Pio,
Lock them in a room together until they can work it out on their own...eventually they will tire of each other and then consire together on what they need to do to get out...it will build sisterly love and teach them the consequences of not sharing. Don't fall for the "we have to go to the bathroom" whining...make them use the restroom prior to imprisonment!

Kiwi,
Do you feel ignored???? Hope not, seems like you chime in when ever the spirit moves you ...am I right?

All,
forget about Ground Hog Day...Bill Murray is painfully hysterical in another fav of mine..."What About Bob"...if you haven't seen it you are definitely missing some great belly laughing.

No, I am not Canadian. I like some odd movies I must admit but am not embarrassed...I'm a goof at heart! Unlike Pio, I don't pull life lessons from my viewing...I just sit back and laugh. I think some here may be a bit deeper than others...uuuhhhhh, hhhuuummmm...not to mention abstract. I'm just here trying to absorb what I can to help me move along and hope some of my life experiences may help some other soul.

I was driving today and had a revalation to include tears...I think I'm grieving the marriage I so wished and thought at one point that I had. My H and I had the original bond of religion and common goals and aspirations when it came to moral living and our life priorities. We have gradually drifted further and further apart from our original goals with mine in one direction and his in the other. I miss the comfort of knowing we are working toward the same goals and I get annoyed by his superficial materialistic manipulative efforts to seek attention from the younger crowd.

Time for me to have some coffee and shutup!

"What About Bob?" is a classic. Murray and Richard Dreyfuss are fantastic playing off each other in that movie.

Anyway, I like some odd movies as well. Stuff like "Slaughterhouse 5". Great movie. And book.

regreted,

Are you okay?

Actually I do pretty much try to stay out of DDs battles when it comes to "sharing" issues or other social behaviors. I remind them that I am their father - not their umpire - and I tell them to go sort it out. After the ski cap incident, I needed the DDs downstairs for something and the first thing DD1 said when she came down was that DD2 had thrown the ski cap (DD2 is a real temper). I asked why she was tattling on her sister. That shut her up. The then almost stepped on the ski cap by accident and I told DD2 to put it in its place or I would put it in the garbage. She took it back upstairs quietly.

But when it comes to things like [darn, I can't say Indian-giving or people will think I am bashing native Americans].

Hey, I just mistyped what I was writing and corrected it but noticed that if you leave out the "t", native Americans becomes naive Americans. I mean, I think they were a bit naive to trust the pale face as it turns out. Significant? Dunno.

Okay, anyway, I do think it is important to get involved in the things like giving the ski cap and then taking it back.

Our favorite expression we learned from the 8 TO across the street - You git what you git and you don't throw a fit. That has solved a world of potential problems.

One of my very favourite MBers is Native American.

Would you like to now remove your foot from your mouth.

I just nod and smile when I read about your DD's.

Until you have raised teenagers you don't even know that you are alive. Sorry, that sounds patronising but, darn it, I did it and lived, I can be as patronising as I like. <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

This paleface does not speak with forked tongue. Raising teens is the most trying, difficult and emotionally challenging thing I have ever done. Especially my youngest.

Of course, it's a little different with girls. I am reminded of the time I caught DS3 trying to sneak out of the house at 3:00 am. He was going to leave and would not back down. Instincts took over. I got between him and the door and told him if he wanted to leave, he had to go through me. He almost did but backed off at the last minute. You can't do that with girls.

But, you know what they say about the difference between boys and girls don't you?

No, what do they say?

I had one of each, each challenging in their own different ways, LOL.

I remember when we went away for the weekend and I left DS, then 18, in charge of DD, then 16.

At 1.00am(!!!) DD called us at our hotel and said that DS had gone out, she had been frightened and her b/f had come round and picked her up and they had gone into town and were now back. She just wanted to let us know that everything was ok.

We were a 3 hour drive away from home so there was not a lot we could do. I spent the rest of the night pacing up and down and saying "How COULD he (DS), the ickin frickin mumble mumble irresponsible frickin...."

