:lurk5:

Here too. I am guilty of needing an annual exam though. You would think as a midwife I would be on top of getting that done. :blush: But even in that situation, my midwifery partner can do that for me so I don't need to go see a medical doctor (unless it comes back abnormal). My kids went to the doctor last about two years ago. And we only went then because I switched them to another doctor and wanted to establish them as patients. We haven't been back because #1 they haven't been in a situation to need a doctor and #2 I'm not happy with what I've been hearing about that practice (we don't vax and they are becoming less supportive of that choice). So if we needed to take them in for something minor I would probably take them to my PCP and be self-pay. He is much more supportive of the natural approach to health.

I do get home every once in a while. Being on-call all the time makes it hard though. Summers are hot and humid!!!

I don't use them either. Mainly to just eliminate chemical usage in our home. I also make my own laundry detergent. I use vinegar, water, and baking soda for fabric softener. I put it in a Downy fabric softener ball and toss in the washer. The recipe is: 8 C water 6 C vinegar 1 C baking soda essential oil (optional) I mix the water and vinegar in a gallon jug. Then VERY slowly add the baking soda. The kids love watching this part. ;) Sometimes I'll add just a few drops of peppermint EO to give it a little scent (which doesn't come through in the clothes...I just like the way it smells..lol).

So tiny and so sweet! It's good to read that she is doing well. I saw the preview for Sunday's show. Nothing like tears in a Daddy's eyes to get you right in the gut!!

This post is making me very homesick. :( I grew up in Wichita and my family is still there.

Oh heavens no. I want Lil Smokies and Booze that are tropical-themed. LOL!!!!!!

We're Losties here too! :) My dh and I are planning a little watch party. Don't have it all planned out but we'll for sure be having Hawaiian Cocktail Sausages and Pineapple Juice/Coconut Rum (only one little sip for me though...I'm on-call).

We do sometimes with clients! :)

Most definitely! Maybe in two years when our cell phone contract is over we can switch to iPhones and get the iPad. :)

Has anyone purchased this microscope? :thumbup1:? :thumbdown:?

Amazon.com has some items.

Here's the one I use: 2 C flour 1/2 C sugar 3 t baking powder 1/2 t salt 3/4 C milk 1/3 C oil 1 egg, beaten Heat oven to 400deg. Grease bottoms only of 12 cups or line with paper. In bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix well. In another bowl combine milk, oil, and egg. Beat well. Add to flour mixture all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moist. Divide into muffin cups. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until done. I tweak this a bunch to make them healthier: - Use up old bananas. Substitute 2-3 for some of the oil. I never measure it out exactly. I usually put in the bananas, mix/mash them up, then add some oil (or you could use applesauce) until the mix is not too thick but not too thin. - I haven't tried this yet but you could use coconut oil as well. - Add flax seeds to the mix. - Sprinkle the top with oatmeal. Or add in some oatmeal to the mix. - Use WW flour. - For fun we like to put in a bit of mini chocolate chips. ;) I also always double the recipe and make the muffins different sizes. Doubling makes 12 large muffins (I have the Wilton large muffin tin that makes 6). Then I stick 6 of them in the freezer for breakfast another morning. I also have a mini-muffin pan. I can get 6 large muffins or 12 regular size and then a tray of minis to snack on.

How fun!!!!

You'll probably get great feedback here but I thought I'd throw this out. The Mothering message boards have forums for different parts of the country, called Tribal Areas. HERE is the tribal area for Maryland.

Yep. I've tried continental too.

I've decided that catching babies shouldn't be easier than trying to figure out what knitting needles to buy. :lol:

It's just a way to budget. Basically you take your paycheck(s) and divide it up into categories. Some people use actual envelopes labeled with the categories and put cash in them. When the cash in that envelope category is gone, you don't have anything else to spend. Other ways to do it is on paper or the computer. Keep your money in the bank but keep track of it in the categories.

I know she doesn't need a full set...I want to give her one. ;) Just like I didn't really need more crochet hooks but now I have a full, pretty bamboo set so I'm prepared for any project I might choose. :lol: The Options look nice too. Sis ~ Thanks! That looks like a nice bamboo set! Somehow I hadn't seen that store on ebay yet. Oh goodness, I've tried that website. I've tried just about every book our library has...including the ones for kids. I've tried youtube videos. I'll figure it out one of these days. LOL And we're all over Raverly. :) Both of my oldest girls are in the homeschool kids group there. Joyful ~ Which set?

Still out of my price-range. The cheapest I see is 10 - 10" needles for $65. All the other sets are $100+. I really want to get her a set of several sizes which is why I linked to the u-nitt. Great needles (and hooks!) at a reasonable price.

So what length would be best? Would that 13" set be a good starter set? Ooooo...those Britney hooks/needles are pretty!!! A little out of my price range though. I was also going to ask about circulars.

Well, she's obviously a beginner (a beginner at crochet as well) so it's probably going to be things like scarves, blankets, pillows, etc. for a while before she does anything advanced.

Use pita bread. ;) Perfect size for an individual serving pizza. Everyone can add their favorite toppings to their own pizza. I buy a big block of mozzarella at WalMart (it's their store brand) and slice it up (slice then cut into smaller pieces). I lay that on the top and then sprinkle with shredded 4-blend cheese. If you prefer to make a dough, this one is pretty fail-proof: Makes 10" round, 14x10 rectangle, or 4 minis (Can also be a calzone crust...makes 8) 3 1/2 - 4 C bread flour or all-purpose flour (I use all-purpose) 1 t salt 1/2 oz fresh yeast or 1 t rapid rise yeast 1 C warm water 1 T olive oil Fresh yeast: Mix with a little warm water and leave until frothy (abt 15 minutes) Rapid Rise: Add 1 t to the warm water Preheat oven to 425deg. Sift 1 1/2 C flour and salt. Add oil and yeast mix (yeast and water). Stir well. Stir until it is a soft dough that doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl (you may need to add a bit more of the flour at this point). Sprinkle flour onto a clean/dry surface and knead until smooth and stretchy. Add in the flour as needed. Grease the inside of a bowl (or bowls if you are multiplying the recipe) and put the dough in it. Cover with a towel and put in a warm place for 45 minutes or until doubled. When risen knead again to get rid of air bubbles. Then put into pizza pan(s). Bake without sauce or toppings until it is almost baked. Remove from oven, add toppings, and return to oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

After being stumped on how to knit for quite a while, my oldest dd figured it out all on her own! :thumbup: Which I find amusing because she's always been the one who wouldn't be able to do something (i.e. walking, riding her bike) and then all of a sudden and all on her own could do it. I'm jealous...I've been trying for an even longer time and can not figure it out. :lol: :tongue_smilie: Anyway, I'd like to get her a set of bamboo needles for her birthday but I have no idea what to buy. I know that the SP needles will keep the stitches from slipping off. However, I found these (I recently got their bamboo crochet hooks and L.O.V.E. them!!!): Patina bamboo needles by U-nitt (they have 6"-8") Could we make them SP by putting little balls of self-hardening clay? Or would these SP needles be better for her to start with? Thanks!

I only look at the TM to grade papers. If a lesson has a new concept but is mostly review of concepts that have been mastered, I will teach the new and skip the additional work. Like the previous poster mentioned, we still do the review portions most of the time. It's just when it's something being reviewed over..and over..and over...when I know she knows the material, we don't always do the review. **I worded that wrong since not all TM have the answers. I meant to say I don't use the TM at all.*