Thank you thank you thank you!!!

You might ask what the thyroid level was. I had a doctor tell me mine was low but not low enough to be treatable, but when we moved a new doctor said the guidelines had changed and gave me a prescription anyway. I felt immediately better. Then I realized that I was eating very little iodine. Non-iodized natural sea salt, minimal seafood, minimal processed foods in general due to my food allergies. I also ate a lot of foods that block iodine (soy, broccoli). So I decided to supplement with iodine. I ordered Iodoral supplements from Amazon. It's a very high dose, but still lower than what you would be given if you were exposed to radiation. The very first day I felt better within an hour of taking it. And I kept feeling better and better for the first 3 weeks or so. So if you got a negative ANA (autoimmune antibody test), and you don't eat much iodine, you might try it. Don't start off at a huge dose because if your thyroid problem is autoimmune it could make things worse. Also, some people are allergic to iodine. I figured I would risk it though, even knowing that, and I am SO glad I did.

Yes, please post what a weekly menu looks like so we can see where they money is going.

If you want to get yourself into a situation where you'll make a lot more money it's going to suck and you're going to be poor college students for a while. I'm going to go against the grain here and say that a regular old bachelor's degree isn't worth it. There are a couple of options that are worth it - and they all involve STEM careers or healthcare in some way. The shortest/cheapest option is to learn programming, create an online portfolio, and get a job in the field. You don't have to have a degree for that, you just have to have the knowledge. You can take programming classes for free on Udacity at your own pace. You can focus on programming jobs availible in the area, but chances are you're going to have to move. You can also pay $11,000 and go to a brief bootcamp to learn to program, I've seen a lot of articles on Dev Bootcamp, where apparently after a 9 week program 95% of graduates get job offers averaging 85K. Here's a wikipedia entry on that: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dev_Bootcamp Another option is moving to a town with a university and a community college and take maximum amount of student loans & financial aid available, also work part time jobs (delivering pizzas will get you about $15/hour, and potentially use something like food stamps for your family while you are there. Go for studies that will lead to guaranteed jobs, start and get the prereqs done at a community college and then transfer to the university. Ultrasound or Radiology technician program ($40-80K potential depending on type and area of the country) Dental Assistant first then become a Dental Hygienist ($40-80K potential depending on type and area of the country) Nursing (generally CNA -> Hospital Patient Care Tech or LPN in a nursing home -> RN -> BSN -> Master's in Nursing to work in nursing management -> PhD to become a Nurse Practicioner) (CNA's make about $8-10 bucks an hour, LPN's $10-15, RN's in the 60-70K range, Nurse practicioners can make upwards of $100K around here). Keep in mind with this one that no matter what you read there is NOT a nursing shortage because during economic downturns like this one that affect men disproportionately, women with nursing degrees go back to work to make up for their husband's lost income, so you will probably have to spend a significant amount of time working in nursing homes wiping butts. If you can find a university with an agreement with a certain hospital system to get a scholarship in return for agreeing to work for them for 2 years, take it. You'll be guaranteed a job and can avoid student loans). Computer Networking and Programming courses can be a good value at community colleges also. Accounting is something that with a 2 year degree you can work as a bookkeeper for $15/hour, with an accounting degree you can work as an Accountant in the $40-60K range, with a CPA you can make considerably more, depending on the sort of hours you want to work, if you open your own firm or work for someone else, and what sort of acccounting/finance/insurance/banking, etc, industry you work in. Actuarial Science (or math or statistics) leads to jobs in the insurance industry as an Actuary. I can't recall exactly what they make when they first graduate, but I think with a few actuarial exams they make more than $100K within 3 years of graduating (I want to say there's a $15K raise for each exam, but I don't remember). You can also work for investment banking firms with degrees like that, but having an ex boyfriend who was an investment banker I can say it is NOT family friendly and I would NOT recommend that. Computer Science or MIS - computer science is more on the programming side, MIS is more of the managing the programmers side. These guys can work long hours but the starting salary exceeds $60K. Engineering - there are multiple fields of engineering. They require most of the courses for a math major, but pay really well. Your GPA matters to your starting salary here. Electrical and Nuclear engineering pays the most straight out of school. Industrial Engineering is more of a combination of engineering and business and though the starting salary is around $60K they tend to get promoted into a business track rapidly, get their MBA's, and make $100K+ in five years, and finish their careers as factory managers or higher making $150K+. I have a couple of college friends who work in Chemical and Civil engineering. The Civil engineer ended up going back to graduate school to teach when the economy went down because he could no longer find work. The chemical engineer works for a pharmaceutical company and I have no idea how his salary has grown. Other people work in Computer (hardware) engineering. Software engineering is just another title for computer programmers and many of them do not have degrees. Then you have graduate degree paths: Business (MBA) or Healthcare/Hospital Administration pays well if you can find a job but a couple of tips- you have to be very careful which school you get into because it matters. No-name MBA schools will not help you get a job. Hospital Administration schools that don't have the proper accreditations do not matter. I can't recall what the accreditations are, but you can check out job listings and see (I know one of the biggest programs in my last state was not accredited and their graduates could not work for the V.A, for example. So make sure the school is well known in your region and has great networking/job placement records before signing on to that. Law school gets you a lot of debt and working very long hours. I don't know what current starting salaries are for that. Health career tracks to become a Physician/Dentist/Veterinarian obviously pay well, but there is a lot of debt involved and people in those careers don't tend to be very happy (they have very high suicide rates). Also, it's challenging to get into those schools even if you have a 4.0, research experience, and a compelling story. After you graduate, switch from student loans to Dave Ramsey's plan to pay off all your debt as soon as possible, then invest at least 15% of your income and you'll be doing extremely well. But it is a hard first 10 years. After those 10 years you can live a life of relative luxury though.

