I hear you! There is a balance that needs to be thought of for the entire family. There is the fact that dd can pursue her passions and goals on through life, too, which are independent of you. In the late teens and upwards, she can do all the gymnastics or other activities she wants to and can afford. Did you know that most professional classical musicians only go really in-depth in their instruments at college/university age?

I seriously doubt a 19 month old is going to learn effectively from a book. That for adults. You teach him by your reactions and guidence.

Awesome project! What a wonderful goal to set and accomplish for such a young girl. There is a local girl who raises money for cancer research by holding a yard/garage sale each year. It just keeps growing as local news coverage and word-of-mouth spreads. She raises thousands of dollars every year. All the best to you and your dd!

Two years ago we got two kittens from a litter. Best move we've ever made. We'd always had single cats, but two litter mates are awesome! - They play together at night so you don't have to. - There is a lot less fighting over the kittens by the children, and the kittens get more breathing space from excited kids because there are two of them to go around. - They curl up and sleep together (until they get too big to both fit on the chair) - They groom each other - Cats require very little vet attention after the initial neutering/spaying. It's completely different than dogs. I've never, ever heard of any vaccines for cats. Sounds crazy, unless your by-law officer can sniff you out and fine you. - Cat food isn't expensive. You can always go the food scraps route, too. - The litter box does fill up quicker, so keep on top of it.

Only my first and second threw fits and screamed. I think I just didn't pay any attention to the next two when they tried that method of getting their own way, because I was too busy, and I had learned to ignore that behaviour. For sure, talk to the child AFTER the screaming fit, and encourage the appropriate way to ask mommy for what you want. My youngest son was an expert at getting me to do things for him in a wonderfully appropriate way that didn't involve speaking. He just took my hand and led me to what he wanted. Totally effective for him and I just calmly followed along. Kids are so smart!

All my dc take Taekwon-Do, which includes both physical aspects to releases and "street smart" information to prevent attacks when possible. My dh and I have also studied Taekwon-Do (I'm a black belt), so as a family we have this foundation to build on in specific situations, etc. As an adult starting Taekwon-Do, I gained so much confidence and awareness about staying safe in my world - plus I've been very fortunate. I'd recommend a good self-defence program through martial arts for adults and children.

Congratulations!! :001_smile: I have to post to see my level - probably larvae.

Just a quick question, did FIL get the vacation approved with your dh for that time, or just his own work? Sounds a little weird, unless this is totally normal for them and your dh.

It depends on the type and quality of the bags and the storage space you have available. If they are down-filled I would follow the recommendations of the manufacturer, and store lying flat. I don't typically wash my poly-filled bags very often. I don't have enough space to store them flat, so I have them loosely piled. I never ever fold and roll my bags, neither for transporting nor storing them as this causes permanent creases in the material and filling and can increase the wear and breakdown of the material (same as with a map that is constantly folded again and again on the same folds). It's actually better to stuff the bags willy-nilly into their stuff bags.

Have you had any salt or electrolytes along with the water? Is your skin salty? When you urinate what colour is the fluid? Nearly clear or dark yellow? You need to replenish salt and electrolytes along with water after being outside in heat. The salt will also help your body retain the water. If your urine is dark yellow, you are more dehydrated; if urine is clearer then you may be overhydrating, which is also dangerous. I am a runner, and exercising in the heat without dehydrating is a science. If your symptoms of thirst are solely today, it may just be dehydration and loss of electrolytes. If symptoms continue it could be something else or more serious.

In general, it would depend on the activity. If the sport was ice hockey or football, I'd say no. There are too many head injuries in the competitive sport. I would say a big yes to recreational level of either of these. The same with gymnastics. I think the activites learned in gymnastics are wonderful and so good for almost every other sport or activity. The self-confidence gained, mental focus, body awareness, and learning to find and push one's limits are well worth the time and money. I wouldn't go the competitive route with a young girl, though. There are huge potentials for repetitive injuries that can effect a person their whole life. The amount of pounding on still-developing bones is not healthy in young gymnasts who train 12 - 20 hours a week.

