Zone 5 is great for nut trees....here in MO we have walnuts, pecans and almonds that do really, really well....chestnuts, hazelnuts and hickory also do well, as do Korean pine nuts.

DH and I found and bought a house we feel living in feels like we're on vacation - we're on acreage, lakeside (without visible neighbors) and out in the country, close enough to town, but away from it all. We love where we live and opted for this, a bigger house, because of its location and the property it sits on. DH's work means we don't have much time for going away on vacation, so this is perfect for us - when he gets home, we have relaxing things we can do right here, anytime.

:grouphug: I so totally get it....MIL's can be interesting, can't they? Less than two weeks after baby-DS was born, I got a call from MIL - complaining how unfair it was that everyone else got to hold the baby all.the.time and she only had a couple of times, for a few minutes - when was I going to make time for her to see him more, my mother got to see him everyday! Here I was post-op from a c-section, nursing on demand and she expects I'm going to drive over to her so she can see the baby more frequently? And her biggest complaint is that my mother gets to hold him all the time? Hey - news flash - my mother came out from the east coast to stay with us and help me with the baby following my surgery.....what about you? You live here, a mile away, and have yet to manage to get yourself in your car to drive over, but will call to complain I'm not making time for you to see your grandbaby more? :lol: Ahhhhh....MIL's.

Don't just look at test scores - look at what the grade level expectations are for each year that is being tested. I'm not impressed with my district's "social studies" - here is just K-2: Social Studies – Kindergarten Identify maps and globes as tools. Identify how the flag and Pledge of Allegiance represent the United States. Explain the purpose for rules in a family and classroom. Recognize similarities and respect differences in the classroom. Use a democratic decision-making process in the classroom to make class decisions and resolve onflicts. Identify basic necessities for survival. (Food, water, shelter). Social Studies - First Grade Discuss the purpose for rules and how they are enforced or carried out in a family, classroom, and school for the common good. Identify their rights and responsibilities in a family and classroom. Identify how symbols such as the Statue of Liberty and monuments in Washington D.C. represent the United States. Recognize similarities and respect differences in the classroom and school. Describe the contributions of American Presidents (George Washington and Abe Lincoln), and the role of president. Identify the difference between goods and services. Able to read and make simple maps (including a title, legend/key, and direction arrow/compass rose). Social Studies - Second Grade Demonstrate democratic decision making and conflict resolution skills in the classroom and school. Explain how and why decisions are made in schools. Able to interpret a simple time line. Construct and read maps with a title, legend/key, and direction arrow/compass rose. Describe and illustrate physical features (land forms, water bodies). Identify consumers and producers. Here's our district's K-2 Science: Science – Kindergarten Describe characteristics and properties of balls and their motion. Describe the relationship between the physical properties of balls and their motion. Conduct a simple investigation (fair test) to answer a question. Communicate observations using words, pictures, and numbers. Name and describe the characteristics of the four seasons. Describe how seasons affect plants, animals, and humans. Make qualitative observations using the five senses. Sort objects based on observable physical properties (e.g., size, material, color, and shape). Observe using simple tools and equipment (e.g., magnifiers, hand lenses, magnets, equal arm balances, thermometers). Compare different sounds (loudness, pitch, rhythm). Observe and describe that the Sun, moon, and stars are in the sky. Describe the Sun as being seen in the daytime sky and stars are seen in the nighttime sky. Science - First Grade Use a balance to order and weigh objects. Order a set of objects from lightest to heaviest. Make qualitative observations using the five senses. Observe using simple tools and equipment (e.g., magnifiers, hand lenses, magnets, equal arm balances, thermometers). Compare amounts/measurements. Identify the stem, leaf, root, flower, and seed on a plant. Identify the basic needs of animals as air, water, food, and space/shelter. Observe and describe characteristics and behaviors of two different animals and plants over a period of time. Communicate observations using words, pictures, and numbers. Observe and describe differences in the appearance of clouds. Chart and summarize weather changes from day to day and week to week. Science - Second Grade Classify substances as solids, liquids, or gases by their properties. Observe using simple tools and equipment (e.g., magnifiers, hand lenses, magnets, equal arm balances, thermometers). Use observations to describe relationships and make predictions to be tested. Observe and record the phases in the life cycle of different organisms. Identify and relate the similarities and differences between animal parents and their offspring. Diagram the transfer of energy from sun to producer to consumer in a food chain. Describe how physical features (bird beaks, thorns, camouflage, eyes) and behaviors (hibernation) help animals and plants survive. Identify the components of soil (e.g. plant roots, fungi, bacteria) and its properties. Describe uses of soils in our daily lives. I'm also not impressed with the scores that continue to decline year-over-year as kids age up into the middle and high schools around here - while they start out great (seeming) in 3rd with 80%+ reading at grade or above and 80%+ doing math at grade or above ---- by 10th grade those numbers are dismal - 18% at grade or advanced in math, 32% reading at grade level or above! Plus our state ranks 39th in the nation - which sucks!

