awkwardly balanced

The ideal person: someone who is a parent and is still young enough to remember college, AND you have parents that were lovingly supportive for you during college! Tell me - what is it that they did or said that was helpful to you? I don't mean the basics - like work ethic, no partying, and all those types of typical parenting responses, etc. I mean you called them during your worst moments when you were totally stressed and you got off the phone feeling totally better. What did they do or say?

Should I spend the (significantly) extra money for the convection oven/microwave oven combo? Will it make life easier?

Did you see this video from Apostolic Truth Tabernacle (AT&T). If you have anything to say to them, they have a facebook page.

http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/4-year-old-si...

I taught my kid not to whine last year when he wasn't able to get together a complete team for a relay race in a district wide program last year, and told him to concentrate on the many other activities. This year, another kid that ended up without a team is being rescued by the leaders - and the relays are being picked by a random drawing - and my son's team is being broken up. My suck- it-up message from last year is undone. So with this new info that whining gets you what you want, I am thinking of having him go in and whine about it. What do you think?

But on a serious note:

I am frustrated that I didn't rescue my kid last year, and now he is disappointed again this year. I'd love to hear arguments for and against the whole - let's have non competitive teams so the average kids are happy. I really want to understand both sides. I am upset that he is being taught that whining is the way to go, but I don't know where to stand on the competition thing. They get medals - it is not a participation thing - and all the kids want their school to get the most medals. And by the way - don't say "It's only a school event, what's the big deal - because that works both ways. It's only a school event, so why break up the kids' teams." I know this is trivial - that is why I am asking on YA. LOL

Where do you look and what expression to you have on your face when you are in a small group and they have engaged a mime to entertain your small little group. The trapped "oh my god" look is probably not appropriate - so what is the best alternative?

A post on here today caused me a bit of psychic pain. I wanted to know what others think...if you don't like long posts, simply move on. I know people find them painful, message delivered.

Two girls - friends all through high school. I was not friends with them, but I knew them well. After college, they married...

Girl 1: Married a guy that I knew from elementary school. He was a great guy and we were in every class together for 13 years because he was gifted too. He went to the same college as I and graduated with honors in the same ceremony as my husband. At our 10 year reunion, he did not attend, but his wife was there and noticeably pregnant. They were still married, but it was someone else's kid. He had just found out right before the reunion. She sat with Girl 2 at the reunion, and for the life of me, I cannot understand why she showed her face.

Girl 2: Married to one of my best friend's best friends. About a year and a half after the reunion, I get a call from my friend, and find out that Girl 2 was also pregnant at the reunion as well (early). Her husband had not heard from his best friend about the baby. About 6 months after the baby was born, he finally calls my friend's husband and reveals that, after the baby was born, he came home and found his wife crying. She revealed that she didn't know if the baby was his. She said she was raped.

He beat the man she accused and got a criminal record (along with my childhood neighbor, who helped him). After the man gets a personal protection order, she finally admits that she had been sleeping with the man since high school and that it had never really stopped.

Girl 2's husband was a fun loving guy, great personality, always breaking up with girl 2 but after a few years of always going back to her, he finally asked her to marry him. Once he decided she was the one, he was devoted and serious. The baby turned out to be his, but they divorced.

He remarried, a cold woman, he is cold, they focus on making money and huge purchases, and he adores his daughter but doesn't see her all that much. He is no longer the person he once was.

I was at the same point in life - having my first baby when I found out about girl 2. I am still so ANGRY about it and what it did to these great guys. HOW could a woman allow this to happen. It has nothing to do with me, but I still want to spit on both of them - 14 years later. Why the anger?

Sorry, I am going to erase this after a bit...TMI. Just want some ideas.

from hand held video games to go to the bathroom? My mother is a day care provider, and has switched to only before and after school care rather than watching toddlers. The kid that was sitting in the soiled spot that smells of both pee and poo is 10. Would this really happen? The mom took the kid out of my mother's day care when she let the mother know. (And of course, did not pay her balance - the ongoing and forever deadbeat daycare parent).

