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My son is starting school in the fall, he's the first child of mine to go to school, and it's a public school. They request a long list of school supplies (including tissues and dry erase markers), going on the theory that everyone contributes to a general "pot" for all the children to "share" supplies - meaning none of them get their own belongings. On top of all that, there is a FEE of $95. I pay my taxes, and I have no idea what this fee is for. We are on food stamps, and Medicaid, totally in limbo right now, and I am unemployed over a year now, just ran out of benefits. I can't afford the $95... but they can't do anything ...right? It's PUBLIC school?? I'm worried about my son getting an education.

I'm not feeling nausea, no diarrhea, no nasal congestion, headaches, nothing else. My husband and I just can't figure it out. I'm pretty dizzy, and I have a fever around 100 or so. Mild, but should I be worried it's going to get worse? I've never had this happen before...

Maybe not doubles whatever you put into it, but it's about a box, and they put coins into it, and the coins are always there - so they can keep taking the coins out, but they replenish themselves? Do you know what I'm talking about??

I have been a stay-at-home-mom for 5 years, worked one job (while I had the first baby, brought him with me), but for a short time. I have a 4-year-old and an 18-month-old. I'm living in the states, but am from Canada. I'm going through a divorce, and I want to take my kids home to canada - I'm not cutting off their father, it's just impossible for me to support myself here. I was told I have a choice:

Fight to remove the children from the USA now, and have a smaller chance at winning but the process would take a year,

OR

Agree to some kind of visitation and custody now, stay in the USA and bring moving up later on.

What would you do? Also, he was extremely emotionally/mentally abusive to me and the children - how do I even come to terms that he is going to spend time with them?

I'm going to make tissue paper ball decorations to hang from the ceiling, along with little white butterflies - but we live in a tiny apartment, so our living room is like our living/dining/office space, and I really want to make it magical. What do you think about setting up an area to take pictures - like use construction paper and things to make like a 'garden' back drop? I don't know what else I could do. Thank you for your help in advance!!!

One time, I was trick-or-treating, and this guy had dressed up like Rob Zombie... I had no idea who he was at the time, but I was so impressed with the details he put into his costume - everything down to the makeup and the details. He was a replica! (One giant dude!) SO awesome.

Have you ever been impressed by a costume? Or a couples costume? Anything super creative? :oD

Thanks for sharing!

My best friend is having a baby girl - her first baby, and they tried for YEARS to get pregnant - so I want to make our present (s) SUPER special.

I am a mom of two, and I have a daughter - and I have my favorite baby shower present - so I was wondering what other moms of girls loved best at their baby shower. Please share your stories! Thanks!! :oD

I can't excercise, because of my back (I had surgery when I was 10, it was so bad the doctors that did it had to pioneer the surgery for it) - other than MAYBE swim. I have two small children, so I can't go swimming to exercise.

What now??? I've tried healthy eating, and I'm still the same weight. Is there anything?

Like... name as many as you can think of.

Pirates...

Fairies...

What are the most common?

My daughter was born a few days before Halloween, and we're debating doing a regluar baby's-first-birthday-party, or doing a Halloween party, where everyone comes dressed up. Our family is all very close, so we thought about doing a theme where each family picks a theme and comes as it. That way she could be Dorothy or Glinda, and my husband and my son the scarecrow, or the tin man... you get the idea. What do you think about this? Any other ideas? We want it to be fun - for everyone. I know my daughter will love it no matter what, since she is so young.

My husband and I - once upon a time - were engaged. My parents in the states (I have more in Canada) tried to sabotage our marriage, so we eloped. After being married for a month, we discovered we were expecting (honeymoon baby) and my parents in the states tried to take me to an abortion clinic. (I WAS MARRIED...)

