I often buy roses just foer their names if their names belong to my cats or friends or relatives (or their interests). For my cats: Alister Stella Grey for Alistair, Bengal Tiger for pablo Mighty Tiger Paws, Comtess du Cayla for Rebbeca Comtessa, Smokey for Smokey, Ophelia for Ophelia, Lili Marleen for Marlena, Buff Beauty for Mia-Nina (buff color), etc. And I have Mrs R.B. Finch for my zebra finches. For people, Kent for one of my brothers, Purple Heart for my dad (they died within a month of each other), Napoleon for my mother who was big fan of Napoleon's, Queen Elizabeth because my grandfather grew her, Claire Rose for my friend Claire, etc. I end up with a lot of roses I wouldn't choose otherwise, but it gives a good variety. And its not only a way to honor those I care about, but it also reflects the many different kinds of people, human and other, in my life. I also buy roses for people or things I like. Robin Hood is still one of my heros. I don't mind ugly names but I don't buy roses named for people I don't like.

I agree with almost all of what has been written above. YOU need to fix it NOW. You're 3.9 years overdue, plus your girls are at a particularly nasty age. It'll be ten times as hard now as it would have been 4 years ago. Sit them both down in a place with no distractions and lay down the law. I'd try it with both together, but if that won't work, divide and conquer. Maybe talk to them in the car at the side of the road or in a parking lot (stomping distance from home?) -- whatever it takes to get them to listen. Keep your rules simple and short, and set the bar realistically low. In other words, they are not required to be nice, but are absolutely required to be civil. Dinner will be eaten together at the family table, and anyone who doesn't want to eat, doesn't eat. (Period. Get a cheap plastic locker and padlock if needed.) All questions will be answered in a polite manner. (Ask Hubby to keep them minimal at first.) Make a written list of your rules and post them on the wall. Also pre-determine consequences for breaking the rules -- loss of computer, phone, gaming, TV, iPod, piano, activities -- and FOLLOW THROUGH. Make your punishments short but severe. Since their behavior has become habitual, maybe come up with a 'warning' signal you can give them so that they can turn it around before losing a privilege. Now on the BioDad. He needs to understand that by encouraging them to behave that way, he is turning his children into little monsters. They are already disrespecting you; it won't be long before they turn their disrespect on HIM. And on anyone else who displeases them -- teachers, friends, coworkers and bosses. He is doing them NO FAVOR and actually causing them quite a bit of damage. You may want to gather some hard evidence of Dad's support before launching your 'fix' campaign. Why? Because I'm guessing YOU will not be able to change Dad's mind, no matter how persuasive your speech, because a Dad who does that isn't thinking clearly. But try to persuade him. Give him a chance and ask for his help in turning the girls' behavior around. Maybe write him an email? Several? And if he refuses, drag his butt into court because a judge will straighten him out pretty quick. Family court judges see this kind of thing a lot and have very little tolerance for this kind of carp. Maybe ask for court-ordered counselling and compliance monitoring? Or ask that if Dad won't comply, that he lose unsupervised contact with the girls? Frankly, I'm surprised your husband has put up with this as long as he has.

I love the color of your foyer floor and bannister - that would be a nice color for the treads. I would only caution though to be sure to keep the rug at the bottom (or something similar) for a visual cue so that no one mistakes the last step for the floor. In your first post, last 2 pics (from the top of the stairs), you can see how that could happen if the floor and the stairs were the same color and the rug wasn't there. I'm mentioning this because my mom broke her leg on a vacation when she was in an old building. Stone steps, blue tiled floor at the bottom, but the last step was tiled the same as the floor, so she mis-stepped because she thought she was at the bottom. First day of a trip to Italy... and she came home the next day in a giant cast! :(

Oh my, Elmer. I currently have a neighbor who is a true challenge to deal with, much like yours was. Now, he is not only a horrible and hateful and vindictive man, but he has voiced that he thinks it better that we did not exist! Just a hair shy of a physical threat! Now, he is politically motivated to be a real thorn in our side with his passive aggressive and harassing behavior. I have always tried to avoid him as much as possible all of these two decades that he has lived next door. Up until these political times, he was mildly amusing and drunk much of the time while his wife supported him. For years we have tried to maintain a civil relationship with him and tried to keep conversation cvil and non political. I knew his political leaning but never chose to engage him or challenge him. I just let his hateful rhetoric slide away. But, as of these last few years it is as if his inner demons have just run rampant in his deranged head and he is a real concern and a threat. He appears to have joined one of these groups that expresses hate and he comes and goes in his camouflage that he never wore before. He is sober now, but he was more tolerable when he was drunk. He once told us that he was going to shoot his son in the head if he discovered that he was not hetrosexual. Several of us on the street heard him say that. Yeah, that is the sweetheart that he is! He did not do that and his son certainly appears to be firmly not heterosexual. I think his wife keeps him in check, to a degree. It is very uncomfortable having him next door, very uncomfortable. His hatred is real and nasty and threatening. He is one of those angry people who can't escape himself because his hate is rooted in his own vision of himself and his failings.. That is what I have determined after all of these years of dealing with him. He can't escape himself but he can blame the rest of the world and dish out hate and anger. Just an awful person! Husband views him as a bully who makes threats but is too cowardly to do anything. WE are just a couple of senior citizens trying to get by and stay in our home for as long as we can. He is one good reason that I am ready to move away, which is an idea that is coming as we are getting older and life is getting harder. I just want to greet the morning without wondering what meanace he is planning on unleashing this day. A constant thorn in my side, for sure, as well as a real physical threat.. I have never experienced such dislike and distrust of anyone on such a personal basis as this, ever in my life. He has earned it over these years. This is not some snap judgement.