What shall I do with 4 duck legs?? Help!!

Just curious what's on your kitchen table? We have one of those wipe down plastic tablecloths, but it needs replacing soon. I would like to switch to real tablecloths, but dh thinks I'm losing my mind because it will need so much more work. If you use normal tablecloths where do you get them, and how many do you have?

We're like this too. We have no tv, an old mobile phone (like a brick!) and a dying laptop. I have told the children absolutely no computer games, ever! People make iPods and the like sound like you can't live without them, but I just don't see that I have a need for anything more at all.

I am by no means an expert, and my children are still fairly young. I do like to think that they are good friends though. We have moved a lot in their short lives and they have become used to being each others' best friends. One of the things we do that I think makes a difference is that they share a bedroom, and often a bed (their choice). This started out of necessity, but has continued out of preference.

I don't think it's menopausal (I'm only 32), but over the past year I have had significantly worse PMT lasting 2 weeks. Nasty! Perhaps my progesterone does need checking. We have had an extremely stressful year since May (I recently told my husband that it has been the hardest time of my life - which is saying something). I have been feeling anxious too. I am not naturally grumpy or anxious, this is definitely new. I feel like I have lost my va-va-voom.

This is an interesting theory. Where did it come from and do you have any evidence?

I read it with a big smile on my face. I'm impressed.

Ok, so I know it's multifactorial. And I know that I'm probably doing a lot of the things that could cause this. But I'm so grumpy and overwhelmed it's like I can't help myself. I NEED that chocloate bar - kwim?! So where do I find the willpower and motivation to change?

Hormones? Depression (I don't think I'mdepressed)? Bad habit? Lack of sunlight? I'm tired of it, but it seems to have become my default mood. How can I fix this?

Go out?:D

In my opinion, your poll reflects a very narrow view of the debate - that discussed by North American Christians. I can see you guys getting bogged down in this all the time,and yet I never hear it from anybody else. For me: creation? Absolutely! Young earth, old earth etc etc ad nauseum? I neither know nor care because God in His infinite wisdom chose not to make this clear to us. We can worship God just as well, and probably better, not knowing. I answered other in your poll!

Me too please!

Feeling fond of you all today! It's so nice to come on here and not be an odd-ball. I seem to spend the rest of my life not fitting in, but on here there's always somebody like me...... And I thought I was the only one left in the world who kept their butter out of the fridge!!

Thank you all so much for your support. I have calmed down a bit now! This is the first time I have had to deal with comments of this kind - I agree that I will never be able to change his mind. We'll just carry on regardless.....:001_smile:

It's so frustrating isn't it? I mean, the arguments used don't have a shred of logic. What makes it worse is that this is my dad who has chosen to have nothing to do with us for the past 8 years, for reasons known only unto him. Now for some reason he decides it's time to be all pally-pally with us and lecture me about how I choose to raise my children. I feel like it's none of his business, when for all this time he didn't care two hoots about what happened to me or the children. He has recently become a counsellor, and I think he is trying to use his new found skills to psychoanalyse us all. I get the feeling we're his guinea pigs. Can you tell I'm cross??!!

Horrid weekend with my folks. According to my dad if you homeschool you are being overprotective - because you need to have bad experiences at school so that you learn how to deal with them in later life. Because clearly being bullied as a 7 year old makes you able to deal with a bully at 33. And just in case you wondered - my children are doing well academically, socially, emotionally etc etc IN SPITE of me! They would be doing even better if they were at school. :mad:

Yes, this. Thank you for the detailed reply. There is a lot to do with his expectations. Yesterday it was peeling the banana wrong for example. He's so young, but so clearly knows how he wants things - but can't communicate those things very well yet. We already eat a fairly clean diet because my dd reacts to food colouring, blue in particular. She is not that bad though, so the diet could be improved. My husband thinks I'm turning into a hippie and is not very supportive (but he tolerates it!). Thank you all so much for your support - it really does help.

Thanks to you all for the thoughts and support. We had a good hour whilst the olders did karate. He played with a big bouncy ball. To be honest I don't know which type of screaming it is. I assumed it was the first, but the mention of sensory issues has made me wonder. This little boy is best described as 'intense', and he has been since birth. It is all new for me as my olders have all been chilled out! Perhaps you are on to something?? I think working on communication would be helpful, but if there are sensory issues going on, what can I do to improve things for him?

Ds is 18 months. He has always been much more high maintenance than my other 3. For the first 6 weeks I could not put him down because he screamed if I did. (very unusual for me/my babies). Well, we seem to have hit another tricky stage. He is walking, beginning to say words, understanding a lot and following commands. AND SCREAMING. All. day. long. Except when he is asleep, or eating (after calming down from beingput in the highchair and screaming about his foodfor 15 minutes). I'm losing my mind. My poor easy-going 3 year old is being snapped at because I'm at the end of my tether. What can I do to improve things??

Thanks for the feedback. That's reassuring. I think we'll probably just plod on.:001_smile:

Anybody?

:iagree:I have 3 boys and 1 girl. They all have some easy and some more difficult qualities. Nothing to do with gender in my honest opinion. Congratulations!

Just watched this very interesting BBC documentary about Art in America. I watched it through British eyes, and would be interested to hear your views from the other side of the Atlantic. http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b017755r/Art_of_America_Looking_for_Paradise/

My ds is just turned 7. We have been using, and enjoying WWE. At present we are on chapter 29 of WWE2. The style suits him, and whilst he does not excel at it, he gets along just fine. So, the question arises - where do we go from here? I was feeling reluctant to move on to WWE3 because I get the feeling it is a big step up and I don't want to overwhelm him (he's only 7 after all). But.......I have searched and searched all the other writing programs and can't find anything that suits him as much as WWE. What can you all suggest? I'm dreadful at putting things together myself so please don't suggest that! Thanks for reading :001_smile: