Are they like pawnshops? I have an old ring that I would like to get some money for, but I don't know anything about how those places work. Any ideas?

Oh my word! I cannot wait to get our cow! We will be getting her this fall and I am so excited. Could you post how you make your cheese? I do butter already, but would still love to hear how you do yours. Also, do you culture your buttermilk? Would love to hear lots more!!!

Yes I do. Both of my sisters were/are complicated. My one sister passed away in 2002 and she was extremely difficult to be around. Just really, really strange. My other sister is very manipulative and takes advantage of everyone (especially our dad). We try to get along, but we really have nothing in common. I would definetly describe our relationship as complicated. I am so praying that my girls have relationships with each other that they can enjoy and that is meaningful for each of them.

I think it is real. My inlaws have goats and there is one that sounds EXACTLY like my father in law yelling "help"! I have about had many heart attacks trying to get over there to check on him, only to find out it was the blasted goat! I have told him that if he ever is really in need of help to scream something else besides the word "help" because I am sick of running down the hill to check on him, and probably would think it was the goat.

What was it like growing up with these sisters? I have two sisters, one older (by 5 years) and one younger (by 6 years). The older one died in 2002 from cancer. She had a very odd personality and we were never close. Growing up, she was mean and sneaky. Never nice, for the sake of being nice. She appeared to everyone as a sweet person, but to me, at home, she was just horrible. We fought all the time and in my parents eyes, I was the trouble maker. My family, still to this day, talks about how perfect she was and how difficult I was as a child. My younger sister is also a very different personality...growing up, she was the baby and "perfect" but extremely manipulative and conniving. She would get me in trouble just because she could and did often. Now, as an adult, she is not a very nice person. She lies and manipulates at any opportunity. If she does something, you can be assured, she has done it so she can gain something, not for the sake of helping or being nice. She takes advantage of our dad extremely badly, which makes me really angry. (He has bought her a house and a car, sold land to pay off some of her financial debt...it doesn't matter that she is married with kids and her dh has a really good paying job. She has him convince that life has been so unkind and they can't catch a break. They just suck at financial management and my dad bails them out each and every time.) It sounds like I have the classic middle kid syndrome. I argued with them both and truthfully didn't like either of them at all growing up. If I was around them, I got into trouble. It also didn't help that I was very much like my dad and they were mini-me's of my mother; and my parents hated each other, so my mother babied them and hated me. I married my dh when I was 18 and got out of there. I have never asked for anything from my family and have made a wonderful life with my dh and children. I feel lucky to have escaped them. I feel like my dh rescued me from that life. I do go back to visit rarely, and they visit me occasionally, but they are very brief visits. My sister and I are so completely opposite on every possible thought on life that we just don't have a lot to go on to form a relationship. If we were not family, and had that past to share, I would not even associate with her. So, that is my story...how was it for you to grow up with these sisters?

We took our 8 yo dd and she LOVED it! She had no trouble following the story and really enjoyed the movie tremendously. She has been singing some of the songs constantly since we saw the movie in December. We actually went to see it twice.

I agree that there are some people who are naturally gifted with horses, but I also feel that even if someone isn't that natural around them, they can be taught how to handle and ride horses safely. And should be given that chance, if at all possible, because the benefits would be so great. Out of my four, two are naturals with horses and two enjoy them, but are not especially talented. They each get the benefit and enjoyment of being with horses. I don't think I would feel comfortable leasing out my horse or anything like that. I really don't have any ideas for you there. I would help someone find a horse that is suitable for them and then help them learn how to ride that one, but I wouldn't offer up one of our horses. Too many lawsuits and such waiting to happen.

I will be watching this thread closely, because sadly, I am the same boat with you. I haven't the nerve yet to do it, but something must be done soon.

