Also, how old are you? Is it peri-menopause? Our cycles do change during this time. Oh, okay, your user name, you're probably born in '67. It may be partly peri-menopause. That's my initial hunch.

I would talk to a competent gyn and have it checked. I do have lots of natural tips on heavy menstrual bleeding, but I think you need to talk to a proper doctor first. But I'm not very concerned, since this only happens on 1-2 of the days. I'm not very knowledgeable about this, but I'd be far more worried if it went on for say 2 weeks or so, as I've heard some women have. Let me know if you want the natural tips also. :grouphug:

Mine is very boring. Me (with one of my closest friends who's obviously not in the picture). Me too. Love purple. Dh and I absolutely love the sound of the harp. Very cute. Wish I could see a better close up. Very sweet. So very sorry. :grouphug: :lol: :lol: :D Who's the picture of in the bottom of your post? Lovely sunset. My dd used to sleep like that. :) :grouphug: Don't hate how you look. Be kind to yourself. :grouphug: This is one of our favorite books. Me too, crazy about spring flowers. Absolutely love them and none to be found here. Mine also. Just love this thread and all these fun replies. :)

EDITING my OP: Our ds (age 11) can never seem to stick with anything much for long. He goes through phases/fads and totally and completely immerses himself in whatever he's obsessed about for several months or even a year or more. His whole life is one unit study after another. Then, on to something else. During each phase or fad, he lives, breathes, talks, dreams about whatever his fad is at that time. His fads have included: High School Musical, anything Disney, dogs, horses, becoming a vet (that lasted for quite a few years!) Now it's Harry Potter and Karate. The list goes on and on. We realize that he's still a kid and that people change, yet we're concerned. To make light of all this, even my cravings during my pregnancy with him were that way - complete unit studies, since he's a unit study boy: 2 weeks of coconut milk shakes 2 weeks of Thousand Island Dressing on EVERYTHING 2 weeks of KFC ... you get the idea. He cannot sit still for very long. He is not the studious, sit-down-and-read-a-book for very long type. Not at all the indoorsy, studious type. Nothing like dh, dd, nor I. This frustrates dh and I. We worry about his future. We were both very academic and we can't imagine him being the type to be able to study or stick with something in college. We know that it's too early. But usually, by this age, patterns are setting, habits are forming, if you KWIM. We do realize that not all successful people have to attend college necessarily. Heck, some of the most successful people (financially successful, that is) whom I know personally never attended college. We just want him to be happy with whatever he chooses to do, and to be able to support himself and his family. I guess my questions are: What to do with such a kid? What career options do we help or guide him towards? Is there anything we can do to help him learn to actually try to stick with things? Do you know of anyone who was like this as a child and who changed or overcame this? How? Thank you.

EDITING my OP: Our ds (age 11) can never seem to stick with anything much for too long. He goes through phases/fads and totally and completely immerses himself in whatever he's obsessed about for several months or even a year or more. His whole life is one unit study after another. Then, on to something else. During each phase or fad, he lives, breathes, talks, dreams about whatever his fad is at that time. His fads have included: High School Musical, anything Disney, dogs, horses, becoming a vet (that lasted for quite a few years!) Now it's Harry Potter and Karate. The list goes on and on. :tongue_smilie: We realize that he's still a kid and that people change, yet we're concerned. To make light of all this, even my cravings during my pregnancy with him were that way - complete unit studies, since he's a unit study boy: 2 weeks of coconut milk shakes 2 weeks of Thousand Island Dressing on EVERYTHING 2 weeks of KFC ... you get the idea. :lol: He cannot sit still for very long. He is not the studious, sit-down-and-read-a-book for very long type. Not at all the indoorsy, studious type. Nothing like dh, dd, nor I. This frustrates dh and I. We worry about his future. We were both very academic and we can't imagine him being the type to be able to study or stick with something in college. We know that it's too early. But usually, by this age, patterns are setting, habits are forming, if you KWIM. We do realize that not all successful people have to attend college necessarily. Heck, some of the most successful people (financially successful, that is) whom I know personally never attended college. We just want him to be happy with whatever he chooses to do, and to be able to support himself and his family. I guess my questions are: What to do with such a kid? What career options do we help or guide him towards? Is there anything we can do to help him learn to actually try to stick with things? * Do you know of anyone who was like this as a child and who changed or overcame this? How? Thank you.

