Because I write for several shopping blogs, I come across a lot of offers for free or inexpensive items. It's my job to choose several of these each week to highlight at one of these blogs.

Many of these offers come from the Facebook pages of shops, restaurants or other companies.

Usually I just write up the deal, link to the source and get on with things, but in the past couple of days I've read a few of the comments attached to the posts announcing some of these specials.

Yesterday, as I printed out my weekly coupon from the Dunkin' Philly Fan Zone, some of the comments on the page were blasting Dunkin' Donuts for offering a breakfast-sandwich coupon instead of one for iced coffee. On other posts for past coupons, people complained that other stores were offering better deals. Or they complain that these coupons are only good Monday through Thursday.

Today, I was posting a deal for teachers from Chipotle Mexican Grill and saw that many commenters complained because the restaurant hadn't offered a freebie for nurses, daycare providers, student teachers and homeschoolers.

What an entitlement mentality!

I'm a former teacher, so I don't expect Chipotle to give me free food tonight. And I'm happy for the low-priced breakfast sandwich coupon, but if I weren't a breakfast-sandwich fan, I just wouldn't print a Dunkin' Donuts coupon this week. Next week, after all, there will be another.

These stores issue coupons to get customers in the door and generate some goodwill in the community. I didn't see a whole lot of goodwill on the Facebook pages for either establishment regarding these offers, and that's a shame. It's people like those commenters on Facebook that will ruin things for everyone else, because the stores will eventually give up and stop giving out coupons and freebies.

Can't use the coupon this time? Don't qualify for the free offer this time? Oh well! Maybe next time you will. In the meantime, be grateful that the store still offers special deals and stop blasting them because each and every deal is not for you.

I have been awake for less than 5 hours today. And already, the following "glitches" have taken place:

• Little Brother was most ungracious (not to mention greedy) upon finding out that the Tooth Fairy had left her usual $1 instead of the $5 that some of his classmates get.
• TheDad informed me that his car HAD to go to the mechanic TODAY because some "your car will explode if you don't go to the mechanic" indicator light had lit up on his dashboard.
• That meant that I had to commandeer Middle Sister's car and take her to school and force her to (indignity of indignities) ride the bus home today.
• Little Brother came thisclose to missing HIS bus because he hadn't packed his schoolbag last night, like I'd asked him to.
• Middle Sister had a pretty empty gas tank.
• I had to follow TheDad to the car dealership and then he had to take me back home. ALL of this was before I even got a cup of coffee, not to mention breakfast.
• I thought maybe there would be a diner run on the way back from Hyundai City, but no...(and poor Hubs is first of all not a mind-reader and second of all WAY too busy at work right now so I know there was no time for a diner run. But a girl can dream. Especially when she needs coffee.)
• Middle Sister started sending me angry texts because the discombobulation of HER morning meant that she'd forgotten some important papers on the coffee table.
• A piece of the splashguard of my stand mixer detached itself when I was making cookies for Big Brother, who's coming home for dinner tonight.
• Little Brother's coach emailed the date and time of the CYO basketball playoff game:  smack in the middle of a Tech Week rehearsal for Annie Jr. (I'm dealing with that by praying for snow.)
• I found a broken zipper pull in the dryer's lint filter. Inspecting the laundry, I discovered that it had come off the Notre Dame hoodie that I JUST got for Christmas.

None of this is "big stuff" but it's the little stuff that really gets to me.

I could really use a reboot here, especially since in just a couple of hours, I have a Secular Franciscans meeting and there will be guests, so I am WAY outside my comfort zone on this one (introvert problems). It's not that the guests aren't welcome--I'm glad they'll be there. But I find it tough enough to conduct a meeting when it's "just us," never mind up to 10 extra people, some of whom are strangers.

And I have to make sure I'm out of that meeting on time to pick up Little Brother and his friend at Chess Club after school.

At the moment, I'm kind of afraid to touch anything or go anywhere! I could really use a double dose of Grace and Dignity right about now.

There was a blood-donation drive at our parish today, and Middle Sister wanted to donate. She's 16, and that's old enough if she brings along a parent to sign a permission slip. So I took her over there, filled out the form, and sat with her while she read the packet of information and disclaimers that she was handed.

Finally her name was called and we went over to the desk where the nurse was taking medical histories. First Middle Sister had to produce an ID with her date of birth. A school ID wasn't going to do it, and I reminded her that she had her driver's permit in her handbag. Then the nurse told me that I wasn't allowed to be there. Citing "privacy issues," she said that while my daughter gave her medical history, I couldn't be present. I could, however, stand next to the table where they would take the blood out of her arm. That is, if I weren't so squeamish about things like that. (I'll drive you to the ER if you don't make me look at the wound.)

