Good job! :grouphug: You did the hard thing...next time it will be easier. Barb

Excellent detective work! Barb

...and if the meat is stolen and you've eaten it, you become an accomplice to the crime. Honestly, you aren't going to be charged as an accomplice, but if you eat it, the argument that you bought under duress "for protection" as the others eloquently put it, will fly right out the window. Barb

I think I would call the police non-emergency number, explain that you've been defrauded by a man posing as representing a company that doesn't exist, inquire about filing a criminal complaint, and ask whether they would recommend filing a stop payment. Usually a criminal charge on a stop payment will stick only if there is an intent on your part to defraud (like you write a check knowing there is no money in your account, then stop it before it has time to clear). The fact that you cannot contact this company is reason enough to stop it, IMO. The criminal action is on their part. You'll have to weigh the pros and cons of each action and make a quick decision while it's still possible. In the future, remember the broken record technique for pushy people. It's very similar to Joanne's bean dip response. You repeat the same phrase over an over while smiling pleasantly. No agression, but don't give them the tiniest foothold. If you begin giving reasons, they will poke holes in your reasons. In this case, I would have done the same as the posters above. Smile brightly and say, "No, thank you." If he asks why, then you say, "I just prefer not to buy any." If he catches you again before you shut the door you say, "No, thank you...I prefer not to buy any. But good luck and have a great day!" Then shut the door. This really doesn't require growing a new spine because you will disarm him with your charm and beautiful smile all while drawing a firm line. Aggression and confrontation isn't required to make your point. Barb

Sarah had just been born, and Meghan had just come home after a disasterous 3 month school trial. I was looking for something meaty that I could put together myself. I was tired of drifting and all the hit and miss. David Albert (of "And the Skylark Sings with Me") used to trash TWTM method on the TAG boards as being too structured, sequential and mind numbing for gifted kids. Since he always struck me as a little pompous, I ordered the book to see it for myself. After reading The Book, I realized this was precisely what our homeschool was lacking. My oldest desperately needed more structure, but I'd been influenced by the TAG boards' heavy emphasis on unschooling for so long that I was afraid of damaging her. I'm a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants type and I didn't understand the structured type at all until I began to see the results from using TWTM. I learned to structure my structure-loving children and give my flexible kids options and freedom within a daily routine. Meghan goes on to college (on full scholarship!) next year after 9 years of TWTM and I'll graduate my first all-WTM baby about 3 years after that. Pretty cool. Barb PS :seeya: Hi Tracy! What took you so long to find the new boards??

Cheryl, this thread popped back up in my email (subscribed thread) and rereading it before signing off, I had another thought. I saw above where you were hoping the girls could test out of some courses while they are still in high school. I don't know whether you've seen the prep books for the CLEP tests, but these aren't easy-squeezy tests. Because they don't have an essay, they aren't as challenging as AP tests, but passing them is probably above the the reach of the average (read 50th percentile) high school student. A student should have a really strong college-level background in a subject before attempting the tests. They are $65 per test, so really not cheap enough to take repeatedly. Same with college classes in high school. A remedial student will really struggle with community college in high school. Not to belabor the point, but they'd be likelier to reach these goals if they were given another year to grow. Here's the link for the CLEP exam descriptions: http://www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/clep/exams.html. If you find yourself in a Barnes and Noble, take a look at some of the CLEP prep books to get a feel for the type of information included on the tests. High school is a really good time to put the Covey of "Begin with the End in Mind" principle to work. Hope this helps! Barb

And then there is the dreaded combination--the parents who use the disability to excuse the behavior. The child in the hotel room above us who jumped on the couch, bed and ran the television at all hours. When I walked upstairs the next morning to plead with them to keep it down, I was told that their child was autistic and since she never sleeps they don't even hear it anymore. So, why not specifically request a downstairs room, I asked. I offered to trade rooms with us and they refused point-blank. Where is the consideration? Then there's the 3yo on the next street who screams and clocks other children when he doesn't get his way. Dad allows him to play in the neighborhood with no supervision. When the behavior is brought to the dad's attention, the excuse is, he's autistic, we're working on it. Well work on it in your own house, or supervise him in the neighborhood, please! Sure, there are challenges. We have them in our own family. 1 Aspergers and one ADHD. Both need an exhausting amount of daily support, guidance, and supervision. There is the perception on this board that those of us with no patience with out of control kids must never have been there ourselves. It's not true. These guys are my problem, not the problem of the world at large. My negative reactions to other people's kids occur when it's obvious that, special needs or no, the family takes the attitude "we do all we can with our kids...when they're at your house, they're your problem." Please do not read more into this than is here. Each family can only do the best it can with the children they are given. I know my kids aren't angels 100% of the time when out of my sight, but they do know I expect them to be. Luckily most of the parents I know and are close to expect the same of their kids, so gentle correction is all that is needed. They don't mouth off or challenge my authority. However, certain families of my own acquaintance know of their kids' issues and really don't feel they can expect polite behavior. I'm tired of that, honestly. The low expectations. If that makes me judgemental, then write it on a sticker and slap it on my shirt. Barb

