"I just don't like them." i didn't press it because we have more important things do argue about right now.

I already suggested it to, but he said no ? We haven't gotten formal estimates yet, so I have no idea what we'll end up with. We have two other expensive projects before we get to this one.

I have an urbini. It's super long.

Right. When my oldest graduates, my littlest will be no more than first grade.

I love having a nice solid floor under us. We have glazed concrete in the kitchen and 1970s linoleum floors that I am working on tiling over, slowly. Our last was on piers and our floors rotted, so this is SOOOO much better. Our master shower is rusted through. We will have to have the whole thing torn out and that part of the slab chiseled out, and then pipes replaced, and shower put back in. It's going to be a big project, and a few thousand dollars. So that part isn't great. Funny that my joint pain is pretty much gone since we've been here. I guess the lack of dampness is a bigger factor than the hard floors. We don't wear shoes in the house.

I'm growing in pots. That seems to work best for me. My pots were doing so well, but D doesn't like the pot on the kitchen counter, so I moved some out, which of course killed some. The sun is so powerful here and we have no shade. We grew oyster mushrooms successfully. The kit will grow one more batch. I did some microgreens. My garlic died :( Two pots of potatoes are doing well outside. Lettuce died. Onion is doing well, but i'm not sure what to expect from that. Lentils are sprouting outdoors with the onion and potatoes. tomatoes are chugging along inside. Daisies from the grocery store and 1 and 1. Our two fairy gardens are doing great :) Oh, we have grass! a little 4 x 2 patch for the dog. It's a bit of an accomplishment here. I'd love the wild bunnies to stop eating my baby mesquite tree and eat the grass instead, but I'm thinking the dog odor all over the grass is keeping them away. My future plan is to keep mounding the potatoes, not murder the tomatoes, and regrow the mushrooms in the heat of summer. Transplant the big aloes so that I can hang a hammock (!). I'm planning to build a stone spiral and order a succulent subscription box to plant cute little baby succulents in the spiral. We've been fighting with our mulberry tree, but it's regrown and I give up. It's already giving fruit. I'm going to prune it into a better shape and let it stay. Ya'll, my garden is starting to look like a garden.

Thank you! I could not get in and was so frustrated, I almost walked away forever (dramatic swoon) I have reverted to my earlier account that I had been locked out of.

I ordered my 6th grader a Spectrum math book. We had agreed on CTC, but I changed my mind at the last minute. It came, I gave it to him. He informed me he's already doing this book. What? No. This is new! He shows me his book. Same material, different cover. I'm an idiot. I don't have the excuse of having a lot of stuff. We only have one shelf of reserved books, and what we are actually using right now.

Cottage pie

butternut mac

pretty tidy. I hit the car wash regularly. We rarely eat in the car. I have a trash bag in the back that we use regularly. I require the children to empty the van after every trip. Sometimes it can get dirty, especially before we found a car wash that we like. The outside is always dusty because we live in open desert with no garage. I get annoyed because it looks terrible literally minutes after we leave the car wash. I wash it to keep the hand prints under control. It makes me sad, too, because my van is a pretty , sparkly red, but you can't tell under the dust. We do keep a package of diapers, a trash bag, and a few other items in the back seat area. But they are tucked neatly under Luna's seat. Pool floaties, swim bag, stroller, juice boxes, etc, are relegated to the trunk area.

In our house now, I would not. We are too isolated. I too recommend pairing up with a friend. My friends and I did it in high school, and I would do it now if I had an only.

I don't like cheesecake or ice cream, or any other dairy product, for that matter. The number of people who think I'm crazy or lying or defective in some way is stunning. It's just as well, because i'm lactose intolerant. but if i mention that, people try to sell me on lactaid. I'll pass.

my understanding-and i am by no means an expert-is that high risk children are most at risk for trafficking. They are usually sold by parents who are addicts or otherwise unstable and high risk, or otherwise trafficked by their caregivers. these kids are easy pickings. Why abduct a middle class child of loving parents when there are plenty of readily available neglected children with no one to call together a media circus?

beef. I'm vegetarian, but beef holds absolutely no appeal. blech. Melons and tropical fruits taste weird. I want to cry when my vegetarian option at an event is chopped melons and grapes-which give me migraines. I'd rather eat a turkey sandwich.