By that, do you mean to someone not Catholic, or in a place other than inside a church?

No, I haven't boycotted a wedding - nor do I think I would for the reasons others have already stated. That said, if asked, I would beg out of being in a bridal party if I felt strongly that I could not, in good conscious, uphold the 'duty' to witness a marriage I didn't feel was going to be good for one or the other party or circumstances around which I wasn't comfortable.

As HollyBee said, if you're looking at cleaning services, they're shockingly high in price. I also recommend asking around and trying to find someone individually - you'll either work out a flat price, or pay by the hour and also figure out if she'll provide product or you will. I have a lady come in, twice a week, each time for four hours - each week she's $100 (so that works out to $12.50 an hour) and our home is around 5400SF. I provide all cleaning products and supplies (mainly because I am picky about what is used) and she and I worked out a schedule over the first month so that everything is done each week on a normal rotation and the heavy cleaning is part of the monthly rotation within each week.

DH's parents lived on the east coast when we moved to MO....they moved about a mile from us 2 years ago. Makes it easier on DH now that his dad is starting to fail...if he were still in NJ, it would be much more difficult to either move them now or for DH to get time off to help tend to his needs. ETA: His parents sold their house and bought a house here for about the same money they got selling their home in NJ. The only *pitfall* seems to be MIL thinking any time DH is off is her time, all the time.

Aubrey - when are you due?

:iagree: All the behaviors Aubrey has shared in her posts point to a full spectrum cluster-B PD.

:grouphug: Aubrey, in all you've posted, something is becoming obvious - your mother has a personality disorder that has likely been an issue since you yourself were a child. You're seeing it rear again, and now it is affecting your children - your mother is parentifying your 10yo which is unhealthy and damaging. You know this - your gut is aching as your hear what your 10yo is sharing with you what was said - what your mother did is WRONG. I''m going to be blunt - in no uncertain terms should any of your children be in her company alone - she will continue to say things that are wholly inappropriate and continue to attempt to divide and conquer your family. When you lived at a distance it was much easier to dismiss or ignore or forgive the bad behaviors, but now it's in your face and it will not stop - you cannot reason with a PD person - they accept no responsibility for their bad behavior and even if they attempt an apology of sorts, it will never be genuine with introspection and a real try at not doing it again - instead it will be rationalized as to why they did whatever and justified. This situation is extremely unhealthy for you (you're pregnant) and your children and your husband. I beg you to look at options to go somewhere else and not live in this environment - it will not get better, it will only get worse!

Science kits....and lots of arts & craft supplies!

:grouphug: It happens. When DH's grandmother died a few years ago, she left everything to her three sons (FIL and DH's two uncles) with the specific expectation that they would each divide the money up equally amongst themselves, their children and grandchildren (her great-grandchildren). She felt this was easier since each son had differing numbers of children, and they each had different numbers of children - she basically wanted each son's family to have the same amount to divide up. Long story short - while both of DH's uncles did exactly that, MIL & FIL didn't - so DH got nothing, nor did our children - they *needed* the money more than we did according to MIL.

