thanks to everyone for the comments. i posted this original item partially to help some beginners to avoid some of the pitfalls of lawn care (which this website allowed me to do) and partially to get some advice from the experts (i am no expect, me and my lawn are both works in progress). i am simply trying to fine tune my annual maintenance schedule and may post it when it is finalized. as far as chemical vs organic, i do have a 13 month old so am trying to transition to a more organic approach. but for crabgrass and poa control i will likely stay with pendamethalin (halts/dimension) and keep her off the lawn for a week or so. for antifungal, i will try to stay will fine cracked corn, but if major parts of my lawn are dying i reserve the right to treat with a more potent, target specific chemical (i realize then i will lose the option of using cracked corn/corn meal for 2-3 months). in the past i have been too quick to use chemicals for dollar spot/leaf spot when only a few small areas of lawn have been impacted, less than 1ft diam. spots turning brown/melting out.

stir fryi -- Well actually, she already got dropped from the soccer team (the second one she wanted to join, which is a small-sided team) and is staying to swim. She is a competitive swimmer and will be swimming in the state championships for her age division, which are in the summer. But, even with respect to soccer, where we live, soccer is fiercly competitive and is a year-round sport. She will be playing select next year and believes she wants to play soccer long-term. Whether she does is to be seen. Finally, I think you missed my previous explanation about the relationship that DD has with her father, which has been building to the point that it has been since she was an infant and is now pretty much non-existent. He does not call her; she does not call him. They do not communicate via email or otherwise. She visits only because she has to. He no longer visits her outside of his court-ordered visitation. He is the type of father that unless he changes, will never have a relationship with DD because she will just never be the child that he wants her to be. When DD was younger, I used to encourage to the point of practically forcing her to call him regularly (mind you he rarely called) and to share things going on in her life with him. After a particularly awful 6 week visit last summer she explained all the reasons why she hated visiting, did not like him (mind you she explained it to him herself during spring break) and said she wasn't going to call him and asked that I respect her wishes to call him if and when she pleases. I am respecting her wishes. He makes no effort to have a relationship with her and that is his loss. He is an extremely selfish and domineering person and DD is an extremely strong-willed child. Do you see the problem? I could go into more details, but suffice it to say, he is not a good father and DD has made her mind up about that, not me. I am not exaggerating when I say she does not like him as a person. I do continue to remind her, however, that we can't choose who are family members are and must love him nonetheless. DD is not the type of child to be adversely influenced by anyone, including by me. And yes, I am glad she will be staying. I would like her to remember summers as a great time in her childhood. Up until this point, she has not. She has always dreaded going, and but for the court order, I would have not forced her to go. She has blamed me for the last few years for forcing her to go. For the first time, she is looking forward to a happy summer spent doing things she wants to do, hanging out with her friends, and not being yelled at constantly, put on punishment almost every day or made to feel inferior to her half-brother. All things considered, you must forgive me then for not agreeing with you.

We went to court in march for CS reduction so she could have more money when she spends time with them ... and "take them more often". Atleast thats what she told the court. Reduction granted on the grounds she spends more time with them. (not holding my breath for that to happen) NO, she doesn't want more time with her kids if she had her way she would pick them up for 2 hours on thursday to "show her parents" shes a good mom and drop them back off. Her family has a big dinner on thursday nights ... they all get together. I know it sounds wacky... I don't have an issue being with the kids when its hubby time. But I didn't quit my job to benefit her being available for drop off the kids whenever she feels like it. I have said it enough times that now hubby "checks in with me" before he tells her yes she can drop them off. Who is it more important to keep happy your ex-wife or ME? Take me out of the visitation schedule. If I weren't here who would she drop the kids off too? would you get out of work the minute she calls to accomodate her? Lets say you had a daycare provider or a teenage babysitter... would she be able to drop off and pick up the kids when she felt like it? or would there be a set schedule? Just a little consideration is all I ask!!

My ex is supposed to have our child for a 2 week period each summer. But, he is not able to get time off work during the summer because that is when his job is the busiest. And he does not have any stay at home family or friends to babysit during the day. I do have a close friend that lives in the same town as him and is a SAHM. I told him before that HE could pay her to babysit during his work hours on his 2 week visitation if he had nobody else, but he passed on that idea. (I would not expect cs while my child is gone for 2 weeks) He has never taken the 2 weeks though. I have always made it known to him that when he ends up with extra days off he can always call and make arrangements to spend them with our child, so he has done that. As much as sometimes I think that I would love that break, I know that 2 weeks away from my child would be difficult. We have never been apart that long! I am even going crazy with my sk's being gone so long this summer! A few days and they will be home :) I do always find the childcare situation funny though because I have always worked and had to make daycare/sitter arrangements for our child. I was never able to just say "well then you keep him!" (I guess my ex just gets off easy on not having to do that) I am a teacher, but of course when our child was in pre-school and kindergarten he still needed care for half the day. And even know he attends before/afterschool care for about an hour or so a day.