Thanks for all the good ideas. It's at times like this that I'm most thankful that I 1.) Homeschool, and 2.) Don't have to work outside the home! I'm so glad I can be here for her!!

Yes, we've talked about this whole hormone thing over the last 2 days. This is her 3rd day of feeling this way :( We have hot cocoa in hand, and I've assured her that, yes, M&M's are sometimes considered a breakfast food.:)I know she'll be fine, but I hate to think of what this will mean for the rest of her womanhood. Poor thing.

I'm sure she's getting her 1st period. She is also having some stomach cramping. I've never seen anything like this. She is just sobbing uncontrollably, but she says there's nothing wrong. She says she just feels like crying, and can't stop. She is embarassed, so I'm trying to help her feel like there's nothing at all to feel bad about..... I just got done holding her and rocking her for 20 minutes, which seemed to help things to pass. Poor little darlin'. Is there anything else I can do for her? I'm not asking for advice on drugs..... just natural ways to help this difficult time pass more easily. Jackie

Was thinking of making a "lemon meringue" pie, but topping it with whipped cream instead of meringue.... Would that work? Would I still need to bake the filling first????? Any other ideas welcome!

My 16 yr. old dd has a subscription to Susie, and she absolutely loves it. I love its wholesomeness. I never have to worry about content, and it has sparked some great conversations. It is hard to find something appropriate for this age group these days. Susie is wonderful, though.

I have one biological dd, who looks exactly like me, and 3 adopted dc. They all look wildly different (different races). And still, when someone asks me if they're "all mine", I am genuinely surprised! I am usually immediately irritated by such a personal question, which I consider to be rude coming from a stranger. I give them the "look".... the "seriously???" look, that says, all at once.... Seriously you're going to ask me that kind of question which is clearly none of their business? Seriously??? You're going to be that insensitive to these dear children? Then, I respond with a "yes", and that does the trick. Conversation over. Once, someone asked me "which of my children were adopted". This was a perfect stranger. I gave her the "look", and said "Oh, I don't know, it makes no difference to me." Jerk. Sometimes I think that when people are getting to know us in a new friendship type of situation, they are genuinely interested in our story, or possibly genuinely interested in adoption. Of course, that would be completely different from what I described above. With caring friends, who are genuinely interested, I am happy to tell them our story. Each child is a gift from God, and I don't mind talking about that amazing fact again and again!

I know that he checked me for anemia, but I don't know exactly which tests he ran. I plan to get the results from the doctor this week, so that I can be more fully informed. Did you take supplements to correct your deficiency? Did it work? My Dr.'s theory on the anti-depressants is that my hormones are likely "out of whack", and since hormones are closely related to the chemicals related to depression, he thinks that treating any chemical imbalance may have a positive effect on a possible hormone imbalance. I also have several symptoms consistent with depression, and have been on anti-depressants before. It's been a hard year, but I'm trying to see the good in it. Thanks for your help.

Those are cute! But my 16-yr.-old dd says the newsboy style is "too young" for me. Ouch! But I could certainly see myself in the knit hat..... and it would probably stretch to fit on my oversized head! :) Thanks for the links.

I've had my thyroid checked, and all is "normal". The Dr. suspects that this might be related to stress, and we're treating with anti-depressants. In the meantime, however, my hair is still falling out, and I have a noticeable bald spot at the back of my head. I'm not ready for a wig, which is what my dm suggests :001_huh:. But hats, I can do... So do women even wear hats these days? I never see them. I need ideas on hats that I can wear indoors and out, that won't draw too much attention. I usually dress in jeans, sweaters, and clogs.... Oh, and if you could also tell me where I can find the hats you suggest, that would be great! Please help me out here ladies..... I'm counting on you. Oh, and please don't suggest cowboy hats.... I can't stand them! Cheers,

Les Miserables is wonderful. Also, you might consider Dickens......

Yes, I also agree that 4H has much to offer. We have been involved with 4H for 7 years now, and I have tried many times to get people to buy into the idea of having a formal agenda ahead of the meeting. Nothing has happened. Tonight my daughter will be making a formal motion that we have the agenda ahead of time. I would like to be able to discuss with my children ahead of time, which fundraisers and community services we would like to be involved in. It is very difficult to be able to discuss these types of things with my dc during the meeting. I also need to be able to discuss with them which activites they can volunteer for ahead of time. Otherwise, I'm running like crazy with 4 4Hers. Thanks for your thoughts!

