So cool! We love the MIT free courses! Thanks for passing this along!! :)

Is she away at college? Our son is in a dorm and while he has a kitchen, we got him a personal size Keurig for his room. He likes his coffee in the morning and late at nite and always going out to the cafeteria isn't always convenient. The Keurig is compact and the pods make is perfect for the dorm room. He is a Digital Media major and his Mac died but he wanted a PC to replace it instead. He said he has found that there isn't a particular need for a Mac anymore in the digital media courses. He did need a Wacuum Draw Tablet so that suggestion is really good too.

:thumbup: I'm so glad you are not hurt by the speculation and are still interested in educating people about this disorder. :grouphug:

Not nuts in my book! Travel is expensive and can be difficult enough without sick kiddos to boot! Don't give it another thought. ;)

I think that Sybil's diagnosis may have been a product of a doctor that for whatever reasons (fame or inexperience possibly) may have unintentionally led her patient to adapt to the diagnosis. I have read about the relationship Sybil had with her Doctor and it is very possible. Do cases of dissociative identity disorder exist? I absolutely believe that they do. IMO a better book to read is When Rabbit Howls by Truddi Chase. There has to my knowledge been no question that she suffered from the disorder. I think it is unfortunate that doubt about the Sybil case could cast doubt on dissociative identity disorder in general. :(

The over the counter pain med for urinary infection (the one that turns the urine bright yellow) can skew the test results for urinary infection so be sure to tell the Dr. if you have given her those meds. I had a UTI recently and the Minute-Clinic was a lifesaver for me. It was after hours weekend and I couldn't wait. The pain and urgency was just unbearable. Like the others have said, have her drink LOTS of water and cranberry juice. :grouphug:

We have 5 cats and only one is declawed. I won't ever declaw again. Fortunately, the one we did it to didn't have any side effects and still used the litterbox but bleeding and infection can occur and littlerbox aversion can also be an issue. After declawing, which removes the last bony digit of the paw, the cat (particularly an adult) will find that scooping litter feels strange or painful and that can lead to the litterbox issues. We have opted to use scratching posts and soft claws. We also use Sscat which is a non-toxic aerosol spray that detects motion and keeps the cats away from places they aren't allowed. The Sscat works great! We used to have a problem with certain cats sneaking up onto the kitchen counters but a couple sprays of Sscat has cured that. The cats don't like the sound and the spray (just canned air). Now, just seeing the can will keep them away from prohibited areas. :) We have a kitten who likes to play claw so he is currently wearing alternating green and red soft paws for Christmas. So cute too! The other cats have learned not to scratch or sharpen their claws on anything but their scratching post. Through the use of verbal correction, removal from the area and Sscat we have very house friendly cats. All this said, I firmly believe that any pet cats whether they are clawed or declawed should be inside and not allowed unsupervised outside. Also firmly believe that all should be spayed or neutered and wearing breakaway collars (safest) with ID (additionally microchipped) and up to date on all shots. One thing I've learned from many years of owning cats. They can be trained and while they can be very stubborn and bossy, they can be taught new rules with consistency and vigilance. I've lived in CA and the housing situation you describe is IMO not safe for allowing outdoor freedom to continue. I think you already know this because of your posting. Don't forget, you are the one in charge. The cats may complain and grumble about the new inside rules but in time they will adapt. I recommend you check out Sscat, get some scratching posts and teach the cats to use them, routinely clip their nails and look into Soft Paws. We clip our cats nails and apply the Soft Paws ourselves. It is not that difficult if you have trained the cats to allow manipulation of their feet. Otherwise, a vet can clip and apply the Soft Paws.

This is the one right? http://www.teachingmom.com/features/advent.html

:iagree: I surprised that people would think that at all!

:crying: :grouphug::grouphug:

:grouphug::iagree::iagree::iagree:

This! :iagree:

:iagree:

I made a breakfast casserole last week that used Texas Toast as the base. Then you layer with crumbled cooked sausage, shred cheese and a mixture of eggs and cream. Then cover and let it sit overnight in the fridge and cook 350 for 40 min the next day. It is really good!

I was thinking this same thing! This is a clear case of someone taking advantage of a minor. I think it would be a great lesson to show dd how to stand up to this kinds of dishonesty and taking it to small claims isn't out of the question. This woman needs to be put on notice!

I used FIAR when we first started hsing many moons ago. I wasn't impressed with them then, for various reasons, and certainly not now. Personally I find it offensive that FIAR thinks that hsers would not know a quality resource without the guidance of FIAR. Seriously??!! Sounds like they need a reality check. There is no way that they can prevent people from sharing resources to use along with a curriculum. I say "share away" and tell FIAR to get over themselves. If the curriculum was 'all that' then there wouldn't be so much demand for other resources.

That would totally annoy me! :grouphug:

We love that site!! Just ordered Star Trek pins a few weeks ago. We're geeks. :D

Manicures, pedicures for sure! Also, you could put together some fun activities like making homemade lip gloss or bath salts. Both are very easy and a lot of fun. My girls made homemade lip gloss with food grade glycerine and edible pink glitter you can find at Michael's in the cake decor section and peppermint extract. I was able to find the glass roll-on applicators on Ebay and the girls loved mixing and labeling their glosses. We also made bath salts using Epsom Salt and mixing in drops of food color and putting it in decorated Mason jars. The exact recipes are easily found online. You could have a fun Yoga class. There are some fun Yoga poses that kids would especially enjoy. There are some many fun things you could plan! Sounds fun! :)

Yes! Mine did. I made his transcript and UCF never questioned it. As far as it being 'official', it is as official as they come. I would tell anyone who questions it that our approved Intent To Homeschool and compliance with the state regs have made our school 'official' and there should be no further questioning. Those Pitt regs are IMO unclear and possibly designed to discourage homeschoolers.

:grouphug: I hope he passes them with no obstructions. If he does start to show signs of distress you should take him into the vet though so he doesn't suffer. The vet may also offer to treat for a reduced fee or surrender of the cat.

Don't acknowledge it. Do NOT respond at all. Most people know that kind of junk mail is because of spam or hacking and don't think twice. It is clear that this man was looking for attention by his email to you. He wanted to annoy your dh. If you respond, you will only be doing what he wants you to do. He wants the reaction and satisfaction of knowing that he can compel you or dh to explain the email. He is looking for a fight. He is angry because he knows now that he was stupid to let your dh go. Any responses from you or dh will only invite him to get the 'last word'. Be glad you are done with him and ignore....ignore....ignore!

I waited too long to put my old dog down. I knew she was suffering but felt I couldn't do it. I'll never wait that long again. When she passed in my arms I felt her relax and for a moment before she was gone she was pain free and the look in her eyes is something I'll never forget. It made me regret not freeing her sooner. I felt selfish because I couldn't let her go. As long as there is no hope for a treatment that will ensure kitty a pain free quality of life then I would choose the humane option to let her go. :grouphug:

I've had migraines for years too. They peaked in my 20's. What I found has worked the best for me was the no wheat/low carb diet. For me, it eliminates them and I feel so much better. However, I do fall off the wagon and will end up with a monster headache and joint pain until I detox. It isn't a full blown allergy but some kind of sensitivity. Coffee reduction or elimination can also cause horrible headaches too. If you are addicted to caffeine (in sodas etc.) getting rid of it cold turkey can be brutal. I tried it once and thought I was almost dying so I relented and drank a cup of coffee and all was good with the world. I felt like a junkie. I'm still a coffee addict. :(

No. The 21 yr old may be very trustworthy but 14 is too young to be without a parent.