[Quick! Vanilla extract substitute?]

I Vote almond. Mmmmmm.

 

I miss almond. The kids are allergic.

 

 

Also, you can do coffee.

[your opinion visit mt vernon or monticello?]

We visited Monticello and Mount Vernon earlier this summer. On different days. =)

 

DS says he prefers Monticello because it is "less spread out." He also likes the "beautiful countryside" we drove through to get there. (Can't believe he said that!)

 

DD preferred Monticello because of the gardens.

 

I enjoyed Monticello's architecture and feel it is more educational about how such a large household was run. I also loved the gardens - some very unusual varieties! You can tell that TJ was a very intelligent and curious man.

 

At Mount Vernon you can really feel the "greatness" in the place. I don't know how else to put it. It turns out George designed it that way. Stand outs for me were: working blacksmiths answering questions and showing their work and a tour which included the basement.

 

We visited them only two weeks apart. I found the "compare and contrast" aspect of that to be worthwhile.

 

If you find driving a chore, or don't have the time, I'd definitely visit Mount Vernon. Other than that, you really can't go wrong. )

 

Not much help, am I? Sorry.

[Anyone familiar with the UU Church's "Our Whole Lives" program?]

I know that there is an OWL program for every age, including adults, but our church only does the 7/8th grade and 11/12th grade programs.

 

My son did the 7/8 program this year and I was very happy with its content. DD will do the program next year.

 

Here's the description of the K-1 program, from the UUA website (uua.org).

 

Supports parents in educating children about birth, babies, bodies and families. Following a Parent Meeting and Parent/Child Orientation, the 8 sessions engage children with stories, songs and activities and include a weekly HomeLink - a homework project for parents and children to do together. Promotes dialogue between parent and child.

 

If you have more questions, I suggest calling any local UU church, or contacting the UUA (the national organization).

[Anybody else getting a "late" start on school?]

My kids would have a fit if we started back to school before Labor Day! Especially this year, as we schooled through July.

 

August is our only month "off" this year.

[Breakfast and Lunch -- Do you plan them?]

I also see the need. Somehow my kids never want anything easy or fast. They end up taking way too much time for lunch.

 

Breakfast I usually have more planned. A short list of options: oatmeal, eggs, sausage, toast w/jam, or cinnamon toast. I generally try to make sure they get a good protein serving, which is difficult (and expensive) since DD can't eat eggs or nut butters. If it wasn't for the allergies, I'd have them eat yogurt and toast with nut butter alternating with an egg casserole that I could make up the night before.

 

Lunch is my downfall. I hope someone has some good ideas. =) Sandwiches just don't fly at my house (I'm not a big fan of them either).

 

:bigear:

[where would you go from here? dd12 with health issue]

I'd want to get a look at her esophagus and make sure there is nothing going on there that's causing this or resulting from this.

 

Does it never happen except in the evening? Acid Reflux can be a mostly evening thing, but usually happens at least occasionally during the day.

 

Allergies can cause so many problems - there is even an allergic reaction specifically in the esophagus. I'd have an allergy test done. Does Benedryl, given before the onset, help? Does she ever sleep anywhere else? Does it still happen there?

 

In the mean time, I'd try eliminating certain foods. A family member greatly reduced his acid reflux by avoiding black beans and beer.

 

I hope she feels better soon.

[Who does the cooking at your house?]

I like to cook but I'm burned out. Between food allergies, intense dislikes (from DH!), picky palates, and busy schedules I'm just sick of it.

 

But if DH had to cook dinner, we'd never eat before 8pm. The kids sometimes want to cook dinner, but never what we have groceries or time for making.

 

I daydream about only having to cook for myself. Or even better, having the family make a good meal!

[AoPS Geometry- Schedule?]

I'll take a look at that.

 

Thanks

[Nurse called and said my pap is abnormal....your experience?]

I have been having abnormal PAPs for years - with normal ones in between. I've also had two colposcopies. I waiting for results now from the latest PAP and expect that I'll have to take the next step or two.

 

I'm surprised that they are doing a colposcopy after only one "mildly abnormal" PAP test. With three different Gyns, the standard procedure has been to take another PAP 6 months later. If that one is still abnormal, then colposcopy.

 

The new PAP tests have better/different grading that the old ones we had 5-10 years ago. It has been a while since I looked it up, but I recall that the old test had fewer gradations. Something like: good, questionable, cancerous, really cancerous. The new tests have more gradations in the "middle ground" between good and pre-cancerous. So we get more call-backs.

