:iagree:

My dad lives in the other half of our duplex. He came over tonight and kept hinting that I need to kill the bed bug before my curious 8yo lets it loose. I put it in a 3rd plastic bag and then put it in the freezer with my dad as a witness. I promised him I would kill it tomorrow. He said he would hate to have his first bout with bedbugs at the age of 74. He was laughing but I also knew he was serious.

Some people complain that the medication for high blood pressure makes them feel poorly. Could be a piece of the puzzle.

We go through this too, and I have never found a gentle way to do it. Recently I did my 8yo's stuff while she was gone on a camping trip. A couple of days later the 12yo and I went through her things (they share a room) and I explained that we needed to do better than decluttering until it was merely full and not overflowing. We needed to declutter until there was empty space for future items. I do try to involve my kids in the process but there are times when I have to be the parent/bad guy.

Pulled out the microscope and had a good look. Way cool! It kept running away from the light but when I did get it trapped it was amazing to see body parts moving inside. Still terrified. I keep walking by the bag and checking to make sure it is sealed tight.

:) Warm fuzzies.

A family member is battling bed bugs and brought me a live one this morning. They know I am curious (we had bites this summer) and wanted to see a live one instead of just pictures online. At the same time I'm TERRIFIED :eek: to have it in my house. It is double sealed in baggies but I'm still thinking about putting it in the freezer.

The ingredients and instructions are listed at the end of the video. Kristin, thanks for sharing. Your BIL is a natural teacher.

My husband brought home a copy of Joel Stein's "Space Invaders" from the October 18th issue. It was hilarious. I wish they had a link to the full article. Even the first couple of paragraphs are funny.... Space Invaders

:grouphug: Dawn, I have idolized my Dad over the years. It has been hard to see him when he is being negative. As he has gotten older, he has struggled with feeling like a failure. It's hard for me to see him think like that because I KNOW he isn't a failure. I don't like it, but I think it is a normal part of aging.

Wow! Poor puppy. Hope she heals well and quickly.

:iagree:

:) I hope she has a great time.

:(

Good news! This bed bug business is such a pain isn't it?

Carole, when my oldest was a teen we constantly heard about how she couldn't wait to GET OUT! She was not nice to her sisters and had little respect for us. We helped her move out at 19 to house sit for her grandparents (15 minutes away). She accused us of kicking her out :confused:. Suddenly she was super nice and caring to the family. It was like the alien which had possessed her had moved out and our real girl had reappeared. Enjoy your weekend!

Do you possibly have a rotten potato in the house? That has been my experience a couple of times.

After hearing raves about this book I decided to give it a try. I think it would be impossible to read it without the tragedy sneaking in. I believe God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are three separate beings. I realize most Christians believe in the trinity, but I was still hoping to get something from the book. I was lost by the end. I can't say that I regret reading it, but I will say that I came away from it very confused...to say the least.

:Angel_anim: So sweet.

Children's Miracle Music has helped get us started with the basics. You play a music CD that tells the children what to do. There is a morning and evening CD with each including a ten minute act of kindness (chore time). It's great for my youngest (8yo) and helped my other girls get in the habit of making their beds, etc. 8yo isn't always happy about it, but at least I'm not the one telling her what to do. . As my kids get older I'm trying to do a room/day. Example: On Mondays the girls have specific cleaning jobs in the bathroom. I need to read this thread to get more ideas myself.

bumping to encourage tired mamas of struggling readers

So very, very sweet. Congratulations. <sigh>

:grouphug:

:mad: Ugh! Kids can be so cruel. I hope your son can feel safe again very soon. :grouphug: At the same time....I'm glad you are homeschooling again. :)

Thanks, Moira. I'll have to keep Twig in mind. When we attempted it (not sure we finished), I didn't think about the predictable aspect. I'll have to give it another look.