Have you told your neighbor what happened? If she has her receipt it might be covered under a warranty.

I glad you were granted a new name, but it will take me quite a while to stop calling you Laura in China in my head. On the old boards I was Ann in CA, Ann in VA, Ann in NV, etc., so when I signed onto the new board I knew I could not put a location in my name. We will be moving again sometime within the next 2 years and I am hoping that this time it will be to a forever home! It takes me 2 - 3 months to get settled into a home and 6 months for me to feel a part of a community. I have only had us completely unpacked and moved in with pictures on the wall in less than a week once, and that was because I left 2/3 of our belongings in storage in another state! The pictures on your blog are gorgeous, if I moved there I would never want to move either! -Ann

Since you don't have insurance try to go to a doctor who will not blow you off and actually knows something about low thyroid. A lot of endocrynologists will not see you unless you have been referred, so ask your friends for references to a good GP. Then tell him/her your symptoms and request blood work. Make sure the doctor tests TSH, Free T3, and Free T4 (really this is important). Research on the internet, so that you know what the normal levels are. Often times a nurse from the office will call and just tell you your tests were normal, but they leave out that the TSH is high normal and T3and T4 are low normal...and that you should probably be retested in 6 months. Jumping off my soap box now! -Ann

My dh does not call you guys anything, but he calls himself a Well Trained Mind Widower.

Fallon, Nevada!

:lurk5: I would like to do this too! I have been somewhat successful with my family, but I don't know how to do suggest it to dh's family. With my family I send my sisters and brother's a family gift. This year I sent them a game that we really enjoyed playing as a family. One year I sent a geosafari globe, one year a set of books by a children's author that I had just discovered. My siblings liked the idea and recipricated in kind. We enjoy it because we are not just giving a gift, but are sharing something that we have enjoyed and although all of our kids are being raised far apart when they get together they have shared experiences. I hope that makes sense! It works because we have kids near the same ages and we have similiar values and interests. I sure hope somebody comes up with a diplomatic way for me to introduce this idea or some other way of cutting back to the in-laws...

With my last pregnancy I had my thyroid levels checked once a month. My meds had to be adjusted twice during my pregnancy. My meds were checked monthly because I had two second term miscarriages. My last miscarrage happened while on synthroid after being stable for several years, so both my doc and I were cautious. The extra precaution was a very small price to pay for a healthy, near-full term baby.

:lol: Well, I was thinking of a private strip trivial pursiuit party with just dh.

Now I have parachuting on my list of things to do over the age of 75! Things to do before you turn 30, how about... change careers - check play strip poker, or since this is the WTM you could make it strip trivial pursuit.

My dad did this when we were children and we loved it! My dad is/was a nationally recognized safety expert in his field.:lol: Would I let my dh and dc do this...absolutely not! Ann P.S. When my dh was at Test Pilot School they pulled each other on skis behind trucks on the runways when it snowed.

Kudos to your EX for standing up for you! Are there any cool aquariums within an hour or tow of you? My dc have enjoyed aquariums without all the crowds more than the Sea World type.

I am sorry I can't give you a review for Wii Music because it is wrapped and under the tree. I also purchased extra remotes and nunchuccks so four kids (or kids at heart) play at the same time. After trying it once at a friends I am sure it will be a big hit. Mario Carts is an my dc's (and dh) favorite game. I had no idea it would be so popular.

I am a recipe sharer and I love receiving recipes from friends. We move every couple of years and every time I use a recipe I received from a friend I remember them fondly. I have met a couple of people who do not share recipes over the years. However, I have found that it is pretty easy to duplicate recipes that people won't share now that there are so many online recipe sites. Type in key words on one of the sites you might find the exact recipe, or perhaps one that you like even better.

I am a nonsmoker, but I love the smell of a freshly lit cigarette. Every time I smell one, it takes me back to my childhood. I also didn't drink coffee for the first 40 years of my life (then I discovered that if I put enough french vanilla creamer in it I couldn't taste the coffee), but loved the smell of coffee brewing for the same reason.

