[Question for anyone who has experienced an earthquake]

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.

[Another Canning Question Re Jelly and Sugar]

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/

[Computer Games for Little Boy]

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?

[Is Appomatox Court House worth the trip?]

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

[Soup Recipe]

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

[You know how some days you love your hubby so much that you refrain from killing him?]

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?!?

[Tips for growing my hair longer]

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.

[What would you think if]

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.

[Would you like to help with a middle name?]

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

[If you were disconnecting your internet...]

LOL:) You guys aren't helping at all;)

 

Yeah, my MIL lives next door on one side and my SIL lives next door on the other side, and I know they'd let me pop in a couple times a week to use their internet!

 

My mom and above mentioned MIL both raise kids and homeschooled without the internet and survived! Surely it must be doable! Right?? Right????

 

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.

[WHAT do I do?!?!]

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.

[Need meatless meal recipes for a PICKY dh-are you up for the challenge??]

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

 

It is very filling!

[I am sick of ham!!]

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.

[Now that Christmas is over, it is obviously the time to start]

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.

[Reading question for the toddler age]

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.

[If you were married to my husband, how would you encourage him/build him up?]

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).

[weird pregnancy question?]

Request to have your thyroid levels checked.

[Don't let your kids ask my kids why they only have 2 siblings]

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!

[Another mashed potato question...no dairy]

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

[Just for fun: if you have a non-traditional board name, why...]

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:

[Any herbs or vitamins to help with sugar cravings?]

I find that supplementing with magnesium helps.

[The polite way to reinsert oneself into the converstion?]

(I am imagining something like, "Oh, hey, I was just telling Alice about the placenta in my freezer. Do you still have yours?" But that is because I am in a punchy mood.)

 

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[Hee hee--grown homeschooler realizes that he's hip in New York]

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

[NaBloPoMo?]

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

[I ruined my baby girl!]

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.