I bought my DS some PVC pipe from Home Depot, along with various connectors. (T-joints, elbows, etc.) I used the 3/4 inch pipe, and they were kind enough to cut it up for me at the store. I had them cut various lengths so the kids could "build" with the pipes. They built the "frame" for a cabin, and draped an old sheet over it to make the walls/roof. They've used the pieces to make all sorts of things I never imagined. In the summer, they can make bends and twists to run water through with a hose. They've made small things and big things, and have had more fun than I expected with those (CHEAP) pipes! I paid 1.24 for each 20' length, and I bought the connectors in "contractor's bags" which contained 8-10 each, for a much lower price than individually. For my other son, I bought some tiny bungee cords, twine, mini springs and pulleys, and a roll of duct tape. My DD at that age was happy with craft sticks, chenille stems, glue, googly eyes, etc. Gel pens and colored paper, mini stapler....

:seeya: I've been hanging around this group for the last 5 years or so, hoping they'll rub off on me. ;) I'm not around as regularly anymore, partly because we're not currently homeschooling, (maybe next year) and also because things have gotten extremely busy. I've never been able to "just lurk." I type about as fast as I can talk, and I''m always amazed when I read a two sentence response that covers everything I tried to say in three paragraphs. Maybe that's why the lurkers get popcorn? The rest of us can't eat and type at the same time. :) Psst... lurkers... If you pass me some popcorn, I'll probably stop typing/talking! :lurk5:

I use my Magic Bullet for green smoothies all the time without a problem. I find that spinach blends well, but if you're going to be blending more fibrous greens such as kale, you might see tiny "pieces" in your smoothie. I don't mind, since we're not talking about "chunks" but rather tiny speckles. If you really want to invest, the VitaMix, Bosch, and other high powered blenders do work the best, but in my opinion it doesn't make sense to buy something so expensive, just so I won't be able to see speckles in my perfectly smooth-tasting smoothie. :) Since you'll be blending frozen fruits, any mid-range blender should be fine. I like my Magic Bullet so I can do individual smoothies.

Thank you so much for all the ideas and responses. You had a lot of good ideas, and I felt a bit better knowing there are others in the same boat. :) I agree with those who find it offensive to see boys/men "adjusting" in public, so there's no shortage of reminders that he needs to keep his hands off. :) I think we did figure out the problem, which may or may not be related to the laundry detergent. His skin is very dry, and his eczema has suddenly appeared in full force again. At an appointment for a separate issue, I asked the Dr. about it, and he thought it was most likely a general skin issue. On the bright side, in the process we tried a lot of new things, and DS has a thorough education on personal hygeine. :) And I learned a few new things about boys underwear options. (Thinking I'm going to have to check out Hanna Anderson's boxer briefs, and "sliders" simply because my boys are so active...)

:iagree: I had a long response written, but it basically said the same thing. My daughter is a natural carrier of staph, (as many, many people are). The only time it causes a problem, is if she gets an open wound that she repeatedly touches, and the bacteria that naturally lives on her skin is put into the open wound by direct contact. (cracked lips, itchy bug bite, etc.) About 2-3 times per year, she needs an ointment to help an infected wound heal. ETA: MRSA is a staph infection that is resistant to antibiotics, but is otherwise the same. It takes longer to get rid of it, because the usual antibiotics don't kill it, but it isn't any more contagious. Nobody else in our family has ever had the same problem, and unless she was repeatedly touching someone's open wound, she can't spread it to others. In a healthcare facility, where nurses are caring for wounds/sores on multiple patients, precautions should be taken to wash hands between patients, and sanitize equipment after each use. If they aren't already doing this, you don't want your FIL there anyway!

Thanks, gals. I don't think there are any prepubescent issues... but he is our oldest boy, so maybe there are things we're not anticipating? He's around the size of a very slender 8 year old, though he'll be 10 in a few weeks. He has only grown one inch in the last year, and DH says there are no physical changes in that area. His complaint is about "things" moving around too much when he walks, so wouldn't boxers, or loose underwear make this more of a problem? Since he wears a size 8 pants and underwear run small, he had been wearing size 10 boxer briefs. We tried his brother's size 8 briefs and they were still too big. I bought some size 6's, and they seem to be a good fit. (He wears pants with adjustable tabs, so a size 6 may be appropriate.) I also had a thought, that we did recently change laundry detergent, so I'll have to ask if any of his other clothing bothers him. The "adjusting" is so obvious I may have overlooked other things.

My son is almost 10, and has some sensory issues. Recently (within the last 2 months) he's been "adjusting" himself often, and has started to seem very uncomfortable walking at times. I asked him about it, and he says it's because things "move around" while he's walking, and it bothers him. *DH says everything looks fine, same as usual. (He's a small boy, a bit young for his age, so no "changes" that might be causing the problem.) *We tried smaller, more snug underwear. He felt better in those for one day, then went back to being uncomfortable. *We made sure he's getting things clean (and dry), on a daily basis. *He was wearing boxer-briefs, and is now wearing regular briefs. Any ideas about what to try next? He does have sensitive, dry skin that sometimes reacts to elastic/certain fabrics, etc. But it's the same underwear that he's worn for months without a problem.

Is this completely new, or has it been a problem all along? I know you mentioned it has been getting worse, but has it been an issue as long as you've known this person? If not, how long has it been going on, and how rapid a decline in memory/attention, etc?