Pride & Prejudice - if you want a classic, this is my absolute all-time favorite The Scarlet Pimpernel - another classic I really like The Kite Runner then wait about 6 months (or else it's Afghanistan overkill) before reading his even better book A Thousand Splendid Suns - this one, by far, is amongst one of the best books I have ever read The Help The Five People You Meet in Heaven - if you're in the mood for a very, sweet and easy read - as are all of his books - Tuesdays with Morrie - and pretty much any other Mitch Albom book – we even got the DVDs of three of his books and really liked them The House of Spirits by Isabel Allende and anything else by her, but this is her best. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Allende Can't Wait to Get to Heaven by Fannie Flagg and most of her books - very sweet and light - and quite funny Funny in Farsi - if you need a nice laugh Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett The Secret Life of Bees The Book Thief A Respectable Trade by Philippa Gregory - my favorite Phillipa Gregory Harry Potter books The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo trilogy .. but the first book is quite boring and confusing in the first 60-70 pages. Hang in there. It does get better! Yes, they are graphic. But I tend to look beyond that and just focus on the story Sleep Toward Heaven by Amanda Eyre Ward Room by Emma Donoghue NON-FICTION The Geography of Bliss Outliers … and all Malcolm Gladwell books Happy Reading! :D

You CAN do this! :) Just plan well, as others have mentioned. Don't do too much too soon. I used to run everyday. My knees no longer allow me to. I do envy you. :D

:iagree: It is so hard to wear certain styles. I hardly ever, ever wear sleeveless, since my triceps are one of my biggest problem areas. Plus, I have broad shoulders. I now, at the age of almost 43, feel very comfortable about what clothes look good and don't look good on me. This book is GREAT - teaches you a lot - plus lots and lots of episodes of What Not to Wear - which, dd (the fashionista :D who always helps me and who designs and sews clothes) and I need to watch more often. Anyway, I absolutely love this book. Sort of book I'll be re-reading every year or so. :)

Sometimes, for added variety, I do this form of sit-ups - the diamond or frog crunch. My abs and my triceps are always my biggest problem areas. My abs have always been weak - even before 2 pregnancies and 2 c-sections. I need to do these more often :tongue_smilie:. Thank you for the reminder by starting this thread.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Great, thank you so much. :)

I'm sure the answer will be yes, but is this book worth getting if one's children are older, as are mine? I used to take far, far more photos, now I'm so lazy and quite disgusted with myself. :glare:

:iagree: and can totally relate. Hence why the hcg diet has worked for me when everything else didn't. And I mean EVERYTHING.

:iagree: fully on both counts. Since marriage and having dc, I have never ever lost weight without these two things.

Made a note of this. Thanks for sharing. Very interesting.

Me too.

:iagree: I love her products and they're the only ones I use, although I don't use them as often as I probably should. I may sadly stop using them however, due to parabens. I love her stuff, but parabens concern me ... I should look into the Isabella catalog. I've been using the Exfolia Cloth for a few years and really love it. Fabulous advice. :) I also never cleanse my face, only in the shower. At night, I wash with water and every few nights, use Paula's Choice exfoliator. But I'm soon going to stop that. I never wear make up and I don't dye my hair, although I have grays. Beauty definitely comes from within. :D Dh has always reminded me that most of the products are gimmicks, if not, all. I've also learned to dress so much better than before. Thanks for the link, Peela. Bookmarked it. I wish I could do something about the minor brown sun/age spots on my nose and cheeks. :confused:

The site looks fine and all and I've bookmarked it for future reference. I also love this one. But I have to be honest and say that right here on these boards is my absolute favorite way of learning about curriculum and reading everyone's reviews. I like to "see" people, people whom I feel that I know online. I'm visual and avatars help me remember who everyone is, etc. Homeschoolreviews.com - although very helpful - the layout is plain out yuck. I'm all about layout, presentation, and ease of use.

:iagree: I'm so sick and tired of the lies about weight and health and the whole stupid BMI charts. Fully agree about osteoporosis, blood clots, etc. Seen it first-hand amongst my own relatives. The very thin or the obese are at highest risk for most things. The average or overweight seem to be much healthier overall. I'm always in that category. My dh is thin and he's much less healthy than I. Yet I'm the one that has to pay more health insurance, since I'm considered far too overweight. :glare:

OMG ... :confused: That's just plain out crazy. Sounds a bit like my dream, except my dream was worse. :001_huh:

Thank you, so sweet of you. :grouphug: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Thanks. I've only read Food Rules and loved Food, Inc. Added these titles to my wish list. Me too. I'm sure I'll still read Fall of Giants, but I have to say that it's quite disappointing that it won't be as good as his other two.

