I have a Saturn Outlook which I love. There isn't a lot of trunk space though. Well it's really not any less than we had in our mini-van. My next vehicle will be a Suburban or Yukon XL. My MIL has one and I really like it.

I have had a swollen lymph node behind the top of right ear for three years now. Initially it freaked me out because it was hard, painless, and non-movable. I've had an ultrasound and a biopsy. Everything came back fine. Something my doctor noted that i wanted to mention is that messing with lymph nodes a lot can actually cause them to swell. So the best thing to do is leave them alone and you can also try putting hot compresses on it. She said this helps because some lymph nodes just get clogged and the hot compresses will help with that. I know it is scary. I freak out everytime my kids get a swollen lymph node. Even though I know that most likely it is fine....I still take them to the doctor to have it looked at anyway. I'm kind of crazy that way. HTH,

I haven't read any of the other responses, but I like to tell rude people that my children are statistically smarter than theirs.....and I have the test scores to prove it. Here is a link to an article at HSLDA that states this as well...only in a nicer way. Sorry if this is rude, but I just can't stand people saying this about homeschooling. It annoys me that the average parent spends more time watching tv per week than they do with their child and I get to be lectured about how I'm doing my children a disservice by providing them the best education possible and keeping them from "hanging with children at school". I've worked in public schools and students spend maybe 30 minutes a day actively playing with other children. The rest is spent in the classroom and children can learn cooperation at home by being part of a family unit just as well as in school. It also baffles me that people who ask me how I could possibly want to be around my chlidren all the time get to tell me that homeschooling is wrong. Just because it's wrong for them because they dislike their children.....doesn't make it wrong for me. Okay....I'm rambling. Can you tell this is a touchy subject for me? I'm going to take some Midol and eat some chocolate right now. Blessings,

I painted a white board on my wall as well. It does work very well and I like it. I will say that you have to make sure you are working on a smooth wall. I sanded the entire area, primed, and then painted on the white board. The white board paint works well as long as you use within 4 hours. I didn't read the instructions the first time and it didn't leave the proper finish. I had to buy another can and repaint it, but it came out fine the second time. If you choose to do this, I highly recommend putting a wood trim around the board because I used bulletin board border and had to repaint that portion of my kitchen because someone went a little crazy with the Expo markers. Another reason to put a wooden trim around it is because the Expo spray will ruin the paint on your wall. I thought I'd try to use some to clean the marker off the wall and the paint peeled off. (I'm a genius...I know.) I know this sounds kind of crazy, but it is really easy to do once you know HOW to do it right...unlike me the first time I did it. :D HTH, Andrea

I would be really interested in see your planner, if you don't mind. My email is gregorypartyofeight@gmail.com

My mother would freak out if she saw this. You can't just throw the grease out....you have to fry your eggs in that bacon grease. (And my doctor wonders why my eating habits were so crappy.)

Are there private schools were you live? Would that be something you would want to do? (Can't say I'd blame you if you didn't.) Private schools also have a little more leeway on certifications and such when they hire (depending on where you live, of course). So it could be possible to do that while finishing your certification.....if that would be something you wanted to do.

:iagree: I was just going to post the same thing.

What is type of degree do you hold?

Mommy2be, You are a woman after my own heart. I was raised in the south and as far as I'm concerned everything taste better fried. You should also think about butter.....butter makes everything better. Just ask Paula Dean.....she uses a stick of butter in everything. :D So here is the list of fried stuff I like, but my doctor has forbidden me to eat. Fried eggs Fried cheese French Fries Fried chicken Fried ice cream I'm on what my doctor calls a healthy eating plan (also known as a stupid diet) so I should probably stay far away from this thread. Blessings,

Oh...and I'm very happy with life. I love my DH, my kiddos, and being a SAHM. I enjoy educating the kids as well. It's really a lot of fun for me (never thought I'd say this). I have days just like anyone else with 6 kids does. Sometimes I want to run for the hills, but overall I'm very happy.

Funny you should say this. It's not a man thing. I think it just has to do with personality. I'm the crazy worrier here, and my DH is very carefree and happy all the time. It drives me nuts that he is this way sometimes (and I know I drive him nuts with my what ifs). :D We fit together so well. It's pretty crazy though because we are polar opposites personality wise.

When I make lapbooks for that age, I like this site to get ideas from. She doesn't have one for Bob the Builder, but there are others you might like. Even if you don't like the specific lapbooks, it would give you ideas to make your own. HTH,

GretaLynn, Thank you for clarifying what you meant. While I'm Pro-life, but I can appreciate where you are coming from.

