Because of this article, we bought this mattress through Amazon for my dd's bedroom when she moved away and took her bed. She sleeps on it when she's home, and she has no complaints. I'm a bit nervous about replacing ours with a king size, but when the time comes, we'll go this route instead of $1000+

OK is unusual if it has marriage and divorce records available on line. Most states do not. Colorado used to have current marriage records available online, but I don't think they do anymore (I don't see them). They certainly don't have divorce records. I think that it wouldn't even be on my radar to consider that someone would lie about that, so I wouldn't think of double checking. I did, however, run a criminal background check on dh when I met him 25+ years ago, because I had a job that I could do that. It was not as big a deal back then; now it would get me fired.

I don't know anything about fostering and would consider the advice already given. However, we pulled out dd out of ps midway through 1st grade, and I had a preschooler. It was a GREAT time to begin homeschooling. It took a few weeks to get into a more permanent routine, there was hardly a "transition" period. I wasn't running a tutoring service and day care, nor did I have outside prep time. It was first grade at home, not first grade in a class room. It was not a family decision for us, it was one made by the two adults, "This is what is happening, and this is what we've decided. We're excited, and we know you're going to like it too!" I'm surprised by the number of discouraging comments on this thread. I've been on these boards since the early - mid 2000s, and I can't imagine seeing comments like this back then (particularly unsolicited). To the OP: YOU know your family best. If you decide to take the plunge, you are not committing to a lifetime of homeschooling! You can take it one year at a time, and when you decide it is no longer the best choice, you can look at other options. We took it year by year and ended up homeschooling all the way through. Our initial decision to homeschool was one of the best things we ever did for our family, and I wouldn't trade the time I spent with my kids for the world. Enjoy your kids; enjoy your time together!!

I have thinning, overplucked eyebrows from the 1980s. Eyebrow pencils have been practically life changing! I started out using the powdered ELF products. As a PP said, you can't beat the $2 price! I've since tried several other pencils, and I keep going back to Maybelline Brow Precise Micro Pencil. Like another PP, I use the blond color, although my eyebrows are a medium-dark brown. I'd really like to do microblading, but at this point, the cost is out of my range.

We bought one or two several years ago when they were new and more $$$. My husband didn't like them, thought the light was washed out by our neighbors' lights. We returned them. I loved them, and I'd get them again in a heartbeat. I don't have any brand recommendations, but I would consider how to secure the projector. At least for a while, they were an item easily and quickly stolen, since they were expensive, fairly small, and easy to pick up in the dark. I don't know if they are still a popular item for thieves.

When my kids were younger, we used to play the original version of the Game of LIFE that my in-laws had from the 1960s. We played it enough that the cardboard broke, the peg people were lost, etc. I replaced the game with a new version a few years ago, but we all hated it. So many things had changed! My kids were home for Thanksgiving (one working, one college), and my husband pulled out the new game to play with them. He hated it. Yesterday at Barnes & Noble while shopping with my kids, we stumbled on a "throwback" 1960s edition of the game. We snapped up the very last copy, and we are SO excited to give it to dh for Christmas! We can go back to playing with $10,000 salaries and all, lol, and LIFE will be perfect again!

Well, I would have said cash in envelopes. (How do you lose cash but not a credit card?)

I'm not sure if you're referring to me as a skeptic. I don't doubt they are connected. I am just surprised that so many people are concerned about romaine when they scoff at other CDC recommendations.

I don't understand the reaction to the CDC warning. This is the same CDC that denies any possibility of a connection between childhood vaccines and autism, the same CDC that annually pushed flu shots for all. Thirteen people across the county reportedly get ill from eating romaine last month. I am not throwing out my food. In fact, my husband bought romaine last night--after seeing the warning (it was still on the shelf), and we happily ate salad for dinner. If only people reacted the same way to, oh, say smoking or vaping warnings, or any other myriad of serious, widespread health concerns.

We bring our own Bibles to church. It would surprise me if anyone came to our church for any length of time and did not bring a Bible or read from an app. It's always struck me as sad to pass by a church when the vast majority of people are walking in empty handed. (This goes back to waaaay before apps.) Our pastor teaches through one book at a time, several verses or a chapter at a time. He reads out loud and we read along before the teaching begins. He will occasionally point out word variations in translations if it makes a difference in context. He'll also often refer to different scripture, and we are encouraged to flip around to follow. My husband brings his Bible but doesn't take notes at all. My Bible is heavily annotated, and I write several pages of notes each time, as it fits my learning style. Based on the amount of notes I've taken over the years, I can tell when we were a part of churches with great teachers or when they weren't so great. It's been pretty eye opening. There are maybe 150-200 people on Sundays, 75 on Wednesday nights. There are extra Bibles in the back for guests or anyone who needs to borrow/take one. Songs are on the screens, but the verses being taught are not.

My kids have also relied on RateMyProfessor, one child quite a bit more than the other. He reads all of the reviews, paying attention to the courses. He's a good writer, for example, so he doesn't pay as much attention to the reviews that complain about a lot of writing. He's also been good about writing his own reviews when the class is over. When he's been on the fence about a class (not necessarily based on reviews), he's had great luck just emailing the prof for a class syllabus or even asking specific questions about the course descriptions. That's helped him make decisions about several classes.

