Around here, we also hear that people expect homeschoolers to be advanced. Which is kind of a bummer, because mine are so totally average, academically!

I'm 42 and was taught to use 2 spaces in high school and college. When I started writing for my local paper a few years ago, I was quickly informed that one space was the new rule.

I am so going to look for that book! My son will be two next month and he has maybe slept one or two eight-hour stretches the entire past year. Most nights, he's up at least twice. I am SO tired! LOL He also wants to nurse when he wakes...I'm trying the "don't offer, don't refuse" method for weaning and so far it's not cut down on his "bee" time at all (that's what he calls it, loudly sometimes! LOL) BEE! BEE! :lol:

I only cloth diapered my youngest, and I really wish I had done it with my older two. It really is a matter of figuring out what works for you. When he was smaller, I loved prefolds, snappis and covers. Now that he's a wiggly toddler, I find that I prefer pocket diapers that snap-on easily (and aren't easy for him to get off!). We have saved so much money, even though we use a disposable for overnight (he's a terrible sleeper and it keeps him feeling dry longer) and when we go out and about, except for very short errands, when I'll just keep him in cloth. Disposable liners help a lot with the gross older-baby poops. DS loves fruit so his BMs are often a little loose. I have never had him leak out of the leg openings when wearing cloth--but it happens all the time with a disposable on! I just use regular Tide liquid, dry anything with PUL on my folding clothes rack and toss everything else into the dryer. It really is easy once you establish a routine. Even if you only used cloth while your husband was at work, you'd save money over time...if he really is that adamant about not changing them. Mine was reluctant until he understood the savings and now he's a big proponent of cloth diapering. Good luck!

I am totally going to have to try this one for my taco-loving kids! TFS!

What a perfectly gorgeous, chubby little boy! Congratulations!

:lol: Now that's funny! I haven't been asked any strange questions that I can recall. I just get a lot of the "I could NEVER do that!" deer-in-the-headlights reactions.

I would go, since this is unusual for you. You could've developed clots during the flight and if they break loose, can cause a heart attack or stroke. Better safe than sorry, IMO...at the very least, if it's just extreme water retention, they can give you something to relieve it. Sorry you're dealing with this--it sounds uncomfortable!

:lol: Elder-whisperer? I Love it! LOL Well, as someone who grew up with a mother who made it obvious how much she hated our teenage years, and who constantly told me how horrible it would be to parent a teenager--even before I had children--I must say I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I'm enjoying my 13-year-old. :D Granted, he is ONLY 13, but still...he's turning into a pretty cool teenager, and that gives me hope that he'll be an equally great adult. And yes, when I tell my mom that, she just scowls and says, "Yeah, well...just wait...it gets worse!" :glare: I've known enough great teens to know that it doesn't HAVE to get worse. Sure, there are challenges. But isn't that true of every stage of parenting?

Planes are usually so jam-packed these days, it's no longer fun to fly. But seriously...at the end of the day, it's just a few hours out of your life that you won't have to repeat in exactly the same way again. When I'm in the middle of a miserable flight, that's what I keep telling myself...it has an end. Some people are horribly rude, others are doing the best they can. I think a LOT of grace is needed to make flying a positive experience these days.

My sister is a flight attendant and she says they ALWAYS work to keep parents and kids together--even with people who fly on buddy passes and therefore have no "rights" to seat choice or anything. So if you've bought tickets, I would be very surprised to hear that you'd have any trouble getting your son seated next to you. Just let them know at the gate; if that doesn't get you anywhere, talk to the flight attendants at the door as you're boarding and I'm sure they'll sort it out before the plane takes off. Good luck!

I'm so sorry for these people and what they are going through. Thank you for reminding us to count our blessings. I have had an awful day and this reminds me that it could be a lot worse. Hugs!

I've always been various degrees of "heavy" and have noticed fat bias, but...in social situations like the OP mentioned, I've found that continuing to try to reach out usually works. I don't know why people are so closed these days, but it seems to be more and more common. At the end of the day, you usually find that most people just want someone to listen to them--and if you're a good listener, you'll end up having loads of friends--but some shells are very tough to crack! And some people won't open up no matter what. But I see that as a reflection of them, not me. :) I recently wrote a newspaper column about some of these issues. Read it here: http://www.kariapted.com/column-the-beauty-of-aging/ :)

Another Duggar fan here, too. I think they're amazing and I love the example they set. I thought it was a very sweet episode and Anna seems like such an awesome young mommy. I got all teary when she was holding her daughter in that one scene, when Makynzie (sp?) had just woken up and there was a pause in Anna's contractions. I so remembered that feeling of just wanting to snuggle my firstborn and savor every last second that it was just him and me. Sniff-sniff! Though I must admit that seeing her visceral pain during contractions brought back memories of my own labors and made my toes curl a bit. It hurts! But she did great!

