Off Topic: Hey Rosie I wonder if those compost tumblers are a bit of a gimmick. I wanted one for years but have perfectly good compost in a black bin. (I am a worm killer too). What sort of blender you going for?

after 7.5 years. My kids have gone from little kids to almost adults. Not that we have been doing much the last couple of weeks. Dd16 finished her online course. The books I wanted them both to finish are ...well, mostly finished. Bits and pieces we were finishing up are done. And we havent really been doing much school for a few weeks.....but today was the last official day. (end of school year here- summer holidays). I was thinking to take them somewhere special to mark our last day- a movie, lunch... But my rather extremely socialised teens are too busy with their friends...they would be doing it just for me and I don't want to do that. Instead I am thinking of making a scrap book of our homeschooling years. I think I am getting sentimental. Partly its because...now what am I? I have been "a homeschooling mum" for all these years. It's such a strong identity. WHen people ask "what do you do?" I have had an answer...an interesting answer that provokes interesting conversation. I am enjoying the freedom and time to myself already since my kids are out so much. But the next passion hasnt come yet...I am very lucky...many things I could do...but I dont know what, yet. So, I am taking holidays and ...probably decluttering the house and going to the beach regularly and seeing my friends a bit more. My kids are growing up. But they still need feeding and hugs and ...boundaries! I will hang around here though.

I want to make sure I am one month ahead (as in the YNAB budgeting system). I was for a few months...I suspect this month I will get behind, so that will be my first goal. Basically I allocate my budget for each month on the 1st of the month (put amounts in different envelopes) with last month's income. Then I want to get my emergency savings back to $5000 (dh has another lot of emergency savings) as per Dave Ramsey. Then I want to save for holidays and a Mac Computer....however, its quite possible that the holiday (to see my family) and the computer will happen before the savings happen. I do love my budgeting system, though, with my savvy-cents wallet and my planning ahead for the month. It has helped me to manage my money much more effectively. Now..I just need to increase my actual income.

I reckon the woman is probably disillusioned with her bloke later on in life, as frequently happens ...maybe he no longer buys her nice gifts? (I know a happily married couple and the husband NEVER buys his wife gifts- it hurts her a lot but she still loves him and buys herself gifts instead). And she is just having a whinge, wondering if she should have seen the signs way back. Surely there was some sort of wry humour in the woman's comment? Its the sort of off hand thing people say sometimes without it meaning as much as it seems to.

How wonderful and beautiful. Just to hear the story is a blessing.

Perhaps a good scrubbing with bicarb soda (which I often use instead of shampoo) would work instead of product? It absorbs the oil well and really massaging it in with fingers for a minute or two before rinsing might be enough. I use about a tbs but she might need more. I put it in my hand, add a few drops of water and mix into a paste, then massage into my scalp.

Yes....thankyou for your perspective too. I am not sure that the parents of my nephew have high hopes- I think they more in a silent despair, actually, and a bit lost with it all. But as you say....at least you tried and now you can just accept and relax and there is a freedom in that...wheras if you hadn't tried anything, you might always wonder. My nephew is 3...I am sure this is a good time to try things.

Never heard of it! I agree it reminds me of Yorrick too. Doesn't sound very feminine either.

Its not like a disease where you can have a blood test for antibodies. Its a set of symptoms, and it's very subjective. Even if one person said "definitely yes" another might say only "possibly, maybe." If you are not medicating....just read about ADHD and implement some strategies. Even if he were undeniably ADHD not all strategies will work for all kids so it will be up to you to experiment and see what works.

Just finished wrapping the presents I needed to post yesterday to get to the east coast. But I will pay extra to make sure they get there on time! I have barely started here yet. Dh and I dont even know what we are getting for the kids yet. They know we are short on money right now so they are not expecting expensive presents...but we dont have a clue.

I love my Oscar http://www.oscar-living-juicer.com/compare-juicers/ The pulp comes out almost dry- the driest of any juicer on the market. It does greens beautifully, as well as wheatgrass. It takes longer to juice than in a centrifugal juicer, but its much more thorough. However you don't really need a juicer to go raw- I go in phases with mine. A year ago I was making green juices every morning- for everyone- it was a lot of work but I did feel very healthy. I now make a juice once a week or so but with summer here now I may get into another phase of it. I am also getting more into raw again after going back to more cooked over winter. I love it. I tend to do well with some meat, but lots of salad and fruit and just a little dairy and grains. I am probably on about 50% raw at the moment. here are a few bookmarks I have for inspiration and recipes: http://thesunnyrawkitchen.blogspot.com/ http://www.rawfoodtalk.com/showthread.php?t=54452 http://www.therawdivas.com/HHH/recipes.html http://www.rawmom.com/ http://www.therawkitchen.com.au/Site/Welcome_HOME.html

Yes, Jean, in that other thread I did try to say that trying not to offend someone who is easily offended is just not worth it. Better they get offended and leave you alone. You are over extending yourself and the anger is really healthy...it leads you to your power, to being able to act decisively in your own favour, rather than letting yourself be used by someone who is insensitive. It's not bad to be angry- it's a sign you have let the whole thing go on too far already. It's always better to be real than nice. Nice people are annoying because you don't really know where they are coming form. I love real people.

