I have to agree with you on this. I do shock at times over Kate's words towards Jon. At times, though, he can seem like one of the kids in his own irresponsibilities. If they filmed the way we run our home there are, doubtless to me, some things others would not like. I definitely have issues with Kate & Jon, but there are things I like about their management of their home also. It may be a process for them, just as well as dh and I have gone through a process...we just don't have a camera on us. I have to say, though, that I definitely find the show more real than the Duggars. I had always respected the Duggars for their decisions to follow God with their children. As I have watched more of their shows, it seems that they are all so plastic and fake sweet, for the cameras. Maybe I'm totally wrong and they really ARE that sweet, but I just don't know anyone who talks the way that mom talks all the time. I also felt extremely uncomfortable with their show where the oldest son got engaged. I couldn't BELIEVE he and his fiance were praying at a table in the middle of a restaurant and thanking God that they had remained pure. We pray in restaurants, so that's not my issue. The topic was just weird. It seemed that they weren't praying that prayer to God, but praying that so they could be heard by cameras and people. I don't like those kinds of prayers!! It was very put on and something just didn't sit well with me about that whole episode. Ick.

Yes, yes, and yes!! I agree wholeheartedly.

I'm interested. I'll check it out. I had read about this about a month ago on another homeschool site, though I had heard of it as tomato staking a few years ago. I had no idea there were even "social groups" on here until all the hullabaloo I saw yesterday. Every cloud has a silver lining, I suppose. :001_smile:

That was very disturbing. It was rather obsessive on all fronts, the mom & the girls. Drawing pictures and naming them? That gave me the creeps! Teresa

Honestly, I'm more like you and would often just take the recipe and "do as I'm told." I'm starting to see, though, that there are just some very controlling individuals out there and I mindlessly wind up pandering to them when I do this. ;)I know many people who would question WHY do I have to make your recipe and not my own? I guess, to me, the whole thing does appear a bit controlling on the part of the planner, but like the others said, that planner may just have a really good reason for what they are doing. Sometimes those in that position have spent years perfecting this type of thing and have learned the simplest way to handle it. Teresa

Is there a free one online? We're wanting to print it up and draw the arrows, etc., ourselves as we study. If anyone has a suggestion, I'd appreciate it. :) Teresa

Strictly for the "play" part. Though these particular neighbors are Obama supporters, so I can see the prosyletizing being a future "plan" on their part. I guess that would definitely make my boundaries easier to implement if they started that nonsense. :lol: Teresa

Because of the hurricane there is no school, plus we just finished summer...I feel like there are either children wanting to be at my home all the time OR my dc are wanting to be at other kids homes in our neighborhood all the time!! Even when school is going, it seems continuous. What kind of rules do you-all who have neighbor kids set up for your home, your dc, and their time in this area? My dc are 13 and 10, and the past year is the first time we have ever had neighbor kids. A little is reasonable, but I'm having a hard time knowing what lines to draw, especially so that we can have plenty of family time. I am grateful for where we are in life right now, but sometimes I miss the days of no neighbor children. Do any of you just allow weekends? T

Oh, wow. My dd, at 13, watched and sat in shock at how ridiculous those women behaved. Role models? No. I shudder to think that those women would be her role models. That just gives me a chill up my spine!! Teresa

Last week whoopi made herself completely ridiculous, and now barbra wawa did too. Her extreme bias was so apparent. She wouldn't make eye contact with McCain, was just shrill and angry and showed her true colors. Those women (other than Elizabeth) make themselves look ludicrous on a regular basis. T

I go to allrecipes for practically everything, but as far as cookbooks, I like some of my old southern living cookbooks. I used to have this incredible one from my mom's church. I swear, I wish I could go to one potluck at that church...everything in that cookbook was superb. I lost it. I've looked and looked, to no avail. :( Teresa

Wow, Jen, I'm sure the OP found your post oh so helpful! Actually, I found you to be extremely rude. I'm offended on these boards on a daily basis...just move on. For the OP: I am in agreement that you should see an attorney. This is just completely wrong on many levels. I can't imagine this being just brushed over if taken to court. Teresa

:lol: It WAS priceless!! My dh says he's a showboat. I say he's a drama king. Whatever it is, he gets on my nerves. We sit here in our portion of TX with no power, no hope for power for 3-4 days, at best; 2 weeks at worst. Thank goodness dh has a laptop and we have a generator for the fridge & freezer!! I'm not looking forward to dealing with all this, but I'm grateful nothing happened to our home!! I'm sad for those who have damage. T

I agree with shell. When there are warnings, mandatory evacuations, etc., and a person stays, they should be billed. Someone made a comment about personal responsibility the other day. I just don't see where people, at this point, can blame anyone but themselves if they have chosen to stay where they are. There have been warnings. What ticks me off is the people that I have seen on the news with children!! GRRRR!!!!! Back to the original point: we, the taxpayers, should not pay for those who chose to ignore warnings. My heart hurts for those who may lose their lives, but again, personal responsibility... T

