YAHOO!!! I lost 2lbs!!! WOW!! I love the WW's scale compared to CURVES!! I will not get on it again~~~well, I have to Monday to get weighed and measured:) I know I have lost inches, I tried on alot of my tops that I used to look like a sausage in and WOW they looked good:) After WW's I went shopping I want a new pair of jeans to wear next weekend when my Sweetie and I go off on our 3 day anniversary trip:) But, I do not want to pay much I am maybe just about ready to go down a size:) I tried on some of those panties that hold your tummy in just a bit LOL!!! They just gave me an extra roll so I put them back. I worked out 5 days this week, drank more water and really watched portion controll I think it paid off. I keep wondering don't we get to a point where we stop losing or have to eat less??? I am afraid the goal weight that want is too low for me:( Have a fun weekend my CURVES pal and I are going to a quilt sale and show, then too lunch~~~salad for me with dressing on the side YEAH!!!

luvstocraft has written an excellent post, IMO. I agree with her completly. I'd also like to add something for you to consider. I unexpectedly lost my own Mom was I was 19. She was my best friend. Painful loss. When I married, I was overjoyed to have a Mom's presence again. Not that MIL would/could replace my own mother but she was there for me when I had questions or just needed to talk. We developed a strong, loving relationship. In time, I called her, "Mom". I'm certain my real Mom watched my relationship with MIL bloom with pleasure. She would not have wanted it to be strained in any way. My MIL was not a perfect woman. Neither am I. She cooked different than my mother. She raised her children different than I was raised. Her accent was different. Her mannerisms were different. But, her love was the same...I've no doubts it was genuine & came from her heart. MIL often told me that she worried raising her two sons that, someday, she would have bad relationships with her DILs...and how happy she was that I accepted her. Her worst fear of her son's marrying was rejection. She was afraid that her importance in her son's life would be reduced to an obligatory phone call on Mother's Day. She was afraid her son would spend all of the Holidays with his wife's family because she'd taught him to honor his wife. She'd raised her son to be independant & strong. That left her afraid he would no longer need her in his life. When the grandkids came, she was afraid her DIL would always turn to her own mother & there would be no place for her in the grandkids' lives. We lost MIL 3 years ago come the end of June. We lost FIL January '08. I miss them both terribly. I believe our relationships are what we make of them. I became the daughter my MIL never had. She became the mother I lost. It worked because we both put forth great effort to bridge the differences. We talked together, we argued with each other & then apologized for harsh words, we cried together over silly girl-stuff, we disagreed & then agreed it was OK that we viewed something different than the other. Someday, your MIL will be gone. You will either view her as a valued & cherished member of your family or you will be bitter & angry at your differences. The choice is really up to you. The ball is in your court to either allow her a place in your family & heart, or not. Like it or not...woman are the glue that sticks families together. There's an old New England custom...summer homes are popular here (they're called "camps"). When the patriarch/matriarch of the family passes...the "camp" is often willed to the wife of the oldest son. Yes, the property goes to the wife. Why? Because it is respected that women will hold the family together & even through difficult times the summer house will be filled with family laughter making good memories. You are the glue between your DH's family & your own. You can embrace that responsibility & honor it...or you can reject it. We reap what we sow. The next time you see your MIL...greet her with a genuine from the heart big hug & a smile, tell her how glad you are to see her looking well & that the kids can spend some time with their grammy. Then, look in her eyes. Look hard. Watch them soften. Someday, you may find yourself in the role of MIL. Be a good example to your kids. Sorry, I don't mean to sound harsh. I'm getting old & I've lost a lot of family. Don't wait until they're gone to appreciate them. /tricia

You can teach old dogs new tricks. Rather than telling her (she probably doesnÂt listen or believe), you need to take action. Some negative (and positive) reinforcement might work. YouÂll probably need to explain the "program" to your children so they arenÂt caught by surprise, but IÂm sure the visits arenÂt very pleasant for them either. First off, don't explain what you've been doing or why you haven't returned her calls; that is just playing into her bad behavior. You don't owe her an explanation. When you return her call, say that you got her message and are returning her call, ask, cheerfully, how she is doing. When she starts her yelling, tell her that you love her but you won't tolerate this behavior, it's rude and disrespectful to you and your family. Tell her that you will have to go now, politely say good-bye and hang up (sheÂll still be yelling and wonÂt hear you and think you hung up on her, but youÂll know you didnÂt). When you visit, quickly greet her with a hug and a kiss, and when she starts the yelling and the negative comments put your hand up (stop) and tell her that you love her, but can't tolerate this behavior - it's hurtful and disrespectful to you and your family, and tell her you are leaving now. Then pack up and go. Of course she'll escalate, screaming to everyone about how you treat her with such disrespect, but others probably know how she behaves. Whether they believe her or not, itÂs not your problem, you are only responsible for your behavior. If necessary, you can explain that you wonÂt tolerate her rude, disrespectful behavior any more, and have to set limits on visits and phone calls, for that reason. On the off chance that she actually starts quieting down, even for short periods before she launches her attacks, reward that behavior quickly with a hug and a "love you". The better she behaves, the more positive reinforcement you can give her. Eventually, you hope, all the visits and phone calls will be pleasant for everyone, and that will be itÂs own reward!? We do this with our kids, reward positive behavior, ignore negative behavior, and it works. ItÂs when we reward the negative behavior, with explanations, excuses, apologies, attention of any kind, that we give the other person control over us. If her behavior just doesnÂt change, and it might not, especially if sheÂs having some age related changes, keep the visits to a minimum, especially with the kids, keep the phone calls short and delete her messages quickly, so the kids donÂt hear them. You might explain that granny is getting old and canÂt stop her unpleasant behavior and try and find some good memories for them. I had a childhood friend whose grandmother a very, very nasty woman. She finally had to go into a nursing home. Of course, her behavior got worse. I'm convinced that the staff "did her in" one night, and did everyone a favor!!! Good luck.

Everyone, Thank you for your kindness. I talked to my best friend about thirty minutes ago and I decided to let it go. I have concluded that this young woman is a reflection of her upbringing and her parents. My DH's side of the family isn't very formal, and while my MIL (and FIL for that matter) is polite and mannered, she was a single mom with two rowdy boys. I think that my DH wasn't paying much attention when my MIL was trying to instill any type of social etiquette. The BM of my SD's is on par with some of the worst BM's described on this forum. She is all about her and she acts as though everyone should bow down to her, as she is doing all of us a favor by gracing us with her presence. Sounds harsh, but any MOM who tells their cute and well-developed daughter that she doesn't want her around her BF while she isn't around isn't going to be a stellar example of anything but self-centeredness. She either thinks her own daughter is a threat to her or she thinks her BF is a pervert and chooses him over her own flesh anyway. SD isn't the type to be uncomfortable with emotion and I have been in her life since she was in 6th grade. I think she is who she is. I believe that she was probably sorry for that brief moment when she heard the news and now it is back to more important things like her. She is like this with everyone. I guess what ticked me off the most is the fact that her dad told her that she didn't have to worry about attending the service. She's not a child and doesn't need to be given "a way out" by daddy - that's just my thought. I am also irritated that he would think forwarding her message is appropriate. The saddest part is that one day she is not going to know how to behave socially and it will make her look badly or perhaps cost her an opportunity.