I use it really often...thinking it means "lots of laughs" which is cute! My kids are telling me it means "laugh out loud" which is stupid really. So please read all my responses as "lots of laughs" lol! But please let me know - am I right, or are my children right?

the mother of my teen daughter's ex-boyfriend. Give me some ideas about how to respond (I already fully outed myself in the inquiry, so she already knows it is me). I do still want the item if my daughter doesn't have a fit when she wakes up and I tell her. LOL - I'm squirming!!! Just looking for some laughs!

as a pet for my son (10). He is an animal lover - and takes excellent care of our dogs without prompting, so that is not a worry. If anyone can share their experiences, I'd appreciate it...

I have a teen boy here with 4 others - friends of my daughter. His mother is very uptight, and was the most restrictive of the other boys mothers (and myself). I know her before from when our younger boys played soccer together. She was discombobulated because the boys changed their original plans. I find her to be emasculating towards her son - so I was thinking about asking her, with a totally straight face, what her son did to get in so much trouble and to lose her trust, and cause her so much concern, and that I wanted to know what to watch for.

This is for laughs and giggles - the actual teen boy is an angel and very respectful. I hear him telling the other kids about the movie they are choosing because he is not allowed to watch such and such, and his mom would hook him up to a lie detector, etc. with a "You know how my mom is."

If I asked this mom this, she would be floored. It would be really funny. Please deter me.

LOL - they suggested that I categorize this is "mental health." That should be deterrence enough!

I was working with spline and a splining tool...what was I doing?

10 points for the first correct answer (but I reserve the right to pick the question that makes me laugh the hardest, of course).

just because he cheated or because he has a drug problem. I am talking that the father DOESN'T EVEN KNOW the child exists and cannot make any decisions to take responsibility or to consider this in his recovery or his decision of whether or not to enter into recovery. Doesn't this sound like revenge for cheating rather than "what is best for the child?" And to convince the child of the correctness of this decision sounds like parental alienation. I am greatly disturbed. Help me feel better. What other things should I be considering in my "judgment."

a problem that should have been handled when it was still a "sulking boyfriend" do you think that they are sticking up for their sulking spouse, or that the sulking spouse was actually the questioner in the first place. Inquiring parents want to know!

These Are The Days of Our Lives:

My husband's "partner" at work (7 years) has been acting increasingly bizarre - his sanity is a bit in question at this point. They have a new office manager as of Jan. and she has created havoc as only a toxic personality that is sleeping with her boss (my husband's partner) could possibly create. He's been defending her every action against long time colleagues in a belligerent and ballistic way over mole hills, and she started a rumor that my husband knew of a worker that was moving on long before he actually knew (she wanted to defer responsibility that SHE was the reason the worker was leaving) and my husband's partner turned on my husband and my husband walked into a mess at the office yesterday. My husband's administrators told him to leave for the day yesterday and not come in today while they handled the situation. The office manager is probably going to be fired, and the partner put on paid leave - but we have no idea. He may even get fired. (Decision based on the outcome of an emergency board meeting).

I am actually scared - they are meeting with the two of them right now, and I fear that they will be told to leave and will come directly to my house - looking for my husband. I need advice from any of you with police/law enforcement background and human resources background. Should I indulge my paranoia and call the local police (they are only three blocks away from my home) and share my paranoid thoughts?

http://www.livestrong.com/article/167542-top-rated...

Any strong recommendations?

Frahmere and all his various new accounts and designations is remembering to block me now before asking his creepy question. He asks the same question over and over - when a white female social worker that is trained in restraint answers it, he spews vile stuff at them in their email. I usually get to answer it before he blocks me. I feel special now!

I can hardly breath! My husband bought white ammonia - I didn't even know the stuff existed and I have all the windows open. Am I poisoning myself? It doesn't steam it - but it is working well so far - better than the crap I spent so much money on in the past.

illness? Taken down the slippery slope, such logic would lead to the end of the human race. Given the extent that people go to to sustain life even in the most challenging of circumstances, how can one even begin to define unhappiness and what is a life not worth living. The whole premise is flawed from the outset, because the beginning premise is flawed. I intend to pick the most self serving answer and not allow other legitimate points of view as well - so if you want ten points, remember that. LOL, just kidding.