I'm glad I don't have kids

I am in constant awe of the parents here. I would be one of those mommies who had to go away with the nice men in white coats for a while.

It is harder on his dad than me in many ways. Dad is more of a "fix it" type that needs a solution NOW. Personally, I was very much in the same place when I was 18. It wasn't until a 2 week stint as a waitress that I figured out that college was a much better plan. I believe in my heart that the only thing I can do is keep communication open and his home a happy safe place for him to have as an option. I gave him the tools and know that he will figure it out and be a successful adult. Being his age is tough and I don't want to be the enemy. I can't do it for him; he has to do this on his own.

I just hope he and the girlfriend's family show up. I'll be heartbroken (again) if they don't.

{{{Laura}}} I think the summers I spent working in a bindery loading JC Penny catalog pages into giant machinery helped me want college more than ever. I hope he can figure his stuff out without further misery to his parents.

I hopehe didn't eat something damaging.

smonster, a grumbly tumbly isn't usually too bad a sign.

Check for dilated pupils, drooling, bleeding, problems inside the mouth (sores, burning, etc.) and lightly press on his belly to see if there is any discomfort there.

If he is drinking normally, his energy is good and he's not throwing up or having elimination issues, he might just have a gurggly tum.

I stand by my recommendation of canned pumpkin, in any case.

Oh Laura, you have all my empathy and absolute wishes for a good outcome for him. But whatever happens, you need to understand, accept, and believe this: It is not your fault.

They are people from the first breath. They can be broken. They can be influenced. But they are never actually a parent's creation, and at some point their personality and desires take over and all we can hope is that our influence was enough to ground them through the mistakes they will make.

You've done your job excellently well. At this point it's really up to him, and he'll have to accept blame as well as credit for how it turns out.

All possible best wishes, to you, to his dad, and to him.

bonny, his gums and mouth look okay, and his tummy doesn't seem sensitive. He still hasn't eaten his food, but I put some treats in a toy and he went after those. Still haven't gotten any pumpkin, but I have some chicken broth I made yesterday with no salt. I'll strain some of that and see if he'll drink it.

Thanks, Beverly. I know these things, but I am marking your post to reread and remind myself.

Beverly is verra wise.

Still haven't gotten any pumpkin,

And you won't, at least until the new harvest comes in. [link]

Libby's has six cans of pumpkin pack left. Craziness.

edited because half my post was eaten.

Laura, so much ~ma for you and the family. You are a good mother, and if I didn't love mine so much, I'd want you. Bev is wise, and keep what she said close to your heart.

Joe is laughing about the Libby's pumpkin because for the 5 years he worked at Nestle US Headquarters, it was his job to take, process, and ship the order of canned pumpkin to Mexico in time for the Thanksgiving holidays (which he always thought was odd since Mexico doesn't really celebrate Thanksgiving, right?) Anyway, 15 - 20 palettes of Libby's canned pumpkin to Mexico every year and every year, no matter how early he started (usually around July or August), the pumpkin would barely make it there on time because of the whacky cutoms process.

One year he had to write up an "official" document on how the pumpkin was processed and canned. "Pumpkin is picked. Pumpkin is cooked. Pumpkin is canned."

I currently have 3 large cans and will be hoarding them.