We get those alot because my husband has a very common first and last name. We one one calling us weekly after we were first married and I kept telling them my husband has NEVER had an account at that place. One day they asked me his social security number. I wouldn't tell them it but asked which one they were looking for. It wasn't my husband's and I told them so and I never heard from them again. One of our funnier mistaken identity phone calls went something like this: I don't know if this is the right number but I'm looking for X(my husband's name) who went to Y High School and graduated in 19??. It took me a minute to process this since I went to Y high school and graduated in 19??. It was a small school with only 76 people in our class so getting a contact out of the blue from that exact place for my husband was so wierd. The caller was updating the alumni database so got my name corrected with a wrong number phone call. She was looking for a classmate but I didn't recognize the name because the classmate was adopted toward the end of our senior year. I always thought of him by his former name and didn't connect his new name as being the same as my husband's name.

It depends on the situation. Usually I take them all in the room with me. My oldest would be completely fine but I don't like leaving a single child. My second oldest is prone to bouncing and getting silly (aka LOUD) so I don't like leaving him long. If my second were better behaved, I'd leave them both more. Usually I get grief from nurses for taking them all with me. I've had several point out that "we DO have a play area for the children to wait in" but I know my kids and I don't want the receptionists to have to watch them. However, during all the pregnancy checks during the last month, I do send the boys out to the waiting room once the doctor comes in. I don't want them seeing the exams and my hubby can't take off every single week to watch the kids. In the situation you described, I would have no problem leaving kids of those ages in the waiting room.

Laundry has never been a problem for me when potty training because we let them run naked. I've found my kids were much more interested in running to the potty when they really needed to go when they could feel it running down their legs versus having underwear or something else soak it up. After spending basically their whole life somewhat familiar with the feel of wet things on their bottoms (diapers) wet underwear didn't seem to bother them and so they weren't inspired to cooperate with me. Pee running down thier legs got their attention fast. And believe it or not we really didn't have that many accidents. Granted mine were closer to three (well except the just turned 2 year old who refuses to wear a diaper) but generally we just try to keep them confined to areas without carpet to make clean up a bit easier but even on carpet, good old vinegar works great for cleanup.

Well since you are doing well with k12 and you are talking about major change stick with what you know so you can work on the issues arising from bringing the others home (unless this style would be totally unsuitable for one or more of those children). Also would you be doing k12 through a charter school where you are stuck with their choices? or would you be buying it yourself and you could customize it more? If you buy it yourself, maybe you could swap out either their science or history for something you find more palatable (I would start with just one of them so you don't overwhelm yourself). I think trying to change the curriculum and adding 3 new students would be a bit overwhelming.

This sounds absolutely delicious. I would love to make this but I don't own a springform pan. I have an angel food pan, glass and metal pie pans, metal or glass brownie pans (square or rectangle shape). Can I make any of these work? I realize it won't be as pretty but it just for me (and maybe my kids if I decide to share) so looks aren't so important. Thanks.

A second refrigerator is nice but a freezer is essential. I have a very large side by side (which I like because it holds everything I need it to plus it has more freezer space than one on top or bottom), plus I have two upright freezers and will be getting a chest freezer soon from my grandmother. Occasionally my fridge is overfull and I wonder where to put things but that is only once every few months. On the other hand my freezers are anywhere from 3/4 to packed to the gills almost all the time. I stock up big when something is on sale and then I don't have to think about that for months. For example I buy my mixed veggies from Sam's which is about 1/2 hour away. So I buy 20-30 pounds when I am there. I also have just about every kind of meat we use in my freezers at all time. This gives me the freedom to make whatever I am in the mood for anytime becuse I will always have the ingredients on hand. I just don't keep refrigerator items stocked that heavily because they will go bad before we can use them.

I've never studied this out but I know our pastor teaches that Isaac was a young adult most likely in his 20's and that he was a willing participant in the event.

A friend of mine had a child who had persistent and severe rashes. They tried everything and finally took her to the doctor. It was yeast. So instead of the diaper rash ointment the doctor told them to use Chlortrimazole (sp?) - the stuff used for athlete's foot. I keep a tube of that stuff around now. When the diaper rash doesn't improve after 24 hours of diaper cream (zinc oxide based like desitin), I pull out the Chlortrimazole. That clears it up everytime for us.