I have been known to tell my children, when they were annoying me to death with their attitudes/arguing/whatever that involved both of them, that they had to sit on the same couch at the same time. Neither person could get up until the other person could get up. S determined when D could get up. D determined when S could get up. But neither could get up before the other. And, after that, they were expected to not bring it up again because it had to be worked out by them before they got up.

Actually my comment was against the pale face. The native Americans, AFAIK, were proud, honest people. Why would they expect the pale face to reneg on his contract? The same applies today. US Embassies are useless in terms of helping Americans overseas. Remember the two great lies?

1) The check is in the mail
2) Hi, I'm from the government and I am here to help you.

I've never done that. I do timeouts but individually. The most cruel thing for them is to see the other DD having fun while the one sits idle. They will do abything to avoid timeout. I have a great timeout corner too. Can't see anything useful. No TV's - nothing.

Well I am mostly over jet-lag. I got up at 3:30 and did the stairclimber. I watched Cheaters and had a good laugh and now out to the garage to work out. I feel great! And DDs won't be up till 5:00. What a bonus!

Forgot to mention that I had found my ZZ Top CD when I went through the stirage and I have just put it into iTunes. Could life get any better?

Well, best laid plans and all that - DD2 had a nightmare so got up. I put her pillow in the garage and she watched "Slap her, she's French" with me while I exercised. I don't know why I like that movie but I like it when the younger brother bails Srarla out of jail and the first thing he does is hand her a Dr. Pepper and says "here, you might need this". The movie does have a classic line I will never forget since I have studied a little philosophy. Starla says: "Fred Nietzsche said that which doesn't kill us is about to wish it had because we're going to FedEx its sorry a$$ back to 'skank central' where it came from". Telling the absolute truth here, this was my battle cry for the A.

( I was referring to OM BTW - not WW)

And as Donovan wails in his song, "Riki Tiki Tavi": and the United Nations isn't really united. Or something like that.

And im my song: "The United Nations Blues": and the United Nations isn't worth the paper it's written on.

Herein ends the political reading.

Kids have to be at their worst on road trips. With three in the back seat, it was he!!. One of the crowning moments of our lives was when the mivivan hit the market. At least there were two seats in back. We bought three cages, put one son in each and spaced them out inasmuch as possible among the two seats. Then simply threw raw meat back there every thirty seconds and all was right with the world.

The single greatest invention in the history of mankind - and worthy of the Nobel prize I might add - is the portable DVD player. Each DD has her own so that can actually sit hip-to-hip for hours and not fight except when both want to watch the same movie - and, no, they can't both use one machine. What were you thinking when that occurred to you?

Larousse - Epazote is an herb. I have a huge bush growing in my garden. We put the leaves in black beans, caldo, etc. It has a strong, delicious smell, and you just get addicted to it.

Todd - thanks for the offer of help. My stooopid 'puter was acting up & I couldn't access MB or my email! OMG! Quite the crisis! My oldest said it was cookie related thing. Works now so crisis is over.

I've already had my glass of vino for the evening so laying out the whole story about my employment "issue" will take concentration I don't have at the moment. Tomorrow I will lay the whole thing out & I'd love some input. I feel like I've got lots of choices, none perfect, but all have some appeal. What I want VS what is practical/sensible/economically a good choice. All these things are swimming around in my head not making clear the best choice.

A la manana. Did I say that right? We lived in Spain for about a year & my restaurant Spanish was quite good but conversational Spanish escaped me.

Hi TKOers, <img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Beliver, good to see, do you have any idea under which name Todd could buy epazote in Atlanta?

More later.

Be well you'll.

<img src="/ubbt/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />)

Nope, but I can send him some. It grows like a weed.

That happened to me. DD2 put a chocolate chip cookie in the DVD drive. Why? Because it fit. Can't argue with that logic.

Growing weed in California?

We grow it all here.

Pio - I admire you as a father. You are making me proud.