I am a bit lazy, well a lot....like to do stuff fast. I left a tail on my wire, wrapped the wire around my hand 8 times and left another tail. Used one tail to bind off the wings. I moved the wire apart after I places on the bottle, using the 'tails to wrap around the bug bottle. Kids could wrap the wire around cardboard or light plastic and then bend it to remove...use tail to secure. Maybe they could use wired ribbon and glue it on the body. I know mama will keep that bug in the house. You know they could use an egg shape foam ball for the body also. Pipe cleaners also work for wings or legs. Wnen I made dragonflies, I made the circuls and then twisted in the middle to make the wings. Then those tails were wrapped around the middle of the wings.

"Back when the boys were young I was thinking that I would not want them to work while going to college but since have completely changed my mind on that. There is no guarantee of a job after they graduate but there will be even less of a chance if they have no real work experience" YES!! I'm a career advisor at the university level and I have observed, without exception, that kids without any job experience not only are a serious disadvantage but that they have weaker life skills. I'm impressed especially by kids who have been budding entrepreneurs: running a lawn care business, or babysitting or the gold standard-tutoring. Life guarding or camp counselors are great too; that shows someone who literally can be trusted with other people's lives. Working in a store or fast food restaurant--if someone ran the cash register that means s/he was trusted with the most important business tool of all: OPM-other people's money. And so on. Believe it or not, the kids with job experience, no matter how low level, also tend to be on the more successful academically and in terms of involvement. You know the saying "if you want something done, ask the busiest person you know." Lot of truth to that even for kids. However, I know that many parents, and we were in this group, feel that in HS kids' job is to learn. Especially in today's competitive world getting those grades and high test scores for college apps is critically important. Still, when I am reviewing resume drafts I always sigh a bit when one of my freshmen has *nothing* to list for work experience. Kids learn a lot from the most menial jobs and recruiters rank experience very highly because it teaches all those values that a boss wants to see: reliability, organization skills, character etc. And when I get a college junior or heaven forbid a senior who has never earned any money for him/herself, that is a major negative. Frankly, it creates the appearance of a spoiled kid lacking real world skills. And parents, let me give you an insider's tip: there are always a few hours a week that a college student can work. Trust me, even the most intensive majors have options that can be fitted into a tough academic plan. There are campus jobs in the library, or at the computer lab, or even as security officers in the dorms at which students can often study while they work. Carving out 5-15 hours weekly to work can be done and it should be done. IMO we baby boomer parents have created a whole structure around our college kids that makes them what I once heard called "dependent independent". By setting up a young adult, and at ages 18-22 that's what they are, with a prepaid life including housing, food, and expenses you are not helping them learn and grow. Instead you're hindering your child from learning the life lessons of independence, financial management and responsibility. In our personal situation my two college age kids both go to the university at which I work so the tuition is covered. They both have chosen to live at home, which means there are no additional housing costs. If they want to eat with us it's fine and I will purchase food if they ask me to pick up items when I grocery shop. Otherwise, their expenses are their responsibility. Our son has a truck and pays for the upkeep including maintenance and insurance. Both kids work part time and their spending money pays for all entertainment, travel, clothes, and incidentals. It's so important to start learning to let go and as others have said, that means letting adult children figure out how to be functional adult with all that entails. Ann

What kind of arrangements are usually made regarding visitation? If this is just one of those rare times you will be having the kids this much, it would be worth it to stick it out then look forward to less frequent visitation. I am not in your boat - the opposite, actually. My steps are 22,24,26 and my sons (with DH) are 3, almost 5, 7. My problems arise because DH cannot, and has never been able to say "no" to his now adult kids. He is more willing to have us in a state of financial ruin than refuse these skids anything - and I'm talking luxuries, not essentials. Besides, they are all adults now. I cried a river the other day - told him that I lived for our 10 y. anniversary when we'd finally be able to start worrying about ourselves as they'd be out of college, etc. We have footed every bill for them since day 1. But, our ten year anniversary was spent w/ us barely speaking. His grown DD has been living w/ us for 6 months (supposed to be 3-4, lied to me about discussing the temporary status of the arrangement, she has no boundaries, he won't set any, when I do I'm the wicked witch...etc.) She hasn't offered one cent towards anything - utilities, toiletries, her car payment and insurance, etc. I've had it. So, the biggest problem I've had is my DH and his inability to have his kids show respect to me, our marriage and our space. This SD living w/ us now knows no boundaries (see my other posts for more if you want) When the kids were younger, though VERY polite to the rest of the world, they weren't so great to me. It was largely issues w/ the BM who fed them a bunch of lies back then, years later told the truth, but the damage was done, etc. So, I think what's pertinent to you is asking yourself why the boy is acting out now. Is he jealous of you - suddenly? You said you got along well before. Is he missing his mom and extra clingy to his dad? If so, than this too shall pass. Is the BM "normal" in that she doesn't resent you/lie to the kids/try to poison them against you and your fiance,etc? Is he having some normal growing pains? Hormones? I don't like the cruelty to animals, however. What instances are you talking about? How does his dad view this? If he misbehaves, is his dad on your side or does he ask you to give the kid a break repeatedly? If he tries to discipline him, you've probably got a smoother road ahead of you than the one I had. This isn't much help or what you asked for from me, but I want you to think about the whole picture - the X, her attitude, the kids general behavior and how their dad handles them, etc, before I can tell you to run for the hills or march down the aisle. Life is an adjustment, a series of compromises. Just don't enter into marriage as I did, thinking us loving one another would make all the wrongs right. Take a good, hard, long look at the man and how he handles things and see if you can live w/ that. In the end, though we often spend more time w/ the steps, if we aren't the custodial household, we often go through DH to get things done. You have to see how he will deal w/ stuff and see if you can live w/ that. Also, iron out the kids' luxuries, too. We've had issues w/ cars, colleges (SS transferred to a private college after FR. year) and stuff and w/ his kids' ages, I never dreamed I'd be paying for 5 cars each month.... Good luck, Dana

I'm not sure about newfangled glass doorknobs, but I grew up in a NYC prewar apartment with the original glass doorknobs from the 1920s, and the doorknobs survived my siblings and vice versa. After my parents died, some 85 years after the doorknobs were originally installed, I was nostalgic enough about the knobs that I removed a few to keep as souvenirs. Still in fine shape and working well, and if one was ever used as a weapon, I'd fear for the victim rather than the knob.