I would aaaah!funny ~but not funny,i hang mine off our banister so mine cant reach them because if he could he would also rip them out.. he tries to swipe them when he passes them,but cant reach YET!Im sure you know already but Plumerias ,the milky sap are poisonous!i got some sap on my finger then touched my face one day and it burrnned ALL day..Ya! wont be doing that again.

doesn't appear the microwave location will really allow a fridge. I think I'd show them/encourage them to get a french door/bottom freezerdrawer fridge...[cabinet depth]and center it in the brick arch.I think they'd love it. Move the range over to the opposite wall and probably get above range microwave unless they are opposed to that. The area of microwave with the bulletin board/catch alls and papers/etc looks about18-21 in deep and 30 in wide. do something there with tall storage/perhaps with a bit of counter for toaster/coffee pot. if they'd want to keep a microwave there then create a niche at 54 in up from floor and you can still have counter for the other small things. there's a lot you can offer with vertical tall storage. With fridge only in the arch,you'd have some counter to the right for breadmaker to sit-it'll be displaced from it's corner if range moves across.You have a soffitt-do you have a goal of removing? Above the range, at least aim for a recirculating fan but perhaps a real hood could be vented up and then sideways out[but maybe not].

ur welcome... tuff to do, but hang in there. The group therapy might help. If Dad isn't contacting your child, that might be a good thing in having an ability to keep the disappointments to a minimum. Don't make promises for him - keep things on a "last-minute" basis -even though you know about it. It will be a good surprise if it comes to fruition. Sooner or later, your child will realize the truth and make decisions on where his love comes from. Just prepare yourself for backlash on that one. The anger may come out in all ways - even blaming you. Just remain close to your chile and it will probably be OK. I was never angry with my Mom. But the chaos paralyzed my success. I'm OK, and always have been, but I know that home would have been more settled without the worry and frustration, and anger. BUT, there are wonderful stories out there - kids are resilient. Many times they try harder to equalize their situation. Your child has YOU to help get through this. You have to deal with your hurt and pain - that's the most important thing. As stargazzer said, it may be something you have to swallow so you can emotionally move away from the situationon. You can't worry about what you can't control. You have a lot you can control - the love in your home for one. We all have a cross or two and I really believe you can carry this one with that love. Just think of it as one huge vitamin pill - LOL!! You will feel great at the end of the day.

Giving a gift is something you do because you WANT to, and I think it says a lot that your DD feels comfortable asking you to take her shopping to get her stepsister and dad a gift. I also understand why you reminded her to get SM something, it teaches her to think of others feelings, etc. though I'm not sure I would push much if she said she didn't want to get certain people gifts if she had an acceptable reason. As for your family, when they family say something like that, I'd tell them that I understand what they mean but if you stoop to dad's level and refuse to take your DD shopping, the only person that will be hurt by it is your DD. Besides, you are teaching her to be a better person. I wouldn't worry so much about showing her whether you are accepting of the situation, etc. You are showing her that you care about HER feelings, despite your own. I used to take my exBF's kids shopping for their mother on her birthday, mother's day & Christmas. I would also save the things they made in school for "mom" and put them in a box so when she rolled into town once a year, she had all the stuff they made her over the year, along with school pictures & presents. I didn't like nor dislike her. She wasn't around to know much about her except she chose drugs & her boyfriend over sticking around to raise her kids, but the kids wanted to give mom that stuff & it meant something to them so that is what I did for them. Now with SD, it's a totally different scenario. In the early years, I took her shopping for her mom. I also got BF's kids and SD's sister things too for Christmas. I made BM a scrapbook with pictures from all of SD's Christmases. It was my attempt to be friendly with BM. As things progressively got worse with BM & SD over the years, I stopped shopping for BM but still bought BF's kids things. I stopped shopping for SD's sister after she wrote nasty things about me on a social network. and this year, I have decided to give SD one gift for me & let DH do the rest of the shopping for SD. AS for taking SD shopping for her mom or anyone else, DH has always said no but didn't care if I did it. Of course, I agree that if the child earns money, they can spend it how they choose. I offered SD a job over the summer & she said she wanted to but never did it. Since now she isn't talking to me, she can't exactly discuss payment for chores with me and DH is not interested in paying her to do anything... he can't even get her to do her basic chores. Amber is right, you are teaching her something so valuable and hopefully your family will come to see it. On the other hand, if your DD asks dad to take her shopping for you but he refuses, then he will have to deal with the consequences... and your daughter will know who is cooperative and who is not.