Well, I don't think these kids are uneducated or feel particularly worthless. It's just an activity it seems. Boggles my mind but.... Dd and I talked more and her big concerns are she doesn't know how to get her friends ( and acquaintances, these discussions seem very casual not only her closest friends) to take the health risks seriously. I think these kids feel living in the country somehow protects them. Obviously not true! We also had a fun off topic discussion that she is the kid people would worry about by appearance ( purple hair, artsy, outspoken) and yet she is the girl who has never even dated. As to changing her friends we talked about peer pressure, (not being in a place you shouldn't, parties) but if the homeschooling, church going honor society and GS folks are who you are already friends with..... Again, just so glad she will talk with me even if she admits it feels really weird.

Ah, the sticky wicket of the adults who preach abstinence only, would never believe their kids are hooking up and that it's only " bad" kids and who absolutely don't want to discuss it with their kids. I am so glad she felt she could talk to me. I'm sending up prayers and vibes of thankfulness on that.) We also discussed that if she ever felt she couldn't talk ith me her older sister ( who I truly trust to give good advice) would listen.

I guess this is a week in review, 😄 Mon&Tuesday I taught yoga, Wednesday and Thursday were running/elliptical stuff. I ran this morning. That's about all I remember ðŸ˜

That's sort of where I'm at. The nearest PP or health clinic is about 50 miles away. We are small and rural. I'm worried they could catch any number of STD's and never even be screened. I just don't see them calling up the GP they go to church with to get an appointment KWIM. ~sigh~

The baby 😥 The reasoning is you can't get pregnant. It all makes me so worried about them.

I weigh in the morning, go workout and weigh when I get back. Then I know how much water to push.

So dd 17 shared with me last night her concerns for many of her friends. Evidently she is the only one not having sex, and risky sex at that ( random hook ups, unprotected vaginal and anal sex, etc). She wanted my take on whether she should carry protection with her, what I thought she should tell her friends, and lots of other concerns. I, of course, reiterated safety, maturity, the need to avoid dangerous situations, my feeling that sex is best in a committed relationship and she was fine but I am shaken. It's not that her high achieving, church going " good girl" friends are having sex but that it is so unsafe and random. I almost wish she hadn't said anything.

IF you live where it is legal have at it. I don't support breaking the law.

Best phone call from basic, " I'm fine. After you as a mom the drill sargent isn't that bad!" Click. ðŸ˜ðŸ˜³ðŸ˜„Hang in mama.

I read this article which convinced me I didn't care that much. http://www.sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=want_the_body_of_a_fitness_model_find_out_what_it_really_takes We've got ab muscles, they hold us up after all. It's getting body at low enough to see them.

Young Miles http://www.amazon.com/Young-Miles-Vorkosigan-Adventures/dp/0743436164 Dragon Bones http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Bones-Patricia-Briggs-ebook/dp/B000OCXG2S/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1456336915&sr=1-1&keywords=dragon+bones I Bring the Fire. http://www.amazon.com/Bring-Fire-Part-Wolves-Series-ebook/dp/B008UUIGB2

Prayers. It is very hard but he will learn so much. Really.

I lowered my standards😉 Seriously? Meal variety is slim. Batch cook and crockpot. Activities are grouped or no can do. I don't sort laundry, just wash on cold. Nothing is ruined yet. Kids take clothes to their room. I don't ask after that. We speed clean together about 4:45. Vac, swipe bathrooms, sweep kitchen, bathrooms and mud room. Put books, papers, toys in a basket at the back of the living room. Deal in the morning.

We are obviously more frugal than I thought. I need to show this to dh. We spend very, very little. Thank you library, used cur. sales, internet and parks department. Less than $500 total.

My 2 kids currently in college attend state schools that are commutable (50 miles away). Both schools looked at SAT's and really didn't care about anything else. Maybe we don't have big enough dreams but it didn't seem too hard to get in.

Hmmm, I didn't even know my brother was in the army😜 Must show him this.

Having been on the kid end of this equation twice I intend to check myself in the first hint that I'm going south. Waiting for a crisis and being at the mercy of where you can get in is nuts and if extensive medical interventions are needed home can't provide appropriate care. I couldn't lift my dad. How could I provide his care the last 6 weeks of his life. And while I'm on the subject I solemnly swear I will get rid of years of acquired " stuff".

Kim- poor kid. Here it's any academic thing that gets dropped. ~sigh~ Sunday I got 10,000 steps. We were on a little trip so counted it good. Yesterday was spent driving but I did a longer yoga practice on my own last night to dekink. This morning was super time crunched so I did about 2.5 miles. Didn't seem like much but that's life. Yoga tonight.

Looped through a belt loop and fastened would work. I've done that if I get too sweaty.

Today was set painting and now an hour on the elliptical.

DASH diet-easy and doable.

I remember tons. Friends, adventures, family, freedom with security. I was loved but not overly supervised. My parents were far, far from rich but tried so hard to give my brother and I a love of learning...we had library cards, watched documentaries, received National Geographic and looked up funny words in the dictionary. We worked hard in the garden and to earn money ( my bro and I mowed a lot of yards) but Sunday night we played cards as a family. Not everything was peachy, hunky dory but overall it was pretty darned good. My immediate thoughts about childhood are books and the creek ( pronounced crick, where my 3 best friend and I lived for a couple of summers).

I'm not sure of her age. We live rurally so have many of the same transportation problems. My suggestions aren't fun but might give her a sense of accomplishment. I have left the kid at the grocery with a list to do the shopping while I did something else, left them to make dinner while I left ( see a theme, they can't default to you) , they have volunteered at our food bank, at Girl Scout and Cub Scout day camp, as helpers at park programs ( had to drive for that one). Mine have gone off for church camp since they were little. It's not art but it helps with independence. All those little steps lead to being willing and able to do the big adventures. I'm not sure if that helps but I really believe all those little life things lead up to bigger stuff.

Thanks. We have done the Shedd in Chicago. I saw the deal for kids and decided it might get us out of the winter funk February always brings. I'm sur with enough application of ice cream and pizza my youngest 3 will still enjoy it.

Title says it all.