:iagree: It's scary and disheartening when you really start paying attention to what's happening in our country, and especially what is happening within our government. I stopped tuning in to the mainstream media about 2 years ago. I get all my news from online sources I trust, various blogs, foreign news channels (it's so interesting to read how other countries view what's happening here - I find it's often much more objective reporting), etc. And I purposely visit sites/blogs that espouse different views - just so I can see and understand how "the other side" thinks and gain a balanced perspective. But our mainstream media is just a joke at this point - I'm surprised anyone still watches (and as far as some of them are concerned, I doubt anyone still does)...

Great thread! "If you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean." "Clean top to bottom, left to right." (the thought being that what you clean from the top may land on the bottom, and that cleaning left to right prevents you from cleaning the same spot twice - I do find that this approach saves me time when I use it)

My opinions... Boycotts of AZ: I think any boycotting of AZ is ill-conceived, petty and completely pointless. Boycotting a state because of policy disagreements will do absolutely nothing to change the policy and will (potentially) harm businesses and individuals. However, based on what I've been reading and hearing from various sources, I think AZ will actually benefit from all this as there seem to be many more on the "anti-boycott" side who will now spend their $$ with AZ businesses. Secession: The Supreme Court has ruled unilateral secession unconstitutional but left the door open by commenting that revolution or consent of the states could lead to a successful secession. So it's not impossible. However, I think we have much more going for us as a country by remaining the United States of America so I'm not in favor of going down that path. American Culture: As others have noted, I think that our culture (as a whole) today is a far cry from what used to be defined as "American culture". Many of the cultural attributes that made America great - rugged individualism, strong work ethic, belief in limited government (especially the limits on the federal government), strong sense of individual freedom tempered with individual responsibility, etc. - seem to be on the decline. I realize that cultures change over time, and I acknowledge that many of the changes have been good. However, overall I feel that we're losing some of the key attributes of our culture. And, like others who have replied to this thread, that makes me sad.

Congratulations!! I can't even imagine being at that point, but I'm sure it feels wonderful, exciting, gratifying, and maybe a bit scary as your child goes off into the world... What an accomplishment! :)

I've had many "life lessons" that have helped me to be more empathetic - growing up relatively poor in a single parent household, constantly moving and being the "outsider", growing up in a foreign country (where I didn't even speak the language initially), having to work for everything I've ever had. But I would have to say that nothing has made me more empathetic than being married and being a mom. Before marriage and motherhood, I was able to be sympathetic about many difficulties in life, but I wasn't truly able to be empathetic until I experienced many of those difficulties myself and experienced the necessary "selflessness" that comes with being a mom. I think it's possible to be empathetic about things you haven't experienced yourself (or at least have some direct knowledge of), but it requires a lot more work and focus to achieve empathy in those situations.

I was 8 years old and living in Freiburg, Germany. I don't remember hearing about the eruption (didn't learn about it until I moved to Portland, OR in 1989), so not sure if it made international news or not...

:iagree: :lol::lol: That's hilarious!!

Don't have any teens yet, but I would definitely NOT sign up my daughter in this co-op. Even the best math/science instruction wouldn't compensate for the negative peer influence that she might (and probably would) be exposed to. Are there any community colleges near you? Around here, the community colleges allow teens as young as 14 to take classes (assuming appropriate maturity and skill level). Depending on her math/science proficiency, she might be able to test into one or more classes. Hope you find a good solution!

"That's a poor choice" and "That's unacceptable" (DS6 admonishing DD2 the exact SAME WAY he hears it from me - too funny:tongue_smilie:).

We let DS watch the original Star Wars movie when he was 5.5. His best friend (same age) had seen several of the episodes and was really into Star Wars - so I mainly let him watch it so he could understand what his friend was talking about. He subsequently (surprise, surprise!) became a HUGE Star Wars fan himself. I was surprised at how tame the original Star Wars movie actually was, compared to what's out there today. Having said that, we did fast-forward through some of the more violent scenes others have mentioned.

I am so sorry for your loss. :grouphug:

Hi! I'm Julie and just joined the WTM forums a little over a month ago myself... Looking forward to reading everyone's intros when I have a spare hour!! About our family: DH and I have been married for 9 years and have 2 kids (DS6 and DD2). We met in Portland, OR (where we both worked for the same high tech company) and then relocated to Colorado Springs, CO when our company opened up a new location here. We've since both been laid off from said company but at least it got us to Colorado! ;) We've been homeschooling for 1.5 years and are "eclectically classical" in our approach. We belong to a fantastic homeschooling group that meets for a variety of activities several times a week, so we feel very well connected with the local homeschooling community (I started the group up a year ago and it has now grown to 146 families - I tailored it to what we were looking for, so it's perfect for us :)). In our free time, we enjoy hiking, skiing, and exploring the beautiful state we live in. In my spare time (precious little these days), I'm completing my training and certification to become a professional Coach and am working on starting up a Life/Business Coaching practice. I don't really have any hobbies (don't have time!!), but I love to read and also have several book ideas that I would love to find the time to work on. DH owns a government contracting company and I may be helping out a bit with that too as it continues to grow. This forum has been extremely helpful to me (spent 6 months lurking and then decided to join a month ago). Thanks to all that share of themselves so freely here - I look forward to giving back where I can! :)