So I had to go sit on the other side of the room while my underage daughter gave her medical history. She is not old enough to get an Advil from the school nurse if she has a migraine without parental permission, let alone donate blood or get her ears pierced (or any other body part). I accompany her to medical appointments. But I AM NOT ALLOWED to listen to my minor child give her medical history.

Can you tell I'm not a fan of this policy? My daughter wasn't asking me to please go away. She didn't seem to care one way or the other, which is comforting to me. If the patient doesn't care that a parent is there during the medical history, why is it a problem for the nurse?

I was only able to find a small amount of information regarding confidentiality on the Red Cross website:

The Red Cross maintains the confidentiality of information we obtain about a donor and will release a donor’s confidential information to his or her parents only with the donor’s consent.

Is this all part of HIPAA, or is this something new? Regardless, I don't like it. Not one bit. If she is young enough to require my signature before she can give blood, she is young enough that I can still listen to her medical history.

And after all that, her iron was JUST shy of the benchmark required for blood donation. So this was all for nothing.

The kids are on notice.

That stack below the sign contains 6 towels that have been left here over the course of the summer.  I don't launder them anymore--I just hang them on the line, fold them, and pile them next to the Lost & Found basket that contains someone's bug spray, someone's swim goggles, someone's sunglasses.  When kids come over here I interrogate them about whose towels these are.  No one knows--but the teenagers use them anyway (ewwwwwwwww).

I wonder if any of these towels will miraculously find a home in the days to come, or if the ManageMOM will get to dispose of them as she sees fit?

I've been browsing around on some hardware-store websites, trying to find some light bulbs for the lights in the family room. (They're high-hats, and incandescent bulbs heat up too fast and blow out in 10 minutes. But the CFLs never get bright enough to read by.)

One of the websites had a place to enter my zip code so I could check store availability. When I clicked on the link for that, a little box popped up with a place to enter my zip code--or I could check another link: "I don't know my zip code."

Really? Are there people who can access a website and search for a product without knowing their zip code? I'd like to meet them.

Then again, maybe I wouldn't like to meet them. Yikes!

Not in this lifetime, but for the purposes of this rant...

I spent about an hour after Little Brother got home from school today dealing with all the paper he brought home. Not to mention all the stuff that was on the website that I had to print out, fill in and send back--and the $73 in checks that had to go in as well.

But I digress. I'm here to rant about forms.

I had to fill in a whole bunch of forms today. That in itself is not so bad, but it's all the duplication that gets me. That, and having to write my last name multiple times.

Wouldn't it be easier, since almost all of this paper is going to live in the main office anyway, if there were one form with several sections instead of separate forms for all of these:

Basic Information Form (name, address, phone, email, student day of birth, parents' work and cell phones, 2 emergency contacts, bus number, parish & sacrament information, doctor's name, hospital preference, insurance company number, special health considerations, signature)

Nurse's Information Form (name, address, phone, parents' work & cell phones, "which parent do we call first," 2 emergency contacts, doctor's name, special health considerations, "has your child received immunizations this past year")--note that all but 2 of these are covered in the Basic Information Form

Family Directory Form (name, address, phone, email, "do you want to be in the directory")

Permission to use child's photo on school website or in newspaper articles/ads

Technology Acceptable Use Policy

My last name is 12 letters long, with lots of pesky consonants. I have the feeling that if school administrators had a last name like mine, they'd be less likely to require all these separate forms with separate signatures.

Hello, new school year! Hello, writer's cramp!

Money doesn't grow on trees, kids.

There's an article in my local paper today in which a teenager and his dad lament the closure of a skateboard park in a nearby town. They imply unfair treatment of skateboarders by local police and whine that people don't accept the skaters because they look/dress/act different. And because the skateboard park was closed (due to unsafe conditions) in December, this teen seems to believe that the police shouldn't bother skaters who want to take their tricks to Main Street, which is crowded with shops, pedestrians, and car traffic.

It's nice to have a park where you can practice your skating and enjoy your friends' company. But it's not your right to have that park--and if the park is no longer available to you, it's not your right to break the law and skate in the middle of a crowded downtown area.

Money's tight. It's time that towns (and school districts, states, and the nation) learn to live within their means. It's time that the people entrusted with public funds be more careful about how they choose to spend those funds. And it's time that we stop expecting our towns (and school districts, states, and nation) to provide facilities for us to practice every single niche sport that exists.

