Where's your "other"? I've just started doing a paleo-style program. Quite a bit of low intensity moving around, with some sprinting and heavy lifting thrown in. Next I'm going to try to get in some play time. I love it! ETA- my kids are old enough to not need supervision. I usually work out near home before they wake up in the summer.

I gotta tell ya- I was just helping run a Prep-Op meet last weekend at dd's gym. I just LOVE the program. You did hear right, it's PREP-Op. Right now, it's up to each state or region to organize league rules. Meets are sanctioned through USA Gymnastics, but it's separate from the Junior Olympic program. Most gyms in my area use the program for kids who don't want to commit to a lot of training hours per week, kids who started late, and kids who just need more time (years) to get through the scary skills. At dd's gym, the PREP-op kids are never required to practice more than two days per week, and they can take up to 2 months off after the season is over. I think your reasons that this would be a good thing for your dd are valid. Maybe make a list of the cons also and weigh both sides. Our kids pay per meet, and they don't have to do all the meets. The meets are less expensive than the regular USA-Gymnastics meets, because they use one judge per event instead of two. They also get a LOT of awards at meets in our state. Every kid gets a ribbon or medal for every event, each team usually gets a team trophy. I say good idea, PREP-op probably won't turn into a money pit because it won't require ever increasing hours in the gym or long-distance travel.

:iagree: I've been widowed for almost 6 years now. It's also easier as the kids get older. I have noticed that I have a LOT easier time than women who are divorced. It seems to be very difficult to work out how to raise children when you no longer work as a team.

I like the book The Millionaire Next Door. It's a statistical study of the spending habits of American Millionaires. Most of the millionaires in this country do not live an expensive lifestyle. I just lead by example and talk about having financial priorities. My older dd is a natural spender, younger dd is a saver. But older dd is coming around- I started making her budget her own money for clothing and personal items at age 12. She quickly realized if she wanted to buy something that she *really* wants, she needed to stop buying everything that struck her fancy. She also learned to leave her debit card at home.

I would be too poor for my liking if I couldn't buy what I needed when I needed it. (And I would want to be able to buy the stuff I really wanted also.) Yes, I could live without- but this is the USA and I could find a way to make more money if I needed to.

My concern is that your dh left your son in the game too long. Your son had a serious health mishap, the weather was extreme, and your dh left him in the whole game? I would not beat dh up over it, but use this as a learning experience for the future. If you want to encourage good character, take a kid with a bad attitude out of the game. 10 year-olds have a bad attitude when they are dehydrated and out of sorts, or they are just brats. Sounds like it was the first case for your son.

I would tell him that you have tried numerous times to contact your friend, but she has not replied.

It's hardest for us in the winter. I hate getting up when it's still dark outside. Older dd has to be out the door by 6:45.

I'm a veteran ankle sprainer. I finally went to a podiatrist to find out the problem. He told me to put my foot in a boot for 4-6 weeks EVERY TIME I sprain my ankle, and the ligaments will be able to heel properly. The great thing about a boot is that you can still walk! The bad thing is they are hot. I used to severely sprain one ankle or the other every year. I have not sprained either one in about 4 years now! (knock on wood...)

Why does a doctor's office need to run a credit check? And why would you give your ssn to someone just because you're financially responsible for something? Would you give your ssn to a Karate Studio (for example) because you are financially responsible for the classes you sign up for? I sure wouldn't.

Well, my medical insurer does not have my childrens' SSN, so obviously giving SSNs to the Doctor's office won't help them collect from the insurance company. I think the only people who need SSNs are financial institutions and employers. People who collect tax and pay it on one's behalf. Insurance companies and doctors are not supposed to use SSNs as identifiers.

I have no idea what you mean by "AF", but I'm assuming from the context you mean her menstrual period. (MP?) I would advise to start talking about anything your or your dd might find embarassing as early as possible. If you've already talked about puberty, sex, and all the gory details (in an age appropriate manner) when your kids were young, they will be more inclined to ask you any questions that come up rather than asking friends (who may give misinformation.) By young, I mean as soon as the kids can talk. Just naturally letting conversation flow though- not structured lectures or anything.

