I lived in So. Cal. and have experienced several earthquakes, 2 of which were deafeningly loud. Now I live in No. Nevada and we had a period where we had several hundred (yes, really) earthquakes in a 2 month period and not one of them created a loud rumbling sound.

Ball makes a No sugar Needed Pectin. I have done some playing around with it and our favorite way is to sweeten it with a fruit juice concentrate and about 1/2 cup of honey: http://premeditatedleftovers.com/mixed-berry-jam-sweetened-with-honey/

I am looking for a computer game for my son. He is in kindergarten but reads. I don't need it to be educational (definitely don't want math/phonics type) but I do want it to be stimulating. Do you have any recommendations?

Have you thought about combining it with a trip to Montecello and Montpellier? We stayed at a campground near Appomattox and visited all three.

Here is a link to my chicken and rice soup: http://premeditatedleftovers.blogspot.com/2009/05/preventing-food-waste.html

My husband wakes me up M - F at 5:00 a.m. to say goodbye and tell me he loves me. It seems really bad form to kill a man for waking you up to tell you he loves you, but if he really loved me wouldn't he leave a note and let me sleep?!?

I usually only cut my hair once a year. I don't get split ends, but I also do not color, perm or use a curling iron on my hair. I rarely blow dry it, so I don't do anything to damage it. (swimming in chlorinated water is hard on it too). Really the hardest part is just not cutting it! Most people are so accustomed to getting their hair cut, that they just have a hard time not doing anything.

I was like this before I was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid. My dd was also like this, but I noticed the signs and got her to a doctor. We are fine now that we are medicated. My husband is like this when stressed and sleep deprived.

I like the name Josephine Marguerite. I also like the middle names Isobel, Grace, and Louise.

I homeschooled my oldest without the aid of the internet and I am actually finding it a distraction for my second child. I used the library a lot and I met with other homeschool moms IRL and we discussed what was working and shared resources.

Your mother sounds very similiar to mine and I would absolutely never put one of my children in her care! I say to my mom, "I am sorry, but that will not work for us" as many times as I need to before politely saying goodbye and hanging up the phone. If necessary I let my best friend, the answering machine, answer the phone.

I just blogged today about a vegetarian minestrone soup: http://premeditatedleftovers.blogspot.com/2009/12/vegetable-garden-minestrone-soup.html It is very filling!

Here is a recipe for scalloped potatoes: http://premeditatedleftovers.blogspot.com/2009/09/improved-scalloped-potatoes.html If your kids don't like peas, you can skip them, but still add the basil.

I can't wait to start gardening again! I will be expanding my garden to include potatoes, carrots, and cauliflower this year. If anybody wants to recommend varieties, I'd love to hear what you like.

Two of my children have gone through an active phase where they have not wanted to sit still and be read to, so I just read to them like a library lady. ;) I let them color, snack, or play while I hold the book where they can see the pictures (if they choose to look up, which they usually do) while I read.

You have already received some great advice. I just wanted to add from someone who has BTDT, that some people that come from this background have a hard time accepting praise, so you need to sneek in under the radar. May not apply to your husband, but thought I would share just in case. For example: "I noticed that you shoveled the drive way (indisputable fact, can't put up praise deflector shield). That is going to make getting to the doctor's early tomorrow so much easier for me (another indisputable fact and you have now given solid evidence to establish the credibility of your praise). Thank you for clearing off the drive way. I feel blessed to have such a thoughtful husband! (He can't dispute how you feel).

Request to have your thyroid levels checked.

My middle child was asked this by some kids once and he said, "because my mom is only batting 500 on live births".:glare: I wasn't thrilled with his response, even if he told the truth, but on the upside NOBODY has ever said anything to any of us again on our family size again!

Here is how I do it: http://premeditatedleftovers.blogspot.com/2009/10/dairy-free-mashed-potatoes.html

Rew was just a baby when I came on these boards. His name is actually Andrew, but my husband used to joke that I gave birth to a marsupial because he was always in my front pouch and attached. So he started jokingly calling us Kanga and Rew. I wasn't sure if I wanted to use my name and how much info to give because my husband was getting ready to deploy, so I used that nickname instead. I actually had a dream the other night that I introduced myself as Kanga. I took it as a sign that I had been on the boards too much lately. :lol:

I find that supplementing with magnesium helps.

:lol::lol::lol:

Thansk for sharing this article. I know my teens will get a kick out of it!

I signed up. My blog is in my signature line.

My 2 yo hates hair cuts so I decided to do it at home to save the public temper tantrum. I now realize why I need to go to a shop: I have to hold him while somebody else cuts. I cut what I could in between him flinging his head around and flailing his arms. He is now sporting what I call the "chemo cut". :001_smile: I know it will grow back, but that doesn't give me any comfort because then it will have to be cut again.