The teenager in the article I read today is 17. He's old enough to respectfully approach the township officials and find out what needs to be done before his favorite park can reopen. He's old enough to organize a fund-raiser or get his friends together to work on cleanup or construction, and even to make a commitment to the kind of ongoing maintenance a skate park requires.

Instead of whining about the lack of a place to play, and taking his games to Main Street, this young man could be channeling his energy into finding solutions to the problem. If that happened, chances are good that people wouldn't continue to misjudge him and his fellow skaters, but rather admire their initiative and civic spirit.

I'll end with a quote from the movie Robots: "See a need, fill a need."

This morning I opened up my email and found yet another "forward" from an acquaintance of mine. She has my email address because we both belong to the same organization, but I rarely get any email from her related to that. However, a few days a week she sends me a "forward."

In general, I'm not a big fan of "forwards." They're like the chain letters of the Internet world. I've been told in "forwards" that if I don't forward them to nine people, I don't love Jesus. Other times I've learned that deleting this "forward" means I'm not patriotic.

The email I received this morning opened up with a cute picture of Tweety Bird and then the telltale all-caps, 3-different-font, brightly-colored text. (At least this time the sender cared enough to delete the email address that had sent it to her and to address it to a BCC list!) The email described an encounter with Jesus, as if he had come into the room with the sender, and then informed me that He was being sent to my house. I should not allow Him to sleep there, I was told, but instead I should send Him on to other people.

I just don't have patience for these things. Even though the sentiment is nice, I don't feel like there's a personal connection when one of these is passed along. And while I might have my reasons for being a little cranky this morning, which may make my reaction to this email a little over the top, it was a long time coming. I've used the internet long enough that I've seen (over and over again) most of the "forwards" that are going around.

My love for God, my country, and my family and friends has nothing to do with whether I forward an email. And I think the inspiration in the story about Jesus was more than a little diluted by the Tweety-bird opener.

...nanny state, that is.

I'm getting tired of the government's efforts to protect people from their own stupidity.

Michelle discusses a California law that removes toys from the Happy Meals. Because the TOY is what causes child obesity. Uh huh. Who knew toys had that many calories?

And here in New Jersey, they've passed a law that few people want--one that makes young drivers a target for police profiling as well as criminals who prey on young people--in a misguided effort to keep inexperienced drivers from hurting too many people.

My son already has a "Cinderella" license, as a first-year driver. He has to be in by midnight. Now, Kyleigh's Law will require him, until he's had his license for one year or turns 21 (whichever comes first), to be in by 11. He will also be allowed ONE passenger in the car, unless a parent is present, at which point he can have as many people as he has seat belts in the car. This means he can't have both his siblings in the car at once. So much for his ability to pick them up at school if I'd need him to! Sorry, not allowed! He's got to show that he's a new driver by displaying a special sticker on his license plates, stickers that we have to pay extra for AND make a special trip to get. These same stickers will identify him as a new driver to police, and as a teenager to criminals and predators. This is especially disturbing to any parents with daughters!

This law is supposed to help discourage behind-the-wheel cell-phone use as well. Now I realize that teens are heavy phone users, but sit near a traffic light sometime and see just how many adults are on their phones while they're driving. Check those soccer moms leaving the athletic fields and texting dinner plans behind the wheel. Bet there's no limit to how many kids they can have in the car while they use their phones. After all, they're over 21.

What's next? No listening to the radio while driving? No refereeing squabbling kids? No eating McDonald's french fries? (Wait, I forgot, that's probably already against the law.)

I have the feeling that clothing manufacturers are fooling with sizes.

Little Brother inherited all of Big Brother's old stuff that was still in wearable condition.  This included the Communion Suit. I think Big Brother wore it twice.

But Little Brother fit in that suit last August, when he wore it to Pop's funeral. He wore it again on Christmas, and I realized that there was no way it would still fit in May for Little Brother's First Communion.

Big Brother's old suit was a size 7, so I ordered a new suit in size 8. Despite the fact that Little Brother has grown since Christmas and Big Brother's suit is definitely too small for him now, this size 8 is absolutely huge. Well, the jacket is fine--but the pants are quite big.

With a good belt and a hemming job (I can do that!) we can make this suit work. The good news is, Little Brother will have this suit to wear for a good long time to come.

But I just don't get how the jump from a 10-year-old size 7 to a present-day size 8 involves FOUR inches in the waist and three in the length.