Shredding is sort of like locks on your house. They won't stop the most determined criminal, but will deter most of them because they are looking for the easiest target. Barb

Have you thought about holding off high school one more year? You'd be ready to start Latin I, Algebra, and a high school level Science course by then. You'd have an extra year to research and plan. Students in school take remedial courses because they must be pushed along with their age peers even if they aren't developmentally ready to be in 9th grade, but you have no such pressure. Plenty of kids graduate at 19 due to holding off school entrance for a year. If it were me (thinking aloud), I'd rather launch a 19yo with a solid transcript than an 18yo with a weak first year. Barb

Colleen, have you noticed this being an issue with your younger guys? I know they're younger and may not be there yet, but I remember the friend thing being more important to my oldest daughter. My theory is that she saw her younger siblings as just the little guys...not true peers, no matter how close they were. The younger kids have the littles to lead and the older ones to look up to, so finding age-peers hasn't seemed as important. This doesn't really help your current problem, but maybe you'll find comfort in thinking it may not be a recurring issue. Meghan has finally found a circle of friends that she's comfortable with this past year. Some are from work and some she met in her CC classes, so not a ready-made circle, but a cobbled-together bunch. As others have mentioned, things began to ease up once she hit her mid-teens. I endured high school but I counted the minutes. We had the whole mean-girls scenario happening. When I felt sad for my daughter, I comforted myself with the belief that it's better to feel lonely because you're actually alone than feel lonely because you're surrounded by people you can't trust. Barb

Or you could just let the baby name you. I named my grandma Goggy. My daughter named my mom Baudine. On second thought, youthful and spunky is probably the way to go...

In some ways they are better than actually reading. A child can generally comprehend at a higher level than she can decode, so audiobooks expose her to richer language and more complex plots at an earlier age. For this reason, I steer mine toward books that are above their reading level and it all shakes out. Barb

:blush: Actually, no. I'm not a heavy salter and I do cook everything from scratch, but I do enjoy salt with my seasoning. I was actually trying not to have to cut further. So I still salt to taste, but I do taste before I salt. Please PM me if you do, so I'm sure not to miss it. I was originally taking: 1 absorbable calcium 500mg w/50IU D 1 calcium/magnesium citrate 250mg/125mg 1 calcium cal/mag/zinc 333mg/167mg/133mg ...for a total of 1083mg calcium and 258mg magnesium I just added an extra Calcium with D and a cal/mag for a total of 1833mg/383mg. I split the dose into morning and evening to be sure the maximum amount is absorbed. EFA = essential fatty acids. I'm taking the enteric coated concentrated Omega 3 fish oil from Sam's Club. It has 1200mg Omega 3 per softgel (410mg EPA and 274mg DHA). They have a nice, mild vanilla smell. I take 3 a day. I don't have any specific articles...I just sort of googled away. My main resource has been this book: http://www.amazon.com/Prescription-Nutritional-Healing-Phyllis-Balch/dp/1583332367/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206682854&sr=8-1 I think if I wasn't pregnant, I'd have used a higher magnesium to calcium ratio, but the soft calcium gels are easier to choke down :) Disclaimer...I am within normal weight range for my height. I'm also not a big water drinker. I drink other liquids to thirst (milk, smoothies, decaf coffee), but I've made a point of adding two extra glasses a day. I don't know how much that has helped, but it isn't hurting. Other than diet, I really didn't have anything else I could do to lower my blood pressure naturally. I'm sure a combination of supplements and weight loss would work better than just one or the other. Tweak it and see what works for you. Even if you can't completely come off the medication, every little bit counts, right? I know I'm headed there...it's just a matter of time. I'm trying to stave it off as long as possible.

I will probably be in the minority, but I really despise a canister vac. We had an industrial one when I was growing up that we called The Pig because it would suck up anything in its path, including small animals. Because I had to drag it around, occasionally I'd run over my own heels...ouch. Maybe I just have motor control issues, but I have physical memories of barked heels. It was heavy to drag in and out of storage. The carpet attachment didn't work nearly as well as an upright. When we had hardwood (and now on our tile), I used this: http://www.amazon.com/Eureka-431BXZ-Lightweight-Upright-Cleaner/dp/B000E7YLJK/ref=pd_sim_hg_title_2 I love how easy it is to use. I use it strictly for hard floors even though it has a carpet setting. The carpet setting is worthless. But it's way cheaper to buy this or something similar over the canister and as an added bonus, it has a telescoping handle so the little guys can manage it. Barb

I think you describe a reasonable scenario. 30 minutes or an hour of Noggin here and there isn't going to make a child's brain melt out of his ear any more than an occasional cookie will harm his physical development. Besides, everyone needs down time and a little brain candy...even the little guys. If it's not causing a problem in your family, it's not causing a problem, IMO. I really wouldn't sweat it. Barb

There's no way you could be old enough to be a grandma! I'm squinting at your tiny little avatar and you just aren't granny material yet ;) Congratulations to you and your family! Barb

