The Irish Duckie

So hubby and I booked a hotel months ago to go stay in Toronto for a weekend, which is a few hours away from home. I have 3 young children, 6 YO, 4 YO, and 9 months. The trip is a week away and I've started to feel kind of panicky. The thought of leaving makes me feel physically ill, and keeps me up at night. I'm terrified something bad will happen while I'm gone. I've obviously gone out before, but I always return the same night and wake up to their faces in the morning. My mom is watching them for the weekend, and its not that I don't trust her, I'm just not sure how to take this giant leap into parents-only getaways. Any suggestions on how I may be able to overcome this? What do you think I should do?

Will win his appeal? I mean, perhaps there were a few errors in the trial, however there was proof beyond reasonable doubt that he committed the horrible crime! Why is he so adament? Why can't he just let the family grieve instead of reliving it over and over? I'm very frustrated by this and the case is very close to home as Woodstock is my hometown.

My hubby works all day, everyday, and makes a modest income which allows me to stay home with my children. Recently, (maybe a month ago) we had new neighbors move in and they have 2 young children, ages 4 and 9 months. The eldest child has some pretty serious medical issues, which require her to take meds constantly through out the day, and she has behavioural problems which too are in part why she is medicated. My neighbors don't work, they are on disability, but do scrapping on the side. So they asked if I would watch them every once in a while, so they could accomplish more. I have 3 children of my own (6, 4 and 9 months) but decided two more once in a while wouldn't hurt. Well once in a while is now everyday, they wake me up in the morning knocking on the door, as early as 7am, and leave them until 5-6pm. Their eldest daughters behaviour is becoming a major problem, even to the point where her safety has been put at stake. I feel wrong distributing meds to a child whom isn't mine. I feed them with the food that my hubby works hard to put on the table. I get nothing, sometimes not even a thank you, in return for my services. I'm aware I put myself in this situation by allowing it, but I'm wondering, how do I go about stopping it without having a huge fight with them ans feeling guilty? 10 points for the best advice!

Does anyone else find this to be nothing less than insane? In a recent interview, JB claims he plans on replacing MJ as the new king of pop. I was flabbergasted...there's just no way anyone, especially JB, will ever take that crown. Do you agree?

A lot of my husbands friends and my friends are single. So when we met a really nice couple a while back and clicked with them we were pretty excited, because we felt we had made friends who also had kids andbwe could all just hang out.

These friends offered to help us move, so we accepted their offer, bought them beer and lunch and dinner which is just curtosy when people help. As we were moving our sruff, quite often they would mention how much they liked certain things, and since I didn't really have a need for some of it we gave it to them. A bunk bed set and dressers...our old bed and some other things. This was all well and good...but now it seems that every time we see them there is a hidden agenda. They're always hinting about wanting things when they're over. They aren't very well off as recently they both became unemployed. But they still receieve government cheques like mothers allowance and child tax and gst. Child tax came out two days ago and they invited us over for a BBQ today. I accepted but plans changed when our car broke down and we had no way there. They told us we needed to his it because they had no food and were counting on us bringing it. They even wanted us to bring the condiments! After I replied saying I couldn't take a bus because I couldn't carry everything plus a baby and two kids...she said one of us (me or my hubby) needed to come because they were hungry. Then asked if we could lend them bus money for the next day...and asked if they could have my hubbys old blackberry. Are they using us? I don't ever mind helping out but to me it seems extreme. Sorry for writing such a long story but I'm pretty bummed out and would like to hear some perspective from other adults out there.

I had my tubes tied just over a week ago...I was due to start my cycle the same day and had spotting but then nothing. I thought maybe it was because of the surgery but I then started getting violently ill in the morning so I took a test today and sure enough I got two dreaded pink lines...wouldn't the doctor have seen that in all the urine ans blood he got from me pre-surgery? Or when he was tying them? What the heck!

My hubby has literally thrown more tantrums today than my 3 year old has all week! All because he doesn't get what he wants....I made him breakfast, but afterwards realized I had no syrup for his french toast, so he stomped upstairs! Why did he do this? Is it typical?

My dad is 48, he works really hard, and by hard I mean he works pretty much around the clock, as a tradesman. He's always been stubborn, and never portrays any negative emotion. Lately, hes been shaking a lot, he's really thin, he limps, he's losing teeth, (they just fall out randomly), and he's sick ALL the time with cold like symptoms. Despite my family's greatest efforts to get him to, he REFUSES to go to the doctors. Do his symptoms sound serious, or familliar to any of you? I worry night and day, I don't want to lose my dad.

I was diagnosed with high blood pressure last year, with readings of 190-130. My doctor put me on a medication, "hydrochlorothiazide", (which makes me feel like ****, and sent me on my way. I'm AWARE that losing weight helps, but is there a restriction on what I can do exercise wise? Doesn't cardio RAISE your blood pressure? My current average b/p is at 150-110. Which is still high. Are there other things I can do to bring it down? I also know limiting salt helps. But what else?

I would just like to know, whether when you became a mom as a teen, did many or any of your friends stick around?

I'm curious because I was thinking about it recently, and realized that NONE of the people, even my CLOSEST of friends, are around anymore? And they haven't BEEN around, really, since I had my daughter. I miss them, but were they really that great of friends if they're no where to be found now?

Even still, I've made new friends, but even they only stick around for a short while, because most people my age don't have kids, and don't wish to spend time with them I guess.

How about you? Are your friends still around?

My daughter turns 4 in a month, and originally I was going to take her and the fam to the African Lion Safari, but it win't be open yet. I want to do something fun and unique...as I think Disney Princess and Dora are over-done, any ideas?