I so wish my first had been born at the birthing centre. We were booked in but she came too early, although she was ready. The hospital was really not a nice place to have a baby. They just wanted to rush the whole thing, and my first has never been one to be rushed. Fortunately my dh was a wonderful advocate for me and protected me from the doctors' agendas and she was born in her own timing, pretty much. My 2nd was born at a birthing centre. Such a great experience. ETA: if I listened to other people's uneducated opinions I would have had caesarians, never homeschooled, and we would eat the SAD. Do your own research and stay in touch with your mummy instinct...dont doubt yourself.

I am not really sure- and you could ask someone with a calcualtor to tell you how many points you would get. Its also important to understand a few things about the new system. Its taking me a bit to get my head around it- I lost the 1st week, stayed the same the 2nd week and lost the 3rd week. You get your daily points which go back to zero each day- you cant carry them over. You get- everyone gets- 49 points for the week. These zero each week. You can use them as extra points each day, but they are very useful for saving for special occasions. Exercise points are a little different, and the points for foods are different from the old system, but I guess the app would account for that. And fruit is not a free for all...I learned that on my 2nd week. I got into fresh dates. Ugh, talk about a sugar addiction being rekindled. I had to eat them all to get them out of the house though :) I was eating fresh dates and many pieces of fruit a day (summer fruit season here) and it triggered sugar bingeing for me (I dont normally eat sugar). I have learned...fruit, past 2 pieces, is for when I am hungry and it's too long to the next meal. You can't just eat it endlessly. Other than that...I would give it a go. Its a very liveable and healthy weight loss or maintenance program and if I coudlnt afford it, now that i know how it works, I would try and do it for free myself.

Perhaps just hold back a few more seconds. Quite often when there is a lull in the conversation it allows people time to gather their thoughts before launching into the next conversation. Trying to keep the conversation going can keep it kind of superficial. and forced- and yes, exhausting. If you are genuinely interested, ask questions. If you are just trying to make conversation, if you back off a little it allows other people to jump into that empty space and takes the burden off you.

I have a dear friend whose 2 now adult sons went to a Sudbury school (the original? ) in Canada. I havent met them but he talks about them and he is so proud of them..they are pretty amazing people. One is very academically inclined, and the other isn't..but they are very free spirits, they travel and base themselves in Hawaii, and seem to have a deep trust in life and an ability to make things work for themselves. I have always had the sense that when unschooling works well, and maybe with the right kids too (not sure), it is really the most wonderful educational method of all...but I am not sure it always works well, or that I am the right type of parent to be able to facilitate it. I do admire it when it works well though.

Because it was "normal" in the same way that now we use 3rd world countries to produce cheap produce for us under conditions that are pretty much slavery, and in the same way that we devastate our natural environment for economic reasons. These things are normal to us yet hopefully future generations will look back in horror.

Base 80% of your diet on plants in their least processed forms. Any meat and dairy and processed foods are in the 20%. It's what you dont eat, often, more than what you do eat, that keeps you healthy. If its in a packet with numbers on the side, or sugar added, it should be in that 20%. Soda is one of the worst things you can do, and so is anything with artificial sugars in it. Even juice in a packet is a processed, concentrated food high in natural sugar (it is pasteurised so it is cooked. Who wants cooked juice? ) Green Smoothies. (fruit, water, handful of greens- you can't taste the greens). Most people do not eat enough vegetables, especially greens. Eat something raw with each meal, and eat a variety of different colours. For breakfast we do eggs. It's easy, quick, high protein, and sustaining. On a lazy day, it's a quick fried egg on healthy bread. On other days its poached or scrambled eggs, mushrooms, tomato, sometimes liver or bacon for me, a handful of baby greens.