We love, love, love Parelli and his methods changed us so much in how we relate to our horses. We have four and each of them have differences that we have learned to communicate with. There is no other training method I would use, and I have researched them all. The difference in our horses is amazing. I agree that horses are not dogs, but they can understand so much more than most people believe. They are not robots either and have minds that will work for or against you. Once you get that relationship established, 99.9% of the time, they will work with you. You will find that horse folks are quite opinionated and will tell it to you pretty quick :). If you have an opportunity to go to one of his seminars, I would highly encourage you to go. I was a believer after my first one. Also, just as with homeschooling, take the info that works for you and leave the rest, but go in with an open mind. If you want to PM me for more info, I would love to talk more. :)

I voted that no, I wouldn't cut my hair. Not that I am so proud or have that great of hair, but I just don't really see how my shaving my head shows support. There are so many other, more important ways to be supportive. My dh voted that he would ask me not to, but would get over it if I did.

I remember a study that I once read (can't remember the name or source, or even all the details) that said there is a correlation between maternal illness in the early weeks of pregnancy and future dental problems in that baby. So, if a mom had any type of illness in the first few weeks of pregnancy, while the tooth buds were forming, it caused problems with the baby's teeth. I thought that was an interesting idea. I know that with my kiddos, it does seem plausible. I was sick with a stomach virus somewhere around week 6-7 or so with my oldest and she has really weak enamel....

I had shingles when I was about six or seven. I don't remember a lot from my childhood, but I do remember how painful that was. I had it on my right side on my ribs, right below my breast area. It took a long time for it to go away, too. I remember that because I had outgrown my favorite (empire waist) shirt by the time I could comfortably wear it again :). I actually still have scars but no one ever sees them because of the location (under my droopy bOOks). Lol. Hope healing comes fast in your home.

Thank you all for the encouragement! I am looking into programs in my area and am quite excited about it. As a previous poster suggested, it looks like the CC is the way to go for my Associates degree and then transfer to an University for higher degrees. Hopefully, I will be able to get started in March. Thanks again!

Is this crazy? I have always wanted to be a nurse and have taken a few classes over the last twenty years, but for various reasons (having babies, numerous military moves, bad timing) never got my degree. All those above reasons have cleared away... Kids are much older and more independent, we have retired from the military and settled down, and I am basically wide open with time to devote to going back to school, as dh is here to help school the kiddos while I am gone. I am worried because I have an old brain :). Or so it feels. Is it crazy to go back now? Any folks that have btdt? How did it work out for you?

It sounds like to me that this is coming to you from someone who doesn't have children or a clue about parenting. I doubt they could share anything that is helpful and I probably wouldn't waste my time going to a seminar they promote.

She had a doula scheduled to come with her, but the doula ended up having to move out of state last month. There are no other doulas in our small town or neighboring towns that we know of. From what she is saying, she just wants someone there with her that has been there/ done that...this is her first baby, she has no family around, she and her dh are pretty young, and she wants a mother type figure there with her. I feel completely comfortable helping her with positions, ideas to ease discomfort, things like that. I really don't like the idea of having to be aggressive with docs/nurses. I also feel slightly uncomfortable with being present at such an intimate time for the two of them. When I had our babies, I wanted only my dh to be with me. No one else. So, that also makes me a little uneasy because I feel that I am intruding on that even though she says she is 100% positive she wants me to be there. I don't know... I have lots to think about. I told her I would talk to my dh and think on it for a few days and let her know really soon. Any other advice or ideas for me that I may not be considering?

Lol!!! Too funny!

I hate it. I typed up my little post earlier about helping a mother in labor...and when I went back to look at it after I submitted it, it said 'how to help a king mother labor".... Or some such nonsense. What in the world? I have typed up things before and up pops a word into my sentence that I know I didn't type and clearly doesn't belong there. Autocorrect makes me feel stupid!

She is due mid-February. Also, she has an inverted cord and that it isn't protected by the jelly coating???? I am not even sure what that means, but her docs have said she has the go ahead to deliver vaginally but they will be watchful for any issues. She feels like it is going to be an uphill battle to be able to have the baby without a lot of interventions and wants someone there to help her.