.....When you attend your monthly meetings, is there normally an agenda provided ahead of time? I'm just kind of tired of being caught flat-footed at our monthly meetings, and being asked to vote on things that we haven't had time to think about. What has your experience been? Thanks, Jackie

Mine are with a wonderful baby-sitter while I study for my accounting class! (And check out the WTM forums :) )

Thanks for baring all. I feel a sort of kinship with you in that I feel completely overextended. Dh and I have had to make many difficult decisions both financially, and lifestyle-wise over the last few years, and it has been very difficult. And so I offer you hugs. And prayers. I have no idea what you should do. But I will tell you what my dh has been saying, and rightly so, throughout our process. When I worry about money, and how we should plan for the future, and where I should focus my time, he says "This is not a financial question." For the first 6 months that he said this, I looked at him incredulously. It was OBVIOUSLY a financial question to me! How was I going to: buy groceries, pay the dentist, buy meds, put tires on the car, etc., etc., etc. And he would insist, "This is not a financial question." His point was that all our decisions are choices. That we must choose what is most important right now, and figure out how to make it work, or figure out how to do without. And it took me a long time to see this, but what I want matters too. How am I fed? How do I want to live? When I look back, what will have been important? I hope this makes some sense. We have made some surprising choices. But they were our choices and not our reactions. We are still not where we want to be with respect to "how" to live. But we are moving in the right direction. And along the way, I am being fed. That was my husband's other important point.... "We have to live now." We cannot be constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, or waiting for things to be better financially. We have to live now. Because then there is joy in living, and not only strife. I hope something in here helped. Best wishes for a joyful journey. Jackie

Thanks. Yes, it is on one side of her head, just over her eye. She has not started her period yet, but I know she is close.... Is there anything a doctor can do? I always thought that people with migraines just kind of had to suffer through them... So sorry to hear of all you migraine sufferers out there. :crying:

My dd, age 12, has headaches that come on very suddenly. Just this evening as she was eating her dinner, a headache came on. She couldn't finish her dinner, which included some of her favorite foods, and had to lie down on the couch. She thought she might get sick to her stomach, but didn't. She is cool to the touch, pale, and when I turned off the lights, she said that it helped. Does this sound like a migraine? She gets these from time to time, and then often recovers after an hour or two, or after a night's sleep. I would appreciate the benefit of your experience..... :bigear: Cheers, Jackie

Yes, as I just responded to a pp, the doctor DID also send me to the lab for complete blood workup, AND a thyroid scan at the hospital in a couple of weeks.

He did prescribe the anxiety pills in response to my comments, but he also sent me to the lab for a complete blood workup. In a couple of weeks I am also scheduled for a scan of my thyroid, because that is where we suspect the problem lies. So I didn't mean to insinuate that the anti-anxiety pills were ALL he suggested. I was just surprised that my comment about waking up feeling nervous seemed so out of the ordinary. I truly thought that was the norm for people like us with extremely busy schedules, hence this thread. But thanks for your post and and your suggestions. I'm not sure if I will be getting all those things checked in the blood work, but I'm confident we'll get to the bottom of this. Warm Regards, Jackie

:lol::lol::lol: You've got a challenge ahead of you!!

God Bless you. I'm glad your husband is home safe and sound.

:lol::lol::lol::lol: Oh, fairly certain, thank you!

My Dr. asked me this question this week. We're trying to figure out why my hair is falling out..... I would frame this as a poll, but I don't want to take the time to learn how to do that right now. So he said, "Do you wake up feeling rested and refreshed?" "No," I said, "I wake up feeling nervous". Doesn't everybody? He prescribed anti-anxiety pills. I mean, I have 4 kids to feed, clothe, educate, and entertain. I'm taking classes in accounting at University, and my husband lives and works somewhere else! Wouldn't that make you nervous? So, ladies? How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? I can't be the only one who's living this way.....

I think a name is what you make of it. My brother told me he didn't like the name we had chosen for our first daughter, which is a classic french name..... nothing odd. And I immediately thought, what a strange thing to say. Look at this child, this miracle. I don't care what you think of her name. I didn't consider whether or not you would approve when we named her. She is beautiful. She is perfect. Celebrate with us.

:bigear: :bigear:

OK. You ladies have convinced me. I will find the time to get to the doctor and get the bloodwork done. I really hope this works..... I've grown kind of, well, attached to my hair! :tongue_smilie: