Does the Advil cold and sinus make you drowsy? It can't have any sort of sleepiness side effect. He has to be sharp about his wits for the evening. After the presentation, when we get home, he can take the "good stuff." ;) Jo Which cough drop is best? Is it still Ricola, or Halls? Edit: I can't type *Ricola* without thinking of Ria and Colleen.....

He sounded even more congested this morning. Poor guy. I would entertain home-remedy suggestions, as well as, over-the-counter (which I know NOTHING about). Thanks. Jo

My dh has to emcee a fairly lengthy award ceremony tomorrow and he has a cold- cough, some drainage, general exhaustion. He has to read a lot. All I can think of is honey tea. :confused: There is more he can do. There must be. What tips do you recommend? Thanks. Jo

talk to me about water purification systems. This is a much bigger concern for me than food- I have seeds, and dry goods. Water is a big concern. If a hurricane were to hit this island and the drinking water tainted, I wouldn't have enough water for a family of 9 for very long. We aren't near a stream, but rain is frequent and we could collect if necessary. I'm considering getting a water purifier of some sort. We have an old hiking hand pump thing that we used to use a lot, but I'm sure it is too old to handle large scale water purifying. Obviously, I'm assuming I won't have electricity, and I don't have a generator....yet. :D What do you do about water? Jo

:iagree: and LOL. We had barely crossed the border of Kentucky when we moved south from Minnesota when we stopped for lunch. I remember walking across the parking lot and being stopped twice by strangers commenting on the size of our dog, our kids, etc. It had been so long since people randomly spoke to us in public that my husband and I were taken back. And we're both southerners by nature! Definitely different. Jo

Can you give me a little more insight into the pertussis decision? What happened? I'm getting ready to make my decisions with my two youngest unvaccinated children. Thank you. Jo

Easier said than done I believe. It is the complete helplessness and harrassing they feel when someone bigger, stronger, smarter, etc. always needs-and usually is- to be first, that causes the frustrated crying.

We were dealing with this last night. My 8yo does this to her 6yo brother frequently. He was just running home from a walk around the block last night and she couldn't take it so she took off (she's way fast) just to beat him to the house. He wasn't racing, but still took it hard. Ugh. My issue is when a child uses their age and skill to dominate a *younger* sibling. I tell them if they are that good then they should challenge their older bro/sis. To do it to the younger sibling is a bit like bullying- emotionally bullying. I agree with Rosie about encouraging competition. We don't want to squash this child's competitive nature. We want to help her learn how to harness it. :D

Happy Birthday Barb! Jo

the local school system is on spring break. :glare: I, therefore, have regained the reputation as meanest mom on the street (from the other children, not my own). They look at me in disbelief that I don't call off school for them. :001_huh: Jo

This conference is amazing. Of course, I always stayed overnight and made a big pampered getaway out of it. ;) I think the actual homeschooling stuff was cool too. :) I also liked wandering the exhibit hall to absorb the atmosphere.

I went to CHOH in Honolulu. Shrug/Meh. :-/ It is so small compared to the Florida conference I always went to on the mainland. I was glad to support, but didn't get much out of it. *I did like the Family Man guy- he was a hoot* Jo

More thoughts after reading the responses. What I call planning, might be called "tweaking" by someone else. I'm constantly course correcting. I plan in two week blocks, but sometimes I'll see one child needs an extra 30 minutes on a certain math lesson, or we can't move on to the next lesson in composition until a certain child grasps the concept of paragraphs etc. I don't have a plug and chug core curriculum either. Math, Spelling, Grammar are just do the next thing subjects, but our humantities curriculum requires a lot of my time. I need to grasp the topics first so I can more fluidly lead discussions as they come up. Having read the other posts, I realize this probably looks different in everyone's home. I don't have free time during the week (littles and no spouse break) so all my planning is done in one or two chunks on the weekend. I just want you to know that I am in the same boat with you. Jo

This is my reality too. My weeks go so much smoother if I do the planning, but it isn't always do-able depending on the weekend, ya' know? I was up at 5 am this morning getting my act together. :glare: Jo

Only you can really know his intentions, we can only guess. As for that phrase? I hate it. I heard it for the first time last week. Paint on a barn? I keep thinking about ugly guys. What do they do? Let their barns chip, fray, and weather? I would think our husbands would want us to appreciate them regardless. It just irks me. Jo Btw- I do wear an item or two of make-up (eyeliner and maybe lipstick on a good day). After seven hungry nursing infants, you can bet I have considered augmentation- but if my husband said something like, "If the raft needs air, pump it up" I'd kick him higher than his shins.....

This was my first thought too. I'm so glad it wasn't you, dh, or son. How unbelievably scary and traumatic. I'm so sorry your dog. He is the hero in this story. :grouphug: Jo

I have held this bird. I'm not repulsed. I just think it is odd. It must be the nurse in me. Poop is poop. Properly disposed of it is a fact of life, but I don't go out of my way to put it on my children's outdoor toys. It seemed to be amusing to see a bird crawl through a Fisher Price car ramp, but all I could think about is my finger-sucking, two year old washing her hands in the very, very near future. Okay, I admit it. I don't see the draw of a bird as a pet. I'm glad others have happy memories from them, though. It shows, once again, the differences amongst us- variety, some might say! Jo

snicker....

Pet birds? Would you be grossed out if a neighbor brought their pet bird over and let it crawl over your outdoor children's toys? Is *pet* bird poop cleaner than wild bird poop? Hypothetical...of course? ;) I like birds. I like watching birds. I even like bird feeders. But having a bird on my shoulder or on my outside craft table might...if it were ever to happen;)...might gross me out. Jo

Just a little one, less than two weeks. But I had really gotten used to him ;). I got some ridiculous chick movies to watch while he's gone, but it has been too busy to watch them. Oy. Good to see you Ria. :) Jo

Oh dear. I have given you the wrong impression. I am neither bored nor experiencing silence. I haven't been bored in years, and I can only wish for quiet. :D I just haven't been in contact with the outside world.... well that isn't exactly true....I haven't been acknowledged by someone who knows me in a couple of days and I was beginning to feel invisible. I told you I'm pathetic. :lol: You guys qualify as someone who knows me. If I call a friend in town they will come over, or want to get together and I'm not ready for that kind of commitment. :D Jo

Aubrey, I love you dearly, but I would rather be lonely than scrapbook. I'm just not a scrapbooker. I like photo albums where all the photos are at right angles. I don't do cute. I'm a weirdo.:D To sit and sip tea with you, though, would be lovely. Off to boil water. Jo

Not long. I was just getting used to those mid-day check-in calls, ya' know? What I wouldn't give for a real live telemarketer to cut off....;)

My husband is at sea and I haven't had a personal phone call or email in days. I'm having one of those days when spam in the inbox is exciting.:001_huh: I'm beginning to wonder if I exist. Can I get a shout out from someone? Please. Jo

My 8yodd- a late bloomer in most areas of academics- needs something to help her focus on detail. I think it would improve her reading. She often skips letters in words i.e. saying "trust" when the word spells "thrust" or saying "matcher" instead of "matches." I've been making her read aloud to me more, and I help her, but I'm wondering if I worked with her in other areas that include detail if that would help. All I can think of is "I Spy" books, or Where is Waldo. But that doesn't seem just what I'm looking for....which of course I'm not sure of. :001_huh: Ideas? Jo