I don't think it's satire, because decades ago I heard the same argument from a family member with a PhD who was adamantly against private schools and school vouchers. There is a certain type of person on the far left and far right of the political spectrum who are SO idealogical they have completely lost track of reality. Also, I agree with the assessment that she's feeling insecure about her kids going to public school. IME, a lot of overly judgmental behavior stems from insecurity.

It helps to read a lot of rhyming books.

He's a boy, you should relax! Personally I wouldn't stop, but I wouldn't push him harder either. Read him lots of books, especially books with rhyming, about whatever subjects he is interested in. Follow along with your finger as you read so he can see that the letters mean something. If he expresses interest in something (like flying planes), point out how pilots have to learn to read and do math. Ask if he would like to (read, do math, whatever). Take him to the science museum and look at the exhibits about flying. Limit screentime to educational things (Leapfrog or Sesame Street).

I put the crayon in their right hand and teach them to use that but don't protest if they switch to the left. It's easier to write and learn cursive if you use your right hand.

If he likes workbooks so much, a friend of mine does elementary math exclusively with those Sylvan workbooks now (the deluxe color ones). Thery're kind of pricey ($8-9 each), but cover a whole year of math and could get him skipped up to something he found challenging fairly quickly.

I might suggest that if coming over alone is an issue perhaps you could take the girls to something like the zoo together? They can get ice cream, play on the playground, see the animals, and the girl's mother could be there too. Or if that wouldn't work then one of those pizza/game places or something else that wouldn't be too expensive. Perhaps you could have a family birthday potluck with cousins instead? Then you just have to provide cake and ice cream.

I second the whiskey and also gargling with it before you swallow. A day in the sun helps too. Vitamin D is pretty strong at fighting infections, but somehow the supplements never work as well as just being in the sun.

I saw this on the news the other day. There's not more to it. That judge is always soft on sex offenders. The problem is that he's elected and no one ever runs against him.

