downinmn

My daughter received an Ipod touch for her birthday in January. A few weeks later we had the same girls who are all 10, to a sleep over. A few days later she noticed her Ipod was missing. We searched high and low for the Ipod and never found it. Fast forward until today. My daughter is at school and one of the girls is at school bragging about her Ipod Touch (with exact same downloads as my daughter). Pretty much every day, my daughter and this girl spend at least 3-5 days a week together on our deck, porch & outside. She has never brought an ipod over. The girl denies that this is my daughter's ipod. My daughter asked her if it was hers and the 1st thing she said was "I didn't steal anything from your sleep over." Maybe there is a chance that this is her ipod touch so instead of me asking the child, I need to know how I should ask her parents without being accusatory. Or should I just count it as a loss?

My daughter (24) and her best friend like to sew things and sell them. They’re both employed at regular jobs but as a side job they do the craft. They’re really good and usually sell out at the craft shows. The problem is my daughter likes doing it for fun and her friend likes doing it for profit. My daughter even gives her craft away Free to people sometimes. The friend suggested going into business, renting a small space and pursuing it. How can she tell her friend no thanks without hurting the friendship, her dreams and her feelings?

My parents were divorced when I was 13 due to extreme physical abuse of me, my mother and my younger siblings as well as my father's heavy cocaine use. My mother divorced and left the state with all of the minor children and we never communicated with my father again.

20 years later, I'm successful in life and sort of interested in reuniting - he is in his late 50's. I know exactly where he is since my oldest sister and 1/2 brother were adults and stayed in contact with him. I spoke to him for the first time in 20 years just last month. He didn't apologize and was actually very brief (maybe 5 minutes). That was it. I don't know what to do further now. How do I call back and strike up a conversation? I have no idea where to start or what to say. Who knows if we will actually reunite in person. Just talking it out and taking opinions sometimes helps - what do you think?

Oh, I also suspect that he may still be on drugs but I really don't know. My mother is still in fear and my younger siblings want nothing to do with him and have not and will not speak to him ever again so I'm in this on my own.

My best friend has been working part-time for a contractor for almost 5 years and her pay rate is actually really great! Cost of living steadily increases, however, in the 5 years of being there, she has not gotten a single raise. She wants to know - should she ask for one? I'll save my opinion because she wants unbiased opinions . . .

One of my best friends is going camping and has a problem. She had nipple problems so she has and is exclusively pumping her milk for her baby (so she can't just feed from the breasts). Her baby is now 6 months old and they are planning to go hiking/camping for 2 days (her all time favorite past time) and they don't and won't have a refrigerator, just a cooler. She's wondering if she can just pump and continually add the pumped milk into one canister & if she can store that pumped milk safely in a cooler full of ice for the 2 days. I have no idea. Also if she has extra left over from the weekend, can she freeze what's left in the canister upon returning home? What do you think?

My son is 5 months old and exclusively breastfed. I have a last minute legal conference to go to with my boss. I have no extra back-up and will leave tomorrow afternoon. Will my baby take the formula for 4 days while I'm away? I only work part-time and pump with the Medela Pump In Style while away from him. Can I pump while gone and still have a successful breastfeeding relationship when I return? I am able to take many breaks at the conference to go back to my room to pump. How often should I pump? Please any advice would be helpful.

I hope you can help! I am returning to work part-time (9 am - 1 pm). I will be pumping at work around 11 am for the following day. So how many ounces should I have stored for my 9 week old on day one?

Thankfully, my retired mother is sitting for me during that time, so my baby will get just as much care and love.

We are catering in the food for simplicity. Which would you prefer to eat at a baby shower from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.?

1. BBQ chicken, baked beans & salad;

2. Pizza & Salad;

3. Sub sandwiches, chips, dip, veggies; or

4. Variety of hot wings, baked beans, salad

It's my brother's old 1993 Saturn. Also, how long does it usually take to install? Thanks!

I've been pregnant before and am pregnant now. I just wonder why people feel the need to tell me I'm 1) huge, fat, wide, having twins, or whatever else that comes to their mind. It's rude - I'm in the 2nd trimester and I've only gained like 12 lbs!! This morning my co-worker came down to my desk and said "Hey, fat mama!" I've had enough and said, well, you're just fat. Now, I feel like I was the rude one, but I'm tired of people thinking it's not rude to do the same with pregnant women. Anyway, so why do you think people feel the need to say whatever they want to a pregnant woman?

We had our sonogram last week and I'm still a little upset. During the sono, the doctor rushed through it. He didn't go over the body parts, just kinda said everything looks great. He stood up, turned off the machine and said "oh, do you want to know what it is?" We were like yes. As he's walking out the door, he says "it's a boy." My husband said maybe it's because we already have 3 others, but I still would have loved for this songram to be just as special. Our last sonos were at this same place, but a different doctor. We have Aetna insurance, so I felt jipped! My others were such great experiences! Maybe I'm overreacting. What do you think?

My 3 year old has always been a picky eater, however, recently, she refuses to eat dinner (I only put about 1 small bite of everything on her plate). When I tell her to take a bite, she does, but she holds that bite in her mouth for the entire dinner period (up to a hour). She will not swallow it, or drink or anything. I have tried to put her drink for last, I have tried putting dessert for last, I have tried to offer sauces - nothing works. It seems that she waits for breakfast as we have pancakes, or hot cereal or corn flakes with fruit, etc. She take a multivitamin, but I don't know what else to do about dinnertime?!?! Oh, she does the same thing at lunchtime as well. Unless it is turkey burgers w/ fries or nachos, which we rarely have. I have to feed the other family members healthy meals so I don't want to cater to her menu selection. Do you have any suggestions?

We are thinking of naming our son Morris (his grandmother's maiden's name). What do you think of it - it's uncommon so I like it. Anyway, I would like suggestions on middle names as well. Can you help?

I'm having a problem getting in balanced meals at lunch. Prior to pregnancy, I ate these smart ones or lean cuisine or something like that. This feels like an odd question with an obvious answer, but I'm just wondering. . . thanks!

I work for a one person office, so it's only me and my boss. I'm nervous since I completely run the office. I am just about 12 weeks. I will take off 6 - 8 weeks, but since it's just us, I know it's unpaid and I'm fine with that. What are you thoughts of when and how I can tell him?

It is December and time is winding down to shop. My stepdaughter is 18 and does not live with us because she moved out after we refused to accept her dropping out of high school. She will call or come around when she needs something, but other than that, she is jumping from relative to older friends. What should we get her for Christmas? My friend suggested a certificate for the cost of her taking her GED, but I want other responses. Let me say that she left her/our home because of our #1 rule (stay in school). We are good parents and we all have a good relationship, she just doesn’t want to go to school or work. We constantly tell her that she always has an open door for her return. We've offered to pay for the GED before, and college, if she wants. We also pay for other necessary items, even though she’s gone. The GED certificate is a friend's suggestion. I need more opinions on what and how much to spend at Christmas for her.

She is 18 and does not live with us because she moved out after we refused to accept her dropping out of high school. She will call or come around when she needs something, but other than that, she is jumping from relative to older friends to relatives homes. It's so disappointing and sad. The bio mom is not concerned with her behavior. Anyway, back to my question - What should we get her for Christmas? My friend suggested a certificate for the cost of her taking her GED, but I want other responses.