 

Unless you are in a high risk group, I'd make an appointment for a 6 month follow-up.

 

Sandra

[AoPS Geometry- Schedule?]

After much discussion, my DH and DS have talked me into letting DS try AoPS Geometry this year for 9th grade. DS says that he wants to learn by discovery and DH says the boy just needs more challenge.

 

My doubts remain. However, I found a used set for a good price and that decided it for me... for now. =)

 

I think there is a good chance that this won't work for us. For that reason in particular, I would like to have a good, reasonable schedule that accomplishes the class in an academic year. This, I hope, will give me benchmarks so I will know if I need to pull the plug and move to something easier. Preferably, we can make that move before we have lost too much of the current year. I *really* don't want to do summer math again.

 

Does anyone have a schedule that they have used?

 

As I look at AoPS, some lessons seem much easier than others, so I am hesitant to just "peanut butter smear" the sections across the year.

 

Do you feel that the difficulty is evenly paced? Or weighted more towards the beginning, middle, or end?

 

I appreciate your help,

 

Thanks,

 

Sandra

[Speaking of appearances...]

At the Rec Center pool where my kids were having lessons there was an older woman who wore a *very* thin white bathing suit. She was there, every week. We became used to the almost invisible suit. But one day, she forgot it. She walked all the way across the pool to the hot tubs before someone helped her back to the locker room.

 

I think she was having some dementia issues.

[What were YOU fed as a baby?]

I'm 43. When I was 3 months old, my folks went to West Africa for two years. My mother was told to wean me before they left because they would be in Africa (?!). A large portion of my parents' moving expenses went to cover cans of formula.

 

This makes no sense to me.

 

Regardless, I got amoebic dysentery.

 

Oh, how how the fashions change!

 

 

Sandra

[Sleep medicine? Desperate!]

First, I have to say a magnesium supplement before bed has helped my dd so much that my dh is now trying it!

 

Second, while you work on getting a sleep assessment, try treating for allergies - could be something seasonal that is just worse than usual this year, or it could be something new. Try allegra or claritin or zyrtec. Benedryl is the "big guns" and tends to put many people to sleep, but kids have an annoying tendency to have an opposite reaction.

 

It also occurred to me that anxiety may be the root issue here since he is waking up for every little thing. I'm not sure what to do about that other than mention it to the doctor. In the short run, you could try a white noise generator or a drum beats ap (for Apple).

 

Sandra

[Deep vein thrombosis question]

DH had a clot just behind the knee, from an injury. Even with treatment, a part of the clot broke off and made its way to his lung. You DO NOT want to mess around with this!

[Adult ADD]

This page lists side effects of various ADHD meds. Remember that not everyone who takes the meds has the side effects.

 

http://www.adhdnews.com/adhd-drug-side-effects.htm

 

I worry more about side effects for the kids taking them. My son was on his way to an ulcer in 2nd grade and wasn't gaining weight - even with me supplying Tums and packaged milk to the school nurse's office. When we re-tried them this past winter - on both kids this time - they fell off their growth curves. BTW my kids are skinny to start with so they don't have much to play around with.

 

I am now looking into supplements. If I can't find something to work, my ds has no choice but to take the drugs this fall, even though he's likely to end up shorter and less healthy because of it. I'm looking at magnesium (sleep issues), zinc, omega-3's, evening primrose oil (an omega-6), and B vitamins. I'm doing individual supplements because dd is epileptic and every product that is a multi has something she shouldn't take. Sigh.

 

Sandra

[Adult ADD]

 

So, my question...does anyone know if other ADD drugs work the same way - use the same kind of chemical receptors - meaning, if I got them, would they be equally ineffective?

 

 

I do not think they are the same receptors necessarily. Given that different drugs, habits, supplements, and diets have different success rates across the population of those with ADD/ADHD, I think that there are a number of different causes and co-morbid conditions that react to the treatment. I do not think you can know, or even make a good guess, at what will work for you until you give things a try. Also, specifically addressing medications, there are at least two classes of amphetamines prescribed for ADD/ADHD and another medication (Strattera) which is not even an amphetamine - so something is likely to work for you.

 

Supplements, medications, and habits you can try on your own. IME, nothing works as well as meds for treating symptoms if you can deal with the side effects.

 

Sandra

[Adult ADD]

I don't think it will effect your clearance. These are not military folks, though.

