We did the same thing and received our Arbor Day trees about 2 weeks ago. They were not large enough to be consider trees, medium size weeds would be a better description. In the instructions received with the trees, it recommended that the trees be potted and maintained in pots for a year or so, before planting them in the yard. Or until they were of a size you would buy in a nursery. Since it is recommended to not plant trees in any thing but the dirt from the hole they will be planted in, We went into the back of our lot and filled 10 - one gallon pots with dirt. We then planted one tree per pot. Like other plants waiting to be planted, their home for the next couple of years will be out front porch. This has an advantage over putting them in the yard. We have a lot of wild life in our yard, deer rabbits, squirrels, and etc. Keeping the small trees on our porch will protect them from deer, rabbits, and other small animals and discourage the squirrels We live east of Raleigh and rarely experience 0 temperatures, Rarely do we get snow and if we do it last not more than a day. Those in colder ares may need to grow them in a small tree house or a hot bed.

Thanks to all of you for your advice and comments. I emailed the seller and he responded immediately that he, too, was disappointed with the size of the fans, and that he had very bad weather conditions this year. I responded back that I appreciated his honesty, and I will just leave no feedback at all. BTW, the LA listing did not mention anything about the size of the fans. In the end, I'm still disappointed, and I feel empathy for his unfortunate situation, but don't feel that the problem should have been passed on to me. Shive, I think we are talking about the same seller. He said that if the plants did not grow, he would send a refund. He did not send two plants due to small size and one of them was the one I wanted the most - Last Snowflake. I think I will order next year from the nursery on the LA which sells 'clumps' and the listings show a photo of the grower standing there holding monster fans. Christine

eldorado, I have to admit I am somewhat skeptical about her intentions now because she originally made the offer to allow you to continue making payments through CSS, and now seems to be expressing a desire to "change the deal". On this issue, I would hold firm. Am I understanding correctly that your X is also in the U.S. and it is only your daughter who is living in India? If so, then your X has just every bit as much to lose as you do by leaving her daughter there, and just as much to gain by bringing her back to the U.S. If my understanding is correct, then I would be willing to bet money that she has been missing her daughter just as much as you, and was planning on bringing her back ANYWAY! I would also be willing to bet money that the ONLY reason she even started communicating with you is because she knows full well that once she does, she would not be able to stop you from enforcing your visitation rights--regardless of whether or not you are making any payments whatsoever! So she figures she might as well strike a deal with you, because it's in her own best interests to do so. So she's not really doing you any favors, but hey! That's business! And I seriously recommend you NOT give her any indication that you know this because if you do, you risk turning the negotiations into a "pissing contest" and if that happens, well, for the sake of their own pride, some people will even hurt themselves by giving up the very thing they want the most, and she just might retaliate by leaving your daughter in India. And my bet is also that she is currently paying a pretty steep fee to the relatives or whoever in India she left your daughter with--I doubt they're taking care of your daughter for her for free! Oh, and if she left them with, say, her parents? Well then my bet is also that her parents may have so bonded with your daughter that your X is starting to realize if she doesn't bring her daughter back soon, she may have a real problem getting her back at all! As far as child support goes, well, the laws on this vary from state-to-state, however it generally is determined by a set formula--and almost every state has the calculations for this right on line. All you have to do is to google, "child support calculator" along with the name of your state, input the variables requested, and the result should tell you exactly what you will be required to pay. So first, use the above method to find out how much you will be required to pay in child support, let her know that you've looked it up, along with the results, and also give her a link to the website so she may do the same. Then I would ask her for the DATE she is thinking of bringing your daughter back, and let her know that you will make the first payment on that very same date. I also recommend you make the offer to at least help pay the expenses of your daughter's return, at least 1/2 the plane fare, if not all. In all fairness, you shouldn't have to pay anything as you were not the one who sent her away, but "fair" doesn't matter right now, your only concern for the time being should be to get your daughter HERE! But I wouldn't bring that up right now in this initial stage of negotiations. I would first run your proposal for CS past her first, and save the issue of plane fare for a little later, to "sweeten the pot" so to speak. And again, do "whatever it takes", within reason of course. And remember, the second your daughter's plane lands, if your X gives you any indication that she will be unreasonable or if she threatens or if you even SUSPECT for a single second that she might try shipping your daughter off again, then IMMEDIATELY run to a lawyer to have an "ex parte" or emergency motion filed to prevent her from doing so. An "ex parte" motion can generally be granted the VERY SAME DAY it is filed, and if she tries to send your daughter off anyway, not only can she be arrested and held in jail for "contempt of court" but will be subject to federal kidnapping charges as well. And once your daughter is here, well, if your X is now working and making her own money--and especially if she's doing well, you may very well be able to go back into court for a modification of the "spousal support", which very few states now even grant ANY "spousal support," and the ones that do, it's usually only for a certain time period anyway. All of that's a mote point though until, again, you get your daughter HERE, so again, "whatever it takes", but I do tend to think you're in a much stronger position with her than you may realize--but again, it would serve no purpose in letting her know that and might actually harm your chances, so for now, I recommend you just comply. As far as the money you have been putting in trust? In order to answer as to whether or not you should tell your X about this, I would need some idea what type of trust account it is? Is this a trust in your name, or one in your daughter's name? Who has control over the money in this trust?

So glad to see you're under contract TR, hopefully closing will go smoothly and you'll have the relief that not only did the house sell, but to someone so appreciative of it. When we were looking for a house and viewed the one we purchased, the original owners were here, an elderly couple who bought it when the subdivision was just built. It was '09 and a buyer's market mostly (Texas didn't have the huge highs and lows other regions did but still, this was a nice house that had been on the market for 6 months or so). They were selling to move into assisted care living as the elderly gentlemen had several medical problems, they showed us around the place, introduced us to 'Christine' the water fountain out back that "was staying", my hub liked them as much as the house, we made an offer very close to asking and they accepted. We talked on the phone several times, came over twice, for inspection and then to hash out when they were moving (they didn't want to leave before closing), other details of the house they wanted us to know, everything very friendly. The Mrs. had given me her e-mail address so we could stay in touch, I did sent her an email after we'd gotten moved in, no reply, I called her cell, no call back. Then problems with the house started occurring (rapidly), the sanitary line needed replacing, doors started sticking and the foundation needed levelling, the whole back fence line that looked perfectly fine until you put your hand on it and it bent backwards needed replacing, the first two years here were an endless series of expensive things that had to be done. We bought it as a forever house and it likely will be, we've sunk so much money into it it probably has to be. lol I'm getting ready to paint my computer room a rosy coral, nothing bad has happened in maybe a year so I feel like celebrating. :)