See, even spending $100-$150 on a phone seems like a lot to me. :blushing: I have a $19 phone (had it for four years) and a pay as you go plan. I buy $100 worth of service every year--and use it mainly for emergencies. I guess everybody has different priorities. :)

I've found that we can have discussions about issues we tend to agree about... like too much money/lobbyist influence in Congress, special interests, etc. We've also talked about the electoral college and the whole electoral process before .... as to why did we change the most votes guy/gal gets to be President, second most VP, etc. I think that might change some of the partisanship--as both parties would want the administration to succeed. What makes things hard is that in some discussions, people get their facts from different sources which makes discussing things difficult. I find myself wondering if quotas on women in Congress might be the way to go. I honestly find it disturbing that we rate something like 70th in countries in terms of women's representation. If States were required to have at least one female senator, and half of their reps be women... would things be different? I'd like to think so.

We went through four really tough years, and now things are finally looking better. I'm trying not to fall into old bad habits. A big problem is our debt culture... our pay later culture... and our consumerism. I "deserve" XYZ....even if I can't afford it. I was surprised at girl scouts this week when it came time to take pictures, almost every parent there pulled out a newer model iPhone. This is not a wealthy troop/area either. Figure $300-$500 for a phone, plus at least $100/month in a phone bill. That's over $1000/year. Colleges now offer luxury amenities that are not necessary and just increase the price of going. Kids may think they deserve snazzy new dorms with private bathrooms, floating rivers, and the like (a college near us)--but as a parent who will one day pay for it, I surely don't. When I was in college, we had three to a room with a shared bathroom and that was fine. Guaranteed student loans and all of the new private universities that have popped up have caused fees to go up and up and up. As for health insurance, I can't believe how much we pay for our premiums, and then out of pocket, "just in case." I really believe that universal Medicare is the way to go. Let's all pay for it via a VAT or whatever. It's not going to equal the $1400+ I pay per month. That would also take the burdens off of companies. They could allow private companies to offer supplemental plans like they do with Medicare. Of course, moving to a universal health care model means that we change medical liability and medical school education costs as well. Somebody mentioned Greece. One issue with the Greek economy regarded people not paying taxes, and underreporting incomes. it was endemic. Even professionals had an average income of roughly 30,000 Euros--which is highly unlikely. Yes, we have our own issues here regarding taxation--but we're not to that point yet.

You'll look better no matter what you do--as long as you do it regularly. :) A cybex routine is probably easiest in the beginning. You'll have a circuit to do...and usually you go through 2-3 times. Add in some cardio. And you're done. 3x/week for the circuit Then after 2-3 months, you can get a bit more specialized and go for a 4-day split routine. You might keep using some Cybex machines, but may add in other free weights, etc. You can try and work on your "V" shape... think shoulders/back which will make your waist look smaller... but really...at this point... just try and get a regular routine going. :)

Ooh..that looks neat. Thanks. Humor is always good!

He needs an exfoliating scrub. What about Clearasil face scrub? It's not particularly girly too--marketed to teen boys, which might appeal. :) If he needs more, add in the pads. http://www.amazon.com/Clearasil-Ultra-Rapid-Action-Ounce/dp/B00112RP68/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1348797407&sr=8-1&keywords=clearasil+ultra+face+scrub

Thanks. I don't know if he'll watch, but to me, it's worth a try. He might not be comfortable watching them with me, but I think I can get him to at least watch a bit and give it a try alone. Not sure what else to do.

My guess is this is a lot more common than ever gets reported. I'm actually glad she did this (and not something worse...and was caught... so that she can get the help she needed. Parenting is so tough. Many parents are single parents (either truly single, or with an absent partner (either physically or in terms of hands-on parenting). Not everybody has back-up, baby sitters, support, or even friends. I've been on quite a few parenting boards where people bemoan the fact that they don't have one real in person friend. We all need breaks--even if we have the best kids on the planet. Part of the reason I joined the YMCA (and now finally exercise on a regular basis) is the 1.5 hours per day of free child care I get as long as I'm working out. I hope many people in the community reach out to not only help this Mom and her kids, but others who may be in similar situations. Saw a great quote yesterday. (Note: I don't think this Mom was being a good mother.) "There is no perfect way to be a great mother. Each situation is unique. Each mother has different challenges, different skills and abilities, and certainly different children... What matters is that a mother loves her children." -Elder M. Russell Ballard

Anybody know of any good marital counseling DVDs? Think like parenting videos/courses only for couples. :) I can't get DH to agree to counseling and we have stuff to work on. Yes, we could go on the way we are, but I'd like to try and make things better if possible. :)

That was the norm where I grew up in Michigan. I actually chose to keep my maiden name, which in hindsight now with four kids, I regret--but it would be too big of a pain to change it now. I think part of the reason was I got married in my 30s...and it didn't make sense to give up the name I'd always been known as, gotten my degrees as, etc. If I were to change...I'd be (OK don't remember all the names in the post)..but Susan Marie Maiden HusbandsLastName DH is Egyptian and there almost all women keep their maiden name.

Thanks everybody. :D I'm going to try it out before returning it. I haven't used it yet, so it will be interesting to see the difference. I have been reading Kindle books on my iPad (including those checked out from the library) and love it.

I'm still looking for solutions. Our old cheap IKEA dressers were not worth moving, so right now the kids each have a large plastic bin which has 50% of their clothes (the other 50% is still packed from the move.) I have these little $10 carts from Target which have three drawers...one for undies, one for socks, and one for PJs. I need a better solution.

