Both of our older sons really want the new Xbox Kinect (sp?) game system, so we're getting that, plus a couple of games. They think we aren't getting it, though--so it'll be fun! Other than that, probably not a whole lot. Maybe some Vans sneakers and a couple of cool t-shirts.

I think recommendations might've changed? Because I had a baseline done at 35, with the next one scheduled for 40. I missed that one due to putting it off five months, then getting pregnant and now breastfeeding. I'm 42 and will definitely have one when LO weans. Y'all are scaring me. But sometimes that's a good thing!

Gosh, that's just terrible!! Sending prayers to all who loved her.

Wow! Thank you so much for all the great ideas! Both my kids love frozen breakfast sandwiches, burritos and those toaster pastries with the eggs and cheese in them. But they're expensive, and nutritionally, garbage. I don't know why I never thought about making my own healthier versions and freezing them ahead of time. Duh. And...thank you for giving me a reality check about needing to teach my boys how to cook. :blush: The 12 y.o. has been interested in it for a while now; it's just my own laziness in not taking more time to teach him how to do the basics. (I really am ashamed of that...esp. after reading these replies!) I am inspired that so many of your 6 and up kids do basic cooking. I'm not sure about my 8 y.o., though. He is SO impulsive and improvises a LOT on instructions. I might still have to hold off for a little more maturity in him before I turn him loose with a frying pan! :D Oh, and I'd love that recipe for high-protein muffins, and those spicy chick-peas. DS1 and I love chick-peas...we can eat them straight out of the can!

I've decided that part of my 12 y.o's sluggishness is that he eats cereal for breakfast. He usually eats while I'm busy with the baby, but this morning I saw what he had and it was a huge bowl--way bigger than it should be. I've told him before that he eats too large a portion, but he does it anyway when I'm not looking, so I've grounded him from cereal. However, part of the secret to my sanity is having kids who make their own breakfasts. (I stay up late, writing to help the family make ends meet, and am not in any way a morning person!) DS1 hates peanut butter, so that is out of the question. Should I trust him to make himself an egg, unsupervised? (He's only done minimal cooking so far.) Is there anything as easy to grab as cereal, that they can both make for themselves but won't leave me dealing with the carb crash an hour later, just as we're trying to start schoolwork? Would love to hear your ideas!

Sending my sympathies, too. Having had several losses myself, I can understand that it doesn't matter how many kids you have, or how many you've already lost--every miscarriage hurts. I am sorry that you are going through this. :grouphug:

Thanks for the feedback! I'm ordering some today. :)

Glad to read these responses, as my middle child is a chatterbox and I deal with this pretty much every minute of every day! I always feel SO guilty when I hush him before he says a full sentence. I want my kids to know they can tell me anything. And he comes up with some of the funniest things. But I have to balance that with DS1's needs for quiet, and my own sanity! Non-stop chatter just wears me down! LOL

I've been hearing about the health benefits of coconut oil (anti-inflammatory, regulates blood sugar, helps with weight loss) and I'm thinking it could help some of my chronic health issues. (PCOS, insulin resistance, unspecified autoimmune disease). It's also supposed to be a really great skin moisturizer, and good for diaper rash. The reviews for it are good on Amazon. Just wondering if anyone here has any experience using it?

-PCOS/insulin resistance (on 1500mg of extended-release metformin for that--with the accompanying stomach issues. Fun! LOL) -High BP (on a low dose of Labetalol. Most of my readings at home are good so I hope that with some weight loss, the cardio will take me off it) -Mysterious autoimmune disorder. We don't know what it is. For several years I was told I had lupus, but my new rheumatologist doesn't think it's that. My symptoms are joint pain, stiffness and swelling (esp. in my hands), mouth sores, and exhaustion. My blood work shows antiphospholipid and anticardiolipid issues, positive ANA--speckled pattern, high sed rate and CRP. With my last pregnancy, all of it went into remission, which was awesome! It's only now starting to creep back up on me. I should make another rheumy appointment but I just don't want to. Stubborn, I guess--and tired of not getting any real answers.

Thanks!

:iagree: No way, no how. DH has even said that if something happens to me, God forbid, he will figure out a way to continue homeschooling.

Just wanted to chime in that I am exactly like you! Colds, I can handle, but the stomach crud? I avoid it at all costs! My oldest has a very sensitive gag reflex and when he gets sick, it is miserable for ALL of us because he just pukes and pukes for hours on end. Even phenergan doesn't help much of the time. I was a real vomit-phobe before having kids. They've desensitized me somewhat, but still--if I can avoid it, I do. I have an autoimmune disorder so when I get sick, I'm usually sicker than everyone else. And by the way, according to the CDC, some gastrointestinal viruses remain contagious up to two weeks after symptoms disappear! People think they're well, but they're depositing virus particles everywhere they go--and it only takes a miniscule exposure to cause illness. So the time to avoid others is during the illness and after. I know it's not feasible to stay in for that long, but still...I think if more people knew they were contagious after their symptoms disappear, and stayed home an extra couple of days, stomach viruses wouldn't spread as rampantly as they do.

