Goldarn...I've been gone a long time :) Heard someone say "goldarn" and thought it's better than what I usually say...lol. (I cuss. A lot. Shame on me.)

I didn't kiss my parents' ***ass either. I don't think either of my brothers did, either. I also could hardly be in the same room as either of them. I think it's getting better. IDK...there are ups and downs. I really should just write them out of my life, to be honest....but I'm too much of a pushover.

They joined us for part of the time while we were at Disney World, and I saw....old people. It was amazing to see my parents being so frail and fragile. Barely able to handle it.

Thinking about doing ANOTHER trip like that in the spring again. It was just so amazing! GREAT (and quality) family time! Without my parents, who were really only there for 4 days at WDW anyway...we were gone for 31 days, total, I think. Not sure. It was originally planned to be a 27 day trip, but my 6 year old got pneumonia, so we made our way home v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y

Hope things are good for you. My kids are in all their stuff. My oldest still doesn't drive and he is mad at us about that. My husb is a state trooper though, and so we waited for him to get his permit and that caused getting the actual license to take a while. So he will get it in a month. Then, holy crapoly.....

I also LIKE driving him around :)

Because, you know. I'm overly attached to the kids :)

Is your son still at home? Working with you? It would be great to be able to have a kid who works with you...and lives at home.

And...good for you for not kissing your dad's ***ass. Nobody feels good about themselves when they do that. Fighting with a parent is rough, too, though. But it's great that it worked out. He knew you were the type who couldn't hold your hand out, so he made sure you were still taken care of later on....

I just didn't kiss my parents ***ass like my brother and sister. My dad was a doc and got a lot of respect from everyone except me... we fought all the time. Couldn't be in the same room with each other from the time I was about 12.

But yeah when I grew up we decided we were really a whole lot alike and I got along better with him than anyone ever got along with him. Well except for my mom... And then in some surprise move when he died in his will I got a lot more than my brother and sister. I understood but they both felt really ripped off. It's crazy because he had bought them both houses and put my sister's husband through college too. I don't think my sister ever bought a car, just got mom and dad's old ones when they bought a new one every couple of years. I never asked him for anything and didn't get it until he died. Weird.... I guess we had a different kind of respect for each other. He had a whole desk full of IOU's from my brother too, where he was borrowing a thousand or a couple of thousand all the time, it was funny as hell. I'm just not the kind of person who can hold my hand out like that.

Were you in trouble a lot?

My dad should have never had kids. It's less about not lik8ng kids and more about psychopathology, inability to control anger, and constant need to be in control.

Boys are more valuable in my childhood family, too; though my dad didn't hold back on my brothers, either.

It's too bad that you were singled out and given less materially... which often means less emotionally and in every other consideration.

Were you ever able to build a relationship with him?

Yeah that sucks about your dad. Sorry to hear that. My dad didn't like children either and was pretty rough but I at least got to stay there until I graduated from high school.. then he started charging me rent. Ha and at the same time he was buying my brother a house! I was definitely the black sheep of the family though.

Basically, my parents weren't really cut out to be parents. My dad kicked me out because I was so much trouble. In reality, I was a really good kid, but I was the one who reported him for abuse.

He was mandated into counseling, and we had to do family counseling (he very rarely went).

I lived in a stairwell for about a week before the woman who did our family counseling found me. She put me in a shelter for abused women and I was able to stay there for 2 months rent free.

Ugh... shouted myself

Yikes! My boy is 17. Turned 17 in March, and I keep saying he's 16

I can't imagine your parents kicking you out when you were just a child. How did that happen?

It's so good that your son wotks with you....and it seems like they all live close! That's a bonus! I can move, so my kids' moving doesn't bother me. I already told them I'm going to stalk them for life....🤣

But all 4 of them seem to be going different directions, and that would be hard.... if they end up scattered all oflver the USA or world...

I have a boy, 16; girl, 15; boy, 13; boy, 6

I have two boys and a girl, and yes they are grown. My oldest is a boy and he works with me, so it is great! He was born in 1988 and my daughter in 1990 and my youngest son was born in 1991.. It's hard to believe my baby boy will be 27 this year. He still seems like a little kid.

