Runamuk said: Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or health professional. Runamuk, This could be the beginning stages of senility or Alzheimers. If I remember correctly from an article that I read: We all have impulses to say or do inappropriate things. Our cerebrum (the front part of our brain, the thinking part) has protections that stop these inappropriate impulses. When we age (or have brain injury), these protections degrade or disappear. Is your mother willing to talk with you about this? I know you will be careful how you approach this with her. ***potentially inappropriate suggestion to follow*** Is it possible to tip off her physician before her next appointment?

Brother's family had warned us a week ago that Brother might have opportunity to do light duty work for overtime wages on Friday, so we all prepared to possibly move Thanksgiving to Saturday at Mom's house. (We had no other plans, so we could be flexible). No word on which day on Monday. Or Tuesday. Wednesday (the day before Thanksgiving), I received an email from sil that the family was sick (no other details) and we would not see them the next day. I sent an email confirming that we would see them Saturday at Mom's. I made plans to feed my family for the long weekend by defrosting a few things from the freezer and starting a few meals to put in the fridge. (I'll cook a lot for a day or so, then we live out of the microwave). I unexpectedly had no daycare kids on Wednesday (one sick, one with Grandma), so I took dd2 out for a special day of shopping, lunch, and playing/movie at the library. We got home at suppertime, and Loverboy informed me that my mother had left a message that Brother's family had H1N1 and we would not see them until Christmas. Thanksgiving was on for Thursday (tomorrow morning) again. After supper, I called my mother to confirm this. So this meant that I had a lot of cooking to do before bed that night. The squash and sausage for one of dishes I was going to bring were still in the freezer! Thank goodness Loverboy helped. We cooked for 2.5 hours (for both Thanksgiving and the meals that I had started for our own family) to get everything done. Dd2 watched a lot of Scooby Doo in that time!!! The next day, I had two crying fits before we even left home for my parent house. (I have childhood issues). I got to hear my dad rant about the trangressings of certain political leaders....things that sounded not right and were easily disproven via a brief internet search once I got home. Oh, and my dad is cashing out my daughter's college fund. It's only about $5K from my grandmother, and it's invested in the stock market. We would prefer that we ride out the bumps in the market because we will not need it for another 15 YEARS. (She is 2yo, almost 3). In the meantime, the stock market is halfway to recovery from it's plummet a year or so ago, and dd's 529 (our college fund for her started by Loverboy) gained nearly 20% in just the past year. But my father is convinced that cash is the way to go.:mad: I have no power over this. :mad::mad::mad: Brother and my dad are the executors, and I suspect this decision is because Brother has already started to dip into his sons' portion of the college fund. They have used 1/3rd of their part of the college fund to pay for Kindergarten and half of first grade for their older child to be in a small religious school.