UPDATE....I decided to be a support person for my friend during her labor and she had her baby on Tuesday. It was amazing. They called me to come to their home, early Tuesday morning, after they had labored through the night. Once I got there, I was able to see pretty quickly that she needed to go to the hospital. When we got there, she was already at 9.5+++!!!!!!! After a little while in the hospital and massaging her through contractions, she was ready to push. She got into a hands and knees position and pushed her baby into this world. I am so thankful that I was there. I didn't have to fight any doctors for her or anything. Her entire birthing team was extremely helpful and encouraging. I helped with massages and helped coach her through some of her contractions, because she was so tired and needed a little extra encouragement. It was an absolute joy and I am so thankful I overcame my worries to be there for her. Thank you all for your encouragement! Due to this experience, I am seriously considering becoming a labor doula. I have always had a passion for natural birth, Breastfeeding, etc. and after being fully involved in my friend's labor, I realized that I am doggone good at it! :). I have been making plans to go back to nursing school, but this experience has also helped me realize that it isn't being a nurse that I am passionate about. It is helping laboring mothers and newborn babies. For example, among the entire birth team, the job i would want to do the least was the role of the nurse. All she did throughout the labor/delivery was to type on the computer and keep track of the monitor readouts. She did squat on the floor beside my friend to hold the monitor to get a better read-out of the baby's heartrate occasionally. i enjoyed my job the best! So, needless to say, I am doing some serious self-reflecting to help me figure out my true desire for what I want to do. ---------------------------------------------------- A friend has asked me to come to the hospital and be her "doula" during birth. I am honored that she wants me to be there during this special time, but i have never attended or even witnessed another birth besides my own. I had all natural delieveries and that is what she desires also, and wants me to be there to kind of guide and support her and her dh. I have never done this kind of thing and didn't even have a doula when I had my own babies. I am really torn. I want to help her, but I feel inadequate. My last baby was almost nine years ago and policies have changed, I am sure. What do you all think?

Yep! All four of my kiddos are exactly like this. I say we get the " business " of school done so that we can move on to real life and real fun. They now do their own experiments and their own charts, etc. I just had to get out of their way so they could get to it :) Our latest experiment was hatching seven baby chicks in my entryway. They kept a scientific notebook and journaled about each step...all without my prompting. So, yeah, I feel you.

I had worse acne as a 30 year old than I ever did as a teenager. I tried everything that you can buy OTC... Clinique, Proactiv, Just about anything you could buy that suggests it will help with acne. Nothing worked! Over three or four years, I suffered terribly and was embarrassed about how bad my face looked. And spent a lot of money on buying new things. So, all that to say that I have experienced it..... Truly, the only thing that made the acne go away was plain, old zest soap. I ran out of my Clinique and didn't have enough money to replace it, so I used the soap in my bathroom. Within a few days, my face was dramatically improved. I kept using the zest and within a few weeks, my face was completely clear. I did use a moisturizer after washing my face, but that was all. After six months or so, I felt like my face was drying out too much and switched to bare minerals face wash and makeup. I have not had any recurring breakouts using that. Hope you all find something that helps.

Holy cow, that sure looked real. I was having sympathy pains for them. After four natural births, I sure do feel their pain.

I would probably take both of the stuffed toys away and wouldn't let either kid have one. Anything that causes too much grief in our house is removed. Surprisingly, they have learned how to handle most of their disagreements without my intervention. They have learned amazing negotiation skills. :)

They make little boots for dogs to wear in the snow/cold weather so they won't get frostbite. I would probably find some of those to put on him so then you could be sure he isn't damaging his paws by being in the cold for so long. On funny note, our little dog will wait by the front door and hold her foot up so we can put her boots on. Really cute :) ETA.....sorry, I missed the part in your post about not wanting to do the booties. Sorry about that. It is too late in the afternoon and I really need a nap :)