When someone gets offended I don't necessarily feel guilty for having offended them, or think its a bad thing, even though I don't mean to offend. I am direct (sometimes more than others). I have a friend who is needy and has a knack for phoning me right when I am busy- I just tell her its not a good time, she asks if she can just have a sec, and she actually usually cuts to the chase straight away nowadays. Another friend of mine phones me only ocasionally, such as today, and when she does, even though she checks if its a good time...it almost always is and like today, we sometimes talk for an hour or 2. I would worry a little less about offending someone who is walking around asking to be offended because of their insensitivity. She is an adult...she doesnt need to be protected from her own feelings. You are obviously caring and giving her your time. Why not respect your own time?

thanks everyone...I am too busy right now to respond individually but I really appreciate the replies...I will come and research the info you have shared as soon as I can...thanks again

Illegal. Pirate Bay.

:iagree: I know its not right to say what is right for everyone...and as homeschooling mums we are at home a lot...but I do think it is generally healthier to have contact with a diverse group of people....not necessarily all friends you would call up in a crisis...but just people you have contact with over time. It is mind expanding. It doesnt mean you cant have a rich life without it..but I certainly value it. I have always loved to meet well travelled people, too...people form other countries, people who have done interesting things. It expands the possibilities for myself and my vision for what is possible for my kids. And i am an interovert. I can easily spend days on my own. In many ways homeschool has expanded my social circle because I have been part of the homeschooling community- locally with various activities and connections with people I really wouldnt normally socialise with, in Australia, and internationally too (I would count these boards as my social circle in a very general, loose kind of way). I think its one of those things it jsut pays to be realyl honest with oneself. Has this idea popped into your life and touched something in you because it resonates on some level...or are you perfectly content with your social life and are just doubting yourself? Some poeple do hide away at home out of fear...I especially think that is not healthy for homeschooling mums because that sets an example for our kids. Whenever I have become isolated I take on an activity for myself- a cooking class, a yoga class, a dance class. Its enough to get me out of the house and into the world a bit more and I usually meet interesting people.

Wonderful ideas. I also do that sometimes- I learnt it from Flylady that the kids' messiness is not really their problem because it doesnt bother them at all- its mine- so blaming them isn't so helpful. (I can train them though). And I have learned that when the living area, schoolroom, kitchen etc get out of hand AND its their "chore" to clean it ....its actually ok for me to go in there and do it sometimes *for me*. So I do as above- I pick up their stuff and put it in their rooms on their beds. It makes me feel better if I am craving a tidy space and it would be too long before anyone else could do it. Better than waiting till they get home, get around to it, or even notice it. I also agree with the pp who said this is also just normal mothering stuff. I am not ADD but dh is strongly so and his oldest dd21, my stepdd, is as well, and ds15 also has tendencies in that direction. Yes, he clashes with them big time and I seem to always be the moderator, the mediator, the one who softens things. The middle child, my dd16, is also like that- her very presence is calming and reasonable- a good balance for all the fly off the handle tempers. FOr example dh got up this morning and it is garbage truck dad, and its ds15's job to empty all the bins on a Sunday ready for the truck on a Monday morning. Ds15 had only done some of the bins and had been confused (or lazy) as to which bin to put which stuff (recycling or normal) and basically the job wasnt done properly even though he has been doign it for years. Dh lost his cool and got all upset (ds wasnt up yet) and i had to talk him down. Eventually when ds got up, dh told me to go and deal with it otherwise he would bite. So I did. I don't know what the answer is but what I notice with dh is that he loses perspective. Little things become huge things andhe takes things very persoanlly that just arent personal (kids are not messy to personally annoy us- they just dont care about mess like we do). We can be all happy and cruisy and something that would be water off a duck's back to me, becomes a source of huge irritation to him. (However when I DO get upset I tend to be upset for longer, and he tends to get over things more quickly). I think this is a common relationship pattern. No help at all but I think what you are talking about is very common.

:party: That is so wonderful, Amber. Celebrating with you!

I would appreciate to know what therapies/approaches have helped the most. My almost 3yo nephew was diagnosed autistic about a year ago. I dont see him often but today I did. He is a gorgeous bundle of energy. He walks on his toes. He doesn't make eye contact except ocasionally for a couple of seconds. He doesn't speak although he makes many sounds. I watched his parents trying to engage him a lot...they were so patient but I could tell they were struggling. The mother is quite young- only 21 I think. The father is my BIL. They have asked me if I know anything that can help them and they are coming over during the week for a visit. They said they are finding it difficult to get useful information or therapies. So, they are reaching out...and even though it is obviously not an area I am experienced in....I would like to help them however I can. Is there anything that has really helped, or anything you know now you wish you knew then? I am getting that this kid is not on the extremely high functioning end of things...I couldnt tell before (when I saw him briefly at family gatherings)that there were issues but now it is obvious to me, especially in how the parents talk to him- not quite the same as to a "normal" 3yo. Always trying to engage him, get him to connect. My SIL is severely autistic so I think they have a lot of concern, but she had many brain seizures which I don't think he has. thanks