So, I gave my Dad a Kindle for his 80th birthday as he loves to read and I thought the font size adjust and built-in dictionary would be great. He found it too technically frustrating and gave it back to me, saying "give me real books, please." Now I'm wondering whether or not I should keep it or return it. I have an iPad already, which I love and on which I use the Kindle App. The Kindle I got my Dad was a basic one, not a fire. The only major benefit I can see is using the Kindle lending library. Help me... should I keep it or return it? My kids are not of the age where they need their own Kindle (nor will Mom give them one. :))

We tend to buy things off of teacher's wishlists instead of big donations. Our kids attend a charter school. We have to pay quite a bit for uniforms (not available through Lands End, French Toast, but only one supplier), sports uniforms, workbook fees, etc. With three kids, it adds up fast. We also plan to donate funds for field trips. I usually buy one of the coupon books, but that's about it. I only buy things if I truly want/need them, and we do use the coupon books enough to make it worth the $20.

If there's a good chance she might end up back in Bricks and Mortar, does her district offer a virtual academy which might make life easier? Are they religious? If so, which religion? How much time does Mom have each day? Does she need something scripted or just planned out? What's her budget?

It's normal. Don't worry about it. Give it a few more months, encourage him, but try not to get frustrated. He's only 4-1/2. :) (Edited to add that I'm on my third kid with RightStart A--so perhaps that's why I'm not as worried. I've seen it work for my two eldest--even if they liked to count in the beginning.) Remember, RightStart B repeats all of RightStart A for the most part and builds on it. In reality, he has two years to get that. I doubt he'll be counting in college. ;)

I can't speak as a homeschooling Mom as having faced this, but I can talk about being a very depressed, sometime suicidal teen. Being in school added to my problems and depression, it did not help. The best thing in the world for my depression would have been to homeschool, but back then, it simply wasn't well known. If he has highs and lows, is it possible he could have bipolar? Just something to consider. It's not always extreme mania and catatonic depression too. I would consider meds. I would also look at CBT, exercise, sunlight, and diet as part of the therapy.

There's three different CDs of materials in mp3 format and you get three digital booklets as pdfs. You can buy them one at a time too. I seem to remember them having either a great black Friday sale last year or perhaps it was a New Year's sale...so keep an eye out. I think you can also buy them individually as well. :) We use the Standin' Tall bit for character study and my kids love it.

Awesome. Thank you so much. Just saw it in time! :)

Have two boys, one with a late September bday, the other with an early October bday. Started DS1 (October) in school in NY that has a December cut-off. He did great. Then we moved to FL which has a Sept. 1st cut off, and they told me he couldn't start Kindy for another year because of it. So, he's on track for FL, but was a year older in NY when we moved back. Now we're back in FL (yes, it's been a lot of moves), and once again he's "normal" for his class. Honestly, I didn't see any differences in terms of getting along, behavior, or social skills in either situation. DS2 has a late September bday. He started PK3 in FL and then when we moved to NY went into Kindy rather than doing PK4 as he would have had we stayed in FL. He did great as well. Now we're back in FL and he's a year younger than most, still doing wonderfully. It never occurred to me to hold either boy back, to be honest. They are typical boys in terms of energy-level, etc.

We bought the Safety Kids digital curriculum last time it was on sale. For us, it has been good. It talks about learning your phone number, stranger danger, avoiding porn (but needs to be updated regarding digital), etc. You can use the bits you like or are age-appropriate and wait on the rest. I was surprised to see some gigantic percentage of 10 year olds had been exposed to porn already, so I wouldn't hold off forever on that. Well done IMHO. Can't speak for the Sing, Read, and Write bit as we haven't used it. http://www.britemusic.com/safety-kids-set-digital http://www.britemusic.com/sing-read-and-write-with-brite-digital-set I believe the prices already reflect the discount which is supposed to run through the end of September.

On a side note, DH is from Cairo, and it is extremely humid there in the summer... much worse than Florida that we're used to. It's not a year-round thing, but it's rough...especially as a/c is not as ubiquitous as here. I have no idea if that humidity holds in the Valley of the Kings, though. I'm thinking of holding off on the mummy until the winter, but come to think of it, an apple sounds like a great idea. :)

Is it yellow-y? Does it have any curry powder in it? I've had one that has tuna, halved grapes, celery, mayo, salt, and pepper I think, but typically I see it with chicken as others have mentioned. One restaurant I used to go to put raisins and almonds in their tuna salad and it was yummy.

I loved Handwriting Without Tears--especially the teacher's guide. Gave me so many good ideas. In retrospect, I didn't need all of the wooden letter pieces, etc. The key parts for us were the teaching guide, workbook, and songs, although I had the entire kit. You can do the trace/erase in a cookie sheet filled with stuff, shaving cream, or on a dollar store chalk board. For the letter shapes, play dough snakes work great...pieces of string....cut outs of construction paper...etc. DS1, however, was never good at printing, but really took to cursive. We're not going back to do GD Italics so he has a printing font that looks good for when he doesn't want to write in cursive.

We've used Right Start Level A for our two eldest and really enjoyed it. I did just purchase Miquon Orange though for DD to try it out and am enjoying it, but honestly, I like the variety of Right Start A's materials and the more laid out lessons better (so far). However, from a cost standpoint, Miquon is 1000x better. :D