I'm on a big Greek kick so we've been having Greek salads with feta and hummus with pitas, my mouth is watering just thinking about it :tongue_smilie: Marisa

:bigear: Marisa

We live near a Sam's Club but every time I visit my family out of state we go to Costco. I love Costco and wish we had one where I lived. They have lots of organic products and like pp's said they have more gourmet products. Maybe it is good thing it isn't close because I am in love with their Brookside Dark Chocolate Acai with Bluberry candies, YUM!!! Marisa

Thank you so much everyone for sharing a little about yourself and your words of encouragement! I am glad to hear your personal stories and how homeschooling may look a little different because of your disabilities, but that it can still be done! I am used to life being challenging so I'll just add this to the list :001_smile:. Thank you! Marisa

Hi Everyone, I am fairly new to the board and am thrilled I found such a great website! I am wondering if there are any other parents on here with disabilities, specifically chronic pain and fatigue? I really want to homeschool my children but I am very concerned about having the energy to do it. I was homeschooled as a child from 1st grade until 9th because of my health issues, so I know about homeschooling in that sense but I don't know about it from the parents end. My parents were very laid back with me and I was more or less unschooled. Any suggestions, ideas, advice? Sometimes I think I am crazy even contemplating this... Marisa

Hi Stacy, Congratulations on your new baby boy! I am another fan of the Ergo http://www.ergobabycarrier.com/. I absolutely love mine and could go on and on about it :-) You can wear it on the front, back or hip. When my twins were first born we would swaddle them and then put them on the front of us (we have two). We didn't even use the infant insert. They would spend hours in there sleeping peacefully. I have a very bad back and shoulders and it was the ONLY carrier I could wear comfortably! It is especially comfortable when the kids are a little older and you can wear them on your back. They are a bit expensive but have a very good resale value. There are many colors/patterns to choose from. Congrats again! Marisa

Hi everyone, I have a 3 1/2 year old ds and am looking for suggestions on good Read Aloud Books & CDs. I think he would enjoy a little alone time away from his younger twin brother and sister and this would be a good in his room activity :001_smile:. Thanks! Marisa

:iagree:Great site! There is even info for people with small kids and many other family dynamics. I am still a "flybaby" but am making progress everyday :-) Marisa

Hi Brinkseven, (((Hugs)))! Wow, I can't believe how often your husband is gone, you are obviously a strong woman! My husband is in the Air Force (14+ years) and has only deployed once. We are so lucky, I really don't know what I would do if he deployed as much as your dh. So I really don't have any advice, I just wanted to say that I really admire you and hope things will get easier for your family! Marisa

:iagree:Me too! Are you near Alaska :-)

I love my Ergo!!! I have bad shoulders and a bad back and it is the only carrier I can use. When my twins were little we would swaddle them and then kind of stick them in it crooked, it worked just as well as the infant insert :-) My oldest son can still fit in it, he's about 35 lbs and 3 1/2. Such a great investment and they have a high resale value. As you can see I could go on and on about my Ergo... Marisa

1. What's your name? Marisa 2. How many kids do you have (include ages if you wish) - 3 kids, son 3 1/2 and boy/girl twins 20 months 3. What curriculum/curricula do you use? - just playing right now :-) 4. Something interesting about yourself - I would love to travel to Morocco and ride a camel! 5. What's your favorite season? - Anything but winter! We live in Alaska and the winters are sooooo long!

Hi, There are so many pharmacy schools out there and pharmacists are in such high demand I don't really think it matters where you go. I guess it could matter if you wanted to become a professor or wanted to be a researcher, but if you want to be a retail pharmacist go wherever it is convenient. My father is a pharmacist and they are always looking to fill pharmacist positions. He is trying to cut back his hours and can't because they can't find a replacement. Great field to get in to! Good luck! Marisa

I'm currently reading the "Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollen. I am on a huge food kick, where it comes from, what is good for you, the environmental impacts it has, etc. I am also reading "Why Gender Matters" by Leonard Sax. It scientifically explains some of the differences between males and females and how to best deal with those differences. I haven't made it to the discipline section but I've heard to ignore it or take it with a grain of salt. Very interesting though! Marisa

Hi, Another fellow Alaskan here :) We aren't homeschooling yet, since my babies are still so young, but I am getting excited! Looking forward to getting to know everyone! Marisa

Hi Mary, I can really relate to what your daughter is going through. I struggled with severe insomnia my entire life. I was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome when I was 16 and Fibromyalgia when I was 21. Besides not being able to fall asleep does she have any other health problems? I am new to the board so I don't know if you've already discussed this but is she on any medications to help her sleep? Has she had a sleep study? I was homeschooled from the middle of first grade until freshman year because of my health problems. I really wanted to go to high school and see what it was like so my parents allowed me to. It was very difficult for me to get up every morning and I ended up being so sick I missed my entire junior year and was pretty much on bedrest. If she truly has some health issues going on her getting up early could exacerbate them. People always said if I just got up earlier it would switch around my schedule, it didn't, it just made me worse. Does she want to go to school or would she prefer to stay homeschooled? It sounds like you, your dh and her need to have a honest discussion of her limitations, and the fears each of you have. As for the social aspect, I don't know if throwing a shy girl into high school will make her a social butterfly. It may just make her crawl into her shell even more. Maybe she is just too tired to want to be social right now. I know when I am tired I don't, and I am an extremely social person. Good luck and please feel free to PM if you would like to chat about insomnia :-) Marisa

Hi Nadia, I live in Alaska and we have major mosquito problems, we even consider the mosquito our state bird lol! For our home we have a Mosquito Magnet that we start up in April to get the first hatch of eggs. When they get in the house we use a mosquito racket, it looks like a tennis racket and zaps them. We slather ourselves in Off Deep Woods when we leave the house and wear long sleeves and pants if we are going in the woods. There are also head nets if you are going deep into mosquito territory, you look kind of like a bee keeper but with mosquito netting instead. Good luck! Marisa

Hi Rookie, This post was a ways back so hopefully you get this. -What happened? - I was in a lot of pain during my twin pregnancy but am not sure exactly when it separated. I know for sure it was separated when I went home from the hospital. I was in agony and could not sleep in a bed for 4 months, I had to sleep in a recliner. I had an x-ray done at the urging of a chiropractor and it was separated. I did about 6 months of physical therapy, which did help. -How long did it take to heal? - It didn't go back together until a few months after I weaned my twins. -Did delivering vag make it worse? - I had a c-section. -Did any physical therapy help to speed healing? - Yes, I believe it did. If you are breastfeeding PT works on building your core so you can walk and function while it is healing. It usually does not go back together until you wean because of all the hormones you are still producing. -What were your symptoms like? - Horrible, horrible pain! Unable to sleep on your side, lift your legs up to get dressed, walking etc... -Did your symptoms wax and wane? - Not really. -Were you more afraid of delivering because of the pubic pain? - N/A -Was there permanent damage? - My pelvis is still very crooked (though back together) and I am having some SI joint issues and back pain. I am hoping a chiropractor is going to help me get realigned. I desperately need to start building up my core muscles to help keep everything strong. -Can you tell I need answers and support with this? With my older son I had a lot of pelvis pain while I was pregnant and about a month after delivering him it went away. The separation that stays afterwards is quite rare so hopefully your pelvis will go back together after you have your baby! Good luck and let me know if you have any further questions :) Marisa