My mom makes pickled beets and my 7 year old dd can eat them by the jar!!! I like them pretty well but none of my other kids nor my husband eat them at all. This same child also loves salads (chooses it over hamburgers and such) and black olives (which I detest!).

I have the exact same printer and the exact same problem! And don't you love how if the color is out, you can't even use the black?!! Or how you have to constantly clean the head, wasting your ink! I had to go to Staples on Saturday and get both. Wal-greens refills cartridges.....everything except Epson!!! We've talked about getting a laser printer and almost did on Saturday, but to have another 3 in 1, color laser, it would be way expensive! If I just got a cheap black and white laser, I'd still have to buy Epson cartridges for when I need a color print. So, we just walked out with our expensive cartridges that won't last no time.....until we figure out another option. So, I feel your pain!

I've personally met: Christian Mann Autumn Knight Summer Knight and Candy Kane

Welcome! Good luck with the move! And a question......how did you know that you wanted to homeschool even before you had a child? Just curious! I was clueless about homeschooling when I was pregnant with my first. It took having her to make me realize that our local public schools were not good enough for her (I did my student teaching there while pregnant with her and thought I would go on to teach there.....that is until I looked into her precious little face! I never used my degree....publicly anyway). She was about 3 when I started thinking about homeschooling because private school was too expensive. I read my first book on homeschool and the rest is history! So, I'm impressed you had a game plan early on. Did you know some homeschoolers?

Hate crowds. Which is why I absolutely hated Disney World and we went the end of January! It totally wrecked my serenity!!!!

Well, I'm keeping mine because I have daughters. Two of the sweetest, most beautiful weddings I've ever been to had the bride wearing either her mom's veil or the dress. It was special. I also have a dear friend that actually threw together a quick wedding and wore her mother-in-law's gown!! So, my vote is to keep! If your dress is remotely like the one in the picture, it will be pretty classic. I've got an ugly 1991 puffy sleeve, mile long train dress, and I'm just hoping that if one of my daughters wants to wear it, that maybe it can be altered into something a little less 90's!:lol:

Yes, we are cutting back. We used to ride around for the joy of it and no longer do that. We're eating at home much more and are even walking to Starbucks! It seemed like it was a lot further, but it's actually only a mile away. It gives us exercise and saves gas! We've actually enjoyed it. I drive a Suburban so I have to really be careful right now. I filled up ($96) on June 13 and that tank lasted the whole month because of cutting out unnecessary things. It would have lasted even longer if we hadn't bought a new stove and Lowe's gave us the wrong items to install it (twice!), so we had several trips to town dealing with that. I'm at the point of wishing I could ask companies to reimburse gas for crap like that......or when you get home and realize that you didn't get your burger and fries you paid for in the drive through and have to drive back.....grrrrrr :lol:

I could have written your post. I was not raised with any faith. I met my dh at age 15 and we were wild as bucks. I certainly think that has played a part in how I raise my own children. I struggle with the same issues as you and like you, even avoided the nursery with all of my kids. Our current church is small and doesn't believe in having a lot of programs, so right now, I haven't had to deal with the youth groups. We actually left our last church because of the heavy influence of peer activities. I want my kids to have friends, but I do like to limit that somewhat for various reasons. Anyway, I just wanted to say that you are not alone in how you feel.

I have the insert too and use it sometimes......mostly when I run out of pods! I keep some Starbucks coffee in my freezer for those little "emergencies"! :lol: I also wanted to tell you that I always run two cups of coffee with one pod. The 2nd cup is a little weaker, but I like it. I usually give dh the stronger first cup and I enjoy the 2nd.

I love my Keurig!!!! It's perfect for me because I'm a "one-cupper" kind a gal! And it's wonderful how quick it brews! I also use it to run hot water for cocoa or when I need a cup of hot water for oatmeal, etc.

Well..... I wash my hands a lot, sanitize my shopping buggy, and carry GermX like many others here. BUT, I bite my nails......... I will go pee several times before bed, even when I don't have to, just because I don't want to wake up in the middle of the night to go.....I usually have to anyway! Even when I'm about to dose off, I'll jump up and go one more time! I go through so many kitchen towels while cooking because I worry that the current towel might not be clean anymore. I can not sleep without my lips coated in Vaseline. Carmex is too smelly, Chap-stick is too waxy......Vaseline will only do. And if I wake up in the night and my lips don't feel coated enough, I'll add more. Dh hates Vaseline kisses!:lol: And this is a new one in the last several years......I keep having this feeling that my wedding ring has fallen off. It will wake me up at night and I'll panic for a second until I actually touch it. This drives me nuts. It started 3 years ago after my diamond fell out. Thankfully we found the diamond in my purse, but the compulsion about it hasn't left me.

That happened to me once. I took my three girls plus another little girl to see Ella Enchanted. We were the only ones there until this lone older man came in and sat behind us. I did think it was a little strange!