Same exact experience here. Our kids hardly ever get sick anymore. I'm convinced that it's a result of D3 (2000 IU) most days and Carlson's Fish Oil. Our ds has viral-induced asthma and would throw up also. Hardly ever anymore. Rainbow Light is said to be very good. I need to get some of that.

Tiger Balm - love that stuff. The following are more long-term solutions ... Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Carlson’s Fish Oil – Omega 3s are anti-inflammatory 1500 mg Glucosamine and 1200 mg Choindrotin Sulfate 3 times a day- try it for 3 months and see if you notice a difference 40-80 mg Hyaluronic Acid (HA) – “Hyal-Joint” 5 grams of the sugar D-ribose twice daily will stimulate the production of ATP, the fuel that powers your body’s tissues and muscles. People who suffer from excessive joint and muscle pain and fibromyalgia (widespread muscle pain) often have low levels of ribose. NUTRITION Often, dehydration causes joint pain, which progresses to stiff pain. Make sure you’re drinking enough water! Omega-3 Fatty Acids – Chia Seeds, Walnuts, Flaxseeds – these are naturally anti-inflammatory Green Tea - 4 cups of green tea daily with a squirt of lemon juice. Green tea can help reduce joint pain greatly. Turmeric is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Some studies suggest it works to ease the pain of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. It may also help with other inflammatory conditions, such as tendinitis. Try to consume a soupspoon of turmeric every day, with a pinch of black pepper and olive oil. You can use it in all your cooking. Eat 1 cup a day of red or purple fruits, such as berries, cherries, pomegranates, red grapes – or drink 1 cup of juice without added sugar – these food-based antioxidants help ease inflammation and joint disease like arthritis Eat cherries as often as possible. Consuming 20 a day (about 2000 mg of cherry fruit extract) has been proven to provide more pain relief than aspirin and other painkillers. Cherries—when tart—and their juice are rich in melatonin, the antioxidant hormone that regulates circadian rhythms and helps promote sound sleep—without which we’re more likely to pack on pounds and develop diabetes and heart disease. Anti-inflammatory, low-glycemic, and radioprotective, tart cherries and their juice contain more melatonin than is found in human blood, finds Russel Reiter, PhD, at the University of Texas Health Science Center. Eat them fresh or dried, and mix a bit of tart cherry juice with water, particularly when you’re working out—to lessen joint inflammation from exercise. Sesame Seeds provide plenty of copper, a nutrient essential for joint health – just don’t overdo copper EXERCISE, SLEEP, ETC. ACUPUNCTURE helps with all sorts of pain, especially fibromyalgia CHIROPRACTIC/MASSAGE – both help immensely with pain Be aware that you should wait for any inflammation to subside before starting either. HYDROTHERAPY has been proven to help with arthritis. No medicine on the market can rival the physiological effects of water. Warm to hot water eases joint pain by reducing swelling and increasing blood flow to fight inflammation. Begin with a daily 10-minute walk, take up a gentle yoga class, or try the slow movement of Tai Chi. Doing Tai Chi twice a week reduces knee pain, as does strengthening your hips with conditioning exercises. Water aerobics, gentle yoga, and swimming help also. YOGA can provide great relief for achy knees LOSING WEIGHT is key – even 5 extra pounds of weight increases the load on your knees tenfold SLEEP - Get enough sleep. Your body needs a full night of quality sleep to fight pain. Sniffing lavender oil before sleep can help you. More illnesses are caused by a need for magnesium than for calcium. Arthritis and joint pain are caused by excessive calcium and insufficient magnesium.

Some other titles: HONESTY/TRUTHFULNESS A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno OBEDIENCE Shortcut by Donald Crews The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese A Pair of Red Clogs by Masako Matsuno Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey SHARING Jamaica’s Find – Juanita Havill Benny’s Pennies – Pat Brisson I used to have a fabulous list of books to go with every single virtue. Then our computer crashed. That was a long time ago.