:party:

Sometimes a long, even a very long cycle is due to skipping an ovulation - it happens. I once had a cycle go for about two months - very frustrating - but it was due to changing diet and releasing estrogen from my stored fat. It eventually stopped and my cycle was back to normal within two cycles. If the prescription regulates your cycle and then you're scanned again and all looks well, you'll do nothing more. If it doesn't regulate your cycle, you'll want to know why it's now off - your recent diagnosis of diabetes speaks to the possibility your hormones are off due to the hyperglycemia (evident in your A1C finding) - insulin acts on estrogen, testosterone and progesterone, so hopefully if it wasn't simply a skipped ovulation, working on glycemic control will help as you get your glucose levels under control - then things should begin to resolve. If they don't, then there is something more going on that your doc/Gyn will continue to look into and give you options about what are next steps.

My *best* price drop was for a new set of CPO Physical Science books (Text+Investigations workbook) for $15. I'm not sure what the regular price was - somewhere in the neighborhood of $65 for both - since I didn't need it right away, I left it in the 'save for later' and it popped up at a huge price drop one morning, so I bought it!

Have a repeat test done - the rate of false positive with pap smears is high enough that it warrants having it done again before you worry!

I don't drink wine much, but if I'm buying a bottle, I'll usually ask for recommendations at the liquor store - what I'll be serving, the taste I'm going for (sweet, tart, rich, etc.) and go with that.

Okay, not to be the paranoid one, but hair can tourniquet around fingers, toes and boy parts - it happens and it's not pretty! But, I do agree, a little dirt'll do ya good - immunity booster!

Before we moved in, we had all the carpets steam cleaned (the previous owners didn't have pets, nor do we)....so you might want to look into having someone come in to do the carpet or rent a rug doctor and do it yourself? That might help ease your mind about the cleanliness of the carpeting?

I really don't think it's something to worry about. If you're really concerned though, maybe a day or two in the garage - park your car outside and let them sit in there?

I really like cooking, so I do most of it. DH cooks really well too and some nights he'll get home and offer to make dinner (I usually let him when he offers), and on weekends he'll make breakfast or brunch if he's home to give me a break.

Okay, I had to go look....if DS were enrolled in PS, here is the list I'd have to buy: 48 #2 pencils, sharpened 4 large pink erasers 2 box 12 count colored pencils, sharpened 6 wide rule spiral notebooks 12 glue sticks 6 boxes of facial tissues 2 packages 8 count washable markers 2 box 24 count crayons 1 pair of scissors 2 wide rule composition notebook 2 bottle Elmer's white glue 4 bottles hand sanitizer 4 containers antibacterial wipes 1 small plastic school box 6 two pocket folders w/brads 4 two pocket folders w/o brads 4 packages wide rule loose leaf paper 2 box gallon resealable bags 4 black dry erase markers 1 six count pack colored dry erase markers 1 package construction paper 2 Scotch magic tape rolls 1 Backpack 1 pack 100 lined index cards 1 pack 100 blank white index cards 1 bag rubber bands 1 box paper clips 2 1" 3 ring white binders ETA: I also looked to see what the schools spend per student each year - we're apparently just under $10,000 per student.

I use whatever is near - sometimes red, sometimes green - it just needs to be a different color than DS did his work in! I just asked him if he had a preference - he said he liked green on his papers best, but his favorite color is red, so that's okay too if I want to use red still!

What led doc to scan to measure thickness? What point in your cycle did (s)he do your scan? Did your doctor do any blood tests on your hormone levels? Is your cycle normal and on time? When you're having your period is your flow normal, light or heavy? There are a number of things, other than cancer, that can cause the lining to thicken too much. Prescribing Chlormadinon is reasonable - it's a synthetic progesterone (personally I'd prefer a micronized natural form like prometrium if I had to use it) and is a normal first step to resolve the issue. There are also other options besides a D&C and you'll want to know why your lining is getting too thick to be able to evaluate each and decide which is best in your situation.