 

There wouldn't be enough techies if they eliminated ADD'rs from the applicant base. Most of DH's office (programmers) were diagnosed and medicated for ADD or ADHD.

 

Sandra

[Question for gluten-free people]

Many restaurants make cornbread by simply doctoring a yellow cake mix. It is a sweet and cake-y corn bread. You could find a recipe for that on-line, and use a GF cake mix. Many grocery stores now carry the GF cake mixes in their cake mix aisle, next to the sugar-free mixes.

 

If you go the scratch-made route, remember that a variety of flours mixed together mimic wheat flour best. Since you don't normally cook GF, you may be better off getting a GF "baking mix" that already has more than one flour in it rather than purchasing separate items.

 

Have fun with it,

 

Sandra

[Amblyopia and possibly other issues?]

This sounds a bit like my daughter. She was hardly using her left eye at all when first diagnosed (aged 5/6). Since she had no depth perception (monocular vision) she couldn't catch or kick a ball, and she fell or bumped into things quite a bit. Reading was a nonstarter.

 

Do you know what her glasses are doing? Are they blurring her "good" eye to make her work on the "bad" eye's vision? Our doc also had my dd wear scotch tape over her "good" eye when she was doing seat work. Once again to make her brain use the weak eye. He said tape is better than a patch because it not only makes your brain use the information from the weaker eye, but also work on integrating the data from both eyes.

 

You might want to work with your doctors to see about having the VT prescribed as medically necessary. Maybe insurance would pay for it if it was the only option besides surgery (cheaper for them)? Also find out how much insurance will pay and ask doctors to work with you on the difference.

 

I'd also point out that some docs give you work to do at home as well as in office. Progress will be faster that way. You might be able to move increasingly to VT-at-home and have fewer office visits.

 

I hope you find something that works for you,

 

Sandra

[Math help for working memory issues & music]

:bigear:

 

We have had *some* success with Math Mammoth. I have to add manipulatives. Right Start was OK for a while. Same with MUS. It is still a problem and she is still delayed (doing 4th grade math when she's a rising 6th grader). I'd love to hear anyone's suggestions.

 

Sandra

[Anyone used neurofeedback? How helpful was it?]

We are in the process of neurofeedback for DS's ADHD. DS really thinks it is helping him. I'm not seeing it. I think of three possible reasons for that: First, it takes additional time/practice to transfer the skills learned in-office to academic work. Second, it is summer and I have been letting him work fairly independently so I haven't noticed changes. Third, it isn't helping.

 

I myself am uncertain of how long to proceed.

 

I should mention that we did see an almost immediate improvement in his ability to fall asleep at night. I think we have used melatonin only once since we started this.

 

Sandra

[Online courses for child with relapsing illness]

My son is currently taking Keystone English 8. It is online only. For High School Courses you have your choice of on-line or correspondence for most classes. I believe that you automatically have 12 months to complete a full academic year course. If you need more time, they might work with you if you document the illness. OTOH if 3 months wiggle room is all you need this would definitely be a good fit.

 

Perhaps another option could be The Great Courses. You get the video and study guide and go through at your own pace.

 

We are also enjoying Thinkwell Microeconomics. Here too, we get 12 months to complete the course.

 

There are a number of other correspondence and on-line high schools out there - some quite challenging. I think you may need to speak with their admissions departments or with their guidance counselors.

 

Best of luck to you. I hope his headaches disappear.

 

 

Sandra

[Sinus congestion---Help please!]

My allergist gave me the green light to use Afrin in order to avoid or help clear up sinus congestion. It is physically addictive, meaning if you overuse it your sinuses will become dependent on it. But if you only take it at bedtime you can use it three nights in a row. Then you should stop.

 

Continue with everything else you are doing. Rest and vitamin c. Sleeping in an elevated position helps, too.

 

The other option is to get an Rx for antibiotics.

 

I hope you feel better soon,

 

Sandra

[Low-carb breakfasts--please save me from the eggs!]

I recently had a delicious appetizer that would make a good breakfast. Very thin zucchini slices (slice long-ways) add some cream cheese and a bit of smoked salmon. Roll it up. Eat it

 

I am not a smoked salmon fan but I really liked this! I wonder what else could be rolled up in these zucchini slices? Tomato and mozzarella? Tuna salad?

[Rabbits...]

You may also want to look into a product called Tick Tubes. They are cardboard tubes filled with cotton balls treated with insecticide. They targeted at mice to interrupt the tick life cycle. Might be a good adjunt to trapping.

 

Sandra