During my last two pregnancies I've been troubled by borderline high blood pressure in the third trimester. This time it seemed to strike early--about a month ago. I own a bp monitor because hypertension runs rampant in my family and I like to keep an eye on mine even when I'm not pregnant. So this past month I began testing my bp nightly. Each night my first reading would be in the 130's over the 100's, but after 5-10 minutes of rest I could relax it into normal range, maybe 89/115. Not really worrisome yet, but still it's awfully early. Since I was already taking Calcium/magnesium supplements and EFA's I wasn't sure what else I could be doing. After some research, I decided to almost double the amount of calcium I was taking by doing another dose in the evening before bed. So in the morning I'm taking 1000mg calcium with 500mg magnesium and in the evening I'm taking 833mg calcium with 167mg magnesium. I also added two extra glasses of water a day. In only 24 hours my first blood pressure reading dropped to 108/70. I was stunned. I was hoping the extra water and minerals would help, but I had no idea how quickly I would see results. I took it again tonight with similar readings the first try. I'm posting in case someone else is struggling with this. I'm thrilled to have found such an easy solution and would love to hear whether someone else is able to replicate the results. Barb

You mean like something edible? That's fine by me. I can work with that. I'm just so exasperated by kids who come to my house and refuse to eat because I don't have any highly processed, salted, flavorless food product on hand. Said kids are overweight, tire easily, and have a hard time climbing, running or playing because they are overfed and malnutritioned. Why don't we just hand them cigarettes and get it over with quicker? I misunderstood your comments because they seemed to be in defense of literally, the nugget. I understand choosy kids...honestly I do. I serve whatever I'm going to serve and never force anyone to eat it. My oldest went through a phase as a little one where she would eat nothing but white or tan food. Pasta with butter, white rice, yogurt, bananas, chicken legs broiled and skinned, pb sandwiches, dry cheerios, milk. Not the best diet, but not hot dogs and french fries. A lot of this had to do with her spending a lot of time at my mom's house where they bent over backward to cater to her sensitivities. Maybe they felt guilty for forcing liver, brussels sprouts, and squash casserole on me as a child :tongue_smilie: But over time she grew out of it and is now a total foodie. I think there is a wide range of food issues in children. To a certain extent, it's ingrained in our DNA to reject odd or strong tastes because back when everything was caught or gathered something with a strong or off taste could kill you. Those of us who are overly sensitive come from a long line of survivors. But I feel like it's our job as parents to control the pantry and refuse to buy the garbage simply because it's easier. It's very similar to controlling their literature or video choices...it's our job to gently open our kids minds and appetites as they grow. I think those of us reacting strongly to this thread are coming from two different camps...the one whose children are simply choosy or controlling over their foods and the one whose friends or relatives let the kids set the menu simply because it's easier and give no thought to the long term ramifications of that decision. And I think the two camps are talking past one another :) Barb

That I homeschool because I'm afraid of popular culture. I homeschool because I reject popular culture and want better for my family. Big difference in my eyes. Plus, I love the flexible lifestyle. Barb

No, I think it's friendlier :)

Nah, I don't buy it as an explanation for the chicken nuggets. I had multiple sensory issues as a child, since outgrown. I kept a military plate...no food could touch another. Couldn't do slimy or chewy or stringy. Leftovers smelled rotten 24 hours later. But nuggets just weren't on the menu. If there are no nuggets in the house (or Lucky Charms or hot dogs), then the child is forced to choose from acceptable options and will eventually branch out (as a poster above described...I'm sorry, I've forgotten who!). An adult's health is a product of his childhood diet. I think it's dead wrong to allow a child to build a body on chicken nuggets. Barb

Your kids eat black beans and salsa, fruit and soy milk. To me, that's not a picky eater...just a choosy one. When I think "picky eater" I think of the little girl who came over to play the other day. She said she was hungry, but when offered food replied, "I don't eat cheese...no I don't like fruit...um, do you have peanut butter? No, I don't like jelly. What's this brown bread? Do you have white?" Or my nephew who eats nothing for breakfast but cheerios with chocolate soy on it, and pushes aside his chicken and vegetables and asks for seconds and thirds of rolls and rice. I think we need to define our terms. Barb

My own daughter did this to me at my wedding. That's why I had a backup flower girl. Dh's 6yo niece and Meghan were to be co-flower girls in case she bugged out at the last minute. That's exactly what happened. She fell out of bed in the wee hours of the wedding day and never went back to sleep, so by wedding time she was in full-out meltdown mode. Anna-Christina (who was 6) did a beautiful job. I think any child under school age is a crap shoot. Barb

I don't want to pile on, so I won't list anymore cons. I think everyone has listed them already. I was born in S. Fl and lived there all my life, so I know Miami first hand as well. Based on what you've said, I think just moving to S. Florida could be a big enough culture shock, let alone Miami, which is like moving to another country. If you're looking for that type of adventure, then go for it! But if not, I think it would be a huge mistake. Sorry :bored: Barb

Oooo, ouch...yes you do :001_smile: I can remember stepping in their soft mounds as a little girl, so they've been around a while. Barb