My 13yodd is kind of dealing with a manipulative teenage girl situation right now. It is mostly one girl in particular whom dd has considered her best friend. The stickiness of the situation is that this girl is a neighbor whose brother is a great friend to my ds. This is not the first time we have had issues with the girl. She's rather Eddy Haskellish, IMO, from an unhealthy home situation, and we've tried to "bear with her" through her ups and downs. I've prayed a lot about this friendship because I sense the girl's deep insecurity problems and her desire to fit in no matter the cost, and didn't really want that type of influence for dd. She's flirty and acts ridiculously brainless around boys when she is a bright, intelligent girl otherwise. I'm trying to balance my aversion to her behaviors with the fact that dd is getting a little older and I need to let her "see" these things for herself. I'm having a hard time keeping my mouth shut. ;) She and her family have started going to our church in the past 8 months or so, and she seems to be doing all she can to sabotage any friendships dd has with others. She seems, most often, either unhealthily jealous of dd's friendships with others or driven to show up dd and try to make these other girls like her more than they dd, which leads the other girls to find her incredibly annoying. So within the past month, she has played the game of trying to make dd jealous. It has backfired, as dd is starting to think she's just a flake. All attempts seem to fail for the girl because dd is fairly mature and doesn't know how to play the teen politics games she sees around her nor does she even remotely desire to become that type of person. Dd has some solid friendhips with girls that don't go to our church who have healthy home lives and don't involve themselves in these things, so she sees that a good life can be had as a teen girl without that nonsense. This girl has, within the week, stopped speaking to dd entirely. Dd waves at her, and she won't even look at her. Okay. This all sounds like God is possibly answering my prayers. Here is my problem: While I distrust the girl, I have a love and compassion for her and I SEE why she is doing what she is doing. I know her history; I know her hurt. Her mom has told me that my dd is one of the best things that has happened to her, her self-esteem has improved, she's happier, etc. The mom sees this stuff and has even come right out and told me that she thinks this is all her dd's fault. I've spoken to dd, and I concur. Dd is just rather baffled by the nonsense. I've counseled dd somewhat on the "whys" of the girl's behavior. Dd is at a point now that she's not going to make forward attempts to the girl because she sees that is exactly what the girl wants from her. How should I counsel dd in this? SHOULD I counsel dd in this? She is somewhat hurt by the situation, but does seem relatively calm about it and aware that the friendship may dissolve but that it will be entirely by this girl's choice. Dd seems to be setting some good boundaries in what not to put up with in a friendship. I think I have this thing in me that it is my job to "fix" things, and that if there is a problem in a friendship it MUST be solved and reconciled. Anyone have any wisdom for me? Teresa

I think you all are right. I have read it. I got it, but it was deep. Dh struggled with it. It would be too much for an 8th grader. We had a youth pastor at a church we used to go to that had the middle schoolers read it and that stuck with me. We're trying to beef up our Bible study time, and I thought that would be good. Can anyone recommend a good "NO FLUFF" Bible study for her to do in the a.m. before school? Even a really good book that she could spend some time each a.m. reading would be good. I have looked at Sonlight's Bible curr. for 7th grade and some of those books look good. I want either a Bible study she could take her time with over the next few months or a book for her to read that she could take her time with. Any ideas? Teresa

My dd is an average reader, not her favorite pass-time. This is a book, though, that I'd like each of my kids to read at some point. Would this be a good book for this age? Thanks, Teresa

2 Cups sugar 1 c water 2-3 T corn syrup 2-3 T brown sugar Stir that just until it's mixed up. Heat it. When it boils, turn it down to simmer and cover it. Cook it for 10 minutes. Add maple flavor (I never measure) and some vanilla (again...). It's not the real thing but my kids won't touch the grocery store stuff now because this is so much better. Teresa

With you, I would hope that we would never off those who aren't cognizant, but the slippery slope is in allowing cognizance to be the standard we set for life. At some point, a standard has to be set or, IMO, we will slowly devalue human life more and more. I've seen society do it in many other areas, so I can't pretend it couldn't happen in this one!!

Off the top of my head, a lot of it deals with the out-and-out male hatred I see. I think the issues with sexual harassment have become perverted and are a part of the problems with our legal system today. As a mom, I personally am not thrilled with the idea of women in the military. Mostly, I guess it has to do with how over the line much of it has become. I disagree with the whole vibe that is cast that if you choose your children and your husband then you have failed the whole feminist movement. I find that idea ludicrous. Those are my opinions, which I'm certain won't be liked, but that's life, I suppose. What are a couple of things I disagree with from her article in particular? I like the NRA. I'm opposed to stem-cell research. I'm an advocate of sex education that encourages abstinance.

So if cognizance is the judge of the worth of a human, wow, that is really going to leave a lot of infants, children, adults, elderly people in a pretty dangerous situation, isn't it? That is a very slippery slope! Teresa

Maybe you weren't trying to convey that, but frankly, I feel that that is the feminist message of late. If we don't agree, then somehow we are not grateful to those who have given us our rights. I disagree with a large percentage of the feminist povs I've seen over the past years. I don't think they reflect the truth of what was fought for in the first place. Just like any good thing can, I believe they've been perverted and warped into something that the early women wouldn't even recognize...or approve of!! I also see much hypocrisy in the Steinem-type feminism.

Didn't you get the memo? As a female, in order to honor all those who may or may not have given you rights as a woman, you have to drink all their kool-aid and keep yer mouth shut. Get back in line!! ;) Teresa

But really, she's giving rights TO future women, the 50% of the unborn who will (if allowed to live) grow up to be women in the future!! Now THAT!!! is fighting for women's rights!! :) Teresa

Amen!! Steinem should feel very blessed to have even been placed in the same paragraph as Susan B. Anthony. Apples and oranges!!! Teresa