I had a weird kind of virus in my thyroid earlier this fall..... scared the bejeebers out of me because my thyroid got very large and sore. I went to the doctor; he prescribed some pain meds (I took a few), and told me to let it run its course..... which apparently it did, because now it's normal size and not sore anymore. How could my thyroid be doing this? Would there be other symptoms?

I joke with my dh that it appears he and I are in a "race to the finish" to see who will go completely bald first. :001_huh: Gross, huh. All kidding aside, I would really like to turn this around. Has anyone (female) out there experienced severe hair loss, and been able to turn it around? My health seems OK otherwise. My diet is OK. This has been going on for about 6 weeks now, and my hair is now so thin. Before this started, I had a healthy mane of long, wavy, dark brown hair..... :001_unsure: Eager to hear any advice....:bigear: Jackie

Well this post gives me a lot to think about. I really believe that ds would benefit greatly from this type of structure. I do believe I have allowed his habitual laziness and messiness to rule his daily life. On those occasions when I'm "on top of it", and I get ds to have a productive day, I can see that he feels good about himself. He is proud to have a neat room, his schoolwork done, his piano practiced, and extra time to play. He likely complained every step of the way, but is nonetheless happy with the outcome. I do believe he would have more self-confidence if he could look back on the day and see all that he had accomplished. But we just cannot seem to stick to a routine. He eventually shirks his chores and his schoolwork. I am clearly not doing my job in making sure that he does the things I assign him. I have 4 dc. We have a very busy life. I simply cannot imagine having the time to check up on him for every.single.thing. So how can I motivate him? How can I get him to actually do the things he's supposed to do on a regular basis? I can imagine a world where I tell ds, very quietly, that here is his list of chores, and school work that he is expected to do on a daily basis. If these things are not done each day to my standards, he will not be allowed his extracurricular activities (mostly sports) that week. Gosh that seems severe. My dc do not have a lot of things. They are not allowed to watch videos during the week, although they are allowed videos on the weekend. They do not have a lot of play dates. But they do spontaneously meet up with friends after school. But frankly, by that time of day, I am so tired, I am not very good at checking up on things to see if they're done. I just let them go and play so that I can relax for a few minutes. My other dc more or less do their work, especially their school work, without being hounded. Their rooms are another story. In any case, it makes sense, just from my own observations, that some people are more prone to discipline than others, and conversely some are more prone to laziness than others. And I really think that your post has given me a window into my own tendency to be messy. And in the end, I guess the buck stops with me. I am the leader of the household since my dh is away most of the time. So if I want different results, I suppose I need to provide different leadership. Like I said at the beginning.... you have given me much to think about. Thank you for saying it plainly. Jackie

Beth, thanks for your thoughtful reply. I really don't think this ds is ADD. I say that because this is a boy who can pore for hours over a sports magazine, or sit for hours and draw sports scenes like a basketball game or a soccer match. He is quite good with his fine motor skills, and can really sit for hours concentrating on some sort of play that he likes. We have tried to foster these interests and develop them into something that could cross over into school-type activites, but the moment we intrude on his sports fantasy world, he resists. Literally for years, I have resisted my dh's assessment that this ds is lazy. But I am really at a loss as to another explanation, so I am now looking for ways to deal with it, and teach this ds that there is a time to work, and a time to relax and play. I appreciate your thoughtfulness, and your links, which I may have to use for our other ds..... But that's a whole different story. :)

I tread here very lightly, because I hate to label anyone, least of all my own dc..... But facts are facts, and I have come to admit that I have a lazy child on my hands. A bit of background.... this ds has been late in every developmental way except physically. He excells in sports; has tons of innate ability there, although he doesn't want to work hard there, either. He hates drills, etc. Just loves the thrill of playing hard, and especially, winning. When ds was growing up (he is now 10 yrs old) he did not speak until he was almost 2yrs. old. We had hearing tested extensively and all was well, but we all learned how to sign to ds until he was ready to speak. He has had sensory issues also, for example he could not stand to have his feet touched... even very early on when I would change his diaper, lol. But he has mostly gotten past that. All of this to say, he is a very quirky child, and we have let him go at his own pace, so-to-speak, all these years. But he is so excrutiatingly slow at his school work, and manages to shirk household duties that others perform routinely. His room is an absolute disaster area! It seems that in order to get anything done, I must be there, pushing, cajoling, threatening, etc. He takes no pride in accomplishing simple tasks. He will finally get it done out of obedience, but his obedience is never cheerful. It's always like pulling teeth. So after giving him lots of room for all these years, it now appears that this child has become lazy! Does a person become lazy? Is a person inherently lazy? So how to proceed? There is not a single lazy bone in the other members of the family, so we really have a difficult time understanding this and dealing with it. Yes, we all like to relax and have fun regularly, but we all get our work done also. I will admit that I am terrible at setting out a chore schedule, and then following through with rewards and/or consequences. I simply expect the dc to complete the chore/assignment/task that I set out for them. Since this child is motivated by sports, I have used the term "academic eligibility" to get him to finish school work ahead of the next game/practice, etc. But that technique, though effective, has become so wearing. Why do I constantly have to arm myself with a carrot and a stick??? Why won't this child just pull his weight like the others in the family? Any words of wisdom/experience will be greatly appreciated! I am worried about how ds will eventually function in life. I feel that one of the greatest things I can do for ds is to teach him work ethic, and an appreciation for the fact that work is gift (my belief). But we are so at odds on that topic, I can't even think of where to begin! Hoping to learn something here from all you experienced motivators! :bigear: :bigear: Jackie

Yup, pretty creepy. We should all listen to our Mommy voice. Good job!

