Q, what is your beef?? So MO's PR people did an excellent job of portraying MO as "mainstream" and accessible to many women. No, maybe not everyone - or relatively few - can afford to spend $400 on an outfit but that's not the point. The point of the PR is that 1) her clothes are accessible - this is probably the more important point than their cost - she buys clothes in stores ordinary, non-wealthy people can shop and easily find something to buy and 2) her clothes are relatively affordable - I would say none of the women reading this gasped at the cost, like I did when prices were quoted for Mrs. Reagan's Galano outfits or Mrs. Cain's outfits or even Mrs Palin's Valentino jacket (anything having a comma in the price). It isn't surprising that MO's people are sketching a woman who is more like "everywoman" than not. I would say, Laura Bush's people did the same very successfully. They played up Mrs. Bush's profession as a librarian even though relatively few women have their MLS required to be a librarian. But the profession is not high-powered and it is very visible so that made Mrs. Bush, the wife of a multi-millionaire, more "mainstream". All this is probably in response to the missteps of previous first ladies. Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Reagan come immediately to mind. Mrs. Clinton, a Yale law school graduate, came across as an arrogant wannabe co-president who practically sneered at SAHMs (I'm thinking about the unfortunate cookie remark) while Mrs. Reagan seemed aloof and detached from most people. I think Mrs Reagan was going for a more regal image but this fell flat when she kept wearing very expensive clothes during a deep recession - consulting with an astrologer didn't help either. Mrs. Obama has much in common with both Mrs. Clinton and Mrs. Reagan, so she took steps to avoid their mis-steps. While Mrs. Obama is, like Mrs. Clinton, an Ivy-League trained lawyer who has her own career, she comes across much more like a stylish working (albeit very successful) mother. So, instead of ranting about the "liberal media" (didn't see these words in your original post), you should be congratulating the Obama team for successfully constructing Mrs. Obama's public image. Disclaimer: I have never spent $400 on an outfit at one time. BUT, I may have spent on separate occasions $150 on a dress, $100 on a pair of shoes, and $50 on jewelry and other accessories. Throw in a jacket ($75-$100)and voila, I have a $400 outfit.

Try this formula: Look south of the Mason-Dixon line with elevations of 1500 to 2000 ft. This will get you locations that have 4 seasons with a mild winter. The elevation is for night time cooling in the summer. If you want a little less winter. lower the elevation knowing it will get you a hotter summer. This defines two bands on the west and east side of the Allegheny mountains. The east side is milder and far enough away from the sea coast to blunt the effects of Atlantic hurricanes. Both bands have interesting scenery.

""I know I over reacted about the "nerf" but if I didn't stick up for the 9 yr old the 11 yr old will "bully" him forever" I really don't think you overreacted . I don't allow my kids to play with guns or weapons period-just because there is only one way of playing with them. Since these kids are already bombarded with so much violence in the media, as soon as they have a toy weapon in their hand they almost always play out what theyve seen on TV. So I just avoid them altogether. Even if someone buys them as a gift...I let them know they are not "allowed" to play with weapons. If they ask why, I tell them because I think they promote violence =) (then they look at me as if I were from another planet) One time my MIL brought by a bag full of toys that had been at her house. As soon as they dumped the bag on the floor, I picked up all the weapons and put them in the trash. I know its a little complicated because Bio-mom got them, but if one of them gets hurt, she'd turn around and say you should have been "watching them" or something...Don't beat yourself up for having done what you did. You did the right thing.! There is nothing more damaging to a child that to have to endure being bullied by an older sibling. He needed someone to protect him, and you did. I just finished reading a book on sibling abuse, it discusses all the different kinds of abuse. These children grow up feeling completely powerless and resent their parents for not "protecting them" from the older sibling. If you've seen him displaying "bullying" behaviors towards his younger brother before, please keep a close eye on him whenever he is around his little brother. Does his little bro act as if he is scared of him? I mean I understand that he really must have had a horrible day at his mom's and came home feeling frustrated, confused, and angry. I am sure his younger brother was also feeling conflicted. He couldn't express those feelings verbally so he came home and hurt his brother then laughed. Then he proceeded to become argumentative, blame his bro for getting in the way, refused to take responsibility for his actions and disrespected you. Now he is saying: "Are you trying to drive me away.... your going to leave anyway"- you are feeling so sorry for him now. Even guilty for not seeing it coming...So does this mean that he doesnÂt have "any" consequences for his actions? If you and your DH start letting him get away with these behaviors because you start "feeling sorry for him", you are going to have a long, rough road ahead with him. And he will know that "all he has to do" is pull on your heart strings to get over on you guys, and make you feel guilty for punishing him. It sounds like manipulation at its best to me. In effect he is "blaming you" for his behavior that day. Still refusing to take responsibility for his actions. Did he get any privileges taken away or consequences for his behavior that day? My eldest use to pull this kind of thing all the time. I really didnÂt know how smart he was at the time. At first I really felt sorry for him, sad, and even guilty for "not seeing it" like you, on "certain days" so I can totally relate. He would assault his siblings, refuse to take responsibility, blame them for "provoking him", and then follow me around, arguing his innocence, and try to get me to "engage", he wouldnÂt stopÂ.just kept testing me, pushing me to my limitsÂ.if I wouldnÂt give in and totally ignore him, then he would start crying. He would sit in his room and talk to himself (out loud so I could hear) saying how his mom had left him and he missed her so much. Sometimes it would bring me to tearsÂbut I later realized it was a "game" he played. After watching him do it over and over again. HeÂd get in trouble, drive me crazy for hours, then guilt meÂ.it was all about control. He had to be in control. By either annoying me, upsetting me or making me feel guilty. He was always in control because I would fall into it every single time, responding to each situation as he expected me to. At the same time, he would disrupt my entire day, stress me out, and I ended up neglecting the others during those times he was having his meltdowns and required my absolute attention. Sometimes he would laugh after being physically aggressive towards his siblings and always found a way to "blame" them for either being in the way, or "making him" do it. What IÂm getting at is that at 10 years old, he was a master at manipulation. You need to be very vigilant with him, he sounds like a very smart little boy. -Take care of yourself -Dcubana

quick drive-by: WOW! Thank you so much for your responses/ideas/suggestions. I'm not a shopper (other than Lands' End/LLBean), so I really don't know what is available out there. I saw this article on bold rugs where they showed a RH Diamante Flatweave rug which I love but can't afford. So I thought to brainstorm something creative. I will look at other options/stores/ebay, etc. I was also thinking of a non-common size for my narrow/long Dining Room. again THANK YOU. --- I'll need to start another thread on colors. I have a 4-corner colonial home where half of it is grayish-blue/chrome accessories. The DR is in the 3rd corner (office in the 4th). --> Does the DR have follow the grayish blue? I already own gorgeous silk drapes - olive/golden sheen. The room is naked except for the drapes/cherry curtain rods, and medium brown pine wood floor. I have a gorgeous antique large baroque gold rectangle mirror, that I'm thinking of standing on the floor/leaning against a wall. So I'm thinking of staying in the Olive/Golden color scheme. Yes? Amanda