What diversity! >^..^50 yo female, married 27 years this August. 3 "kids".... 19 yo daughter (who works 1 1/2 jobs & is going back to college in fall & just got her own apt), 21 yo son in Guam (Navy) and 23 yo daughter married/living in Long Island-wants to go to flight school. 3 kitties. Love your pet pics! I'm a fulltime 1:1 Teaching Assistant in our school district, working in a regular classroom with students who have special needs. In summer I work with OCM BOCES doing the same (summer school). My students keep me running (often literally!) Gary (hubby) is so excited now that spring has FINALLY arrived, as he just tolerates his job, and detests winter...so he lives for the sounds of birds, and gardening and riding his motorcycle! Oh, and we are involved in our church-ushering, working with kids programs, taking care of the rose/perennial garden we planted there 5 years ago, and also do motorcycle day trips with about 25 friends there. :0) Phyl

Don't worry that they recognize your disappointment or anger when they damage something...they should!! This is how they learn appropriate behavior! Just because they are toddlers, they don't get a pass on everything. Your job is to civilize them! Loving ones children is not the same thing as constantly worrying that correcting them will make them "unhappy". We do things because we know they must be done. A trip to the pediatrician may make them unhappy but it must happen. I'm a firm believer in not giving dogs and young children free run of the house. Yes, it IS their house, too, but they are not paying the mortgage etc. I used playpens (gasp!) and at nearly 45 and 47, they show no ill effects. Certain toys belong in certain rooms - metal cars and trucks should not be in rooms where dings will be a problem. It's a shame that more houses these days are not built with a playroom. That's where pretty much anything goes that doesn't draw blood or break a bone. I just cannot imagine having toddlers and all their toys in my living room/family room/great room. I have rights and needs, too!

I searched kleptomania in the family tonight because yet again valuable things have disappeared while around my mother in law. First it was my wedding ring, while we were living with her and I was in the in the shower. I wouldn’t have suspected she stole it. However when I told my husband what happened first he got really quiet. He told me he thought she possibly took it - me shocked - so he proceeded to tell me crazy history of her stealing severe things from past family members including $40,000 in credit from his brother and that that was the reason he didn’t speak to her anymore. We all steal at one point in our lives, human nature, but I never imagined someone - family especially- would or could bring themselves to steal like that. She doesn’t drink, do drugs. She‘s extremely intelligent and hard working, kind (on the surface). I would never imagine someone like that would be capable of something so horrible as stealing her daughter in laws ring. We waited, we searched, even filed a police report. Before we filed the report we decided to try to ask her about it. Same thing you experienced, she freaked out. Wouldn’t listen to a word my husband said, said over and over ‘I didn’t do it, so you really think I did it? How could you think that?’ Then got up immediately putting on a dramatic show crying and refusing to talk to either one of us about it, calmly, rationally, like adults. Anyway.. I let it go, forgave her in my heart because she’s family. We’ve been moved out for months, I went over to her house to help her with some things and pick up some of the remaining stuff there. Came home and realized two valuable things I had with me were gone. Searched my house, searched the car, one that couldn’t possibly have been misplaced or that could have fallen out of my purse. I have no idea what to do ... my husband has told me sad horrible stories or her making him give her the money his dad sent with him when he was a kid when he went to see her.. I never want to expose my future children to someone that damaging but how could I possibly keep them from meeting her? How could I live with that ? Would it be worth it? thanks for sharing your story. it honestly helps just knowing I’m not crazy or cruel for thinking and feeling this way.

I stopped watching it years ago although I do go to some sites to see what people wear. Most are welcome to whatever it is that they taped to their body but few show any cut or real design. I do also look to see what the winning song was. While this year was a great dance number a song to me should have some words that people can sing along with if they want. I gave up on the other songs after listening for a few moments since the ones I watched/listened to seem to be torturing their voices or it was more about the visual rather than the song.