I guess they are growing kids bigger these days. However, that doesn't mean I am in favor of anything as silly as taxes on sugary beverages.

But it would make organizing the hand-me-downs a lot easier if manufacturers kept their size standards, well, standard.

Really? Shingles?

Why not just sign me up for my AARP card now?

Busy trying not to scratch here...

Otherwise known as, "if I got to pick, things would be different."

Wishful thinking.

Today is the Solemnity of the Blessed Mother, a feast of Mary in the Christmas season. You'd think we'd have sung a carol or two at Mass.

Anything would have been better than "Sing a New Song," which is no longer a new song and which has just had a lyric change. We're not allowed to say "Yahweh" anymore. And they further "improved" on it by clumsily replacing a male pronoun used for God.

I will give props to the choice of "Ave Maria" at Offertory, though it still toasts my marshmallows that the Offertory song (oops, sorry, Preparation of the Gifts) is apparently not meant for congregational participation. It's the one time that people are sitting in the pew, not busy!

"Prayer of Saint Francis" is not a long enough Communion song when you have a full church. And believe me, I was thrilled to see the full church. Maybe next year Father will add an extra Mass on this feast! It was standing-room-only.

And the version of the Magnificat to close out the Mass was a nice choice on a Marian feast--but the cantor obviously didn't know it. No one in the congregation did either. I think "Joy to the World" would have gone much better.

Deacon J gave a very nice homily on how Mary "pondered these things in her heart" while the shepherds and wise men fell away, lured by other cares and concerns. He challenged us not to forget about Jesus once the manger scenes and Christmas trees are packed away. And he used an interesting term to describe Mary: "the perfect disciple." I never thought about it that way!

The musicians at church have received our copies of the new Breaking Bread for 2010.

It's a rare occasion when I get to pick the music for a Sunday Mass. But that doesn't mean that I don't have an opinion. Having volunteered as a church musician since 1981 (except for my 3 "maternity breaks"), I've had plenty of time to cultivate my opinion about the music.

• Some of my opinions are theological. I'm not a fan of the songs that make us "sing the words of Jesus" even though they may be musically beautiful and Biblically-based. However, I think those songs definitely have a place, but not for congregational or even choral singing. And many of them are beautiful, as I've said--musically and lyrically.
  
• Some of my opinions are musical. I don't care for the kinds of songs that sound more like show tunes than hymns.
• Some of my opinions are editorial--there are songs out there that are just plain bad poetry.
• Some of my opinions are nostalgic. It drives me nuts when the lyrics to a perfectly good song get changed because they are no longer "PC"--for example, the masculine pronouns are used for God. (Oh, the horror!)
• And some of my opinions are based upon exhaustion, because there are songs that have been so overused that I simply cannot stand to have to hear them again, let alone sing and play them.
  

So here's my list, based on the 2010 Breaking Bread, of songs I'd rather not have to sing during the coming liturgical year. I've only included songs I know. If I don't know the song, no matter how bad it may be, it's not going to be on my list.

