with canned fruit...canned peaches, canned pears. Also just with sugar on top. My mom's lasagna recipe calls for cottage cheese, too. My friend makes pancakes with cottage cheese in them (they are blender pancakes).

We're trying to arrange childcare so I can come (dh has a conference the same weekend). How much time do I have to register? Is it getting close to full? Is there a deadline? Also, on the lunches...is the $11 for one day or both (do I need to buy TWO)? I SO hope I can come! Oh, and one more question--can I get my copies of WTM autographed? :D

Dh and I have been in a "rough spot" for about 2 years. I am considering seeking counseling by myself. Is this a bad idea (i.e. should I not go unless/until he will go too)? I'm open to a PM if you'd rather answer my question that way... TIA

Dh said we can talk about sending me alone. So I'm curious if you're going alone, with husband/partner, with kids, with entire family... I'm also curious if you'd like to go but cannot make it work out (dh has a conference that weekend too so I may not be able to go...that's why we have to talk about it). ETA: Is anyone from Alaska or Colorado going? :)

I, too, would look into inexpensive home vision therapy programs (get your pediatric ophthalmologist to help you here). My middle child, a dd, had vision therapy prescribed by our pediatric ophthalmologist. It cost us $59 or so and was time spent daily at home working on the computer. The program was the Computerized Home Vergence Exercise Program from this company: http://www.computerorthoptics.com/ My ds has amblyopia (lazy eye) and anisometropia (uneven farsightedness) so he tends to use his better eye (the right) while his brain ignores the input from the left eye. We are treating this in two ways. First, he has prescription eyeglasses. Second, his doctor prescribed atropine eyedrops to be put in his good eye (one drop three days a week...and as of today two days a week) to "blur" the vision in the good eye to force the weaker one to work and be acknowledged by his brain. I just noticed on the Computer Orthoptics page that they have a new computer program for ambylopia. I guess I'll be calling the doctor's office tomorrow to see if he knows about it (he probably does--he's a top-notch doctor in my opinion) and see if it might also help my ds. Anyway, just my two cents on the subject.

The oldest was "Little Face" when she was a baby. When she was swaddled that's all I could see--her little face. The middle was "Little One." The youngest was "Little Guy." Now, we have "The Girls" (the two oldest), "The Littles" (the two youngest), "Thing One and Thing Two" (the two youngest). I also do variations randomly...the oldest gets called (first three letters)-y or (first three letters)-anna. Or (first three letters)-y-Moo. The middle gets called "Ray-Ray" or "Roo." The youngest gets called "Young Man" or "Mister." Our two puppies are "Ding-Ding" and "Ding-Dong." :tongue_smilie:

If *I* am getting all wound up by dd's hormonal outburst, then I have to walk away. Temporarily. If dd is screaming/yelling/having a full-blown tantrum and I don't have to walk away, I find myself repeating myself, repeatedly. :tongue_smilie: What I am repeating depends upon the situation. Yesterday it was something like, "It takes two people to fight, so both of you are Webkinz-grounded tomorrow." I now have two hormonal dd's...11yo and 9yo...and so I often have two of them going off at once. If I can just stay calm and keep repeating my (completely logical) explanation of the consequences of her/their behavior, eventually it seems to sink in. If a dd is just having one of those sobby, "I don't know why I'm crying," moments, usually a hug and a reassuring discussion about how her body is changing and sometimes she will just feel sad for no apparent reason but it's normal and happens to lots of girls, that seems to help. Frankly, I think the being held and "babied" a little bit helps more than my words. I explain it to them this way: "You are in that between stage where you are not a little girl anymore but you're not grown up either...so it can be confusing...sometimes you want to be little and sometimes you want to be all grown up...sometimes it makes you sad." Or something to that effect. These are the two things that come to mind. You would think since I have two in this stage I could come up with lots of concrete examples for you but this is the best I can do right now. :001_smile:

By "successful" I mean...did they actually pay you back!? Dh and I have been generous in loaning money to members of his family. The first time was a verbal agreement. Eight years ago. Apparently the family member has absolutely no memory of this as he has never paid the money back. Dh wouldn't bring it up back then, then the person in question (his father) lost his job and of course we couldn't ask for loan repayment from someone who was unemployed...then he got a job...then he lost his job...then he got a job...and so on. Figure that money is gone. The second time was a written contract. Eighteen months ago. It was supposed to be paid in full this month with repayment starting 15 months ago. When we were three months into the repayment period, we asked where the money was. That's when we found out the person (brother this time) wasn't graduating in December after all and wouldn't be able to start paying until after graduation. However, that was now nine months ago and still no money. I emailed him last week, quoting the written agreement (which HE wrote, by the way), and of course haven't heard from him. Now another brother is in a bind. Wants to borrow a significant amount of money (double what the first two combined borrowed). Says he can pay it back as soon as he gets his bonus (which comes annually between the first of the year and tax time). How can we successfully (as in, ever see our money again) loan to a family member? Or can it just simply NOT be done? I know everyone warns against it...it just seems like it SHOULD be possible. The first two times we kind of said, "Well, if they never pay us back we can do without it...so if we're okay with that then we can do the loan." Yes, we can live (and ARE living) without that money, but... This time we do need the money back. Have you had successful lending experience(s) with family members? Please advise. TIA

Thinking of going there with family over spring break... Would like to make plans now but would like some good deals. One dc will have a birthday while we're there...so that's one free day for one person. Tell me where I should stay! Tell me what else to see/do in the area! Pretend that I have an unlimited budget. :D

a "trying out" period is a good idea. We got a puppy last January and tried to bring in an adult dog in September. Through odd circumstances (the person trying to find him a new home had to go out of town to help with an emergency situation with her parents) we were able to "borrow" him for the weekend. It turned out that he was a bad fit for our family, especially our "original" dog. But it was great to have a trial period. My philosophy on lots of things is that it never hurts to ask--the worst they can say is "no." So, if the dog you liked previously is not working out in the new home, why not ask if you can try him out? Also, we like the book Good Owners, Great Dogs by Brian Kilcommons. Lots of advice in there in choosing the right dog (puppy or adult) and bringing it home as well as training it to be a part of the family...

Two puppies from the same litter are a bad idea...they tend to bond with each other and not with their humans. Two of her dogs had litters this past summer and she kept one puppy from each litter; they are a couple of days apart in age but she specifically did NOT keep littermates. We adopted a puppy last January and another (from the same father, different mothers) in October. They are 8 months apart and it has been wonderful. The little puppy has learned a lot from his older half-sibling and they are great companions. The older puppy does seem more bonded to us (her people) than the younger one, though--probably because she only had us to bond with whereas he has had an older puppy AND people to bond with. Personally, I wouldn't get two from the same litter and I think it is easier to have puppies at least a half year apart. However, my experience is limited to my present circumstances. :001_smile:

My dd just turned 9 this past week and has one bud on one side and virtually nothing on the other. The bud has been there for 4-6 months.

Does anyone have any experience with Planbook? I just got a Mac for my birthday (my husband bought it for me...waving to Ria!!). I was trying to figure out what lesson planning/homeschool planning software there was. I went to the apple website and queried the downloads...and found something called Planbook by Jeff Hellman. Here's the link: http://www.hellmansoft.com/windows/index.html I've emailed him with several different questions and he's good about responding. I'm about ready to spend the $30 for the download because everything I've asked about the software can do... So, back to my question...does anyone have any experience with Planbook? Love it, like it, hate it?? Just wanted to check with the Hive one last time before I order... :001_smile:

and brought home The Vegan Family Cookbook from the library. http://www.amazon.com/Vegan-Family-Cookbook-Brian-Mccarthy/dp/1590560876/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232223885&sr=8-1 There are lots of simple recipes in there, which I really appreciate because I come from a long line of HORRIBLE cooks. I found that lots of the recipes in there could be modified to be NON-vegan if you wanted. For example, there is a recipe for Mexican Lasagna that calls for a meat substitute. Obviously, if you wanted to, you could just use the taco-flavored ground beef. Anyway, I appreciated the simplicity of the book because the ingredients were common, easy-to-find, and easy-to-substitute. That's my latest favorite cookbook. (Also Tofu Cookery http://www.amazon.com/Tofu-Cookery-Anniversary-Louise-Hagler/dp/1570672202/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1232223905&sr=1-1, but I don't think that's what you are looking for!)