My daughter got married and moved out at 19, but she has a daughter so we see her and our grandchild a lot! The oldest son that works with me is a video game junkie and he never leaves his room. Gets up and goes to work with me and then comes home and camps out in his room until it's time to get up and work again.

My youngest son comes and goes and I never know where he is. Sometimes he stays gone for days at a time, he is a lot like I was at his age. Always chasing girls or partying with his friends. Everyone says he's my clone, looks like me, has a great sense of humor and a million friends, no time to hang out at the house!

Sounds like we're similar in that. My parents stopped paying for my "stuff" when I was 14 and had my first real job other than babysitting. My dad kicked me out when I was 17. I finished high school being semi homeless. My son is now 17 and I can't even imagine having him leave.
My kids are with me every day since I homeschool.

We've gone so far as to ask if they would both like to go to college in FL and we could maybe buy a small house there and still live together as a family...lol.

And they are not entitled, bratty millenials. They are respectful, kind, and pull their own weight (when we moved in July, my sons did a majority of the heavy lifting and dau carried boxes for hours. They never complained and never asked for pay. They all watch out for and love their 6 year old brother with a passion and tenderness that is usually only seen in parents, too)...but yeah, they are more "spoiled," I guess, than we were growing up. On the other hand, they are more sensitive to others and kind than our generation was.

I'm sorry yours are moving out. It's gotta be hard. Who knew you could love someone(s) so very, very much?!? Lol. Had my 1st at 30 and he was unplanned. Before him, I NEVER wanted kids. Thought I would be childless by choice. Now at 47, I'm not opposed to having another, even, if God allows.

Never been to Indiana. But sounds a lot like KS...yuck. i grew up and lived my whole life in CO., but diff parts. As a kid, I lived in the mountains (Leadville: highest town in USA), and later moved to Southern CO, western CO and now northen CO.

My dau keeps talking about TN with the green, rolling hills and how nice everyone is. I think she may be hooked. Lol

Do you have boys or girls or both? Are they ALL grown up now?

I love Tennessee, it's a really beautiful place if you like hills and woods and lakes and streams. I grew up in Indiana and it was all flat with hardly any wooded areas. Mainly agricultural plots of corn that go for miles and miles and miles without any hills or mountains or anything but corn and beans...

My wife grew up here in Tennessee and loves Florida too. She could hang out on the beach every day forever. It's too hot and dry there for me.

I know how you feel about your kids. I do everything I can to keep my kids here but they are moving out as I type this. Been looking at apartments for a couple of months... I'm like why? I let you live here for free and we have 4 bedrooms there's no reason to move out. It's embarrasing to live with mom and dad though, I understand. Heck I moved out when I was 18 but my mom and dad made me start paying rent as soon as I got out of high school. They couldn't wait for me to leave.

My daughter loved TN so much that she wants to move there.

My son wants to move to FL.

They're 15 (dau) and 17 (son), so them moving is a very real possibility soon.

Gaaaaaah!! It's killing me to think of my kids away from home and scattered all over.

Yes, I have an "unhealthy" love and connection to my kids. I realize "motherhood" is my main identity and all consuming. I don't care. My kids are happier and better off than 90% of today's teens.

I realize my "obsession" will be painful for me when they are on their own. I don't care. I will deal with that then.

Sorry for the rant 😊

Lol. No, didn't see you. Still in Colo but I follow Pastor Greg Locke on fb and he's fabulous. I'd like to attend services, but he's gone a lot, from what I understand. Will call and be sure he's there

No, but I drove by it today... did you see me? Mt. Juliet, not Joliet.

Do you ever go to the Global Vision church in Mt Joliet?

Thank you. Very good to know :)

Don't stay on Trinity Lane unless you want crack and prostitutes. Then it's the best place.. lol. No most of the hotels are in great areas,Nashville is a really safe city. Like a small town with big town amenities.

Hi :)Any advice on places to NOT stay in Nashville?