Let the Valleys Be Raised (Schutte)--this one was wonderful before they changed the words to be PC.
Ashes (Conry)--ick.
Beyond the Days (Manalo)--belongs on Broadway, not in church.
In These Days of Lenten Journey (Manalo)--could we get any more self-congratulatory than these lyrics?
Resucito (Arguello)--fortunately, the music director who had us singing this has moved on. We're not a Spanish-speaking parish, so there's no need to sing in that language. And the translation is terrible. The English and Spanish verses have little to do with each other, and neither one is good poetry.
Gather Us In (Haugen)--this one is bad on so many levels.
Gather The People (Schutte)--it's not very original; many of his songs have the same theme. He's been very big on "inclusion" lately. And that last line of each verse: "Here we become what we eat"--I get what he means, but there has to be a better way to say that.
Song of the Body of Christ (Haas)--whiny melody, and bad poetry. Not a good combo.
I Am the Bread of Life (Toolan)--if I never have to sing this one again, it'll be too soon. Every time I'm told that we'll be singing it, my response is "Kill me now."
Pan de Vida (Hurd)--again, we don't speak Spanish here (but I do, and the translation is horrible). I don't switch well between languages, so it drives me crazy that the refrain is half English, half Spanish.
That There May Be Bread (Weston Priory)--along with just about all the Weston Priory songs, the lyrics are bizarre. Nice words that really say nothing.
The Summons (Bell)--first-person singular.
Servant Song (McCargill)--I like the sentiment, but not the lyrics, and not the melody.
Here I Am, Lord (Schutte)--first-person singular.
All Are Welcome (Haugen)--this is not a bad song in itself, but it has a bad association for me. It was sung at a special Mass where we said goodbye to the Sisters who had been told by the pastor that they needed to relocate because we could no longer afford to keep the convent open. All are Welcome--but don't let the door hit you on your way out.
Sing a New Church (Dufner)--don't get me started.
Endless is Your Love (Kendzia)--sounds like something the leading lady sings when she's alone on the stage. To her boyfriend.
You Are Near (Schutte)--this was fine until they took out the "Yahweh." I understand that we want to be sensitive to other faiths...but it's hard to rethink lyrics I've known since the '70s.
The Spirit is a-Movin' (Landry)
Come to Me (Weston Priory)--first-person singular.
You Are Mine (Haas)--first-person singular.
The Lord Is My Hope (Ridge)--more Broadway stuff.
We Have Been Told (Haas)--first-person singular.
Anthem (Conry)--FUN to play. I love playing it. But the lyrics are STRANGE!
We Are the Light of the World (Greif)--kill me now.
Sing to the Mountains (Dufford)--it was great before they made it PC.
Lift Up Your Hearts (O'Connor)--same thing.
Sing a New Song (Schutte)--this is no longer a new song. Let it go.
Speak, Lord (Uszler)--the refrain is great but the verses are a little off. You can tell that some of the verses were by a different lyricist.
They'll Know We Are Christians (Scholtes)--overdone.
Join in the Dance (Schutte)--I especially can't stand verse 2.
Isaiah 49 (Landry)--first-person singular.
Seek the Lord (O'Connor)--they've got the PC and the original versions here. How are you supposed to announce to the assembly that you'll be singing one version or the other? "We'll do the ORIGINAL verses, you know--the ones that offend a certain population because a masculine pronoun is used in reference to God." Yeah. That'll work.
Turn to Me (Foley)--first-person singular.

So there you go.

Please refrain from using the "Emergency Broadcast System" every single night (including weekends) to remind my child to bring in magazine-sale fundraiser stuff. That hardly constitutes an "emergency."

These days, it seems to be all about ID, all the time.

This week I had to go get my driver's license renewed. Even though I proved four years ago that my marriage is valid in the State of New Jersey, the first time I had to get that special "fake-proof" driver's license, I had to dig out that marriage certificate again. Not the one from the church, people. The one from the State is the only one they will accept. We won't discuss the time and gas I wasted on this one, for the second time.

Then I got a letter from the kids' school. It seems that if I want to continue as a school volunteer, I not only have to go through the VIRTUS training program (done, 3 years ago), but I now have to be fingerprinted and issued a Diocesan ID.

I am going to be treated like a criminal (and required to present, AGAIN, the very same IDs that I had to present this week to the DMV or whatever they're calling it these days) so that I can stamp library books in my children's parochial school.

Yes, the parish will pick up the tab (and believe me, I'll be turning in that receipt!) but the cost is not the point. And believe me, I'm all for Protecting God's Children. Again, that's not the point.

Most of the people who are involved in school volunteering, Scouting, coaching and Religious Education are parents. That's not to say that parents are blameless and that they would never endanger their own children or their children's friends or classmates. But the vast majority of people who have put the children in the kind of danger that has caused us to need VIRTUS are not parents. Yet we parents must pay. I've already paid for my fingerprinting tab through my tuition and my weekly contributions to the parish--so when they reimburse me, it's just my own money coming back once when I've paid twice. Not to mention the time and gas that I'm going to just consider wasted. And apparently, if I forget to bring and wear that Diocesan ID, the school can tell me that I can't help in the library today.

I wonder how many volunteers the Church and schools will lose because of this policy? I'm not going anywhere, but I'm quite sure that this will chase people off.

I am generally a pretty even-tempered person, unless I'm driving...or unless my across-the-street neighbor is outside with his (insert curse word of choice here, this is a family blog) leaf blower. Did I mention that he lives on a corner lot, so twice the sidewalk? I swear it takes him an HOUR to blow every last little blade of grass off his walk.

Get a broom!

A little while ago I answered a phone call. The caller ID said "Ottawa ON." As I have a Canadian friend who lives in Ontario and calls me occasionally, I took the call expecting to hear her voice.

Was I surprised to instead get a taped-telemarketer call informing me that President Obama was encouraging mortgage lenders to work with mortgage holders....at that point I hung up. I'm fine with my mortgage the way it is. (Property taxes are another story.)