When my father passed away, people brought food. That was great, but there were a few standouts for me. 1. PAPER PRODUCTS...plastic cutlery (the nice stuff, not the cheap kind that bends or breaks), napkins, plates, bowls, cups... I would add a permanent marker or two so if people wanted they could write their name on a cup. Paper towels and toilet paper would also be nice if they have a lot of extra houseguests. Maybe even some Clorox or other disinfecting wipes to help with cleanup. 2. BREAKFAST foods. I remember this so much...lunch/dinner/supper food and/or dessert seem to be what people think of, but I remember so well that we had food for breakfast. Fresh (but pre-cut) fruit, boxed cereals, half-gallons of milk, juices that didn't have to be mixed or refrigerated until after they were open, eggs, frozen hash brown patties, freezer waffles or pancakes that could just be put in the toaster, a variety of syrups, boxes of the instant-packet type of oatmeal, etc.

I can't stand it when people use the word "utilize" instead of "use." I had a principal who always talked about how we would "utilize" things when "use" would have made more sense. I think she thought she sounded more intelligent using the three-syllable word instead of the single-syllable word. I also hate acronyms that are used with one or more of the words they are supposed to stand for, as in ATM Machine (Automated Teller Machine Machine??) or For Your FYI (For Your For Your Information??). My former principal used to use the latter all the time (in faculty meetings). DROVE ME NUTS. I also hate "irregardless" which my sister uses in a way that makes me think she wants us all to see how smart she is to use such a big word... And my mother taught me that my body parts were "popo" (in the front) and "fanny" (the behind) and was constantly asking if I needed to "tinkle." Now when we visit she will tell us if SHE has to go tinkle...as if we needed to know. Argh. And last but not least, "effin." Just another variation on the F word...

Since I worked during school hours, obviously all of my homebound teaching was done after school. I had one student who was homebound for medical reasons and another who was homebound while her parents argued with the school district over her placement and special education services. In one situation, because the child had never really been to school, I was the one (in conjunction with his parents) who came up with his educational plan. I brought a variety of different things to do each time I went to his home. The mother was always home and I never met the father. The siblings were also home, which made things a little bit tense because everyone wanted to see what the little brother was doing and the mother had to keep them out of the way (or else I had to include them). In the other situation, the homebound student was actually in after-school-care at a friend's house. The friend's daughter was in my class at school (which probably had something to do with how I was assigned to teach the girl). Again, after school hours, I would go to my student's home to teach the girl who was a friend of their family. In this situation, I was given the things I was to teach but had a lot of latitude in terms of how I presented the material. The biggest challenge with this student was that the mother who was providing the after-school-care loved to talk about her own child (who was in my class at school) and to talk to me, period! The money was very good (very helpful in a time when we were barely making ends meet) but I feel that as a teacher it was less fulfilling...like I didn't and couldn't do enough for these kids. The families were very welcoming (and I felt very comfortable since it was the mothers who were at home). Both of them fed me dinner at least once!! :) They appreciated my efforts and I enjoyed working with them. My only other experience with homebound was when the boy across the street from me was in a three-wheeler accident and broke his legs so severely that he had to stay home in bed for several months. In that case the homebound teacher brought him his assignments from school and basically checked in on him. I do not think there was much instruction actually involved; he was in 8th grade at the time so he was pretty independent.

She wrote that if we personally didn't use Suave products that we could sign up for the coupon for the free bottle anyway and then donate it to the local women's shelter. Just something to consider. Thanks for the link!

If I have a Webkinz that I registered (adopted) on the website in June of 2008, then the account expires in June 2009. If I add (adopt/register) another Webkinz today, does my account then expire in June 2010 (i.e. add one year to the existing registration) or does it expire in January 2010 (one year from the date of the newest registration)? I can't seem to find the answer and neither my sister nor my sister-in-law is sure. My dd just got a second Webkinz but I don't want to register it today if it's not going to give us a full 365 days added on. I hope that makes sense. Does anyone know the answer? TIA

She got it on along with the palate expander and upper and lower braces. That was a LOT of hardware in one very young mouth!!! The first couple of days she needed ibuprofen; I think that was more for the palate expander than the Herbst but since they were in her mouth simultaneously it's hard to be sure. It wasn't much different from being a bit sore (and needing ibuprofen) after a regular orthodontist appointment when she'd get a heavier-gauge wire or have some other significant work done. After that, no big deal. As her jawbone lengthened, she did have the "bars" (they looked to me like miniature shock absorbers!) come apart. She became proficient at putting them back together per the orthodontist's instructions. As they were able to "move up a size" with the bars, they did so and that solved the problem. I was much more worried about the Herbst than dd ever was and it really was NOT a big deal.