Around here powdered milk is significantly more expensive than fresh milk. Powdered milk in bulk (10 lbs or so) is $3.00 a gallon, more if you buy in smaller boxes. Fresh skim milk is only $2.19 a gallon. I know some places fresh is more but not around here.

I have no book recommendations since I have never read one on the topic. My parents own a greenhouse so we have learned by trial and error. Most likely you will not be able to grow a raspberry or blueberry bush in a pot. These are perennial plants and if you live anywhere that freezes that will freeze out in a pot. Also, these types of plants need to mature before they will produce much - usually about 3 years before you see more than a handful of berries. So they would have to grow in the ground if you want to pursue them. Raspberries are much easier to grow than blueberries. Blueberries are more sensitive to soil conditions as well as cold winters. Raspberries are much more forgiving. As far as veggies go, most anything can grow in pots. Even some of the notoriously large plants can with proper care. My sister grew zucchini in a half barrel (there are special types that are "bush" plants and don't get as big - regular ones I wouldn't try). For soil, we use a mixture of black soil (potting soil, top soil) and peat moss. We aren't organic and actually mix in time released fertilizer with the soil. You might try using manure or something like that. I'm sure there are other organic options out there but you would probably want to talk to your local nursery for options. But be aware, that anything in containers will deplete the nutrients quickly and you won't have it being naturally replenished the way soil in the ground would be. Tomatoes we recommend at least 5 gallons of soil per plant (for "bush/patio" types - 20 gallons for the traditional plants). Peppers we recommend at least 2 but I found mine did better in 3-4 gallons. Also plant at least 2 plants and set the pots right next to each other. Pepper plants will produce more when they are touching another pepper plant than on their own. Herbs are very easy and I keep an assortment of pots on my deck. Rosemary is very slow growing. Thyme, oregano, and chives are perennials so plant them in the ground if you can (less likely to freeze out in the winter), cilantro is a cool weather plant and harder to keep from going to seed in the hot summers. Basil likes it warm so don't put in out too early. Parsley is probably the easiest as it takes it all. I have also grown green beans and eggplant in pots. Also gets pots that you can set trays under. These plants will consume tremendous amounts of water (because pots dry out faster than the ground) and it helps to fill up the tray and let the plant soak it up. HTH

Well one of my boys didn't get it till after he turned 7. My daughter is almost 6 and she can't do that yet either. My guess is the the twin who has figured it out, is just ahead of things here which makes it look like the other twin is behind and he really isn't.

We are required to have 875 hours. If you did 180 days that comes to a little less than 5 hours a day. I don't technically keep track of day or hours but since I have a database of all their homework assignments, I went back and counted for curiosity's sake. We are at day 130. I would say a normal day around here is about 6 hours (oldest student is very advanced and doing challenging work, younger student is just slow as molasses). We finish our school year in April. Our new school year start in June but we are gone alot in July and sometimes Aug so it ends up being a week on and and week off most of the summer.

My mom was never able to partake in music as a child because her family couldn't afford it. So it was really important to her that my two sisters and I have music lessons. My mom made us be in band for 3 years (we got to pick what instrument) and choir for 5 as well as several years of piano/organ lessons. I hated it. Really really hated it. To this day I hate participating in anything musical. I don't even really enjoy listening to music. My sisters don't like music stuff either. Maybe I would have always hated music or maybe I would have learned to appreciate it, if it hadn't been forced on me. But I think having lessons forced for so many years definitely turned me off of it. Six years is more than plenty of time. If she hasn't fallen in love with it by now, she never will. I'd save your money and use it for something more enjoyable.

My hubby does this too. He can't even explain how he knows but he's been right every time. I, however, have been wrong several times.

I don't think I wanted to hear this. I got glasses when I was 7 and have been in the "high prescription" category since I was about 12 and I had to get new glasses almost yearly because my prescription kept changing. it stabalized in my 20's and since hitting 30 (I'm 35) but astygmatizism has been going crazy so I'm still getting new glasses every year and half to two years. I really didn't need to hear that it's going to get worse when I get older. It's already horrible. Yes the price is terrible. My last pair of glasses was around $270 dollars and that was AFTER the 50% off of everything (the coatings, the extra fee for thin lenses, the extra fee for strong prescription, the lenses, the frames-cheapest one I could find, etc.) My son has a basic prescription and I ordered from Zenni for $18 and they are working very well. My husband will probably order from them this year. Unfortunately mine are so complicated, I usually end up getting them remade at least once or twice before they get them right that I don't even want to mess with trying to do them online when I can't even get them right the first time in person.

