I completely relate to your post! (You are not alone!) I have three kids still at home (but I don't homeschool them--kudos to you!). I'm busy with my travel business *all the time.* My house looks like something exploded in it. I rarely have time to exercise...I see that didn't even make it on to your Guilt List (which I think is commendable!) And I wonder how those Other Moms do it: slim, stylishly dressed, driving cars without crumbs all over the place, entertaining guests in their spotless, picture-perfect homes...

I'm so glad that your family member has the relief he needs, and I hope that the time you have with him is peaceful and cherished. This is a special time for your hearts to come together with love.

Sounds like you're on track to have a great summer. Try to have some water fun at a nearby park's kiddie pool, and maybe enroll your oldest in swim lessons too. Do some 'field trips' to the National Zoo, the Smithsonian, or even just the local farmers markets. Nothing helps beat boredom than a change of scenery, even if it's just for a half day. At 4, riding the Metro is a huge adventure! Savor every moment!!

Valri, I feel your pain...I gained 90 pounds with my twins (now 14), lost some of it before the last baby came along (she's 13), lost some of it afterward, but I'll tell you, spending my days in front of a computer has NOT helped with what I call my Hershey Kiss shape. Last September, I was inspired to train for a half marathon--which I planned to walk (not run). So I walked. And I walked. And I completed the half marathon. And I don't think I lost much in the way of poundage (oh yeah, and if it all turned to muscle, watch out, governator). Now I have until *this* September to train for the next half marathon...so I'm on the same timeframe you are. Good luck with your quest!

Even though his still-energetic shows are much shorter now, time has been kind to Bruce Springsteen...I'm just sayin'... ;) But maybe there's only so much dancing all of us oldsters can do before we need to go home to sleep.

I agree that a police report should be filed. If this has happened before--you might not know about it--and then it becomes more serious. Likewise, if it happens again--having it on record could be valuable for others. Surely the boy's parents won't like or appreciate it, but having the police talk to the boy should send a stern message that this behavior is not something he can get away with and lie about.

I'd SAY that's more than an eyesore! Have you talked to them about this? That is not being a good neighbor at ALL (and the reason I have my line fairly low, so the fence between my neighbor's yard and mine obscures it. What a lack of consideration! If they do this regularly, and aren't amenable to talking about it, simply flip whatever's on your side of the fence onto theirs...you don't have to have it invade YOUR space...eww!

How very timely... http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/30/AR2010043001787.html and http://www.levistrauss.com/blogs/hung-out-dry Laundry lines are trendy!

I think schools spend far too much time teaching kids to take standardized tests rather than instilling a love of learning. I know, that's a really simplistic answer, but test scores have such significance for schools (from neighborhood property values to support those schools with tax dollars to federal funding) that I think the concept of really, truly learning sometimes goes by the wayside.

My sincerest sympathies for all that you are going through...perhaps the reassuring thought will be that once one thing falls into place (school, would be nice!), everything else will ease up for you also. But the darned hardest part about that is living through it until it happens. You aren't alone...I understand how you feel...I have twins (boy/girl) and my son is on the spectrum. I have had to fight hard many many times for him and for his services, occasionally with some intense, high-drama crises at school. Meanwhile, his twin sister has her own needs, some of which she hates to admit are caused by the negative attention that her brother receives at school ('oh, that's *his* sister...'). And then there's the younger sister, Miss Popularity, whose life could not be in starker contrast. And my dad added into the equation a year and a half ago when my mother died unexpectedly, while he was undergoing cancer treatment--so to make it all work, I needed to move him cross country to help manage his care. And my very understanding (now-former) workplace suggested I quit my job the first day I missed work to be at my dying mother's bedside... If this is comforting to know, there are others who walk your walk...so keep talking, so we can share and commiserate and support each other!

I have always told my children that we do not give money to people who are panhandling on the street, but in the same breath, I tell them that nobody should ever go hungry. We have often gone into stores, bought bananas and milk, and given them to the people outside. I explain to them that giving someone food to eat is something to help them live, but sometimes people take money and use it for alcohol or cigarettes, which do them no good. We talk about the less fortunate among us and treat them with compassion.