I had never lived in a trailer home before moving into the home in which we now live. There is a tornado shelter around the corner, and I have had to use it. I was grateful to have a disaster bag mostly packed at that time. Not in the bag: Have 3 days worth of water saved for your family. This means 3 gallons/day/person. We have filled old milk gallons with tap water and put them in the back of our closet. We have never had to use them, but THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE THING YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR FAMILY. It costs almost no $$$ to do, and it is the one thing that you will need the most. Refill the gallons with fresh water every six months because it will get stale. (We are overdue to do this). This water is for drinking/cooking/washing. You are supposed to have 3 days of food handy, but I'm not sure what that would look like. In the bag: 20+ diapers (or 24+hours worth of diapers). I know that you are thinking of getting locked in the house via ice storm, but there are other disasters when you may need to cut and run. In our own town, there are over 80trains/day on the main track through town. We are overdue for a major train wreck/derailment in town. What kind of chemicals are being carried??? The train company would need some time to sort that out. (A friend of mine has asked). That would be a good time to throw the kids in the car and head to Des Moines for the day! A few toys and books that the kids haven't played with for awhile. An empty juice bottle for water(46oz is the size we use) to be filled as we leave the house in an emergency situation. Snacks that won't go stale. (100 calorie packs are an easy size and variety). I see that you are expecting a baby: Congratulations! Whether you are planning to breastfeed or not, put a small can of dry formula in the bag. (We got a free one from the hospital). I was going to donate ours away, but Loverboy reminded me that he may need the formula if dd2 (as an infant) and he were ever separated from me in an emergency. Remember a bottle, too. A couple of baby blankets. A flashlight. Check the batteries every six months. If you are computer savvy, fill a computer cd with copies of all of your important documents: driver's license, social security cards, insurance policies, bank names and account numbers, etc. Between seeing what people have gone through with flooding in Iowa and, of course, Hurricane Katrina, this can save you a lot of hassle later. Put an extra copy of the CD in your safety deposit box or with a trusted relative. Extra change of clothes for the littlest ones. Things in my car: Extra hats or gloves for everyone in the family. It is cheap enough to have an extra set, and if yours get wet, you will want extra. An extra blanket in winter or a really good sleeping bag. (I had a friend get stranded on I-35 in a snowstorm. She crawled into the really good sleeping bag in the back until the next morning. It saved she and her baby.) My mom routinely throws her boots and a shovel into the car once we have the first snowstorm of the season. Other things in general, if you can afford it: One year of savings in case of financial hardship. One year of food storage in case of disaster. There are websites online with food suggestions of how much food you would need. The last two are for the hard core planner. We have close friends whose breadwinner lost his job due to the economy less than a year after they bought a house. Their financial savings and food storage have brought them through for six months until the dad got a new and permanent job. If you want more information, check with the Mormons either in your local town or online. (I am not a Mormon, and I am not stumping for or against any specific religion. Please no religious battles here). Most of these ideas came from Mormon friends of mine in town, and the leadership in Salt Lake City encourages each family to be as ready as possible. If you are lucky, there is a "readiness coordinator" for food stores, etc, who may have some written information on putting together a disaster kit. --Laura in Iowa

If he has his heart on a microscope, he will probably be disappointed if you don't get him one, BUT if you think there is some wiggle room, we have been very happy with this magnifier. http://www.toystogrowon.com/sku722 It plugs into the TV. Even dd2 and C3 utilize it with things they found in the yard or even to explore the textures of their toys, clothes, etc. We packed it on vacation to visit Loverboy's family last summer and ALL the cousins LOVED IT. (And they are from age 4 to 19). It created group learning as we looked at interesting things the children had gathered from the yard, and they impatiently waited their turn to use it. We looked at money (coins and dollar bills), Grandpa's yucky toenail, and saw minute bugs crawling out of a flower that had been picked. It is an activity we do together, and it is amazing how everyone in the room becomes mesmerized when we are using this toy. If you decide to go this route (of a TV magnifier), look around and read reviews. We are extremely happy with this model, and it seems quite durable, but there are others that have several levels of magnification. --Laura in Iowa

Loverboy and I have already gotten into some bad habits with dd2.5. She has discovered TV and throws a tantrum when she cannot watch her videos. Likewise, she has started picking out candy at the checkout...and we just kinda play along. We know this is bad, and we are setting ourselves up for more trouble in the future. A few weeks ago, I decided that we needed to stop this sooner rather than later. I printed and laminated some green coupons for dd2.5 that she can earn: 30 minutes of TV money or 25c of store money. Dd2.5 can earn "money" by going potty in the toilet. (Until now, she has had only sporadic interest in going potty on the toilet). She also earns "money" by doing "Learning Poster" (our schoolwork, which consists of counting, alphabet, nursery rhymes, etc: about 20 minutes of work). Just this weekend, dd2.5 has come to understand the connection between TV and the potty. There is no more crying over the TV. Likewise, when she is out of TV money, Loverboy and I include dd with our activities (even though the temptation of 30 more minutes to complete household tasks without a toddler is tremendous!) It has made us closer as a family. When we go to the store, and she wants candy, we innocently ask her, "Did you bring your money?" Oh.....she may not want it as much if she has to pay HER money for it. She knows getting candy or a gumball may mean that she has less TV time at home. There will be no allowance in our household, but there will always be opportunities to earn money, I plan. I wish I could take credit for this philosophy, but I learned it from one of Loverboy's friends. Some suggestions for older kids: washing the family car for $3-$5, fold one basket of laundry for $1, dusting, vacuuming, sweeping, mopping for varied amounts. Even a 4yo could help you clean off a cluttered area by taking things from you as you tell them where they go. Pay them 10c or 25c if they stay until the task is done. There goes the timer: time to turn Scooby Doo off!

