Worst movie experience was just lately. Ed and I got to the movie theater on time (which is a small miracle for us). We buy snacks and then hand the usher our tickets and he directs us to the theater that ours is playing in. We sit there for 20 minutes of commercials and I am getting antsy because the movie should have started by now. Then there is some more trivia junk playing for 10 more minutes, finally I got mad and walked out to the usher. I complained and he just looks at me kind of stupidly and tells me I can get a refund if I like. I tell him that is not the point. Some of us pay babysitters to go out and expect to only be gone so long! I call home, tell the sitter we will be later than I thought and go back in to the movie. After another 15 minutes of trailers the movie started... It turned out that the little doofus directed us to the wrong theater that was playing the same movie at a later time. D'OH! I wanted to bean him with a Goober!

Jody, they are at Mayo in Rochester, Minnesota, so it is only about 3.5 hours away. He is still in surgery as of 9:00 pm CT...and they expect a couple more hours. Thanks for all the prayers and thoughts for his little boy and his family.

I have never had a pediatrician make me wait till the next day for a sick child. You might want to consider finding a group practice because fall/winter is yet to come and with a kindergartner going to school, this probably won't be your last sick visit.for the year. If that isn't an option, see if your CVS has a Minute Clinic. Our copay is only $15 there. The downside of the Minute Clinic is limited hours, but they do come in handy! Tilt the baby's mattress up on one end with pillows placed underneath. She will be more comfortable when laying down.

What would be gained by deleting old posts? Diane's cousin and her mother KNOW where the girls are. They know the girls' names and ages. I can see being less specific in future posts -- not posting where you are going on vaction, the girls' special friends names, news of school field trips, etc. Perhaps if they knew HOW the girls are, how well they are doing, some of this possessive 'attitude' would cease -- if they can see how this benefits the GIRLS. I am impressed with Toni's post on holding out the possibility of some future contact for Megan. It could accomplish several good things -- one being to get Megan off your back until/unless she shapes up -- setting 'the rules' in stone. IF she can put the girls' welfare first, and if the girls WANT IT, she could have *supervised* contact with them from time to time. It's hardly surprising that Megan showed up at your door. You handled it, but YOU WERE NOT PREPARED for it. I don't know if the girls would benefit from counseling. I have thought all along that you could save yourself and the girls grief by seeking some help in advance of crisis. Given the lives they've led, it would be foolish to think that the girls will somehow mend on just biscuits and love. (Goes a long way, but really...) No law will change the fact that these are Megan's children. She's not mothering them. You are. They may need to know they will have the choice of seeing her one day. Maybe they just want to know her whereabouts, to be CLEAR about her role in their lives and your role. You can't 'erase' her -- that makes her a scary ghost. You don't want paranoid kids and you don't want to live behind barbed wire with a snarling guard dog. It's not easy. You knew that. Other people have experience with how to make it less hard on you and on the children -- and, yes, on Megan. There are some win/win possibilities. I am NOT saying you should ignore all danger of 'snatching'. I AM saying there are ways to defuse the situation. See what family counseling is available. Try it. You can always decide to accept or reject what you learn. There may even be a support group of parents in similar situations. (I like self-help groups!)