I made several for a wedding recently, but this one was drank until it was gone. Then people switched to soda. I also made it with some Rum for a girl's night out. None of us were sober enough to drive ourselves home that night. http://wouldbewritersguild.com/blog/2008/07/15/why-i-keep-getting-invited-to-parties/ 1 can frozen pina colada concentrate, thawed (Bacardi makes a good one) 1 can frozen orange pineapple juice concentrate, thawed 4 liters of diet lemon-lime soda (That’s two 2-Liters for the mathematically challenged.) 1 bag of pebble ice (You can buy it at Sonic Drive-In or at most grocery stores in the deli or meat departments.) 1 bag of frozen raspberries And now for the directions: *Pour the thawed concentrates into your punchbowl and stir. *Use one of the empty cans and fill it with water four times and add it to the mixture. Stir. *Add your diet soda to the mixture. (You can use regular sugar-filled soda if you want, but I think it gets too sweet and you will also feel guilty when you fill your glass for the sixteenth time. Which you WILL.) *Next, add about half your bag of pebble ice. (NOTE: Please do not insult The Punch by using crappy ice cubes from your freezer. The Punch will hate you forever.) (ANOTHER NOTE: Please do not screw up the order and add the ice before the soda. You will get an ugly foam at the top of your punch bowl.) (ONE MORE NOTE: I’m sorry if it seems like I’m micro-managing this recipe. It’s just that I have already suffered bad punch experiences so that you won’t have to. I micro-manage because I care.) Let’s see….where were we? Oh, yes. We’re ready for the crowning ingredient… *Add your frozen raspberries to the top.

Is there a reason other than the subject? Has someone teased her about being great at math when she doesn't feel she is? Is it a lack of diligence on her part? Is it possible she's more mathy than you think she is and she might be better off just learning the facts to 12x12 and then skipping to Saxon 5/4? First I'd ask her why she doesn't like it. If she still knows most of her facts, she probably finds it really unchallenging so next I'd try skipping ahead quite a bit and seeing if that helps. If that didn't work or the problem was not challenge-related but more lack of being mathy I'd doing Ray's Arithmetic (free on Google books, all oral work for her, teaches very useful and practical math) or Life of Fred for a while. I might even teach her how to use the computer and set her up with a Khan Academy account so you can get a feel for exactly where she should be placed and what she's struggling with in just a couple of days.

Thanks, I bought that months ago but haven't read it yet.

The most helpful thing has been going barefoot at all times when I'm at home. It made my feet stronger and more flexible and I don't have as many problems. I don't like "barefoot" type shoes when I go out however. Instead I wear things with amazing arch support: Okabashi "Classic" flip flops have the best arch support I've ever tried. They cost $20, but they're on sale for half off at Walgreens right now if you can find them. Only the "Classic" flip flops are so good though. Other styles are too flexible. They are a little strange- the toe straps are somewhat low and my high-arched feet barely fit into them. It's nice because they are more secure than most flip flops and won't just come off and don't put pressure between my toes like most flip flops do. The only problem with them is the tough, rubbery plastic they are made out of makes a perfect dog chew toy and I've had three pairs ruined, even from dogs who haven't chewed anything other than dog toys in several years. When I take them off I put them up high on a shelf or a stool so they're not chewed up. Otherwise I do tennis shoes or boots with Superfeet insoles, usually the green ones with the highest arch support. They're pricey but totally worth it.

Why not just say, "I am so angry with you. You barge into my house when we tell you it is a bad time. You barge into my bathroom which is a clear violation. And now you are stealing stuff. We are no longer friends. You are not welcome here. Go away and don't come back. Ever." And to anything else, "Just go away." Repeat 5 times, close the door, call the police.