:iagree:...especially with #2. As a mom of 3 boys, I am fully aware that one day I'll be the MIL dependent upon my DILs' acceptance of me to be involved in my sons' and grandchildren's lives. And I really hope I don't screw it up! My in-laws and my own relatives have taught me quite a lot about the things NOT to do. I've vented about them in the past...there's really no need to rehash it as I've come to my own acceptance about things. As so many said on the other thread, at some point you have to accept the fact that some people aren't going to love you no matter what you do. Hey, nobody's perfect. I am sure that no matter how considerate I try to be, my daughters-in-law are going to have something to complain about behind my back. So the fact that someone needs to vent about her MIL isn't any reason to feel offended. I, too, am envious of those who have great in-law relationships. I hope to enjoy that, too, one day. And it'll be just fine as long as my boys marry the girls I've already chosen for them. :lol: (Hey, I can hope...right? LOL)

Well, my opinion might be skewed because of the awful memories I have of doing flash cards with my first when he was in private school kindergarten. Or, maybe it's the memory of trying to start him on a structured curriculum at home at age 4. Whatever the case, he was totally not ready for any of it, and one of my biggest regrets will always be pushing him too hard. He recovered, mind you (after a couple of years of homeschooling, beginning when he was 9). But I never did! LOL My second boy went to pre-K because I was working at the time, but his K-5 time at home was pretty unstructured. Just wait til fall, and try it again. My little guy isn't quite 2 and he loves sitting and coloring while the olders do schoolwork. So he might be more interested then. I think it's perfectly normal for little boys in particular to not be ready for anything formal until age 5 or 6. I plan to wait that long with my third child.

Call me dumb, but what does Channeling Doran even mean???

My sister and I talk about that all the time. We live in the same community we grew up in, and it's sad to compare the good education we got back then to what kids are receiving now in the same schools. :lol: In first grade, I read at a fifth grade level. So my teacher had me help tutor the other kids in reading. It was fun--I wonder if schools can even do that now? Truly speechless. :confused:

When my sister was diagnosed with seizures last year, we found out that smelling phantom odors like that can be an aura-type of thing related to seizure disorders. Like someone else said, if it continues, see a doctor. My sister had that (plus other weird symptoms) for years and had no clue she was having seizures in her sleep until she woke up one day blind in one eye and with her tongue mangled from biting it during the seizure. Thankfully, her eyesight recovered and she's been fine since getting on medication. Anyway--it can be something serious.

Ok, I'll be the first to admit that the DVR is set up to record the new episode tomorrow night. :lol: It's a total train wreck and I can't help rubbernecking!!! But I watch Bridezillas for the same reason. Maybe it makes me feel better about myself, that as crazy as I can be, at least I am not THAT crazy! LOL

The Andy Griffith Show. My older boys love watching it, and most episodes deal with character issues. And, it's funny!!! :)

I absolutely drooled over this tea party! There are links at the end of the post to the ideas she used. http://www.andbabiesmakefour.com/2011/01/fairy-tea-party.html Sigh. This mama of boys needs some granddaughters, badly! LOL

Yes, I love it, too! And the Supernanny/Nanny 911 shows...even though most of those two boil down to creating a "naughty spot" and using it. LOL I guess I enjoy seeing that other people's kids really are a lot worse than my own...does that make me mean? I was disappointed to hear that Supernanny had been cancelled. I really like Jo.

Puritan's Pride website (not sure of the link, but you can look it up) sells a liquid probiotic that tastes really great...you can just slip it in a drink or have her sip it out of a little cup. We got the strawberry/apple flavor. Hope she's better soon. I don't cope well with vomiting kids, so my hat is off to you!

I never leaked while pregnant, and didn't feel let-down with my first baby. With the second one I felt it, but it was never painful. It was just a very faint "shifting of pressure" feeling...like I'd feel slight pressure up close to my ribcage that would drop down closer to my nipples. But it wasn't at all uncomfortable. I still feel it every once in a while, especially if it's been a while since he nursed. But it's definitely not a regular occurance.