We put it on pizza, of course, but also cut it up and have it with scrambled eggs. Whenever I have too much of one food item, I do a search on Recipezaar for recipe ideas. Last year, I had a plethora of pumpkins, so I searched and found pumpkin cookies, pumpkin bars, and two pumpkin soups (one of which my dd2 prefers to Pizza Hut Pizza it's so good!!!) Just be sure that recipes are arranged in order of "rating" so that you get the best recipes at the top! http://www.recipezaar.com/ Be sure to read the reviews, too, for recipe variations and ideas for how others liked/disliked the recipes. --Laura in Iowa

Most people are bullied at some part of their public school experience. That doesn't make it right. As a child, I was bullied for most of school. I hated gym, lunch, and recess. I played sick whenever there was a holiday party or a field trip because of the unstructured time that allowed my abusers to act. By the end of 10th grade, I was running away from school, a practice which continued for most of the next two years. I only graduated because of a fluke. (I had finished all of my required classes but one, which I negotiated with the school to let me finish at home. Again, my parents were absent). We do not want this path for your child. I know that my parents loved me, but as an adult looking back, they really dropped the ball in this situation. It was not until I had been in the workplace for several years that I learned that this behavior is NOT acceptable in the workplace, but we consider it par for the course for young children. I'm just so grateful that your child felt comfortable enough to tell you about the situation. I was left with the impression that I deserved to be treated that way. 1) Don't accept the "They'll work it out on their own" argument. If your child had those skills, she would have done that already. As children, we are told, "Let the adults handle it." Then, when the child actually comes to adults with an issue, the adults don't even acknowledge the situation. Be a better adult than that. Be a better parent than that. 2)Tell your child again and again that she does not deserve to be treated this way. No one deserves to be treated this way. Continue to coach her in things that she can do in the realm of bullying to amend the situation (while you work on your part). 3)Let the school know that you are NOT going away. They are expected to keep your child's learning environment a reasonable one. There is no confusion about how peer bullying and abuse affect the learning environment. Documentation is your friend. The poster who suggested that you keep a diary/record of events is giving you very good advice indeed. Take along a tape recorder to every meeting with a school representative. Begin each meeting (tape recording) with the date, time, and the fact that this meeting is being taped. Make each person present speak their name and position. Over the years, as an adult, I have learned that nothing scares school officials more than a tape-recorded meeting. They will know that you are serious, and they will know that there is proof that they were aware of a problem with the bullier. If there is ever a problem with the bullier again, with your child or another, they may be in hot water. 4) Go away. I know I just said to tell the school that you are not going away, but you need to protect your child. If it is possible for you to homeschool her or send her to another school, do so. I wish for you wisdom and strength in this

A keyboard is truly what we are needing. A digital piano would be more than what will work for us at this time financially or spacewise. We have checked out the local music shop for what they have onhand, but they are quite small and don't have a lot of choice. (3-4 of varying cost and size and style). Some have 88 keys; one only has 5 octives. Some come with a stand or bench. Some just sit on one's table. Do we know what we are looking for, or should we just buy a basic one for less $$$ from a box store, and upgrade when we know what we need? Thank you to all who have given input to us on this subject. It is all good information that we will take into account. We continue to look and see what is available.

We are hoping to buy an electronic piano keyboard for our household within the next year. A piano is out of the question (due to cost and space required). Loverboy and I both took lessons as kids but really haven't played piano since then. We are hoping to torture our own child in the same way in a few years.:D If you have a keyboard: 1)What kind of keyboard do you have? --brand --model --keyboard size (number of octives) --are the keys standard size? --are the keys "weighted"? 2)When/Where did you get it? 3)How much $$$ did it cost? 4)What accessories do you recommend? 5)What do you like/not like about your keyboard? 6)Any other general advice?