Amazon prime has more than twice over paid for itself in my house - I ordered some furniture from them that was shipped standard instead of two-day, and Amazon credited back $150 to my credit card for it being delivered on Monday instead of the previous Friday. And last week I ordered something else that was also sent standard shipping instead of two day, and I got a credit for $10 on an item that cost $8.95 (although in that case the first customer service rep I spoke to was horrible, and I got the credit when after escalating I proved with a screenshot that the listing I could see and the listing customer service could see were somehow different, and it took about 30 minutes so I'm not sure that was worth it). And that's not to mention saving the hassles of Christmas and birthday shopping for family members in other states, ordering gluten free items in bulk that I'd have to drive an hour one-way to the closest Whole Foods to get here, and the movies that entertained the kiddos when I had a bad cold last month and didn't want to get out of bed. Honestly I don't know how they make it financially feasible, it's such a good deal. (No, I'm not connected to Amazon in any way, I just love Prime).

Well either they are lying, or they dispute the collections accounts - either they feel they don't owe them ( I had a cell phone contract with Sprint in the 90's that I cancelled at the end of the contract and they charged me a large cancellation fee anyway, which I refused to pay). OR they are so far past the collectable period for that debt that it's not legally collectable anymore. IE: that Sprint bill I mentioned shows up on my credit report every couple of years for the last 15 years. Even though I've repeatedly had it removed, and even though we're more than twice past the 7 year period to legally be in collections.

Me too.

In that case if it's been more than 3 days since you last took a pregnancy test I'd take another. Quite a few vasectomies are known to fail after about a year. And if you still get a negative, I'd go to the doctor. I'd be worried about breast, ovarian, and brain cancer and even though the chances are remote, I'd be a giant pain in the ass until a medical doctor could find a likely cause.

The only way to stop incredibly rude behavior is to point out that it's incredibly rude. Otherwise, you're just being friendly.

Are you using some new body product with essential oils like lavender? Did you add a fatty acid supplement like Evening Primrose Oil? Both are fairly strong sources of estrogen.

Since "school" only takes 3-5 hours per day around here I really don't worry about overscheduling THEM. I worry about overscheduling ME. I hate driving around town nonstop. Swimming and music are non-negotiable, and they take martial arts with their dad, and other activities may not happen for long. I don't want to feel like a taxi driver.

I cook almost everything from scratch because I'm allergic to wheat and hate onions. Because of that I buy a lot of our groceries at Aldi's. I love that Aldi's clearly marks things as gluten free (even though I can eat other glutenous grains, if it's marked gluten free I know it's not contaminated and won't cause me to break out in hives or get breathing issues). Aldi's is fantastic for staples (eggs, dairy, oils, canned goods, salsa, sugar, spices, frozen catfish, frozen fruit, etc). Many of their salad dressings are gluten free. Fruits and veggies are hit or miss - they often have very inexpensive deals but sometimes they are moldy in the store. I can often find really cheap prices on fresh flowers or even orchid plants there too. Many foods there are specifically marked Gluten Free for items that are not gluten free at other stores (chicken), or which are impossible to find gluten free unless you spend four times as much at whole foods (frozen whole turkeys for Thanksgiving - I hate turkey in general but will buy Aldi's smoked turkeys - gluten free and delicious). I love their salsa, I use their Masa to bread things for frying once or twice a month (I make fried catfish and chicken nuggets from scratch). They have special seasonal non-food items that are really inexpensive each week, I just watch the sales flyers to see if I might be interested in any of them. I have no idea why the pineapple was in two different places. That seems like a mistake. Adding a spoonful of Aldi's storebrand vanilla pudding mix into a vanilla protein shake makes it taste surprisingly like Dairy Queen's Vanilla softserve and is a favorite when I'm on a diet. Their storebrand energy drinks are really inexpensive (my neurologist recommended to drink an energy drink or Mountain Dew with headache medicine- the caffeine helps a lot). I still go to the regular store for name-brand paper products, soda, soy sauce, barbeque sauce, ketchup, varieties of frozen veggies Aldi's doesn't carry, gluten free pasta, gluten free bisquick, whey protein, and loss leader sales. We also frequent Sam's Club for inexpensive meat purchased in bulk for our deep freeze.