My Pyrex came with an insulated bag and a hot/cold pack. Just heat it in the.microwave and it keeps food hot for hours.

My son is Jamie and I have a Lucy. I love, love, love Lucy.

I hated Windows 8 until I got a windows phone. Now, I love it. It is different, but dh has set it up so I have a desktop just like win7 but I can get to the 8 if I want it. Love it!

Mexico would come with a whole host of problems. Like terrible breathing issues in the cities. We're in El Paso and the pollution is doing us all in.

You're convincing me that dh does not need a joint assignment in Naples!!! Praying you find something soon.

I think dh and I are going to try to get to Europe this fall on space-a. My cousin is living in Ireland so we'll have a place to stay if we are just brave enough to try it!

Another thing that helped me with dd'd diagnoses - I was able to parent her as she needed. Her issues aren't because I'm a crappy parent, which had gone through my mind on many occasions. I didn't cause her problems and I can't make them go away. However, I have been given some great tools to help her become the best person she can be without so much floundering around just praying I might find something that might work. It was incredibly validating to me!

goat cheese and a little pesto on mini toasts is delicious as well. If you buy prepared pesto it takes virtually no time to prep. Throw hem in the oven for a few minutes to make them gooey.

my recipe doesn't have the cream cheese and calls for Swiss, not gruyere. They are fantastic though.

if these are the sandwiches I'm thinking of, you do need them. Seriously, *need* them. And everyone else does too. And now I need them.....

I agree that it could very well be anxiety. Even if you and your dh were perfectly calm and in control over the last few years, kids are attuned to the stress that's going on in your lives and y'all have had a lot. My DD sounds a lot like yours. She was miserable all the time and seemed to argue just for the sake of arguing. Meltdowns over every little thong and the inability to get herself under any sort of control finally prompted us to take her to a psychiatrist. She was diagnosed with anxiety originally and ADHD more recently. The doc said impulse control (the lashing out, angry responses) were classic ADHD in girls. I originally fought the idea - we tried diet modification, cognitive behavioral therapy, I read every book in the world on strong willed children - nothing seemed to help. When we started Zoloft for the anxiety it was like I finally had my sweet DD back. She's a funny, quirky, goofy girl when she isn't miserable. I was really concerned that she'd lose some of that on meds. Really concerned. Instead she is more confident, more willing to listen to reason, better able to see the good in things. All of that to say, I'd have him evaluated. Dh was/is a punitive parent too, but he's learned that if you give DD the chance to explain her reasoning for whatever, she's much more likely to listen to your reasoning. They still butt heads, but it isn't as much a control issue anymore. CBT gave her skills to deal with life and the Zoloft let her calm down enough to apply those lessons.

The problem I always had with taking the babies in the tub with me was the warm water ALWAYS made them poop. Nothing like being covered in baby poop to make a new mom cry.

Really - have you had your iron checked? I was having daily terrible heart pounding/palpitations. Always worse in the afternoon and evening. My iron was super low. I've started a more intensive supplement and it is significantly better after 3 weeks.

Good luck! I've been having similar symptoms and went in for a full work up. Turns out to be pretty severe anemia. I've been taking super iron supplements for about 3 weeks and my heart has finally stopped pounding and fluttering all the time.

nm - ending topic!

We bought the Ektorp last year with a gray 'linen look' cover and we adore this couch. It is comfortable, held up through one move already and looks brand new still. And it was cheap, cheap, cheap for a sofa. Next time we're near an Ikea I plan on buying the loveseat.

Look on eBay for a new cover. Or have one made. We had a denim slipcovered sectional that I absolutely loved. The older it got, the softer the denim and more wonderful it became. I bought it from a couple that had more money than sense and they hadn't measured the room it was going into. I paid $300 and sold it to a bunch of college kids 5 years later for $200. (military moves also).

This is what I have and I love it.

I have a WalMart cheapie soft.carrier. I think it was $25 maybe. We've used it for multiple cross-country trips on our minivan. We have the cross-rails on the van.

Another voice for potty training. I decided ds was ready when he could be relied on to pee on the tree in the backyard and poop behind the couch at least once a day. Lol! He still prefers peeing on trees.

I think that's brilliant actually. We have made the decision to accept a smaller paycheck than dh could earn in the civilian world because the service is very important to both of us. Congress should have to make the same type of choice. No, they won't get rich. But if serving is important to them,they can choose to live within their means.

It sounds like it was effective. He followed his coaching and articulated what he wanted.

We're going this afternoon! Can't wait!

Have you actually lived in TX? 'No offense, but you all suck' is a pretty broad brush.

Bumping - we're looking at this as well.