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dsmama

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Everything posted by dsmama

  1. Coming to this thread very late....did you end up finding a stroller? We have the MacLaren Buggy for my son (almost five, Down syndrome, low muscle tone, also a "runner" away from me). It works VERY well. I'm glad I ordered the shopping basket to go with it, but the sun shade is kind of a pain -- it doesn't fold with the stroller. Hope this helps!
  2. Thank you all for your replies! The dress is a little shapeless and casual. I think I will do another dress for the wedding and save this for other, more casual, occasions. I am not tall or tan or stick thin or anything such a dress might typically need. That said, I want to show my mom that I am wearing it, as she is in her late 70s, rarely buys me things like this, and will not be on this earth forever. So I will hunt for a belt or leggings or just wear it when we visit or something, because she makes me happy just for loving me!
  3. I am pasty pale. As in, when I once traveled in a non-touristy part of Mexico, a child pointed to me and said to his mom, "Dama Blanca!" But I do have good shoes to go with it. Maybe a good sunless tanner?
  4. Thank you both. The one wedding I'm going to soon is a 4pm one. Bride is laid back, but we live next door to her parents, who are more formal. The tunic/leggings idea sounds cute. Thank you!
  5. Hello! My mother bought me a dress that I'd like to wear, but I'm not quite sure how to pull it off. It is pretty and looks decent on me, but it comes a bit higher above the knee than I would typically wear. Pic is here http://altaalta.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_8&products_id=596 http://altaalta.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_8&products_id=596 I was thinking I could get some grey leggings and just wear it with flats or sandals. Not sure if I could dress it up for a spring wedding, though. I'm 42, about a size 10, and I usually dress presentably but not trendy, though I have nothing against looking good. :) Just a little fashion clueless. Any thoughts? Thank you!
  6. Another option to consider is the GAPS diet. You probably wouldn't need to be on it for long, but it is definitely a "reset." http://www.yummyinspirations.net/2012/11/to-gaps-or-not-to-gaps.html
  7. We are doing Our Planet Earth right now and I love it. The experiments are easy, and most involve household items. My daughters are in 1st and 4th grades. I read the "Beginner" one pager to my younger one, and then she colors or does copywork while older DD and I take turns reading aloud the longer portion of the chapter. Older DD answers the questions orally at the end. We also supplement with some other reading from AIG or similar publishers, like Life in the Great Ice Age. Two years ago, I did Our Universe with my older DD, and it was simple and easy. Just what we needed!
  8. Heart of Dakota. Early years are Bible excerpts and verse memory (Hide Em in Your Heart) and middle/upper years into faith.
  9. Jules Gluten free site has tons of recipes. http://blog.julesglutenfree.com/
  10. Sorry! We still have ours, but a friend two miles away has lost hers, and so I doubt we will last much longer. Downed trees on power lines....ugh. Stay warm and safe!
  11. We were at Magic Kingdom a few weeks ago and brought in food. We had picnic lunches on Tom Sawyer's island! We only at one meal at the park, and when I mentioned food allergy, the server got the chef immediately, and he showed me what DD and I could eat and what we shouldn't. Also, your sister probably already knows this, but for her son with special needs, you can go to Guest Services and request a Guest Assistance Pass for your trip. She would need to state what his special needs are, but the pass helped us greatly with our son who has mobility and sensory issues. Have a good trip! Gwen
  12. Have you tried GoPicnic meals? They are like shelf-stable lunchable-type foods. They have regular, gluten-free, and vegan options. Not that you would want to eat these a lot, but it would be a change of pace. http://www.gopicnic.com/
  13. Though I live a bit more west now, I lived in Williamsburg for several years and loved day trips to the beach and peninsula. Yes, the tunnels are terrible choke points (especially at rush hour and during the summer when people are heading to the beach on weekends). But if you live on the same side of the tunnel as you work, you should be fine. York County Schools are better than the others there, but homeschooling is alive and well and quite easy to do in VA. There are two main homeschooling groups in VA -- HEAV and Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers. There is a University Model School in VA Beach, Oaktree Academy. Good luck with your move!
  14. Wow! Those are expensive -- and they have an automatic rebill. Most Paleo or Primal books or blogs I've read specifically mention using real food as much as possible. I'm not strictly Paleo, so I can't speak for this though. (I am gluten-free, though.) I use Melaleuca products and am very happy with them. They have protein shake mix, vitamins, etc., and are quite reasonable in price.
  15. We did last night in our rooms, but tonight we may move into the living room. It has two windows but a porch in front, which should offer protection; plus, the trees near it are smaller. Living room also has a fireplace for warmth, as we tend to lose power. In my part of VA, we've already had Hurricane Irene and a tornado rip through within a mile of my house. Hoping that this storm is less than predicted. But we have plenty of supplies to ride out the storm, and our next door neighbor has a basement and a generator if we need to head over there. My parents are on the bay and already can't see their dock. Wish they had come here!