I am giving the mailman and the garbage men gift cards to a local restaurant.

:lurk5: Thanks for asking this question.

I haven't read all of the replies, but thought I would add my 2 cents. I have eliminated just 3 things from my diet and added one. Since I made these changes I have lost 14 lbs. in one month despite having an underactive thyroid. I have eliminated: all artificial sweeteners - I found that they actually increased my cravings. High Fructose Corn Syrup - It is in everything, but I have found replacements at Trader Joes. I still allow myself sugar, but my cravings are greatly reduced since I dropped diet foods, so I am consuming less sweets. Partially Hydrogenated Fats (actually any chemically created fats) - I still use fats to cook like olive oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, and even real butter. I have added: Fish Oil - I have no idea why, but I have much more energy when I take fish oil. But I am not dieting. I allow myself to eat anything I want as long as it does not contain the above items. I still allow myself snacks but I replaced my Nestle cocoa with Trader Joes brand, Skippy with Whole Foods 365 peanut butter, I replaced the microwaveable pop corn with real pop corn made in an air popper with butter poured over the top etc.

I try to tell anybody who will listen that a shockingly large portion of military families qualify for WIC! When my oldest were young, I volunteered at Navy relief and was amazed to find that E-5 and below with only 1 or 2 children (depending on the state) qualified for WIC. These guys work incredibly long, hard hours; sometimes in very dangerous situations and they are paid so little that they qualify for WIC and in some situations for food stamps. Ok, I'll climb off my soapbox! :grouphug: Cathmom! You and your dh are working hard and IMHO doing a great job providing for your family. I would feel sorry for and maybe even pray for a person that is so miserable in their own life that they would try to hurt you.

My dd had this problem and the dentist removed the gum that was covering the tooth. He burned it off - I know there is a fancier word for it, but I am too tired to think. He recommended it so that food would not get trapped under the gum and cause the tooth to decay. It was fast, cheap, and a lot less painful than having a tooth removed.

I had the same problem and chose to have my tooth pulled and had a bridge put in. (A crown on tooth next to it with a fake tooth attached to fill the hole). I am happier with it than I thought I would be. It also cost a lot less than an implant.

Some that my ds (16) and dd (18) like: If you're not part of the solution... You're part of the precipitate. I was promised there would be no math involved. I'm so far behind I thought I was first! Careful or you'll end up in my next novel. Most can be found at: http://www.signals.com/signals/T-Shirts-Sweatshirts_1GA.html Signals has a funny shirt for just about every interest.

I don't have time to find the recipes and tell you who posted them, but my favorites are: Chocolate Pecan Pie Pumpkin Bundt Cake I have learned how to make applesauce in a pressure cooker, as well as dishwasher detergent and laundry soap!

I think the very best thing that you can send is a note telling them of nice or funny memories that you have of their father or an observation you made of how much their father demonstrated his love for them (include a picture of him if you have one. Anything that will allow them to know or remember their father better is what they will most cherish in the future! -Ann

Well my first suggestion is to have your publishing house purchase the rights to The Kingfisher Illustrated History of the World! ;) I believe the most important aspect in this section of TWTM is not the actual book recommendation, but the outline demonstration. For some parents, myself included, teaching outling is a daunting task. It is more important for the parent to learn how to teach this concept and to understand what expectations to set for the child than it is to have a particular book recommened to use for outlining. Would it be possible to take excerts from several different books and then demonstrate how they should be outlined? I would even forgive the use of an out-of-print book if more tips were included on remediation.:) I appreciate the schedule suggestions, especially ideas on how much to do per week, and the information on how to incorporate the use of the notebook in the student's studies. However as in outlining, I feel that the actual book recommendation takes a back seat to the "how to" section of this chapter. -Ann For the record, I am partial to Oxford.