I'm so sorry. I know the heartache that comes with losing a baby. I pray for peace, comfort, and healing for you and your family. :grouphug:

To my 3 year old, when you knock the toilet paper into the toilet, please get it out and put it back on the holder and please don't tell me. I like to reach for wet toilet paper. And don't bother to wash your hands afterwards. To all my dc, please leave all wet towels and bathing suits all around the floor. I like wet carpet. Don't bother to reuse them. Get a fresh towel when you go back swimming two hours later.

Thanks for the input! My oven is brand new....just got it yesterday. I think I will get a thermometer and check the temp. It will be under warranty for a year. I heated up some enchiladas in there at lunch and it didn't burn it or anything, but I'll feel better to check the temp.

preheating at 350 degrees or when it kicks on to maintain the temperature? I have a brand new oven and I don't remember it looking so hot at this temperature so I'm worried that it's not working properly! It just seems to stay red for too long.

Glad they are OK!!! :grouphug:

Wow!!! That is totally awesome!! So have you always been into fitness and exercising or is this something you recently started? I'm just wondering how long it took to prepare for. 24 minutes for a 5K is really, really good. I did a 5k a couple of weeks ago and came in at 32 minutes! So, I'm really impressed! Congratulations!!!

I call my dh "Babe" or "Love". It was too cute when my 3 year old son started calling both of us "Babe".:lol:

Congratulations!!!! You will just LOVE experiencing a boy after having all girls!!! They are more different than I ever imagined and mine was a lot more work, LOL. But it's truly been wonderful! I'm happy for you!:party:

:grouphug: Praying for you!

I did the same thing when I was expecting our fourth. My mom and I had had a discussion after my devastating miscarriage that I would try again for a 4th baby. I already had three girls and she expressed her concern that big families were bad (she has 6 siblings). She was so disappointed that I would try again. Anyway, I just knew that God was giving us a boy so I did like you and waited until my ultrasound. I called her that evening at 18 weeks to let her know that #1 I was pregnant and #2 It's a boy. She was pretty quiet. She barely spoke to me for the remainder of my pregnancy. She did show up at the end (we lived about 7 hours away from each other at the time). When he was born, she wanted something to do with him and it was honestly hard for me to even let her hold him. In fact, my dh ended up telling her that she could go home, that we were managing fine (she came for the birth). Fast forward three years, we have a very good relationship and she adores all four of my children. In fact, she's coming for a visit next week. She seems like she has tempered down her opinions and probably realizes that we are going to do what we want to do, with or without her, and she doesn't want to miss out on her only grandchildren. It was a painful thing to go through, not having her support, but oh the joy this little fellow has brought us! I'm excited for you! I pray that all goes well between you and your mother.:grouphug:

I promise. I'm just curious about those of you who never or rarely go, how you aren't a little bit scared? Cervical cancer is so curable if found early enough through pap smears. Am I just a paranoid individual??:lol: I guess I can be a worry wart. I understand the cost factor. That definitely makes me delay going to the dentist. Fortunately, with my insurance, my pap tests are free. But again, my question is if you choose not to have the test, does the following information make you nervous? Here's what the American Cancer Society says about cervical cancer: The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2008, about 11,070 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States. Some researchers estimate that non-invasive cervical cancer (carcinoma in situ) is about 4 times more common than invasive cervical cancer. About 3,870 women will die from cervical cancer in the United States during 2008. Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. The cervical cancer death rate declined by 74% between 1955 and 1992. The main reason for this change is the increased use of the Pap test. This screening procedure can find changes in the cervix before cancer develops. It can also find early cervical cancer in its most curable stage. The death rate from cervical cancer continues to decline by nearly 4% a year. Cervical cancer tends to occur in midlife. Most cases are found in women younger than 50. It rarely develops in women younger than 20. Many older women do not realize that the risk of developing cervical cancer is still present as they age. Almost 20% of women with cervical cancer are diagnosed when they are over 65. That is why it is important for older women to continue having regular Pap tests. See the section, "Can Cervical Cancer Be Prevented?" for more specific information on current American Cancer Society screening recommendations. Cervical cancer occurs most often in Hispanic women; the rate is over twice that in non-Hispanic white women. African-American women develop this cancer about 50% more often than non-Hispanic white women.

:hurray:WAY TO GO!!!! That is really awesome and you look great!

Well, I've had the "privilege" of having two paps and a colposcopy (a good look with a microscope light thing.....fun, fun!) in the last three months! And I get to go back in September for one more pap. They can't find anything wrong but I've had two abnormal results. I think it's due to my topical steroids. I've gone off them and am looking forward to my next results. I think the steroids were causing me yeast infections, which can throw off your pap. We'll see. Anyway, I usually go every year, but due to a move, I had put this one off for over two years. It scared me to death to get the abnormal result after waiting a little longer than normal.