The logic behind this does not make sense to me. Should we legalize drugs or prostitution? How about we allow teenagers to drink to reduce drunk driving in teens? Abortion is abortion no matter the reason behind doing it. (I hope this doesn't come off hostile. I truly am trying to understand where you are coming from. I just don't get it.)

I have to agree with everything Pamela in TX stated. I became pregnant at 15....had my daughter at 16. My parent's didn't throw me out, but they didn't coddle me either. I was responsible for taking care of my daughter and for financially taking care of my needs and her. I immediately got a job and I worked and went to high school. My parent's did allow me to stay at home, but I was responsible for purchasing my car, baby stuff, etc. My mother did occasionally help by buying things for my daughter, but she did make sure that I KNEW was responsible for everything. I knew other girls during this time who got pregnant and had babies as well. There were 9 girls total that were supposed to be in my graduating class. I say supposed because I was the only one to graduate. I agree with Pam that girls who had babies went back on the cheerleading squad, basketball team, etc. They weren't made to take responsibility for their actions and were allowed to continue their teenage lives like nothing ever happened. I keep up with most of them and I can say there is only one who is actually doing well. It's just really sad and I really think it could have been prevented had their parent's help them responsible and didn't do everything for them. I pray that this will not happen to my either of my daughters. If it does, I will provide emotional support and will lead them in the right direction, but I will not raise their child. I will not financially support their child either. I will help occasionally (like my mother did), but hard work will be required and I will hold my child accountable for her actions. These are just my opinions and I'm sure many of you may disagree. I've BTDT though and I'm so grateful that my parent's didn't just make my life easy. Blessings,

Thanks for all the replies. I think I just needed permission not to keep EVERYTHING like I tend to do.

My husband thinks I'm kind of nuts, but I agree with everything you just said. I'm glad I'm not the only one out there. :001_smile:

Okay....I have 6 kiddos and I'm trying to decide what to do with all their work. Do I keep it? Trash it? I need ideas and would love to know what everyone does with completed school work, projects, etc. Blessings,

I spoke with her a little while ago. She was planning on taking her kids back to the doctor in the morning. She thought she was doing the right thing because the doctor told her it was fine to take the kids to church. I obviously didn't agree with this, but I didn't know how to relay this as I'm not a doctor...KWIM. She is realizing that this is serious NOW that it is getting worse, but now our entire congregation has been exposed. I'm just frustrated. Thanks for all of your help.

Thanks for the replies. My rheumotologist just emailed me back and said to stay far, far away. The kids are supposed to go to summer camp tomorrow at church. My friend just called to tell me she isn't bringing him tomorrow because the spot on his back has spread on her DS and her DH has another spot as well. I just can't fathom their doc saying it was ok for them to be around others. She wants to keep him home tomorrow, but not today. I just don't get it. This friend is the same one who had a birthday party while her DS had the flu last year and the majority of the church ended up sick after we all showed up not knowing that he was sick with the flu. I guess I shouldn't second guess myself when I know she isn't very responsible when it comes to these things. Blessings,

Hi, Betty! I can relate to the low thyroid issues. Do you know what your TSH, T3, & T4 levels are? I know that over the past few years there have been changes made in the normal TSH ranges. Just because your thyroid is on the low side of normal doesn't mean that it's optimal for you. Everyone is different and if you have been having these issues for more than a few weeks, I would find a doc that will treat you based on your symptoms. Many docs will, sometimes you just have to insist. It's very miserable when your thyroid is off because it affects everything in your body. I know I didn't answer your question on natural helps for the thyroid, but I just wanted to let you know the above. HTH,

Okay...so a very good friend of mine called me yesterday and told me that she had just gotten back from the doctor with her DH and kiddos, ages 5 & 2 and the doctor suspects they have MERSA. All three have open infections on their skin and were tested. Obviously it takes a day or so to culture these. So Sunday morning comes around and they all show up for church. Now I have Lupus and I spent Friday night in the ER being pumped full of IV steroids because of a flare up. I'm anemic and my WBC count was low so I turn around and go straight home after I saw their car in the parking lot. My friend seemed offended that I did this. She didn't understand why I didn't at least let my kiddos stay. Her doctor said it was fine for them to be around others, but I just wasn't willing to take that chance and end up back in the hospital. Is MERSA not that serious? Did I over react? What do you guys think? Blessings,

I don't know if this is the exact one you are looking for, but she has a calendar board like you describe. HTH Blessings,

:iagree: I have rented the Rug Doctor several times and it has worked very well at cleaning my carpet and upholstery. As the previous poster said, get the cleaner that is made for the Rug Doctor. Buying the cheaper stuff will not give you the best results. Blessings,