We have JUST finished the Letter of the Week Preparatory Curriculum. I highly recommend it. The curriculum uses a "Learning Poster" that displays the letter of the week, theme, color/shape, nursery rhyme, number, vocab. We hung ours up in front of the TV. I also rearranged the themes and added extras to correspond to each letter of the alphabet. We had about 10 extra weeks of review in this manner. The local library is great for finding books on any theme, so you are not tied into the suggested books for each topic. There is also a yahoo support group for this curriculum. It is a little more religious group than I am, but it is also full of very nice and supportive parents. I have never witnessed sniping in the two years I have frequented it. dd2 and C3 both know all of their letters and sounds because of the time we put into this curriculum. They know all of their colors (other than C3 calling yellow "orange" today) and shapes, and they can count past 30. Again, I cannot say enough good things about our past year with Letter of the Week.

There have been so many great suggestions here! What does your local librarian say? We are so lucky in our town to have fabulous children's librarians and a great children's room! The books in our children's room are divided into several sections. There is E (for Easy) books; they are "picture books", but I would not consider them beginner reader books. I check them out to read to my little ones. ***Next is ETR (for Easy to Read) books on a separate set of shelves. These are good starter readers for kids. I would send your kids to these shelves if you lived in town. If your child has finished BOB books, she/he is ready to tackle these books. Your child will probably need help with some words, but will be challenged.*** There are also chapter books and nonfiction for older kids. ***Our librarians also have ready-made half-sheets of colored paper with list of books for certain topics: new sibling, dogs, moving, new readers, etc*** --Laura in Iowa who loves our librarians partner to Loverboy mother to dd2 babysitter to c3 and BabyM

We've had good luck with the humane traps. I wish I had a picture of my favorite, but here is one of three different types that Loverboy has used around our trailer. http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1280340&cp=2568443.2568444.2598676.2602605.1305668&origkw=mouse+trap We purchase them from the local hardware store. When we catch a vole, we relocate it to a more desolate and wild area. With a live trap, just be sure to check it a couple of times a day. I would feel bad for the critters if they starved or froze to death. --Laura in Iowa

I'm squeamish. I'd toss them. Besides, according to this children's book: http://www.amazon.com/Gullibles-Troubles-Margaret-Shannon/dp/0618070338/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257197233&sr=8-1 the old carrots won't make you invisible like fresh ones will! What's the point of eating them if you can't turn invisible??? --Laura who just rediscovered this book in her Halloween box

The cookie exchange I went to had~30+people. We were all to bring 5-6 dozen cookies. When we arrived, the hostess had cheap plastic trays in a stack. Everyone was to put their cookies out on the trays. While everyone was arriving, we sipped Wassail and visited. Then we went around and refilled our containers with others' cookies: 2-3 of each. The other detail that our hostess organized was for us to each bring canned goods for the local food pantry charity. As she explained, it doesn't seem right for us to celebrate so much plenty when others have so little at this time of year.

Thank you for posting this, too! I love Mona Brookes!

Stuff from Public Radio: This American Life (search the archives for "In Dog We Trust" and "Music Lessons") http://www.thisamericanlife.org/Default.aspx Word for Word (These are really incredible talks by notable figures). http://wordforword.publicradio.org/ --Laura in Iowa partner to Loverboy mother to dd2 babysitter to C3 and BabyM

Mandu As in Cat Mandu

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Halloween. This is the third year that I will be giving out Glow-in-the-Dark-Necklaces from Oriental Trading. They are a little pricey, but the kids get plenty of candy from the other neighbors; plus, this is a "toy" that will be tossed in a few days when the glow is used up. I'm also in favor of anything that makes kids more visible/more safe on Halloween night. --Laura in Iowa partner to Loverboy mother to dd2 babysitter to C3 and babyM