Ditch them. I finally gave in, and quit waiting until I lost some weight to buy some nice new clothes. I bought a whole new wardrobe, and wouldn't you know it... That's when I started losing weight! I have gone from a size 18, to a size 10, and let me tell you, it was hard to get rid of things I had bought. I don't have a lot of clothes right now because I can't afford to go out and buy much, but each thing I buy now is something I love, and it is so worth it! But, like you said, when your clothes start fitting tight, it's so much better NOT to have a fallback pair. When you're uncomfortable, it makes you aware that you need to pay attention to what you're eating again. :)

As someone else mentioned, have you cleaned out the filter? We had an old dishwasher in an apartment once, and it didn't seem to be working properly. The repairman came, and he pulled all kinds of things out from under the center post, that had been clogging the filter and drain. It kept the food particles, etc. from being rinsed away as they should have been. It was one of those dishwashers that required a good rinse before putting the dishes inside. After that, it worked fine!

I brought home 2 parakeets that were offered on freecycle as a gift to my husband who loves birds. Honestly, I've always been relatively ambivalent toward birds. I'd had a couple parakeets when I was growing up, and they were fine, but I thought they were boring and messy. These birds, however are a whole different story. Your experience with parakeets will depend on the personality of the birds, and the amount of time you're willing to spend with them. At first these birds were untrained and afraid of people. Within 1 month, one of the birds was willingly coming out of the cage to sit on our finger, and was repeating specific whistles we make to the birds. We got these birds just before Christmas, and they are to the point where the cage is open during all daylight hours, and spend a lot of time on top of the cage playing with toys. One of the birds is so attached to us, that he'll fly to us from across the room to sit on our shoulder, or come up and give us a kiss." Everytime my husband comes home from work, he'll immediately fly to him and land on his head or his shoulder. He doesn't fly all over the house, (although he does sometimes make a lap around the room to return to the top of his cage). The other bird is a little more shy, and is just now becoming comfortable enough to come willingly to us. Until now, he had the tendency to retreat in fear. We didn't push him, but we did end up clipping his wings at one point so he wouldn't fly outside, or hurt himself. I can't believe how interactive, friendly, and how much personality these birds have. Quite a difference from the parakeets I had growing up. The main thing is that these birds have had a *lot* of interaction. All of our kids love the birds. Even our 3 year hold has bonded to them, and loves to sit still while they sit on her finger, or eat out of her hand. Honestly, as far as pets go, I seriously thought it would be boring, and a bother to have them around. Now I'm trying to figure out how to move cross-country in a car... and take the birds along. I can't imagine getting rid of them.

Well, there are several options, depending on how much effort you want to put into it. The easiest way is to get a few of these from the store: http://www.hookandloop.com/extra/cinchstrap.html WalMart carries some for bundling cables and cords (we found some near the bungee cords, etc). You can also check electronic or sporting goods stores, or your local hardware store. You can usually get a 5 pack for under $2. They come in various sizes. Another option is to buy a child's premade D ring belt. If you can sew, *at all* you can make one very easily, and it can be as complicated or simple as you like. Here's a tutorial on how to make custom D ring belts with two kinds of ribbon. You can simplify this, and use D rings from any fabric store, and plain ribbon. http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=JC&Screen=BELTS If you have a handyman around, the best option is to follow these instructions (which I didn't do, because we didn't have access to a drill at the time) http://www.organicgardening.com/feature/0,7518,s-4-55-362,00.html Even if you don't have a drill, or don't want to put forth that much effort, that last link also has good instructions on how to layer the cardboard, and other tips for the center of your flower press. Hope that helps. If all else fails, grab some oversized rubber bands, or anything you have around the house that will wrap around the outer boards to keep them pressed tightly together. :)

:iagree: If you're just doing a flower or plant once in a while, this is by far the best way to go. No need to get a special press! If you have a hobbyist, or someone who is going to be using it often, or for display purposes, it's well worth having a press. A press will allow a little air flow (in the case of the homemade one I mentioned, the corrugated cardboard does the trick) That way they'll dry quicker, and if you need to do a bulkier plant, you won't risk having it mildew.

I made my own, but I modeled it after one I saw in our local art supply store. Try looking at places like Hobby Lobby, Michaels, or other craft and hobby stores, or in the crafting section of Wal-Mart, Target, etc. I did see one a few years back at Target in the girls craft area of the toy section. Toy stores, such as Toys R Us might have some. Also, check educational stores. We have had a few such stores every where we've lived, and they usually have them with the science kits. Making one really isn't hard, I just bought some wooden placards from Wal-Mart in the craft section for .88 each, cut several squares of cardboard to fit in between them, and used some adjustable straps to wrap around the outside (like a child's belt with rings. or some really strong, adjustable velcro straps) Then I just placed the flowers between the cardboard, between sheets of paper, and tightened the belts. You can always add more cardboard if you have more flowers to press. If you can't find straps, heavy rubber bands would work, but wouldn't be as user friendly. It's also not necessary, but I eventually got creative and found several different strap options, and different ways of making flower presses. If you change your mind and decide to make one, I'd be happy to share.

My uncle changed his name as soon as he turned 18. He was named after his grandfather who had an unusual 18th century Dutch name, but he went by a much more common nickname/version of the name while growing up. He regretted changing his name. It wasn't long afterward that he realized that his family name/legacy/heritage was important to him. Since his given name was only used for official reasons, changing his name only served to take away the connection to his namesake. (Which wasn't his intent.)