Reminds me of Civil War history- slave owners argued that not all slave owners were cruel to their slaves. They said slavery was good because we need to take care of the "negroes" because they cannot take care of themselves. I'll bet the people who support the marriage of young girls to older men feel much the same way- someone has to take care of these poor helpless girls... (Before someone misquotes me, I don't agree with either of the above stances. I am just comparing the arguments others make.)

We are going through Denali on our way from Homer to Fairbanks this summer. Just staying 2 nights. I want something basic, not too fancy, but I want to be able to take a tour of the park while we are there. Any suggestions?

We did both years ago. We just LOVED Monteray Bay Aquarium, but as I recall it was mainly smaller animals. The seahorse information was phenomenal. To me, SeaWorld is an amusement park with large sea animals. Great roller coasters though.

A good friend of mine was going to have a grand opening of her new business in a couple weeks. The building is no longer there. Scary! But my friend is thankfully OK.

I could not give up the internet and still run my business, so no.

In dd's high school, the IB kids can take the AP tests in many subjects, because the material covered is very similar. Most kids who graduate with an IB diploma start college as sophomores. In our school, you can pick and choose your AP classes, but if you do IB you have to do the whole curriculum. Some high schools you can just take one or two IB classes. If the student does not want to have all hard classes, I think AP would be more beneficial.

I would finish the season if possible, and then schedule a meeting with the league directors. Yes, I'm sure they are always hurting for coaches, but they would be better off without this coach. Go in with the attitude of, "I just want to let you know what went on this season. You can do what you wish with the information." You never know- maybe someone at the league cares. If they won't meet with you, send an unemotional e-mail to everyone in charge at the league.

Ugg. People can be so rediculous! My mother was native american, and I have many first cousins on her side who are very fair. My kids are both blond and blue-eyed. Have people never studied genetics? I know quite a few full-blooded indians with pale eyes.

You're right. I got a BS in education without the ability to write an organized essay. The only reason I can write reasonably well now is because by dh picked apart everything I wrote for my business promotional material. I was often in tears, and I told him to just write it himself. He said no, this was a skill I needed to have. I am very grateful. (I did have an extensive vocabulary though, and I could always read aloud.)

How sad.

This could be true. Except in the first example, the letter writer was 25. I have no idea why he would not have someone proof-read his letter if knows he has a problem with spelling and grammar. I can't imagine someone being in law school and sending a letter like that. In the second group, the young lady whose shower it was is a motivated young woman, but not working in a field where language skills really matter. I knew about half the young people at the party personally, but not the others. I think the most surprising thing for me was an older man in the first group who I don't think of as very smart or motivated, turned out to have a great vocabulary and grammar skills.

Nope. And I knew most of them growing up. They are smart kids, publicly educated in the US.

I went to a few gatherings this week. One was a business committee I serve on. The seven people on the committee range in age from 35 to 65, about half only had a high school education, the rest had degrees in education. We had to respond to a letter of complaint that was incredibly poorly written- riddled with spelling and gramatical errors, including using know for no, and "under minds" for undermines. There were about 25 errors in this one-page letter. (The author of the letter is 25 yrs old and is in law school.) All the committee members were appalled, but all responded in a professional manner to the complaints at hand. Second gathering- a bridal shower for a 25-yo young woman with a master's degree. Friends also "well educated". These young women could not read aloud lists from the games, and did not know the meaning of many common words they were reading (one of the games was to make a list from A-Z of things that go with a wedding.) So the first group was older people with high school educations or education degrees, the second group was young people with master's degrees. The first group of people just seemed so much better educated. What happened in education 10-15 years ago to cause this rift? These young people are considered well educated, and they are smart kids. Why is their vocabulary so limited? I am amazed. And I know the public education system is currently failing us. I have spent thousand of dollars on "test prep" for my older daughter, and that is what has increased her vocabulary and taught her how to write an organized essay, not public school.