So why is it that these mortgage lenders need to go outside the country to hire telemarketers to play taped messages to American mortgage holders? Do we have a shortage of telemarketing companies in the USA that could do such a job? Judging by the number of calls I receive despite being on the Do Not Call list, I'm guessing that this job could have been taken on by Americans, thus employing Americans and ultimately stimulating our economy. I doubt we handle such calls for Canadian banks, urged by their government.

It just bugs me--something about this just doesn't sit right.

Last night Middle Sister and I attended the information meeting about next year's Confirmation. It was a really important meeting that would review the entire process of preparing for the sacrament.

So we got there on time and sat for twenty minutes while many others arrived late. Still others got there after the religious-education director had begun speaking. Not like we could hear her, since the sound system in the cafechurchagymatorium is no great shakes and she is a very soft-spoken woman.

We were treated to a tidbit or two about her disagreement with the pastor on the timing of Confirmation. Seems that he'd prefer to delay it until high school, while she wants it as early in eighth grade as possible. Apparently the compromise is February of eighth grade. They think. But we won't know until the Bishop sends in his RSVP.

We received information on choosing a sponsor, working on service projects and the requirement that the students are to write a personal letter to the pastor asking to be accepted as confirmandi. We learned how to request eligibility letters for sponsors and about an essay the students are to write, based on an interview they conduct with someone who puts the Church or community service on a high priority in his/her life. All of this information was important and necessary and, I believe, will help the students in their preparation.

And because sacramental preparation is incomplete without a craft project, we got the details on the Confirmation Arts-N-Crafts Candle.

My apologies to anyone who reads this who may be a DRE or involved in religious ed. or sacramental preparation. I have the utmost respect for catechists until they show me that they haven't earned it. But last night left a bad taste in my mouth.

The meeting, scheduled to last 45 minutes, began 20 minutes late and lasted only ten. I spent more time in the car picking up Middle Sister's classmate, driving to the school, and then delivering the classmate back to her front door and going home than I did learning about next year's Confirmation. They could have handed the children their folders and Bibles in school and had this meeting during religion class; the CCD children were dismissed to their CCD teachers to continue the class after last night's meeting.

And the DRE let us know that memorizing things about the Faith is "out." She wants this to be "meaningful" for the children; this is "their special celebration."

I'm not depending on the religious education program to make that happen for my daughter. Arts-N-Crafts isn't going to do it. Not for Middle Sister, and not for any kid.

I am sitting here "on hold" with my husband's doctor. He asked me to call and reschedule an appointment he has for early next week.

So I am listening "to the entire menu as our options have changed..." (the menus always say that. But the options always sound the same to me! And by the time I get to the last option I forget which number I should have pressed.)

If I want to reschedule an existing appointment, I am to press 2. (did that)

"You have reached the rescheduling department of (name of doctor). If you wish to reschedule immediately, please press 0. Otherwise, after the beep, leave the patient's name, telephone number, date of birth and date of appointment, and call back in a few hours to reschedule your appointment."

You have got to be kidding me! I have to leave you all that data in your message and you can't be bothered calling me back?

I pressed 0 and got a very miffed-sounding secretary who grudgingly rescheduled the appointment.

This had better be one fantastic doctor, because the office procedures and staff leave much to be desired.

Today I ordered some clothes for my Big Kids to wear on Christmas. I'd taken care of Little Brother's needs a couple of weeks ago. He got a new sweater that he can wear with the khaki dress pants and a turtleneck that he already owns. So he's all set. Big Brother only needed a shirt, and since he just likes wearing a golf shirt and khakis, his shopping was done in a flash.

Then it was time for Middle Sister. Gone are the days when I could buy any dress with a "twirly skirt" and she was good to go. She's been emailing and IMing me with possibilities and I have rejected each and every one. A halter dress with net top, or spaghetti straps, or deep V-neck and sleeveless--in December? For a 12-year-old?



For a while I thought it was just because she had outgrown the girls' sizes and now had to shop in Juniors, but when I peeked back at the girls' dresses they were not much better. And almost nothing had sleeves. Most of the junior dresses barely hit fingertip length. How do they sit in those things?

And then we've got the shoes, because nothing says "Merry Christmas" like above-the-knee high-heeled hooker boots. (She doesn't understand why she can't have them).

Fortunately we did find a dress we could agree upon, though Middle Sister insists that she's not happy with this choice. But it's modest enough, provided she wears it with some leggings. And she'll get a new pair of flats to go with it.



It would be a lot easier if she'd just wear pants and a sweater....