buy underpants and plain t-shirts at Walmart. Catherine's is my personal favorite for both the styles and the prices. If you Oh look, theyup to 70% off sale right now! http://www.catherines.com/pagebuilder/

I went through this myself about 20 years ago. [2008-11-28]
My husband is the eldest of 4 siblings. They tend to give expensive gifts, and none of them have children. I came from a very poor family, so our Christmas holidays never included lots of gifts. When we were first married I stressed over the gift selection and the money we spent. My husband, who is an accountant, stressed over every penny. When our first child came alone, I quit my full-time, downtown career-oriented job and stayed home. Our family income was cut in half, and so we had to tell everyone, our siblings, parents, friends, etc., that we couldn't afford to give any gifts. Family members wanted to give us gifts anyway, and we begged them not to, as it really made us feel uncomfortable to receive but not give. We didn't need anything, really. We just couldn't afford to spend anything on gifts. It took us about 3 years to get everyone to play by our rules. Twenty years later, and we're doing better financially, but we still don't exchange gifts with anyone but our children. Even my husband and I don't exchange gifts. We try, instead, to make donations to charities or causes that we care about. Over the years, some of our family members have experienced financial difficulties, and they opted out of the gift giving either temporarily or permanently. It always feels a little strange at first, but eventually it's ok. The season isn't about the gifts, and if the gift-giving becomes a burden, then that's certainly no fun. You have the financial responsibility for your family. You make those decisions, not family members who make you feel guilty. They'll get over it. Don't let it get you down.

How old do they have to be to peel easy? [2008-11-27]
Another thing I If you just let them cool down on their own, without running cold water over them, they're harder to peel.

it's not lying [2008-11-26]
It's just not. I was about to get all preachy and talk about how we need mythology in our lives--stories that tell teach us morals, that remind us of our traditions--but I'll stay off the soapbox for now and just say that for as long as my kids are willing to believe, I will give them stories to believe in. The five-minute cry when they discover Santa isn't real, is more than made up for by the years of joy beforehand, don't you think? As for talking in front of the kids, I don they're good at that.

It's lying in the absolute literal sense, but so what. [2008-11-26]
I think itcontrolled dissemination of information can be a good thing. My kids don't need to know what I did when I was a wild child, for example. And on occasion I've told them there were no more Little Debbies in the house, even though I had a personal stash hidden away. LOL! As far as Santa goes, I loved it. The way I explained it to my children when they got older and stopped believing was that when weto give. When my oldest became aware of the Santa reality, he wanted to Santa for my little brother, and kept the fantasy alive for him. Now they do that for others. I consider that a reality. The arguments regarding the honesty of the Santa fantasy will go on and on. In the end, it's a personal family decision to participate or not, and I think we can all be respectful of other family's decisions by not divulging the truth within earshot of children who believe, and not arguing over the issue with parents who believe otherwise.

Guess you never had a bad experience [2008-11-26]
My ex likes to lend things. They get returned...sometimes. When they do get returned, they And usually whoever had them is irritated thatthey had to be naggedto return it, and the friendship suffers. Some friends of his borrowed and destroyed an expensive carpet cleaner last year, he They are no longer friends. I lent my car to a friend once after she wore me down with her whining. I begged her to treat it gently, it was an old car and I knew she was a rowdy driver. She supposedly needed it to take her poor hurting, mother to the chiropractor. She destroyed my transmission, then refused to pay a cent to help me fix it, because my family had more money than her family. These were people we thought we knew pretty well beforehand. Rough way to find out what people are really like.

Question Re: Teenagers [2008-11-26]
Would anyone here let their 13-yo daughter hang out in your front yard with 3 neighborhood boys, ages 13, 14 and 15? Also wondering what other people think about allowing a 13-yo girl to go a pizza place to hang out/have pizza with boys (no adults)? This is not something I feel comfortable with but my daughter is trying to tell me this is something other girls her age are allowed to do. What do you all think?

I have a 13-year-old daughter myself [2008-11-26]
And as long as it was during the day, I was home, and she stayed where I could see them I wouldn't have a problem with the boys being at the house. As for the pizza, trust your gut. I do let my daughter go to the pizza place in our town, but we live in a very small town, and I only let her go with her brothers (14&15) or with another girlfriend and I put a time limit on it. It is something that girls her age are allowed to do, unfortunately, to many of them have no limitations at all. Only you know how far you can trust your daughter.

I trust my daughter but not her friends [2008-11-26]
I think my daughter knows right from wrong and would not do anything inappropriate, but I worry about the boys. They seem to be able to do a lot more than what I allow my daughter to do... some of them are older and also they have very bad manners IMO. I wish she would find someone else to hang out with. It seems like that harder I try to change her behavior, the harder she pulls in the other direction. Are all teenaged girls like that? I guess I was too at that age, but it still worries me.

