I liked what ‘lime’ said about ‘presumption masked as concern’. I’m going to have to remember that; it’ll come in handy some day.

How old are your boys? I know your younger daughter is 10, same age as my oldest boy.

Thank you by the way for altering my perceptions. Just after I read this, we were headed out and DD had STILL not done her hair as asked several hours earlier. It’s one of those things she hates, and if I do it she will scream and flail and do her best to make it impossible. Thinking of your description of coping mechanisms, I decided not to keep telling her to “Stop it!” Instead I encouraged her to flap her arms and to make wailing noises (not screaming though!) She eventually collapsed into giggles and it was the easiest hair-combing session we’ve had in a long time! Thanks Maddy! Now to see if it will work a second time!

I didn’t know the freezing for warts was awful. I had one removed from my face that way once and I do remember it burned. I have an appt. for DS to have a verruca seen to on Friday, and I was hoping the doc would freeze it away.

Not sure what kind of warts you’re dealing with, but M’s got some and her dr is treating her with some special goo she hand imports from the US that doesn’t hurt like the freezing does. (I’ve had the freezing myself, it’s awful.) The goo does cause sores afterwards (sort of “explodes” the warts I guess) but there’s enough of a delay that M doesn’t mind going to the dr because she doesn’t identify one with the other. Of course she’s much younger, but I figured I’d throw some assvice out there anyway, just in case.