I'm sure this is a joke. a blindfolded child would look nefarious. There's not much he's going to see in the ladies room. it's just a cultural norm that we divide by gender for toileting.

i generally have both boys go together and wait together just outside until I finish. Some rest stops are lovely and busy and safe. Others feel pretty sketchy. I feel like they are safer together. if they are right outside the ladies door, everyone will know that mom is right inside. In your case, if you aren't comfortable with the rest stops, I would go to a fast food restaurant and buy just a small item, a cookie, a coffee, a juice box. yes, it's more than nothing, but it's a small price for peace of mind. If the bathroom is empty, or mostly empty, and you feel it's necessary, take them in with you. This depends on your child, to me. My current 8 yr old could easily pass for 5. My oldest though, at 8, looked more like 10 or 11.

ray's arithmetic is good and free. We are using it for K-3 and my kids are doing well. Easy and fun. For her ages, I think Intermediate would be right.

Spectrum is inexpensive and straightforward, if a little dull.

This is us, too. Especially having little bitty ones, and in Louisiana, where public school was not an option. It would have cost more for me to work, and D's call schedule made it absolutely impossible. There just was no way to cover nighttime childcare and daytime childcare, and commuting expenses, etc on my income. That's why I came home in the first place. Ironically, now D is making enough and has a reasonable enough work schedule that I realistically could work. Our concern now is that the stress and inconvenience of working would be detrimental. I would lose a lot of time with my kids, even just picking up the odd shift. I have a million options here that did not have before. If we needed the money, I would work. But we don't, really. I want to work because I love my field and it's extremely rewarding. Not because we need it. For us, it really comes down to practicality. Work out a calendar, and run the numbers. what would it look like on a real, practical basis? Is it worth it?

Not really though. my local walmart sells thick, fleece lined leggings that are pants in the lingerie section, with the socks. I don't know why they are there, but that's where they are. They also have thin, translucent leggings of questionable quality and garmentness in the junior's section. They really shouldn't be, I guess.

I'm not a big spender. We have spent between $40 and $250 for 2-4 kids. We reuse a lot of what we buy. We like free online, free vintage-or paid vintage, still usually very cheap, like $1, and library materials. I don't find it to be a pain at all. in fact, i would say that it's much easier to me than shopping. There's no real investment. especially with library stuff. We're there anyway. If I happen upon something wonderful, which I do very often, I grab it and take it home to try. Very little thought. Whereas, when I make a purchase, I agonize over it for a long time before deciding, and I feel terrible if it doesn't work out. Even if it's cheap. I'm super flexible. I don't like schedules and firm plans. I'm definitely more of a seat of the pants kind of lady. When you are choosing, it's really important to know who you are and what you want your day to look like. This year, I'm expecting to spend a lot. Well, for me. I'm getting workbooks for my little ones, some extras for my middle kid, and a science center membership to enroll our kids in a series of science classes. We have never done something like this. I'm a little nervous about signing up for a big series of classes. Not only is it a big financial investment, but also we live 60 miles away, it's a huge, crowded, chaotic place, and the kids' classes are staggered. I'll have two kids in class in the morning, and two kids in class in the afternoon, and Luna tagging along all day. The whole thing stresses me out. I know that a lot of families do classes like this all the time, and prefer it. That's not me.

I have a weak core -not the same as not working the abs. There are a lot of muscles in there that need to be strengthened, and not just a 6 pack ones. I didn;t know how to "engage my core" for many, many years, including when I did have very strong, well developed abs. I'm working now on reactivating my core. The easiest way is to just blow out all of your air. pull your belly button in to your spine. When I do this, I feel my lower back lengthening as well. I have lordosis, so this is big for me. Don't so anything else. Just practice blowing out your air while sitting still or standing still. I have been doing this 10-20 times, several times a day. My waistline looks slimmer, my clothes fit better, my posture is improved. I haven't lost weight, but it looks like I've dropped 30 pounds. Really, my abdominal organs just aren't flopping about anymore.

Less as my kids get older, but yes. Breakfast at 2pm has happened many times, and not because I slept late.

It has never occurred to me to throw something out a window. I grew up in a large city, but live rurally now, and for the past 15 years or so. I do toss food crumbs or small scraps on the ground. like strawberry tops or the broken crackers for the bottom of a carseat. Let the small creatures have it.