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!

I have a 14 year old daughter also [2008-11-26]
Thankfully right now she doesn't have any boyfriends, although there are boys in the neighborhood who are friends that we've know for 13 years that she'll meet up with when the weather's decent and everyone is outside. She has amazing friends who come from good families and I trust her and them. I guess you just have to trust your children and decide how much leeway you feel you can give them. There are a couple of younger girls in the neighorhood that hang out with a whole group of older boys and just walk the streets. Those are the ones I'd worry about. Just this past year we've been letting her go to the mall with her friends alone and she has started going to parties, but she always has to go in a group and come home at a decent hour.

See inside [2008-11-26]
My daughter (now 19) has always had more guy friends than girls mostly because she does not care for the drama and backstabbing that many teenage girls engage in. What I would take into account is how your daughter acts around these boys--how does she dress (my daughter is an athlete--no low-cut shirts, short skirts, etc) and what are her mannerisms (too flirty or just chillin as friends) or do you see something more--watch the behavior. Have always welcomed all kids to hang out at my house--even though it has driven up my food bill--because I feel that way I know what they're doing, hear how they are acting/talking (they can forget you are around the corner), and I get to know who they are hangin with. As time goes by you can get to know who a lot of the kids are in your town including siblings and parents--have always made it a point to network, network, network--soccer games, helping in school, etc. Always offer to drive too--they will also sometimes forget you have ears up there in the driver's seat. I like to remind my kids that they don't know who I know so they should keep that in mind when out in public because you never know what could get back to me.

Yes. When my daughter was 13, most [2008-11-26]
of her friends were guys. Girls at that age can be quite nasty and jealous, so she wouldprefer guys over girls. She used to play Playstation a lot with guys. She is 19 now and still hangs outwith the guys. Most of the guys are her boyfriend They still play Playstation, go to McDonalds, and go to the movies. I always kept an eye on where they were though which was usually in the front yard too or in the living room. I wouldn Guys drive like nuts anyway. Now she drives with them but she is an adult now. She does most of the driving too. They all pile in her truck. I learned by her hanging out with guys at an early age as friends, it made it easier for her to communicate with men when she grew up. She understands men more because of growing up with them as boys. Maybe ask your daughter why she feels more comfortable with the guys than girls. Maybe there are girls giving her problems that she doesnone of the guys. It is a hard age though. Their feelings can get hurt very easily at that age. Good-luck.

If the store is still open.... [2008-11-26]
If you have a big platter or can get a throw-away one, make a nice cheese and cracker platter and put a bowl of grapes in the middle, that way youScoops with salsa. Just happen to have them in your trunk. Hurry up, it's getting late, maybe the drug store is open or a 711.

You can check at midnight online [2008-11-25]
I think they usually say if they The last couple of years, their servers crashed because so many people were trying to get online to buy. If you really want it, it Lots of people do it or have someone else who's going pick it up for you.

nobody plays anything anymore, apparently [2008-11-25]
Wow, it was like you were reciting a chapter from our life. We've had the hardest time around other parents and their kids. You should have seen the confused look we got the other day when someone asked us if our kids liked Diego, and we said that ours don't really watch TV. It was the politest thing to say, because there was the show up on their enormous expensive flat-screen TV, and the animation was so awful, and nothing at all was happening, and the kids were just itching to *do* something instead of being sung at by dead-eyed drawings, but how do you tell people that? ''I might let her watch TV if there were anything on that wasn't a hypnotic half-hour commercial for some crappy toy.'' If you say that, people think *you're* judgmental and weird, no matter how much they look down on you for not having the Latest and Greatest. What can you do? Here's all I can do: Trust myself, trust my instincts that there's a mistake those people are making. My goal is to raise morally good kids. Make them good, make them smart. Rich, snobbish and overstimulated aren't virtues.

This all comes down to the parents [2008-11-25]
I think those women are making a big mistake. I love my sister and nephew, don But he is like that 7 yo and it drives me crazy. BUT my sister and BIL are to blame, I feel. He gets a toy every time they He gets a new toy if he My sister feels guilty if he likes something and she doesn They buy him major video games just because, instead of reserving these things for birthdays or Christmas. They will go out and buy him a $200 item in the middle of the week and when I ask what the occasion is? Nothing, we just thought he'd like it! He is well behaved and they don Yes, it Growing up when we would talk, my sister had definite opinions about what she would and would not do when she had children, and this is not how she felt back then. But he doesn In my opinion, they Just my opinion.

I Love Trivial Pursuit [2008-11-25]
We used to play girls against the guys when we would get together with old friends, and of course, the women would always win. :)

Go get him, but PLEASE neuter him! [2008-11-25]
I think you Good luck with the kitty.