Joan, those are wonderful pictures. I taught my GS to play checkers, and that was OUR thing! He loves to play tic tac toe backwards (I taught him that). If you win, you lose!

So sad. I feel she is looking down her nose at you as a stinky ex-smoker. You must be banned, you are the devil! I would just stay quiet on the matter. Ignorance is bliss and don't give her any more opportunity to talk down to you. A grandparents love and knowledge they pass down is more important than squabbling over bloody carpet. I feel for you really. My inlaws sound the same as your DIL's mum. They visibly used to crinkle their noses and sneer when my mum went outside for a cigarette, come back in change her top and wash her hands and teeth and then cuddle my first born. They even got to me a bit and I mentioned it to my mum who was very hurt understandably. Having four children now, I stick up for myself a lot. And just go quiet and change conversation when I see ' the face' starting to form. I agree with the poster who said, it's weird DIL's allergies only come on in your house when they have two Labradors one of the worst breeds of dog for shedding continuously, year round and they have a double coat so there is a lot of dander too. False objections There is a lot out there these days to hurt our children. Diesel particulates from being in a pushchair next to a road right in the line of the exhausts. Mobile phones and the masts, coal and nuclear power. Foods, poisons that leach into our water. Even fluoridation of water. At some point we all have to die. That's the only guarantee in this life. Life spent worrying and holding back is not really the way I'd like my one chance to go. This is a tense time so I'd lay low. Wait till baby is here and just get involved. After all, it's not like baby will be with you a lot of the time any dangers that are perceived are so low frequency. Sounds like this baby needs you in his or her life to inject a dose of reality and not 'bubble' or 'sugarcoat' things. i am a non smoker, have never smoked Hate it. But I think you are being made into a bit of a scapegoat hereHave just read your update above. How bloody sad. I wouldn't let this happen if I were you. Swallow your pride and make yourself part of that baby's life. Why should that woman get things all her way. Like you say, well planned. Perfectly executed. Set the seeds and walk away and you end up looking like the awkward one while she gets to coo over your grandson. Please, do not let this carry on. Call your son and meet somewhere and take things slowly but go from there. Your son needs you too.

When you find out, let us know!

Squirrel Follow UP While Out Back: <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /> I was waiting for some results in my efforts of saving some pecans from the squirrels. After 2-3 wks I’m finally seeing some actions of pecans being eaten around the trap vs tripping in the repaired trap (that “was not” closing/locking initially). Plus, New Bark is eaten off limbs that will usually die. I noticed the trend of eating bark off the approx 41 yr old Pecan Tree's "New Limbs" 10-12 years ago (when it had to be trimmed off the house and power lines). I added a speaker with a Radio’s Talk in the tree that I thought was working. I feel they have gotten use to the talk and music. In the past I could see a number of squirrels in and around the tree vs now. I had planned to direct a close motion detector’s light toward the tree but I feel they are working at daybreak. I'll see One headed home just before dark. Walking the 10' fence's top and moves up to the cable's line of the utility lines to pass our back, "with me watching". If they'll leave “A Gallon” vs “None” We'll Settle!!!