  16. Again, thank you so much! I love all of the ideas (and am a Piper fan, especially!). Thank you! Gwen
  17. I think the OP wrote that her mother/MIL has mobility issues. If so, I would recommend renting a scooter or wheelchair. It will help tremendously. Even if it isn't used all the time, it can be a lifesaver, especially for lines. Our son, who has Down syndrome, has low muscle tone and cannot walk for long periods of time. He also is easily overwhelmed, sensory-wise, and may need a fast exit during performances, requiring us to be seated near an exit. When we were at Disney (just 10 days ago), the first thing we did was visit Guest Services. We explained his physical and sensory issues, and they gave us a "guest assistance pass" and also a special sticker on his special needs stroller that allowed it to be just like a wheelchair. The Guest Assistance Pass works similar to a Fast Pass on most rides -- including the rides he wasn't able to ride due to his height. The GAP is good at all parks. It was well worth the 10-15 minutes of time spent at Guest Services. Hope you all have a great trip!
  18. BTW -- "reformed" is not really a big requirement, but mainly protestant. Thank you!
  19. Great idea! Just a tip--right now tends to be a great time to get a whole turkey. I saw some yesterday at Kroger for $$11-$12. If you bake the turkey, that will be similar to chicken in recipes like enchiladas, chili, pot pie, etc. Google for recipes using "freezer cooking" or OAMC and turkey. I find that freezer zipper bags work great for many foods to freeze. Have fun!
  20. Thank you both!! I am open to all ideas to research. Thanks!
  21. I am teaching first grade Sunday School this fall and am not happy with the curriculum. I have a big, boisterous group (10-16 kids each week -- very blessed!) and the activities in the current curriculum are disjointed and/or not appropriate for the size or age of the class. I would like to meet with the Children's Ministry director to share my concerns and recommend another curriculum to consider for the future. The church obviously spent a lot of money on this "kit" for each grade level, yet I've heard other teachers mention concerns as well. Rather than just complain, I'd prefer to be proactive and find something that will be a better fit. So....if anyone has any suggestions for curricula to research, I would appreciate it. We are a reformed (Presbyterian) but not a super-dogmatic church. Bible, Jesus, essential truths are what matter to me. Thanks, Gwen
  22. We just returned from Disney (kids are 3, 6, and 9). Yes, advil and sunscreen will be necessary. :001_smile: One thing that helped us a lot for saving $$ was eating breakfast before we left -- we had a condo and fridge, but if you are in a hotel room, then you can still do oatmeal, poptarts, granola bars, etc. Yes, you can bring a bag in the part, and usually on the rides, but as a PP said, it needs to be stow-able. I had a cooler (fabric, could pack flat in the suitcase) and kept water bottles and snacks, etc. For us, the cooler was on the stroller. We ate a picnic lunch both days on Tom Sawyers island. Easy to do a pick up sandwich in the Liberty area or pack a lunch/snack. A bunch of zipper bags would be helpful in this case. We had a great trip and the weather was great this time of year. Have fun!
  23. I can relate, somewhat. My middle DD was diagnosed last year, and I also turned out positive after testing for celiac. Just after I bought a HUGE amount of grain for my well-used Wondermill. Everything has just sat for a year. I can't bring myself to try to clean it out, for fear of contaminating DD if we switch to beans/rice in the grinder -- I know there are trace particles. The Zoji bread maker will go to a relative when I can stand to part with it. There is just no way I can put my daughter (or me) through pain just for some expensive kitchen products which are totally glutened. Sigh. I recently bought Country Beans, which has many great recipes for making bread (and other things) from beans. Hope to try it all soon. HUGS. It is not easy. It takes time for a "new normal" to set in. We are one year in, and it is still not easy, but it is better.
  24. Has he looked into Slugging? I know this sounds foreign to anyone outside the DC/NOVA area, but it is a very common practice. People move further out (Springfield, Woodbridge, even Spotsylvania). Then they find a random ride into work. Odd? Yes. Please follow.... So...the worker in this "far out" family needs to get to work inside the beltway. Meanwhile, single passenger drivers are looking for seat fillers in order to get on the HOV lanes, which have much less traffic So there has developed an unusual, almost symbiotic situation. People line up at various locations and find rides every day. The drivers pull up, state their destination (Rosslyn, Pentagon, etc.), and waiting people volunteer to fill a seat. This is called "slugging." There is a huge following, web sites, etiquette, etc. I know it sounds creepy (wouldn't be my thing), but I know many a man who has done it every workday and survived and thrived.
  25. We live in Va but haven't been in years, as we tend to go to Nags Head due to extended family preference. That said, I have heard that Sandbridge (south of VA Beach) is very nice for families. http://www.sandbridgebeachva.com/
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