What a great thread! I've really enjoyed reading about the various skills people have picked up in adulthood. Feeling motivated now too!! :)

I'm so sorry this happened to you... I can only imagine how devastating this experience was for both you and your kids. :grouphug: I can't believe the manager wasn't around. It would seem that they completely abdicated their responsibilities by not being present when the police were taking a report inside their store (I guess it's possible that this location has more than one manager and that the general manager wasn't there that day - but still, someone in a management capacity should have been involved). Based on that, I wouldn't even bother talking to that store manager or filing a complaint with them. I would go straight to Barnes & Noble headquarters. Here's their contact information (phone # and address): http://www.barnesandnobleinc.com/our_company/customer_service/customer_service.html Regardless of what their policy on "unattended children" is, it doesn't seem that this was handled appropriately. If they do in fact have a policy, the lady in the children's section should have followed you as you were leaving and informed you of that - not let you go and then call the police.

I've been watching AI since Season One - never missed a show (thank goodness for the DVR!!)...:) As others have said, this year doesn't seem as exciting as in previous years. In seasons past, there were contestants I REALLY got excited about (another Cook and Daughtry fan here!). I'm not really all that excited about any of this year's finalists. Having said that, at this point I'm rooting for Lee... So, GO LEE!! :D

That's what helps me here... Pikes Peak is to the west (and you can see it from anywhere in town) so that's all it takes to orient me. I used to be much more directionally challenged before we moved here... ;)

I was an only child, so this is coming from my perspective vs. the perspective of someone raising an only... - Involve her in community service. Caring for the needs of others is the best way to get your focus off of yourself. Although she's still very young, there are ways a 6yo can participate in community service activities. - If she doesn't already have a pet, consider getting one. From an early age, I had LOTS of pets (usually several at a time - hamsters, guinea pigs, bunnies, parakeets, etc.). Caring for pets provides so many wonderful lessons for a child - and again, shifts her focus to caring for others in a meaningful way. - Ensure she has lots of opportunities to be in situations where she can practice sharing. Doesn't necessarily have to be around other kids. Sharing was the one area I remember struggling as an only (because I rarely had to share). If I think of more, I'll post them... HTH! :)

I like Minimus ("Mini") as well... She's adorable!!

Interesting!! I would be curious too... Since "garage girl" doesn't appear to be reading the notes, what came to mind for me was that these are perhaps notes to potential "customers" (drugs or something else). Do they have a lot of visitors coming and going? Or, perhaps these are notes for "garage girl" and she's just choosing to ignore them (or she's a speed reader so it just looks like she's ignoring them)? :tongue_smilie: Since you said "garage girl" takes food back and forth between the house and the garage, perhaps it's the daily menu?? :lol: Another possibility is that "house girl" is communicating with aliens. Have you ever seen "house girl" with a tinfoil hat? Ok, I'm done now... That was fun!! :D

Congratulations!! :) Those days feel good, don't they? ;)

Disgusting and so sad for these little girls... I found it shocking to hear all the cheers from the audience - mind-boggling. Dr. Phil's point of "if this is what they're doing at 7, where do they go from here?" is so valid.

My normal blood pressure is also 90/60. I don't think it affects my functioning (although maybe I'm just not aware of how I could be feeling with higher blood pressure - that's possible). I don't have any other recommendations to add... Hope you find a solution, since you said you feel it might be affecting you adversely!

Poor little guy... One would think that each parent would have called the other one to say "Goodnight" to him though - especially on his birthday. I guess I'm looking at this through my own lens though. I hope everything works out for this little boy and his family...

This would be an excellent choice. You might also enjoy a Gewurztraminer or Moscato. I LOVE wine... :) I started out drinking mostly white wines, but now enjoy reds for the most part. Especially Merlot, Shiraz, and Malbec. In fact, it's time to go get a glass right now... :D Cheers!

:iagree: However, I'm always understanding when I go to someone's house and their dogs lick me, jump me, etc. Most of the time, I can see that the person I'm visiting is trying to get their dog to behave properly so I'm not going to fault them for some doggie exuberance. :)