My son's Godfather is an Evangelical Christian, NOT a Catholic. We asked him to be ds's Godfather for several reasons, the most important of which was that we knew he would pray regularly for our ds. He has never sent a gift to ds; we knew he wouldn't. His prayers were more important to us. We occasionally send him pictures of ds, and bring him up-to-date on ds's spiritual growth, i.e, sacraments received, and progress in AWANA. He is an unfailing supporter of ds. We see him occasionally, and he is always quick to get right to the "spiritual point" if-you-will, with ds. i.e. "Are you lifting things up to the Lord in prayer? What are you learning in God's Word, young man?" etc. You probably get the point. My dh and I are Godparents to many. I try to remember to send an encouraging card to my Godchildren on the anniversary of their baptism. I remind them what it means to be "Baptised in Christ". I send them spiritual books that I think they might enjoy. I send them a single Christmas ornament every year. Just little things to let them know I am thinking of them and praying for them. Because that is what I would want the Godparents of my dc to do. Oh, and try to look at the invitation to be a Godparent as the honor it is, not as a task to be performed. Your friend has given you a very important opportunity to have a hand in the spiritual formation of her dd. That, imo, is huge! Warm Regards, Jackie

Thanks Dobela. One more thing. Can you tell me a little bit about what sensory integration disorder looks like? I know absolutely nothing, so anything you tell me will be brilliant! :D

I know that my ds has sensory issues. And probably ADD issues. I just don't know where to start with him. We just learned that he has many visual processing issues. He starts vision therapy on Wednesday. But there are many other things going on with him. Do I attack everything all at once? Or do I tackle one thing at a time? Now that we have a diagnosis on his vision problem, where do I go next? Thanks for any help you can offer, Jackie

The Way To Cook, by Julia Child, because it has wonderful "Master Recipes" for every category, which you can then tweak or expand upon to cook just about anything. For a niche cookbook, I like French Bistro Cooking, by John Varnom. These traditional french recipes are the tastes from my childhood. Mmmmmm.

I would say that they all looked around in wonderment at all they had been able to accomplish while dealing with so many difficulties, and then went forward to accept and enjoy life with a whole new level of understanding and joy. God is so good. :grouphug:, Jackie

We have been fortunate in that our local public school allows part-time enrollment. Dd has taken her math, science, art, and modern foreign language there for 2 years. She is also on the swim team there. The rest she gets online with VPSA. She will earn her diploma through VPSA. It has been a good experience for dd, who is college bound. It hasn't always been fun, or easy, but it has been good. It has been a nice transition, I think, for a child who is very shy, and socially conservative, to be able to be out in the world while she still gets to come home every day and talk about it. It would have been a mistake to keep this child at home and then send her off to college somewhere. So I am happy with our decision to send her to public school part-time. Thanks to VPSA, she is getting an excellent education in the things that matter to her, like Literature, History, and Classical Languages. The math and science at public school are necessary evils in her mind. The art has been fantastic, with creative, passionate teachers. The French, well, let's just say she'll have to pursue that in college if she really wants a good teacher. So, as with most things, there are pros and cons to public high school. Probably the most important thing you can do for your child, if you choose public school, would be to find out who the really good teachers are, and then do everything within your power to get your child into those classes. Warm Regards, Jackie

All 4 of my kids loved this book, (and the movie), and a couple of them are much younger than 7th grade! Sometimes I think that kids are just jaded because they are bombarded with so much entertainment. My kids are restricted to pretty safe and simple fare. I've also noticed that sometimes kids say things are "boring" because they're trying to be cool. They might actually be enjoying something, but are afraid to admit to it because it's not the latest fad? HTH, Jackie

OK, I know this movie has been out for quite a while. I just don't watch movies very often, and so it takes me a while to get to some of them. Anyway, I just finished watching "Temple Grandin", and this is truly and excellent movie, imho. I cried like a baby, and I don't have an autistic child, or know anyone with an autistic child. But my dh and I have long been fans of her corral designs, and our latest set of corrals are her design. They work! So enjoy, and don't forget the tissues....

You've heard the one about the farmer who won the lottery, right? When asked what he was going to do with the money, he replied, "Well, I guess I'll just keep farmin' until it's all gone." One of the largest barriers to "farming" is the capital investment required. I would recommend lots of research and a detailed budget. Don't quit your day job, and best wishes.

