maria Emmerich's blog...I think it's Maria mind body health...she has written several cookbooks and is quite an expert on metabolism.

maria Emmerich's blog...I think it's Maria mind body health...she has written several cookbooks and is quite an expert on metabolism.

If you do get the dining plan, consider upgrading your 4yo to an adult ticket so that he can eat more than pizza, hot dogs, and chicken nuggets (unless that's what he likes, of course). It is only maybe $40 more and he will get to eat "real" food!

The only thing you really MUST plan is if you want a sit-down meal...then you need reservations. I think the allears website has menus for all the Disney restaurants so you can get an idea of where you might like to go. I recommend hitting the parks as soon as they open (rope drop) and riding until 12 or 1, then going back to your hotel til 4 or so to swim or relax. Your feet will thank you! It is super hot in the summer--like 95-100 and HUMID. The mid-afternoon break is ideal for beating the heat. July is super crowded. If you can go in early June or late August, you can get more done w/o long lines. In late August they sometimes have discounts like free dining or room discounts. Find out which rides/shows you don't want to miss and plan to go to those first thing--lines will be shorter. For example, at Hollywood Studios, you want to get in line (or get a fast pass) for Toy Story Mania right away, as that ride typically has huge lines. Use the fast pass system...it's free and a HUGE benefit to saving time waiting in line. I think staying onsite and using the Magical Express to get to the parks is easiest and also a time saver. If I stayed offsite, I'd want a hotel with breakfast. themouseforless is a good website, also the boards at disboards. I love to plan, that's part of the fun for me! (We've only been once, but I hope we get to go again someday).

Try painting them with "Nail Envy"--it makes the nail very hard and less easy to rip or nibble. My mom cured herself by snappingher wrist with a rubber band every time she caught herself biting. Also, don't nag. Ask her if she wants you to remind her if you see it happen. If she doesn't, let it go.

You might like Laverle Spencer's books. I love her stories. She does write in some sad events, but everything turns out well in the end.

You are right in what you expect of a coach...he is just a bad egg. You'll run into those sometimes, and you can work with your boys on how to just put up with it and deal. It will go by quickly and next year will be better. Our small town coach rotated players around until age 9, then he still rotated infield vs outfield so that everyone got at least 1-2 innings in the infield. Once they hit majors (13/14) they each had 2 preferred positions and outfielder got chances to come in sometimes. It is great to have talented outfielders, though, who are fast and can catch pop flies, so I hope they get to show off a little there! sounds like you have a good plan going!

You are right in what you expect of a coach...he is just a bad egg. You'll run into those sometimes, and you can work with your boys on how to just put up with it and deal. It will go by quickly and next year will be better. Our small town coach rotated players around until age 9, then he still rotated infield vs outfield so that everyone got at least 1-2 innings in the infield. Once they hit majors (13/14) they each had 2 preferred positions and outfielder got chances to come in sometimes. It is great to have talented outfielders, though, who are fast and can catch pop flies, so I hope they get to show off a little there! sounds like you have a good plan going!

Grants Farm...it only takes a couple hours or so and the tram ride is fun for the kids..and, it's free (except parking). Zoo--look for coupons online or in ads for the B1G1 safari passes. Normally $12 apiece, they get you free train rides, seal lion show, children's petting zoo admission, and admission to the insectarium/butterfly area. The zoo is exhausting and huge, so pick and choose what you want to do/see. They have manta rays you can touch and feed now, and a carousel. City museum is pricey now, but very fun, especially if your kids are climbers and/or adventurous. Magic House is amazing...there are B1G1 coupons somewhere, I'm sure. Love the Drury Inns around town...we usually like to stay outside downtown, in the Forest Park area. Have fun!

Wow. The same EXACT thing happened to my neice in the B.Dalton bookstore back in 1995. I was with her and couldn't see the guy but she came right up and whispered to me what he'd done...he saw her and bolted. They called mall security but didn't catch him. They knew who he was...I think something like that had happened before. I'll have to ask Meg if she was traumatized...I think she thought it was ridiculous and weird. Glad the police are involved!

I make sweet potato fries in it, use it for facial moisturizer, massage oil, and it is also the BEST thing I've ever tried for teA...I use extra virgin (ha) expeller pressed for everything...I didn't know some use different types for different things!

I wish that people who bring food would bring it in disposable containers OR not worry about it if the dish gets lost. I had 2 ladies from church hound me about one of their pans last year...and I was in the middle of recovering from a dissected aorta/near death/almost-got-a-heart-transplant situation. It was months before I felt normal, and even longer before I had my mental faculties back online. I really didn't need the stress of wondering what happened to the bowl I had given my mom to take back to the church (which she did). I so appreciated the meals...the ladies brought 3 meals a week for at least 3 months...but those pans and bowls...UGH! I had another lady ask me months later on fb what happened to her cake pan--the 30 year old one with dents all over? I found it at my mom's house...but, really, people? When I make a meal, I will from now on make sure it's in a disposable container and if it isn't, I'll consider the container a gift! :)

Ask on facebook or through friends where they have gone locally. I just sold a bunch of broken earrings, plus MIL's old jewelry (15-20 rings, all 10 or 14k and 2 herringbone chains for $2200. The store I sold to was locally owned/operated and buys jewelry and other memorabilia. It was kind of like a nice pawn shop inside :)

Another easy fruit salad recipe is all sorts of cut up fruit + one can of peach pie filling. SO yummy!