Well, this is crazy. I am on my laptop and cannot see your signature. On Firefox, if that perhaps makes a difference.

I had a new job in Colorado. My boss was from the same area in New Jersey where I was born. When my mom was pregnant with me 25 years earlier, she had to quit her job. My new boss was the person who replaced her.

Nothing under your name. If you have a signature, I can't see it!

No. We've never done anything to them (that would have been a deal breaker.) We're on a hill above the neighbor, and the trees run alongside our properties. I'm guessing we first planted the trees six years ago. The middle two died during the first two years (drought?) and were replanted. The taller trees are about their max height, 18-20 feet. Hopefully the picture attached fine . . .

We planted a row of arborvitae between us and a neighbor to form a barrier. The neighbor on the other side of her used these trees, and we followed a year or two later. They are evergreens rather than shade trees. They are quick growing, 3 feet a year. They have been great. They grow well in most of the US.

You are not being petty. The Christian thing to do is what you are doing--speaking kindly and repeating when they continue to push you. Jesus would not let Himself be bullied or taken advantage of, but I also don't think He would block their calls and necessarily refuse to talk to them. If you so chose, it would be perfectly fine to say, "It was such an emotional decision to leave our church, and it needs to be a clean break. I feel for you, but I'm not able to continue to help in any capacity." If the pastor continues to push, perhaps you can suggest she speak to your husband, and he can tell her no, that you are done. ((((Saraha))))

Yeah, there's enough time, and the prices are not a deterrent. They will not be in the airport/flying for 13 hours without food. I am frustrated because it's my mom. The evening plan changed several times, and we knew they would want to eat something but not too much since they will be making an adjustment to the time. We are already on a short time schedule, and then yesterday they suddenly said that they'd instead rent a car (not in the plan!) instead of borrow ours, eat dinner at a restaurant and just see us Friday morning. I completely realize that they are trying to bend over backwards to accommodate us, but we (meaning us and them) had already planned it one way. This will be her third visit in 8 years. I cannot afford to visit her. She will be here for four days, that's the amount of time that she makes her trips. It makes me sad, because I think we have a good relationship, both with her and her husband. I just want to see her the freaking night she gets in!!! I DON"T want them to rent a car, and I certainly don't want to have to wait until the next day to see them. So I kept quiet about the car but said, nope, you are coming to dinner, we've already PLANNED IT! (And now I'm adding to my plan!) So it has nothing to do with expecting guests to eat at the airport. ?

Thank you so much. This is a perfect idea that I never would have thought of, and I have a wonderful White Chicken Chile recipe from Giada that I've made before and will use. Your comment about freezing was also great--I can freeze any leftovers and then take to my college student! I appreciate all of your responses. ?

Friends are coming into town around 9:00 on Thursday night. They are coming from the west coast, so it will be 6:00 p.m. their time. As I'd assumed they would be grabbing something at the airport when changing planes, I've already purchased finger food/appetizers. Yesterday they indicated they would be very hungry and were thinking of dinner. While they don't eat huge amounts of food, I need to add something a bit more substantial to our planned food: Cheese, sausage, and cracker tray Shrimp cocktail Apple slices and grapes Mozzarella/cherry tomato/basil skewers with balsamic I need easy ideas, not expensive or time consuming, and I don't want another item with cheese. Maybe a pasta salad? I don't want to change the meal plan, as we have other plans during their stay, and I can't reuse these items on another night. (Although I guess I could serve them for a snack kind of lunch instead . . . )

We have a 40 foot boundary from the entrance of the polling place, which is marked off by tape. I don't believe that anyone has changed my vote, but I may have been influenced to cast a vote I otherwise would have left blank. Often these volunteers will have a flyer with the Dem or Republican candidates names, and I may have voted along a certain side due to a flyer and discussion. (I don't remember but think I have.) One year, there was a group of homeschooled teens to encourage voters (on their own, no parents). While they weren't old enough to vote, it was very cool to see them there, a, "Hey, I know you!" moment. I would guess it was also an encouragement for other voters to see young people there and probably sparked more conversations than an older person would have.

We dropped our cable and have Netflix and SlingTV. I wanted Sling so we could continue to watch HGTV and Food Network. We've had it for 2+ years, and I love it.

You don't have to have had chicken pox to get shingles--you can get the chicken pox vaccine, not get the chicken pox, and still get shingles. I posted about this over the summer when my 23 yodd came down with and was diagnosed with shingles and got great answers here. Unfortunately, my dd did not have a rash and waited before going to the doctor. (((Kathy))), the pills are huge, yes. My dd can't take pills like that, she ended up cutting them up. While the pharmacist told her she shouldn't, for her, it came down to cutting them up and taking them or not taking them at all. I hope you are feeling better quickly and that the rash clears quickly.

The Jotham's Journey series. These were a family tradition of ours for years and incorporated into part of our homeschooling day. Such great memories!

Another one here with a kid who puked when he came down with colds. He would throw up all of the phlegm. He outgrew it around the age of 12. He also went through a period of time when he'd puke if he ate too fast--or perhaps triggered a gag reflex. All of a sudden, it'd be BLECHHHHHHHH all over his dinner plate. It happened every week or so, I seem to remember; he was around 4 or 5 years old. That made for an exciting year.