I think there are trade-offs wherever you choose to live. And the thing about living in a small town is that you don't really get the "feel" of it until you actually live there. In the small town that we lived in, the neighbors were great. They were so helpful! They did things like give us access to their veterinary supplies because sometimes you just don't have time for the 90 mile round trip, and you ran out of that specific medicine you needed. They offered their time freely when we needed help working cattle, and we didn't know anyone. They brought us cookies when we moved onto the place. It was really nice. On the other hand, my children were shocked, and I was dismayed, when one of our neighbors stopped by to welcome us to the neighborhood, and was three sheets to the wind, and using horrible language in front of the children! (This man has turned out to be a very generous neighbor, he just has a drinking problem). And along those lines, one of the things I didn't think of when we moved to this community, is that there is very little future there for the children. There's no industry to keep them around, or employ them, or even give them hope for a future. Education is not highly valued. Therefore, a lot of the kids turn to alcohol and/or sex for entertainment. It is a real problem. But like I said, some of things you just don't see until you live there. So you just have to be ready to be creative. You have to just make a choice and then make the best of it. No place is perfect. What is important is that your family is strong and happy. Warm Regards, Jackie

Thank you Angie! This is very encouraging.

Yes, I realize that they have many resources at their disposal. But I am frankly afraid of my son being labeled. And I say that in the sincere hope that I do not offend anyone who has a special needs child. I think that I would rather just pay for the testing myself, and have it done outside of school, so that the results are only known by me. If he does have a learning disablility, and I'm almost sure that he does, my first impulse would be to bring him back home and give him the individualized attention that he might need. I would also want to get some training for myself in order to give him what he needs. Has anyone done something like that? Or am I making things overly simplistic?

scrapbookbuzz, Thank you. A million times, thank you. His first appointment was with an OD who's specialty is "Vision development, low vision, vision rehabilitation, and vision therapy". His next appt. (next Tuesday) is with a "Certified Vision Therapist". It is going to take about 2 hrs., and $650. Neither of these people are opthalmaologists. It looks to me like the tool they lean towards is vision therapy. They are well-regarded in our small community. But perhaps I should take ds to an opthalmologist in a larger community with written results of the testing in hand? The therapy is going to be very expensive ($400-500/mo.) Warm regards, Jackie

I feel like I have failed my ds. He has always been very active, very impulsive, very distracted, and easily frustrated. After reading the recent thread on ADHD, I wonder if he is mildly ADHD... He is very bright and oh, so sweet. But he has been having trouble reading and writing from the beginning. He has difficulty tracking as he reads. He reads words backwards, and often skips words. His eyes get very tired. He gets headaches, and gets very cranky when he reads. He is VERY EASILY irritated and distracted by noises or actions happening in the periphery of his vision. I thought he was just a normal, very active boy. Something like the character "Arliss" in Old Yeller. Always inquisitive, always moving. We put him in a public charter school this year, because I felt like I just couldn't give him all he needed. Even before we put him in school, I had scheduled an appointment for a complete eye exam. He had his exam on Monday, and immediately the Dr. told me that he is having difficulty focusing his eyes, and that he actually had a slight eyelid infection, which she often sees in children that are straining their eyes constantly. When she showed me what the letters on a page probably look like to ds, it broke my heart. How many times did I say to him "Would you just focus?!". If only I could take every one of those times back...... Because he couldn't "just focus". As I drove him to school today, he told me he was lonely. School is not going well. He has brought home a few F's, and I think he's starting to feel "dumb". My heart is breaking. I am in constant contact with his teacher, who is excellent. He will be getting extensive testing done on Tuesday with the eye clinic. I feel that may be just the tip of the iceberg. Please encourage me. My first impulse is to bring him back home and sit on the couch and read to him all day. But I don't want him to think that I brought him home because he's too "dumb" to go to school. Please share with me your success stories about this type of thing. I am :bigear::bigear: . Warm Regards, Jackie

ditto

Thanks for this reminder! I failed to do this with our Geography songs, and oy vey! the comical names they were singing for some countries! :lol:

It looks like a unanimous "yes". Thank you, ladies.

Did you supplement this at all? I am using this with my 6th grader. I chose it because she really has a phenomenal memory when she can memorize through song. Reading? Not so much. If you've used this program, how did it work for you? It seems non-traditional to me, and it makes me a bit nervous.... Thanks, Jackie

Dd, 10th grade, is taking math and science at the local public school, and everything else on-line with Veritas Press Scholars Academy. She has earned A's in all classes, save Geometry and Composition (B's). I feel that one of her weaknesses is test-taking. I think she tends to rush through things, and not perform at her best. She is afraid of them. She excells, however, on essay style tests in classes like Omnibus. She is hoping to attend a private college majoring in either Literature, English, or some sort of Classical Civilizations major. We will need her to receive a pretty hefty academic scholarship in order to go this route. Either that, or sell half of the cow herd, lol. (NOT actually an option!) So, do you experienced parents of college students think she should take advantage of all the testing opportunities available? Are there any cons to her taking the PSAT as a Sophomore? Thanks for any advice you can give. I am a complete rookie at all of this!