Interestingly, we didn't have a lot of dilemma when we named our boy/girl twins (who are now 14). In utero, they were referred to as lumpy and bumpy. I did have a lot of no's as guiding criteria for name selection: I didn't want to have trendy names, after having seen kids have to go by their first name and last initial (Matthew A, Matthew S, and Matthew W) in my older son's classrooms. And I didn't want three syllables either because I felt that made a name too pretentious. No city names (Austin, Dallas). No last names for first names (Miller, Kennedy, Mackenzie). No funky spellings that would mean they'd have to spell their first *and* last names each and every time. I wanted short enough names to be used on an everyday basis, not something that would end up shortened or nicknamed. I was on a plane ride, a few months into my twin pregnancy, reading Peter Pan by James Barrie. The name Wendy really appealed to me. But it would have been *too cute* (especially at this point in life, now that they're teenagers) to name the boy Peter. And just like that, we decided on Wendy. We took a little longer--but not much--to decide the second name. Both my husband and I like U2, but Bono was definitely not a contender, nor did we especially care for Bono's real name Paul. Not Adam. Not Larry. What about the Edge? His last name is Evans, so our boy name became Evan. At about age two, we gave Evan another middle name, as a means of honoring my mother's family (thankfully named Thomas), but it also worked well for his passion for Thomas the Tank Engine. ;) Peep peep!

I see no problem with 'friending' my kids on FB, even as their parent. If they're not saying anything they wouldn't be ashamed to say in front of me, then why shouldn't I? I think the resistance to it comes with having something to hide... I haven't found anything wrong with my kids' pages, but it has been eye-opening to see what some of their *peers* say online (<<>>). My FB page is not just a personal page, it's is my professional (travel agent) FB presence. There have been times when I have found that some of my adult FB friends have said something inappropriate, and when it shows up on my Wall, I have the choice to remove it. My Wall, my rules.

The problem about the mother 'covering' for her daughter empowers the girl to continue doing whatever the heck she wants to do. And at some point, the mother will wonder what the heck happened when something gets way too out of hand...

It's interesting to read this article because I just signed up my 13 and 14 year old daughters for the Red Cross Babysitting class in early June. They felt that they were ready for this responsibility now; we've had this conversation before and not taken the class because they didn't feel like they wanted to approach that task. We've also discussed how they're going to begin their babysitting business, knowing limits on what clients will ask (for example, not being the sitter for a group of children or initially babysitting infants), where to market their busines, and, of course, the money charged to clients as well as how much can be spending money and how much should go to savings. They want to be clear about their side of the business too.

It's really nice that you had this opportunity to mend your relationship with your mother and see her in a different light while it makes a difference to both of you.

From Memorial Day until the end of the school year, we have the time of year I call "cramming in everything we didn't get around to during the rest of the school year because we were so focused on standardized testing for weeks that we couldn't get around to real academics." And crammed it is. Literally, the last few weeks of my kids' school schedule is crazy on my calendar; there are days when I'm not just scheduled down to the hour--I'm scheduled in 15-minute increments! It's not just academics, it's the end of year parties, awards ceremonies, class events, promotions... all at a time of year when nobody--and I mean nobody--really wants to still be in school.

Michelle Obama rocks...she brings a vitality to the White House and she leads by example. A victory garden at the White House to promote healthy eating and self sufficiency...imagine that. She's graceful, gracious, and glamorous. What an excellent role model for her children...and for all us moms.

I *never* do at-home birthday parties; for me, it's not worth the hassle of cleaning up before *and* after the festivities. I don't think we'd save any money doing it at home either by the time we'd decide on a theme, get all the activities or games set up, etc. I much prefer choosing a fun location where we can go for two hours and then head home where it's peaceful and not post-party decimated. We've had parties at local gymnasics places (including Gymboree when the kids were pretty small), bowling alleys, indoor playgrounds, indoor water parks, skating rinks, and lately, now that they're older, laser-tag places. We've attended parties at pump it up but since we had our own bounce house, it wasn't that enticing for my kids. We also would get pizza ($10 each) from Costco and the Costco sheet cakes. Easy. I'm also really anti-goodie bags. Lately, we've given each party attendee an envelope with a coupon for a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream inside.

On the flip side of this perspective, having a will and trust for your own parents is really important too. My parents had wills, and after my mother passed away, my father immediately got a new will, including medical directives, so that everything was in place for me to handle everything for him when the time comes. My mother-in-law, though, is still 'thinking about it' and hasn't put anything into place, despite my prodding. If something were to happen to her unexpectedly, not only could my husband not make any decisions for her, he has no way to handle any of her affairs. It could be a difficult, time-consuming, and certainly not something to go through during an emotional time. So, the will and trust is important...for everyone.

Hi Laura! Oh yes, I know that I'd get the Coast to Coast medal for completing the Disneyland Half Marathon. That was one of the reasons I signed up for it; I was already halfway there by finishing the Princess! Good luck with your training... and hope to see you in DL! Let me know if you need any help with booking arrangements...

But the next one just might be...stay tuned!! LOL...