My son is 7 1/2, my step sons are 7 and 10... When we got married I was dead set on having another child, heart broken at different opinions... Now that I've been around multiple kids and babies, I am thanking God We didn't and that our boys are independent and resilient. I don't think I would survive the baby days ever again! God thank you for blessing me with my family and my husbands patience!!

DH got laid off today. I'm grateful for my DH, our kids, our extended family and friends. They're making me feel a lot less alone.

DH's family are born again Christians. They're a lying, spiteful and hateful group of people who hide behind religion. There is more dysfunction in his family than I have ever seen before. It's sad and disturbing.

At family gathering my DD8 was put down for not eating much (she's healthy and slim) yet the other young cousins (very overweight) were scarfing down adult portions. But if I said something about it I would get yelled at. Hmm.

There is a kid in preschool that my son gets along with really well. But the kid comes from a really rich family and we are lower class. I want to approach the parents about maybe making a playdate or two over the summer, but I'm scared and ashamed of our lives. I couldn't invite them over so we would have to go somewhere else for a playdate, and I feel like they might be the type of people that turn their noses up at the McDonald's play place or local parks around here.

Due to hurricane sandy, a friend is having their house raised so they can continue to live there. They will need to be out of the house for at least 6 months. She keeps hinting and skirting around the subject of staying with us of during that time. No way is that happening. They stayed with us during the storm and her and her family (5 people) completely took over our house, with their 2 dogs, were very inconsiderate and rude. It was quite stressful and no way would our friendship survive a 6 month stay with that son of hers. No way. Sorry.

My family and I adopted the best little dog from the shelter 5 weeks ago. Well 6 vet vists, 1 vist to the eye doctor, an eye removal and over 2000.00 spent he is all better. Worth every penny. Not going to disneyland this year like planned is a bummer but we will just go camping with our dog instead.

I had no father, he chose his drug addiction over being a parent. My mother was on welfare while she went back to school to be able to support me and my sister. I'm the first woman EVER in my family to finish high school and go to college. I'm also the oldest woman to have her first child (24). I waited until I was married, we owned a home and were financially stable. My sister has chosen not to have children, and is independent. So not every sad child without a dad continues the cycle.

Dss is 9 and still can't tie his shoes. I have taught him on numerous occasions, starting when he was 5. His mom and his moms family keep buying him Velcro or skater type shoes that you don't tie, so of course he wears those over the shoes with ties I buy him. I've even forced him to wear the tying one and his shoes are untied when I pick him up and I'm guessing have been all day. I don't know what else to do.

My mother absolutely hates that I have a small family. I have two DD's and have made plans so I do not have more. She had six children and I know it really gets to her that I won't just slap on a smile and tout the party line my siblings do about how amazing and fabulous it is being part of a big family. She can tell all her friends how great a big family is, but she is not happy that my children are a symbolic flip of the bird that make people question if it was so great why didn't your DD want that for herself? Sorry mom but I am not going to have more children so that you can look good.