I used frozen fruit all the time in this salad (Champagne Salad) The "dressing" is a block of cream cheese blended with 3/4c sugar,then folded into cool whip. After that is blended, you add the fruit. Technically, it is supposed to be strawberries, bananas, and canned crushed pineapple, but I've used mixed berries, peaches, etc...and it is all good! You can freeze it after it's mixed, too and thaw a little before serving.

Yes, he does play xbox w/ his friends, and often his siblings (he and his sister, on the same team=bonding!) :) I think he'll still play now and then, but it's not going to be in his room. (FTR, we had no video systems at all til he bought this after his 8th grade graduation). I guess, the crux of the matter is how do I get him to WANT to get good grades, not how do we manipulate him to get them. He was promised a big $$ reward if he got straight A's freshman year, but it was too big of an adjustment for him, I think. I think he figures why try if I'm going to "fail" anyway (not that he is really failing, just not doing his best).

I just got back to this...thank you SO much for the words of advice and encouragement! I love that Cosby moment! :) His xbox is going to live upstairs starting tonight! (I want to watch Downton Abbey anyway, and we stream Netflix through that, might as well give myself a little benefit) :) This week at school is "Anything goes" week! ??? WTH??? They are apparently not doing anything! Public school drives me batty sometimes. There is no challenge here, no independent thinking...sigh... Oh, and we were encouraging him to shoot for a 4.0 at first. Once he discovered he would have to work for it, he gave up all hope and thinks a 2.75 is fine. Ha. I hope to have him at a 3.5 for next quarter!

You could be right...I'm just being conservative because I'm sure he'll come home with everything done...and most of his stuff is EASY. He enjoys literature, and will have the entire book done in a few days when the rest of the class is on chapter 6 (To Kill a Mockingbird is a recent example). I LOVE that idea of checking it for 'A' quality, though!! I'm on it! It's frustrating to me, because at the beginning of the year I was all over him, checking stuff, reminding,e etc...and it did no good (but made us butt heads a lot). And his grades were not much better. I can't follow him around school saying, "write what he just said down," "pay attention," etc...that part's ALL on him!

Okay, this is our game plan...he will lose his xbox for the semester and can have it back in May if he has a 3.0 that quarter. If he doesn't get the 3.0, he won't have it all summer. He'll spend at least 30 minutes at the kitchen table doing or reviewing homework and will run some assignments by us (he hates doing that because I always make him redo things, or add stuff) :) And, I am emailing his geometry teacher and arranging for a check in between ds and teacher weekly. Mr. Geometry teacher is the asst baseball coach, so maybe that will help ds feel more comfortable talking to him. And, I am going to have him start doing the SAT question of the day and will be starting the PSAT review book this summer. Hopefully, this will work. I know, deep down, he does care, he checks his grades regularly. I'm worried about Algebra II next year already!

I don't think so...he is acting typically, it's just that it didn't fly in a small class...his teachers were all over him if he didn't get an 'A' or at least a 'B'...now he is in a class of 20-25 kids, blending right in and skating by wherever he can.

I agree w/ the money thing...he wants a job more than anything! (He won't be 15 til June, when he plans to go into the lawn mowing business for the summer). He never has money now, unless he finds a quarter in the washer when he puts the clothes over :) If he even spends all of his lunch money before the year is over, he'll be packing his lunch from then on :)

Thank you, Spryte--that book is in my Amazon cart now! Yes, I think study time should be in the schedule--it is such a hassle trying to get him to bring out his stuff and show me what he's done that I just stopped doing it. It will be hard to fit in during baseball (he gets home at 5:45 OR goes back to school for practice from 5:15-7:30 after arriving home from school at 3:45) but he can at least get in 1/2 an hour. He refuses to ask his teachers for help. I've emailed two of them when I had concerns, but they have such big classes that, as long as he's not completely failing, they are good with that. In the past, his teachers have known him so well that all it took was eye contact and the phrase, "this is not your best work." He is a sweet kid, so kind and humorous...and now says, "I used to be smart, but I'm not anymore." It's like he just doesn't want to try anymore.

Ds, the subject in question, is 14 and a freshman in ps. (First year in ps, he's always been in a very tiny classical school til now). He has quite a few classes, one short study hall each day, but never brings home ANY homework. Well, twice he has brought home a paper for me to proofread for history or English--at my insistence. We just found out he is getting a 'D' in geometry, a 'C' in Spanish and Science, and B's in everything else. This is a kid who is more than capable of getting straight A's with just a modicum of effort. (Well, maybe not in geometry, we are giving him the benefit of the doubt). He has no ADD or any learning problems. A little trouble with organization, but he generally gets assignments in on time (if not done well). He basically rushes to get everything done during class, does not study for tests (that we've seen), and tries to skate by with as little effort as possible. He gets home from school and watches TV w/ dad, eats dinner w/ us and does chores, then retreats to his room where he watches tv or plays xbox til bedtime. He gets up with no problems, seems to sleep well, and is in a fairly decent mood (better since he started baseball practice 2 weeks ago). Now he's mad because I warned him that his xbox would be leaving his room until he shows us a 3.0 gpa (in May). His dad wanted to take baseball, so he's lucky he still has that. He says he doesn't care about grades, college, etc...and wants to work "outside" so he won't need college. We just want him to TRY. Any suggestions?

My dh does this to our kids, as well...only if they are really ready to pop, though. He used to do mine on my back when I was pregnant, too! He should've been a dermatologist!

Try L-Tryptophan or 5-HTP before sleeping. It doesn't "knock you out" but it definitely helps with REM sleep and dreaming.