Both? I love both. If I could only have one, I'd choose the iphone. I use the iphone for, well, everything. Internet, books, text, facetime, you name it. I prefer the kindle for reading, but with the phone - can pick up wherever I left off on a book, when/wherever I happen to find time to read. I love the budgeting apps, exercise apps (C25K), Cozi, and motivated moms. I use those on my phone, but not the iPad for some reason. The ipad is good for most of the above - although not texting, phoning - but it's not as portable. We use it differently. More like a mini-laptop.

:lol: If only you had a picture! Reminds me of the time I gave my bestie a fossil for his birthday. A beautiful clymenia. He kept it on his coffee table, and later, when another friend was over, he told her, "And look! Spryte gave me Chlamyd!a!" Friend did this: :svengo: and, of course, it's all the funnier because my friend is *not* attracted to women, so the thought of my passing along a goodie like Chlamyd!a is out of the question!

Most of what I was going to suggest is listed above. I deal with a lot of fatigue, too, so have been round and round on this. I didn't see anyone mentioning adrenal health? Could have missed it though. You might ask to have your adrenal levels checked. I have Addison's Disease, and my adrenals don't function at all - getting everything balanced is quite the feat. But I think the other issues mentioned are more likely, and adrenal insufficiency is less likely. Another thing to consider, if all else fails, is hyper coagulation.

Yay! Now I'm singing that one!

I will be singing that all day. :)

Yep! You and me! :laugh: ...And our boys! Maybe we can create our own boy scou... er, camper group! You know, that accepts atheists and, well, *everyone*.

LOL, KK, the thread title made blink, too. :) Swellmomma, we have aquatic turtles. 2 RES and a Mississippi Map (affectionately named Mrs. Ippy) I think they are 4 years old now. Where does the time go? ...What are your new turtle babies bringing with them, in the way of set up? The biggest set up possible is my very best tip. That, and investing in the heftiest filter you can swing. Removing them from the tank for feedings is an excellent way to go, though we rarely do that. Thus our need for jumbo tanks and filters. :) They need a good basking spot, and will do their turtle yoga under the light. It is so cute. But you know all that, I'm sure. Please post pics!

I am having the same problem in our area. All the groups we can find seem to require signing a statement of faith. Not happening. Will be watching to see if you get any answers applicable to our little backwoods VA town. (Okay, I admit it, I just needed to come to this thread for a breath of sanity. Viewing another thread had me getting all worked up. Not naming threads here, just grateful that this one is still going strong!)

Aaahhhh, Lowe's. One can see the cloud of testosterone from 6 blocks away.

That is cool! And I love the idea of using maps in the back of the cabinet, too.

I am no diva, but if you finish it to coordinate with the cabinet, and are worried about scratching the top, you could have glass cut to fit the top. There's a place near Dulles that gives a decent discount if you pick it up rather than having it delivered. If you go that route, I always love the look of maps under the glass... (Is my inner nerd showing??)... If that works in your space.

DS - anaphylactic to peanuts; tree nuts; sesame; banana; lentils. Allergic (asthma/eczema, confirmed via allergist) to wheat. OAS to most raw veggies and fruits. Avoiding food dyes. Me - eggs; spinach; gluten. Very low fat diet per doc's orders. No sugar. Cooking is a challenge at times.

Coming in late with another plug for the Magic of Reality. DS often falls asleep listening to the audiobook, which is beautifully read. And the app/ebook is awesome! I don't often pay for apps, but that was worth every penny.

Energy. I have limited energy due to health issues. My kids get a great education, they have a stimulating environment, and we eat healthy foods. I get the laundry done. DH shares dishes and cooking duties. We have a weekly housekeeper who does the big jobs, changes linens, etc. Without her, things slide. Not terribly, because our standards are high, but they slide. Keeping things clean is harder for me - my creative boy is a leave-it-out-I'm-still-working-on-it type. So he tends to make piles. The saving grace is that we have to get maid-ready once a week. ;)

Ick. Sorry your small one is sick! We did that last year, just had to get out. Within days, the norovirus reared its ugly head. Never again!

We have friends who purchased a foreclosure, without a walk through. Not sure if it was an auction. I can ask. They paid very little, in an expensive area. It has been a long road for them, with lots of repairs and mold remediation, but they are happy. The pool was a nightmare, and the basement.... Ugh. But they are DINKs, lots of extra resources re: time and money. Plus, they are project people. I never would have had the patience they did to get that house in shape. I think it can be good for the right type of people. (Not me.) I would definitely check out those books!

We love geocaching! DS is barely 9, little one is almost 2. Eldest kiddo is - gasp! - 20 something. We all love it. We use the geocaching and GPS apps for iPhone.

KK, that's an interesting study. Might come in useful for planning future moves. Thank you. Reading on a phone, so not posting much, but enjoying catching up on the thread. Thanks, too, for contacting a mod re: trolls.

Ouch. We had it last year, and it was simply horrific. Feel better soon.

Great info. Thank you! Hope you are warm this weekend.

DH did this, and finds it very worthwhile.

Right there with you. Blech!

Our allergist mentioned that it is becoming more prevalent. We do not have it in our family, the allergist mentioned it because we were discussing tick related diseases in a general way (tick borne diseases are big in our area, and have impacted our family in a big way). DH works with someone who has this as well, and as I understand it is very serious, every bit as serious as DS's other LTFAs (life threatening food allergies).

Yes, yes! That was one of our first concerns. You nailed it. Not just that there is info to share, really, but also that we have visits with our older son's birthfamily, and they are essentially a part of our extended family. I have grieved what we don't have with DD's birthfamily, but that's another post. You raise a great point. DH was adopted as an infant, also, and was raised similarly to you. Adoption, to him, was never a big deal either. He's always been very matter of fact about it. His sister had issues with it, but has mostly resolved them. It always amazes me that they were so different, coming from the same background.

Lisa, thanks for all of your thoughts on this, they are so helpful. I was very struck by the above, as I heard a similar comment years ago on a radio talk show (Dr Laura, maybe?) and it resonated. As I have pondered what/when to share about DD's adoption story, that comment has come back to me repeatedly.