I haven't tried this yet, but recently heard that they are delicious sliced in half and fried in bacon grease. Bacon makes everything yummy, right?

Family kitchen here, too. DH does most of the cooking. :001_wub: Unless someone under 18 leaves a horrendous mess, in which case it suddenly becomes "my" kitchen and they must clean it back up!

None. Non-traditional wedding though. I didn't even know which dress I'd wear till the night before we got married. Everyone told me *not* to shop, or they just knew I'd back out. I hate shopping. And was commitment phobic. :) My best friend brought the dress I wore, she found it on a clearance rack for $27. I was a size 0, so there were some good clearance options. I had a few back ups, but that was the winner. I'd have been just as happy wearing hiking boots and fleece, honestly.

The one you linked is much better than the bike helmet type option I pictured. :) Softer, and machine washable - those are pluses. If it will make you feel better, more comfortable, why not give it a try? Obviously keeping him in sight at all times, and being aware of hazards, as you would anyway. One thing: when our daughter got her band off, it took some adjusting because she was used to the cushion it provided for bumps. So having a helmet go on and off might be confusing for your guy, if he expects a cushion when it's not there.

Are you being tongue in cheek, or serious? I answered as though you were serious, then realized maybe you were not altogether seriously contemplating this. :) DD had to wear one for 6 months, due to issues pre-birth. It's a different ball game. Our kids have to wear those bands 23 hours a day. They are only removed for bathing and cleaning the band. Even with special cleaning, big problems can happen under the bands. It's a lot of work. Yes, they adjust - because it's always there, even for sleeping. But you wouldn't want to put your kiddo in a helmet 23 hours a day, unless it was medically necessary. Believe me. :P Also, the bands are specially fitted with 3D imaging, checked and adjusted weekly (they carve out bits of the band each week to allow for growth), and check for skin issues. I would hesitate to keep a toddler in a helmet full time due to concerns about constricting head growth, personally. Not to mention the rashes that can result. I do have a friend with a special needs toddler who used a bike helmet occasionally, at a playground, for example. Only for a normal bike helmet wearing amount of time for a toddler, though. Our oldest was a daredevil, too. It's rough.

Heartbreaking. She must feel so lost. :(

Costco does seem to vary. We alternate between a few of them in our area, and they all have different organic offerings.

We buy in glass now. Our Costco carries some, but the price isn't quite as good as the plastic bottles.

Yummy Earth makes some good dye free lollipops, and they might have other candy options. What about a bag full of your usual treats, whatever they may be - popcorn, nuts, etc? ETA: Must it be food? What about Legos or something along those lines?

Definitely worth it here. We only used the DVD, not the book. Used it in 3rd grade, after struggling. He memorized the facts within days. We still play the printable games (dice, etc) as a refresher.

Yes, this. Another sigh of relief here. Hugs, Rose.

His birthmother was exposed to high levels via a commercial paint commonly used in hospitals. Not exposed from being in the hospital near dry paint, but through being a commercial painter. Those types of paints are well documented to have higher than normal levels of BPA for paint, and effects on fetuses are now documented as well. We have also done specific testing, to measure VOCs etc in his blood. It's been a long journey with a doc very interested in pursuing the effects, she attends conferences for ideas regularly, and DS is one of her special patients, I can't remember the proper word at the moment. Feel free to ask for clarification on any of that, I am not on top of the game today. :)

I have concerns about BPA. It is an endocrine disrupter, among other things. DS has health issues linked to high BPA exposure in utero - but those exposures were much more than the exposure that might come from food containers. We have removed all BPA sources that we can from our home, as a result. (That was an awkward sentence!) We minimize his exposures now, and talk to him about limiting future exposure. Plus, we work on helping his body detox. But in your case, if you don't have any health issues in the house... And you are not microwaving/freezing these containers... Maybe it's not such a risk. I don't know. Hopefully someone here will know. A good book on the topic, if you have boys, is Boys Adrift by Leonard Sax. He has a book on girls, too. They are not the newest books, but were pivotal in our journey to understanding the impact of BPA. You might be able to find something more recent, but I do think his books are worthwhile. There is a section on BPA in Boys Adrift.

