OMG Kristy, LMAO, that is too funny. Invasion of the hamsters!! lol!! DD got her sea monkeys at Target. You get those sea monkeys!! Your inner child needs them, lol. If Target has them then I bet Walmart does too. Her setup was cute, the tank had magnified areas so you could see them real good. Freaky lil things, lol. Karyn, I completely agree with you. If they can't do what they need to with their critters, can't spend the one on one time with them they need, then they shouldn't have them. I'll be damned if I get stuck having to do it all, I have enough to do. And I know when the 4yr old gets her pet, I'll be doing alot of that work. Karyn, if I brought my kids to your house, they'd probably never want to leave, lol. I have a hard enough time getting them to leave the elementary school's pet area, and the pet store..forget it! OMG Linda, 4? How in the world was she able to walk!? If these mice here get loose, I don't think they'd stand much of a chance, between the cat, the dogs, and the 'just in case' traps in the basement.

Divorce takes victims - occupies time, money, emotions and there are no winners in the end. Does the husband really want custody? or does he want to punish your cousin in some fashion and/or not be on the hook for child support If your cousin has been primary care giver, he will not get custody. The sporadic support payments make no sense, in any state. It is an equation x amt % of earnings order is set by court period - Regardless of the custody issue this should be enforced - why it is not at this point is baffling & disturbing to say the least. Additionally, the court can order the husband to pay the mortgage as well. If the family was living in the home prior to the separation and he was responsible for payments they can order the same - while the permanent agreement gets hammered out. Same holds true for their schooling, lessons, extracuricular activities - they are entitled to the same level prior to the separation. If she is Ok w/leaving the house, then have it appraised and let the husband give her, her fair market share - She has right to continue to provide her children the same quality of life they experienced during the marriage - So, find another home on the other side of town, or further and rent it out - billed to the husband if the court will agree. The guardian ad litum issue is also disturbing "Some court official told them to get the guardian ad litum. Husband agreed in presence of the official. The lawyers neglected to get the order signed by a judge, and now husband is reneging and they have to go back to court again to get it signed." Sounds like a Mickey Mouse court, with Minnie Mouse attorneys - Who made the recommendation? and on what basis? - If the court records demonstrate this statement - why would you need to go back & pay more fees? If a judge ordered it, it is simply review of transcript and request he pony up This sounds like a circus of sorts, then again, divorce, courts, legal battles frequently are - the beneficiaries are the lawyers, et al - never the children. Your cousin needs to get a backbone and stop playing the victim role. She needs to decide what is best for her, and her children and move on and away from the psycho husband. If he has visitation and the children are at risk in any way, simply call the police - That would make a statement to both the husband and to her children that she means business. They need to feel safe. The 14 yr old can make the call - unless he/she has been trained to don the victim blanket - Puh..lease - The longer the victim blanket feels comfy - the longer this will drag on and the more $$ will be spent. If your cousin decides she wants to move on with her life, then she can take charge of the circus that is now taking every energy. Her children need to see a stable and strong parent - they already have the consequence of divorce working against them. When/if that day comes she can counter all of the requests -i.e. yes, you are welcome to buy my share out - $x amt, and the rent for the home is x/monthly. Does she "like" her attorney because he is expediting the job in an efficient manner or because he is helping her emotionally? Had to ask - I've seen WAY toooooo many atty's take full advantage here. Your cousin needs a tough love approach - it's not about her, it's not about him - it is about the children the most vulnerable victims in this process. She needs to set aside ALL of her own stuff and move forward on their behalf the father certainly doesn't sound as if he is capable. Forget the psycho, drinking, bad behavior issues - they went on during the marriage, she was powerless to stop them then, what makes her think she suddenly has power to do anything about those behaviors now? - It's not about his behaviors - she can be protected from them and so can the children - Only when she chooses to be GOOD LUCk

Look for the features you want. I grill a lot of vegetables year round. I have a vegetable wok & a 12 x 16 vegetable cooker; they are black metal with small holes. I like the flat one better than the wok--it seems that only the veggies closest to the grill cook anyway. It fits 2-3 zucchini sliced or 2-3 chayotes (new grill favorite). Zucchini & summer squash do well cut in wedges also. Kabobs work great, but the tomatoes always fall off the ends. For chicken tenders (small pieces of skinless chicken breast) I like to line them up in a grilling basket and flip them all over at once after 8 minutes on a side; being next to each other keeps them from drying out on the sides. I like to nest shrimp together too--keeps them from dryng out. Pam makes a grilling spray that I use on the accessories. That being said, look for the amount of square inches of surface area you want. Stay away from the Sam's Club grill--it's big and has a big $$$; the problem is that you can't get replacement parts and you end up with a big, shiny shell in a few years. For Char-broil or Sunbeam or any others, look at the literature to see if you can get replacement parts easily. The burner (thing with holes) fills up with grease, burns out, and you end up with an uneven hot spot. Watch to see if grease can fall into those holes in the first place. That's when you need to get replacement parts. Our most recent grill is a Ducane, but I think Weber bought them out less than 2 years ago. I looked at my grill, but it doesn't list BTU's or anything. I prefer a shelf on the side & a side burner is something dh likes for tamales or fish soup. As far as timing goes, I have to get used to it for each grill--it must be a BTU thing--and how close the burner is to your food, and what high or low means...etc. With fish, other than shark, tuna or mackeral, I usually wrap it in aluminum foil. Reynolds sells a "Release" foil that foods don't stick to. Highly recommend it for fish on the grill. Oh, and fresh corn on the cob!! Can't wait: Take out the cornsilk; soak in water; then cook 10 minutes on each of 4 sides. By the last time, the shucks will catch on fire and some of the kernels will be slightly charred. Great in a black bean salsa! HTH

Well, I replanted and have perfect germination again. I've only trapped one mouse in the past two months, and I have traps underneath the light table to protect my seedlings. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. In addition to the coleus, I also planted some sedums and sempervivums which have had excellent germination, too. Martha