I've just been pondering this question this morning and wondered how you would answer...

The Way Things Work book http://www.amazon.com/New-Way-Things-Work/dp/0395938473/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231629989&sr=8-1 and the DVDs by Schlessinger Media http://www.libraryvideo.com/sm/twtwdvd.asp?mscssid=X7U64EKXLG9P9HD5FELANKCWSTTCBG0A

All of my explanations got lost when my computer swallowed my post and I don't have time to recreate them. So here are some websites/books that might be useful: Dianne Craft--Right Brain Child http://stores.diannecraft.org/Detail.bok?no=53 to hear her speak http://diannecraft.com/speakingitinerary.htm Biology: Life As We Know It! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0753462532/ref=s9subs_c2_14_at1-rfc_g1_si4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=11B1SYHXRB9A94X43ZJP&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463383371&pf_rd_i=507846 Astronomy: Out of This World! (not in print yet) http://www.amazon.com/Astronomy-Dan-Green/dp/0753417618/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231629829&sr=1-7 Periodic Table: Elements With Style! http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0753460858/ref=s9subs_c2_14_at3-rfc_g1_si4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=11B1SYHXRB9A94X43ZJP&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463383371&pf_rd_i=507846 Physics: Why Matter Matters http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0753462141/ref=s9subs_c2_14_at2-rfc_g1_si4?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=11B1SYHXRB9A94X43ZJP&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=463383371&pf_rd_i=507846 Vocabulary Cartoons http://www.amazon.com/Vocabulary-Cartoons-Building-Educated-Mnemonics/dp/0965242277/ref=sr_11_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1231629556&sr=11-1

My oldest did this at age 9. She would cry at night, sobbing that she didn't know WHY she was crying. She wanted me near...every night. Finally she settled for an old nightshirt (oversized t-shirt) of mine. But every single night for quite a while I had to go downstairs and just talk to her about how she was growing up and sometimes she would just feel like crying "for no reason." My immature (delays of 1-2 years in language as well as social/emotional skills) almost 9yo (she'll be 9 this month) has started the same thing. Somehow I thought it would happen later since she's behind. Apparently it's hormonal and not linked to her maturity otherwise! :grouphug: I TOTALLY understand. (Dh does not :glare:).

My oldest dd's pet rat became gravely ill at the end of October. Her breathing was labored--even I, with untrained eyes, could tell she was in distress. I talked it over with dh and we agreed to take the rat to the small animal vet. (I'm not sure I'd do this again...it was expensive). So we took her, and she was diagnosed with a lower respiratory illness (probably a pneumonia). We went home, after an in-office nebulizer treatment (which didn't seem to help, honestly), with two kinds of antibiotics. I learned to give antibiotics by syringe to an unwilling rat. We medicated her all week. Ultimately, she died. But we had the week to talk about how she didn't look good, probably wouldn't make it if she didn't turn the corner soon, etc. So it wasn't a surprise, but it was still really hard. We came home from church and she was dead in the hammock with her three cagemates. One week later, we came home from church and my oldest dd's other rat was dead at the bottom of the cage. It was absolutely heartbreaking. We started asking questions (on a rat email list) and learned that some illnesses are very contagious and can be completely symptomless (as it was in the second rat that died). I went out that day and got powdered antibiotics to mix into the remaining rats' water for two weeks. Whether that helped or not I don't know (they didn't seem sick) but they are still with us. I feel badly that our first rat to die was obviously suffering and dying. We did do all we could for her, though. I have no idea if euthanasia would have been more humane, less expensive, or what. But that's our story. My dc are 11, 8, and 6...it was hard for them all but especially the oldest whose rats they were. For weeks everyone was afraid to look in the cage in case another rat was dead. My 8yo still talks about the death and has plans for what she will do when her rat dies. :(