Four years later, they haven't fully apologized for trying to take me to an abortion clinic, my husband holds strong grudges, I'm a very forgiving person - especially when it comes to family - and it took me a long time to try and put things behind me, especially what they did to us, and now my sister (who still lives at home) told me they are talking about coming to visit my family here this summer. We are almost totally across the US from them, and they have shown no interest in my son. (The baby they tried to abort)

They never call him, they never send presents, (maybe once or twice, for each of those categories) and he's 3 1/2. They refuse to acknowledge my husband, even with Christmas presents - they send presents for everyone but him.

Now we have a new baby girl (6 mos) and suddenly they want to send her presents and be involved in her life and NOW they want to come visit.

I'm still kindof bitter that they didn't (don't?) want anything to do with my son, but now my daughter is the spotlight of attention.

Would you allow them to visit you?

How do you think you would feel about this if you were my husband?

My husband and I are on rocky terms right now, have two kids, and I am at home all the time. I never finished college (because I met my husband) so I have little to no skills. Just feeling out the world for some light at the end of a possible tunnel.

:o)

Thanks!

I live in Illinois, if that makes a difference. I was wondering about the cost of schooling, and supplies, and the length of schooling required to cut/dye/style hair.

I had someone refer this to me, it looks like it could save me a lot of money but I wanted other scrapbooker's advice:

http://heritagemakers.com/347499

I know it costs me way more per book with all the sheets, stickers, photos printed, brads, ribbon, and other embellishments.

As a scrapbooker, what do YOU think about this?

Thank you! You are helping me with a baby shower.... the cake more specifically.

:o)

I like to make little crafts, like tiny clay models of cakes and such and make them into charms, or quilt, or make baby fabric books that are machine washable, etc. I'd really like to have my own website, where people can come and look at an item, put it in their basket, buy it, and I mail it to them - but I can't pay a lot for a web domain name. I have seen websites like etsy, but they charge you every time you post something. I'd rather pay a fee just to have the website, and then be able to control everything myself, but I'm not sure how to go about doing that. Any ideas? Thanks!

You have to scroll down a bit, but what do you think. I just found it and I really like some of the fun cakes so I had to share it, you know how sometimes people put around an email forward with pictures of cool cakes...

http://www.babypattycakes.blogspot.com/

Here's the cake:

http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t149/star_hotpi...

How much would YOU pay for a cake like that, from a professional bakery?

I would have charged $120, because it was a 15"x9"x4" cake, with fresh strawberries in the middle, all made from scratch buttercream frosting and yellow cake, with a layer of fondant on the top, and a hand-painted image (using food coloring) of the motorcycle. BUT - it was for a sister-in-law of a girl I used to work with, so I only charged $80. They got the cake Saturday late afternoon, and I got an email this morning (sent late last night) from the mother saying that she hated the cake. She asked for yellow cake, a motorcycle, and strawberries. That's exactly what I served her - but she complained there weren't enough strawberries. (A whole crate?!?)

I'm not giving her a refund, but she asked for 50% to be refunded to her. That would mean I would have let her buy a $120 cake for $40. Sorry! It cost more than that to make that cake.

I just wanted to see what people out in the world thought about this. Thanks! :o)

My husband's parents (and sometimes grandparents) give our children (their grandchildren/great-grandchildren) the most HIDEOUS outfits sometimes. We're talking lumberjack plaid pants, and bright red picnic-table-pattern sweaters with bunny ears for a 3 year old boy, and a hot pink leopard print hat and jumper with a matching undershirt with a hot pink leopard print butterfly for a 3 month old girl. Sometimes... the clothes are nice. But sometimes, they are horrible. And they never give receipts! So I can't return the clothing for something more suitable - I feel like they are wasting their money, but I don't want to hurt their feelings.

Any suggestions? :o)

My three year old (just turned three two weeks ago) just drew his first faces yesterday - happy faces with necks - and three days before that he wrote his name for the first time, out of nowhere! I'm the only one teaching him, and he's never done this before. I was just wondering if drawing faces and writing his name is normal for his age group? Or if maybe art is something I need to help him explore his passion in?