I have three children, but only one is still at home. The other two have graduated homeschool and are now in college. I will still continue to homeschool my youngest through high school. I'm not sure why just having one at home would cause someone to change their educational plans. :confused1:

Apple seeds have cyanide in them. So don't eat a ton of them. Small amounts are ok. Peach and apricot pits also contain cyanide. Don't eat those at all. Not that you could chew one up and swallow it, but just in case. :D

This combination is a very serious illness and should not be taken lightly. Cancel your appointments and spend your time at home with your son. He needs to be carefully observed, as things could go bad quickly. He will be ill for five to ten days. We have several children hospitalized for this right now, and they're quite ill.

Oh, and there is an episode some time during the first season where a neighbor lady tossed a burlap sack full of kittens in the creek to drown them. Laura saves them, but the fact that I originally watched this episode back in 1974, and still remember it, shows how much I was traumatized. Michael Landon always went for the emotional jugular in every single episode. Not saying that I don't love him. He was my first crush, and apparently I subconsciously married him...my dh looks freakishly like him, as many friends and strangers have pointed out to me, lol...but if you weren't crying at some point during that show, he didn't do his job right.

Never. That show had virtually nothing to do with the Little House books, aside from the names of the characters. I think if you're basing a show on real people, at least make more than a token attempt to be historically accurate.

Does she have an appetite? Kids with appendicitis will not eat. Can she jump up and down? Kids with appendicitis can't do that. They tend to stand hunched over. When she's lying down, if you press on her abdomen, does it hurt more when you let go? Rebound pain is typical of appendicitis. By the time you are a teen, your symptoms tend to be more typical. Pain should settle in the lower right quadrant, with tenderness over the "McBurney's point" area (you can google where that is). Sometimes the only way to diagnose it for sure is surgery. The doctor will perform tests to rule out ovarian cysts or torsion, lower lung pneumonia, gastroenteritis, and several other conditions that can mimic appendicitis. If your child has moderate to severe abdominal pain, please take her in. A doctor is the only one who can make an accurate diagnosis.

Congratulations!!! I love your site!!

Yes, you need to inform them. Mumps can cause problems in a pregnancy. The woman will need to speak to her OB and inform him/her that she was exposed.

You need to be seen. If it's infected and abscessed, they'll drill into the nail, or lance it to allow the pus to escape. You don't want pressure building up under the nail, that can be dangerous. If you see red streaks around the nail, swelling or discoloration of the skin around or under the nail, or develop a fever, go to the ER.

Mumps is miserable! I'm so sorry. And we are seeing a lot more of it in the ER lately with kids not getting their MMR. If your kids are fully vaxed (and it worked), they'll be fine. About 15% of adults with mumps will develop meningitis, so if you're having neck pain and stiffness (can't lie on your back and lift your neck so that your chin touches your chest), fever, fatigue, headache, or any combination of the above symptoms, get back into the doctor and make sure you're not developing that complication.

Yes...me. It will last, for most girls, until they discover boys. :D

If you can't verify that the dog has had his rabies shots, you will need to get the series of vaccines. Rabies is almost universally fatal. I'm sorry...the shots are very expensive. Anywhere from $2,000 - $7,000 for the series. They must be done on a precise schedule. See a doctor now to learn the protocol for your area. It's not the same everywhere, but I don't know a state where a dog bite doesn't have to be reported. Cat bites don't (even though they're more likely to get infected), but dog bites do.

I agree. It's the nature of the beast. Theater productions often mock and/or satirize socially relevant events, institutions, or people. If your dd is interested in theater, she needs to get used to this sort of thing. A Broadway play whose sole purpose is mocking my religion (The Book of Mormon) has been a blockbuster for the past several years. It is what it is. My response is that my church should emboss the bottom of all our new Books of Mormon that we hand out with the words, "Winner! 2012 Tony Award". :lol:

The teachers may not punish him for his speech frustrations, but other kids will definitely notice, and may tease him about it. With that age group, it probably won't go beyond calling him a baby, but three year olds are quite astute, and quick to pick up on differences. And teachers are only human, and unfortunately can't catch everything. Has he had experience with being teased, and how does he handle that?

Also be aware the post-partum depression and post-partum anxiety are much more common in older women. And it can start before delivery. Hormones are just wonkier in older mothers. I think you should speak with your doctor, so that he can determine the source of your problems. It may be depression.

Time is the only thing that helps with tonsils. It's a painful recovery. She should be feeling much better in 48 hours or so.

I wouldn't worry about it. I'm betting he locked his knees. We see a lot of that with kids. If it isn't something that's happening frequently, an occasional fainting spell is no big deal.

Of course, you have my vote, Katie!

Board games?

Too far away to focus too much on the mission for Christmas gifts. Get him whatever he would enjoy now. It's his last Christmas at home for awhile...get really fun gifts!

My MIL would have loved it if we had named DD after her. But her name is Jeraldine (yes, with a J), so that was never going to happen. I think she's still disappointed, but there was no way to make it sound even remotely palatable.

Pay down your debt first. Listen to Dave.

Kona (for breakfast) 'Ohana Rose & Crown (you can watch Illuminations from the patio if you make your dinner ressie for about 7:30 or later) Via Napoli Tutta Italia Les Chefs de France 50s Prime Time Brown Derby (the lounge on the patio is excellent) Be Our Guest Liberty Tree Tavern (lunch only) Crystal Palace (breakfast) Artist's Point Whispering Canyon Cafe (be sure to ask for ketchup and straws) Beaches & Cream Yak & Yeti Tusker House (breakfast) Yachtsman

If it's a sinus infection, abx will take care of it quickly.

I suspect this must be a regional thing, so if I were in your shoes, I would call others who provide this service and ask how much they charge. Then you can market yourself in such a way so that you'll be competitive. Most of us probably can't respond properly because this is not a service commonly associated with weddings in our area. But I'm sure in other areas of the country, it's a service that's in demand.