A running specialty store will have various types of shoe inserts available. There are gel inserts that look really comfy. You need a shoe that the insert comes out, though. A decent running shoe will do this, a cheapo probably shouldn't be used by your dh anyway. Orthodics are custom made and are more expensive, though they may be covered by your health care. For a highly irregular foot, I'd go to an orthodics guy just to hear his recommendation. There are more parts of the foot that can cause real pain besides the arch and sole. Re-reading your original message, it sounds like your dh needs a motion control shoe more than an insert. If he pronates a lot during running, this type of shoe will help control that. Go to a running specialty store that knows how to fit running shoes properly.

I'm not a fan of bath paint or anything I need to wash. Bubble bath is fun enough. My dc love playing with Playmobil in the bathtub. There are some small sets that are wonderful for water play, but almost anything will do. The pool sets have "air mattresses" and some sets have canoes and boats. I don't let them bring in the really tiny pieces for fear of getting stuck in the drain.

I think it depends on the child. I've been reading The Hobbit to my dc, and we all love it. They had no problem with the spiders. They already know a lot of the action parts from LOTR, though, so that might have helped.

Me too, though 5 or 6 would be my max.

Long Beach Island, NJ has very nice beaches, especially on the coastal side. Adults have to pay to use them, but you can buy day passes. There is also lots of action on the calmer bay side for swimming, renting sea dos, crabbing, etc. You drive out on the causeway, and there are lots of towns and beaches along the island in either direction. Lots of families here.

Unless you are in the west and can find them cheap and easy, I wouldn't bother with "cowboy boots." You need footwear with a heel and a closed toe, and if the weather is hot where you're riding, the footwear doesn't have to go up as high as cowboy boots. I found leather ankle high boots for summer wear, and I have riding rubber boots for the other seasons, but lots of riders wear leather winter ankle high boots with a heel. I found the traditional cowboy boots incredibly uncomfortable.

I agree with this totally. Norway in particular has a typical diet with lots of breads and carbs, and LOTS of physical activity. There is also not a culture of fast food restaurants and highly processed foods. Dairy products, small amounts of meat - especially fish and seafood - are also very common.

If you eat as late as 7pm, and haven't done any physical activity after that, you shouldn't NEED to eat any more that evening. You can go to bed feeling a little hungry - you just wake up in the morning with a healthy appetite, and that's just what you want is to eat breakfast to get your metabolism going. The sugars in your "midnight" snack are going to hurt your chances of undisturbed sleep, the caffiene in chocolate wrecks mine. If you feel you need something in your tummy, drink water or milk. Warm milk is very tasty and relaxing. Or you can drink herbal tea to keep your hands and mouth busy. It might make for more nightime bathroom breaks, though.

To cut down on the wired feeling at night I totally cut out caffeine, and have been slowly re-introducing it in small amounts early in the day. To promote sleep I exercise regularly, take a hot bath when my legs feel jumpy (even if it's in the middle of the night), don't eat much (especially sugar) in the evening, and pray and read before bed. I've never taken any sleeping meds. I don't panic over not sleeping two or three or more nights in a row - I figure my body will eventually get the rest it needs.

Your just a babe. Is this thread some kind of torture you delight in?

I'd probably look for a cello teacher (Suzuki) in your area, then look to see where you can rent a cello. They are very expensive to purchase. Our Suzuki (violin) music school has private lessons, group classes and group theory classes. The combination is wonderful. It's a fairly big financial and time commitment, but the dc's progress has been excellent.

We just got back from our big, beautiful church with a Roman church design and NO air conditioning. Oh my word was it HOT!! :001_huh: I've heard that many homes, offices, hotels and conference rooms in Europe do not have a/c. How do people survive this, especially in ties and suits? :tongue_smilie:

I would have recommended the Loster Fest in Shediac, NB! Yummy!! Also, drive across the bridge, or better yet take the ferry to Prince Edward Island.

The Fellowship of the Ring - Tolkien Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life - Roald Dahl