Nutella Nirvana: Get a box of Pepperidge Farm frozen puff pastry sheets. Thaw/unfold according to package directions. Cut each sheet into approximately 12 to 16 squares. Spoon a teaspoon of Nutella into each square, then fold over into a triangle. (It'll look like a tiny little turnover.) Press edges together. Bake according to package directions. Let cool slightly, dust with powdered sugar and enjoy. Heaven, I tell you.

I wouldn't have taken it personally. Actually, even though my kids are generally well-behaved in public, we do have an impulsive 11 month old. I'd have been relieved that I didn't have anyone seated next to us for them to potentially bother! LOL I agree--most kids are such hellions these days that when I go to a restaurant (rare) with just DH, I always request to be seated away from kids. I wish restaurants had kid-free zones. I really do. Then when I went out on a date, I wouldn't have to worry about it. And when I went out with my kids, the same would be true.

I have two SILs, both my DH's sisters. One is is his full sister, the other is a half-sister. Thankfully, they are both two states away. His full sister, T, is a real piece of work. I could go on and on about her, but basically, she's a narcissistic, hypochondriac, paranoid, mean-spirited person who uses people relentlessly. I am totally fine with never seeing her again unless she gets her act together. His half sister, J, is much younger than us. She is one of those 20-somethings still living off her parents and not doing anything with her life but partying. She was sweet when she was younger, but we have nothing in common.

My hubby likes mashed potatoes with chicken pot pie, because my recipe has a lot of gravy in it, and I don't add potatoes to the filling. Usually we just eat that, but if I were serving it to company, I'd definitely add a salad like the others have suggested.

We're the only HS family in our church, too. Which is so weird considering how huge homeschooling is in our community. I know tons of HS'ers outside of church, though, so we do have plenty of support elsewhere. But I do, at times, feel like the odd woman out when I'm with a group of ladies at church and they're all talking about their kids and school issues. We also have quite a few PS teachers at our church. Even our pastor sends his kids to PS. I haven't asked him directly, but I imagine he'd be supportive of any educational choice. He's never seemed negative toward HS.

It varies depending upon my mood. Last night, it was mint chocolate chip ice cream. Tonight, it's wasabi peanuts and a cold beer. :)

We always have Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast on our first day of school. My boys would rather have doughnuts than any other treat, but they're so unhealthy, I hardly ever buy them. (I could live a long and happy life without donuts...unless it's a hot Krispy Kreme, and that's another story!). I always make them eat some kind of protein, too, so they aren't bouncing off the walls an hour later. We also try to go to Chuck E. Cheese's for lunch at some point during our first week of school. We usually meet up with another HS friend and the kids enjoy mostly having the place to themselves. Oh, and they usually do some kind of "about me" project that I keep, and the regulatory paper or paragraph about summer vacation. :)

OMG, that is totally like the private kindergarten my poor first son went to. They even gave the kindergartner's a freakin' standardized test at the end of the year! Man, I wish I knew then what I know now...I think of all the crying we both did with sight word flash cards--he just wasn't ready. I wish I had a do-over button because I'd have let him stay home and play. (And I did do that--with very light academics--for DS2 and will do the same for my third.)

:lol: That's the biggest threat to my sons, too! And the 20 minute bathroom breaks. Thanks for the laughs--it's so true!

I'm glad to see this thread. I've been a freelance writer for years, but the only regular gig I had until now a was a bi-weekly, slice-of-life newspaper column that took maybe 5 hours to write and edit. I had an occasional bigger project, but nothing I had to schedule daily. Over this summer, I started writing with a company that provides content for sites such as eHow. I can still decide how much I work, but to bring in the amount we need to help ends meet, I need to write 20-30 hours a week. (It does not pay a lot, but it's something I do well and can do at home.) This summer, I've made it work by squeezing in writing wherever I can throughout the day. I also stay up a few hours later than everyone else, and that is when I get the bulk of my writing done. I don't really know how it's all going to fit when we start back to school on the 16th. Because the time I've been writing at night was also the time I spent on lesson planning, grading, prepping for the next day, etc. We also have an almost-walking 10 month old baby, and I've never homeschooled with a toddler in the house! He is not a very good napper, either. It's going to be an INTERESTING year, for sure. I'm going to have to figure out how to be more organized than I've ever been, something that does NOT come naturally to me! LOL

:thumbup:

I haven't had time to read the other responses, but this is so true. I had a planned c with my last baby, and it went much more smoothly than I imagined! After the first day or so, recovery wasn't too bad. And what she said about watching your husband care for the newborn is so amazing. My DH loves all his boys, but he has a really special bond with the third and I think it's because he did so much for him those early days when I couldn't do it all.