:grouphug: Just realizing the same thing about DS here. He started VT this week, and the physical results of that are obvious. Poor guy. I can't imagine trying to read that way. Glad you have a plan!

Wow. They are still around? I went on an EF tour when I was in high school. If I say where we went, it will date me! A country that no longer exists by the same name. :) Had a great time, though there were a few minor snags. But my experience is so long ago, it hardly seems worth mentioning. If you want the ancient point of view, I'd be happy to share. It really was a good experience, as a teen.

Oops. Opening this thread was a bad idea. Now I want the exact same thing. Our machine is downstairs calling to me. Can I justify it since I have a migraine? Caffeine would help, right? Right? Seriously. Should never have opened this.

That is hysterical. I totally going to do this!

I think this varies by household, too. We have spent a fortune on our pets, and I won't share the amounts. But we could afford it, and it was important to us. FWIW, that was for my 16 yr old doggy soul mate, who had been with me through college days and all my single days. I still have a hole in my heart for him. :( Talk about it ahead of time, and decide on an amount that is reasonable for your family. Agree that anything that will require ongoing expensive care will be discussed by you and DH. A savings account for pet care is smart, if you can afford it. Care Credit is a good option, too. Unfortunately, as our furry friends age, their expenses do go up. I hope you have a kind vet, who does not pressure you to do more care than you can afford, too.

Slice them up, slice up some red potatoes, a red onion, some pepper, and add some chicken thighs. Put it all on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and add some orange zest. Bake it, and eat it.

Did anyone else start this week? How's it going? Our first appt went well, and we've been doing our homework. DS also has prism glasses to wear for 6 - 8 hours daily. I have a scrip for prism glasses and at home therapy as well! :)

You might keep an eye on woot.kids.com - they often have kitchens come up in their rotation. We bought ours through them, love the $5 shipping. Ours is wooden, neutral colors (some blue), and folds for storage (though we just keep it out). I think I saw one at our local Tuesday Morning recently, too. They had quite a bit of wooden play food, and I think the kitchens were on the top shelf. Good luck!

I don't know if this what you want, but I love Trello for to do lists. For shopping lists, I like Cozi. Not sure either of those do what you want. They'll sync with your DH's phone, too.

We have weekly cleaners. They do the basics, which here include some things listed above as extras (ceiling fans, etc). Also, they change linens, and vacuum under the couch cushions. We kind of laugh because they even ruffle our tissue boxes and do origami with the toilet paper ends. :) I do bigger projects - oven cleaning, fridge, organizing, and they do the daily stuff. They'd probably do it, if I asked. In fact, I might ask. I usually tip whoever comes. I like to think they can leave here and grab lunch. They do a great job! Once every month or so, their boss checks in or comes along to help. ETA: they also put leather conditioner on our couches. :)

Yummy!

I don't have the answer you need, my boy is younger, he's 9. So this is much more simplistic than you need, but this is how we've been prepping for the teen conversations about the above. We talk about "no means no" even if his sister said yes a moment before (about playing a game, tickling, fun stuff, whatever). We talk about not doing things we know are wrong, even if someone says it's okay. Respecting boundaries, respecting space, privacy, girls and boys. We have talked about drinking, to a degree, and he is aware that when people are drinking they are not themselves or making good decisions. I imagine that we will jump off of that point at some time in the future and go farther with that conversation. He doesn't have facebook or internet that's unmonitored, but we talk about internet safety. He knows we don't post pictures of him or his siblings online to protect their privacy. All of those things are not specific to your questions, but I *hope* they will lead to the discussions that will be necessary when he's older. I hope we are building the groundwork here.