1) Would it be best to make the roof from polycarb, and use the recycled glass for the walls? IDk.. how near the lawn mower path will this be? IF it;s close enough to get a rock shot at it I'd do glass as the roof and PC as the walls///

Like Popi, I don't know if you want suggestions or just to vent. If you need to vent, my heart breaks for you in your situation. I haven't been in your situation, but I have had one family member with substance abuse issues, one family member with depression, and another family member with head trauma. In every one of those cases, the outcome for my family member either has turned out great or appears to be turning out great. Still, it was so very hard for both the family and the person with the issue. It's hard, and everyone in my family carries some scars and baggage from those times, but we grew and became better people as well, so there's hope. My first suggestion is that you find a chapter of NAMI near you, or whatever they have that's similar where you live. If they have any support programs for spouses, it would be great if your husband would go, and your kids, too. You shouldn't feel guilty for your mental illness or your breakdown. However, you and your family might need some help understanding the trauma that everyone went through and how to deal with it constructively. The next thing I'm going to say is in regards to him wanting to take the phone and you don't. I'm saying this from the perspective of someone who has sort of been in your husband's shoes. I was mom and dad both for awhile, responsible for keeping the family together during a horrible time. It's hard to put that toothpaste back in the bottle. It won't kill your daughter not to have a phone, and if your husband is this frustrated and stressed perhaps it would help him to be able to make this decision without argument. If you have come back from your breakdown and are doing fine, it's understandable and fair to you and your hard work that you slip back into your normal mom role. But they are not the same people they were before, and you may not be able to slip back into that role in the same way, even if you deserve to be able to do that and would be good at it. Another thing I would say, and only because it's an easy thing to address. It's certainly not the most important thing. Are you sure you want to fight that battle with a 14-year-old and the leggings? Is it something you hate or is it not allowed by the school? Pick your battles. There are family dynamics that change when a parent has a mental breakdown or an injury that changes (even temporarily) a parent's ability to reason. I say this with all the compassion in the world. You have no idea how much. As much as you can, use this situation to teach your children how to cope and overcome overwhelming circumstances. If you can keep from getting angry, getting overwhelmed with guilt, stay calm, etc., then do it. Remember that everything doesn't have to be addressed right then. Let's think about it and discuss it later is almost always an option. For example, if your daughter is going out with leggings. This is not a life-threatening and in my opinion morally threatening situation. If it's a tense time, you can always say nothing to your daughter at the time. Then later, privately, when you and your daughter are calm, you can discuss this with her calmly. Talk to her about why you think what you do, hear her out and give her a chance to talk to you about her thoughts. If you decide to continue holding this position, set consequences. Make sure your husband is on board. Then don't argue about it with either of them. When she sneaks out with leggings, enforce your consequences. When the family situation is tense and difficult and there are teens in the home, as much as you can stay calm, logical and consistent and deal with problems when things are calm, it's my experience that's best. If she's about to get in the car with a drunk kid, it can't wait. That CAN'T be decided later. But if she tends to go out with inappropriate clothing, then discuss that with your husband during a calm time, discuss it with her at a calm time, set your consequences and enforce them calmly. I know that it seems crazy when all about you is crumbling. And sometimes we moms just can't stay calm, no matter how hard we try. My thoughts are with you.

ISTM that there are two issues at work here. The first is that you are smelling unburnt gas in the house. Someone needs to find out why. Is there a leaky connection leading up to the dryer or is there an internal failure that's allowing unburnt gas to escape? Or, maybe, there's an insignificant amount of gas released when the dryer heater lights off. I'd expect the utility tech to determine which, though I wouldn't expect him to be able to do much about an internal failure other than advise you to call an appliance repair service. Secondly, and the one the utility company keyed on, there's a maximum allowable back-pressure for exhaust from the dryer (.4" WC or more, depending on total duct length) in order to keep exhaust gasses from remaining in the house. I doubt the technician measured it, but rather made an assumption based on the apparent design.

"I can understand how CP feels she has to bear the entire burden at tiems."(sic) If you are referring to a "financial" burden, my DH pays a large sum of child support each month, more than enough to cover ALL of their groceries, clothing, CDs/games, activities and misc. expenses, etc. As for care of the DSSs (in addition to BM's DD), BM is lucky enough to have her parents live next door. BM is out of town a lot either traveling with her DH or taking her DD to national dance competitions, so DSSs spend a lot of time with their GPs and are frequently dropped off at BMs parents on Sundays after visitation. BM works part-time during the school year only, so she is able to be home when the children come home from school and has summers and holidays off with them. I am happy that DSSs enjoy such a great situation. It is quite a stark contrast to my situation, since DH and I (both professionals) work about 50+ hours a week, have no family nearby, so our DSs are in daycare/afterschool care, and we arrive home at about 6:30 pm every night. "Maybe since she was fronting the money for the downpayment she thought that the amount of the downpayment should be up to her. Maybe it worked better with her medical FSA." BM did not advance DH's portion. It is due to the orthod. I am not aware of a "medical FSA." As I said, there is no insurance coverage for this. DH pays 100% of health and dental insurance for DSSs but there is no orthodontic coverage. "That's the advantage of being the NCP who merely has to reimburse the CP for medical expenses. The CP has to actually pay the doctor or the orthodontist at the time of service, and the other parent can take his sweet time about reimbursing her." LOL at this one. You've got it all wrong. The "advantage" here is to the CP who went out and chose whatever orthodontic care she wanted then stuck DH with the bill. TOS, your bias is showing. You have absolutely NO basis to say DH is taking his "sweet time" in paying his 60%. I said the up front money is to be paid "immediately," and I've said NOTHING to indicate it will not be paid immediately. As I said, we HAVE the money to pay it. You really have to work hard to have that type of wilful blindness to the real issues--the fact that BM unilaterally chose: 1) when the braces would be put on; 2) by whom they would be put on; 3) the amount that would be paid for them; and 4) the payment arrangements, all WITHOUT consulting the person who is responsible for 60% of the payments. TOS, if you hope to have any credibility, you have to recognize that there are times when BMs are just WRONG.