We really love the pasta e fagioli soup at olive garden. The copycat recipe uses spaghetti sauce. http://www.copykat.com/component/rapidrecipe/?page=viewrecipe&recipe_id=828

As someone who did all their homework all the way through college sitting in front of the TV, I honestly wouldn't be worried about this at all. Some people are just better about handling two things at once that others. I really don't think this will affect his attention span at all. But since it obviously is stressing you out, you will need to deal with this. headphones works, or maybe just having him close his door. I hope you can find a solution.

Actually I like the fake stuff better too but then pancake syrup seems absolutely decadent compared to the vanilla/sugar/water stuff that we used when I was growing up. Pancake syrup was a luxury I only got when I went to grandma's house. The first time I ever had REAL maple syrup was about 2-3 months ago. It's not that I dislike the real stuff it's just not what I think of when I think of syrup - it's just too thin. Since I have stopped buying pancake syrup, we use these things on our pancakes: homemade applesauce with cinnamon, blueberry syrup (frozen blueberries, sugar and a little bit of water), sliced peaches, yogurt, or I will add chocolate chips to the batter. maybe you can turn your daughter on to one of these.

My sister's son did this last spring (gained about 20 pounds over 4 months). Last summer he started showing signs of entering puberty. His doctor said that was normal.

No set schedule other than as seldom as possible. Usual this translates to during the week with 5 kids in tow. I have tried the weekends without kids but honestly I'd rather deal with my 5 during the week than all the other people on the weekends. But we bought a 1/4 of beef last fall and when things are on sale (non-pershibles) I stock up. I will buy 20-30 pounds of frozen veggies when on sale or 6-8 chickens. I have started making all of our bread products so once every two months, I or my husband will drive over to the lady in charge of our co-op and do a pickup there. Otherwise my hubby stops for milk once a week and I go for fresh produce every 2-3 weeks. I try to just stay out of the store. It saves me time and money as I'm terrible with impulse buys.

$15 a year.

I think this really depends on YOUR shopping habits. After reading about how wonderful Costco is from this board, other boards and family members I was excited to see when one opened near me. I kept a list of the items I was likely to buy, the size of the container and the price. I then went to Sam's where I normally shop(selectively since even it isn't always a good deal) and wrote down all the comparison's. My mom did the same thing (same Costco, different Sam's). We both came to the conclusion that the things that WE buy it wasn't a very good deal at all. I have read about many people saying how great the meat prices are (my aunts in WA in particular) but honestly I found them to be very expensive. Most everything is a dollar a pound or more higher than sales at grocery stores. I think much of it depends on what you normally buy and part of the country you are in. My advice would be to go check them out. Just tell them you want to look around. Write down everything you think you might buy somewhat regularly, than compare the prices. If the savings is high, you know it would be worth it to you. If there isn't much savings, by the time you factor in the gas and extra time it probably isn't worth it.

So I'm trying to label read more but frankly I'm not always sure what I'm looking for. Are corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup the same thing? If not, are the equally as bad? I do make most things from scratch but there are times where having something premade for you is neccessary so I'd like to be more educated about selecting those things which are better even if they are less than ideal. So should I be avoiding both or is regular corn syrup "less bad" than the high fructose type?

I do. I use the recipe on here that I think was posted by Trivium Academy but it's suppose to be a Papa John clone and it is very good and easy to make by hand. Sorry I don't have the link handy.

Last fall I stocked up on everything that I could think of from non-perishable food to ziplock bags, kleenex, water softener salt etc. The idea was so I could avoid taking 5 kids (2 who need to be buckled into rear facing car seats) to the store when it was cold and/or snowy. I am absolutely loving it. About once a week my husband stops and picks up milk for me and every 2-3 weeks I go for fresh produce. The last time I was in a Walmart/Target type store was before Christmas. So I had some pretty big bills last fall but they are much smaller now. It will even out in the end.