An old-fashioned rubber hot water bottle, wrapped in something cozy (if you sew, it's super easy to make a fleece cover for them). You can get the bottles on amazon pretty cheap. :) my hubby has one and he loves it.

What helps me (not listed in order of importance): My chiropractor. She has worked wonders for my heavy cramping and painful periods. My chiropractor uses the "activator" method (no heavy-handed, "cracking" manipulation of the joints/spine). My periods have been better since I started getting regular adjustments, but last month I coincedentally had an appointment the day before my period started--I don't keep track, so I had no idea it was coming--for the first time in my life I had a pain-free period. Not one cramp. AND it only lasted FOUR DAYS!! It was still relatively heavy, but when you're used to 7 or 8-day super painful and heavy periods, well, it was awesome. An herbal combination from Herb Pharm called PMS Comfort Tonic. I try to take it regularly a week or two before my period starts, but like I said, I'm not all that good at keeping track. However, I do notice a difference in my mood when I do take it (and likewise, if I notice my mood going downhill, I start taking it). Magnesium. I like the Natural Vitality Natural Calm. And, when I'm having an urgently b*tchy moment, I take a heavy dose of Passionflower extract. It's not specific for hormonal issues, but I find it does take the edge off if I'm having a particularly difficult day. Again, I like the Herb Pharm brand (I've been in the natural foods industry for 11+ years, and this is a company I trust puts out quality stuff. No, I don't work for them! :tongue_smilie: But they are my go-to for herbals).

Well, the first thing that pops into my mind is to breed her back to the porcelain rooster. With one porcelain (i.e., carrying the Lav gene) parent on each side, she has a 50-50 chance of being "split" to lavender. If so, you should get approximately half of the resulting offspring expressing the lavender and looking porcelain from a split-Lav to Lav breeding. It would be an interesting and relatively simple experiment to see if she is carrying the Lav gene. Or, you could forget about the lavender/porcelain (it's not going to matter if you cross her to anything else but a bird showing Lav, because of needing the gene on both sides) and play with the mille fleur coloring in future generations. Those folks working on the mille Cochins probably have some fun ideas. I don't know what they started with on the Cochin side--perhaps a black or a mottled black--to start getting the mille color? You could breed the mille hen to a black rooster of some type and you may get some mottled or spangled birds from crossing in the mille pattern. Of course now you're getting way outside my area of knowledge. :tongue_smilie: My Tolbunt Polish are the only patterned birds I work with, and to the best of my knowledge the color doesn't exist in any other breed (it's basically a gold laced bird, like your Sebright, with mottling. No one really knows how the originators got to that point, though I've heard it was from crossing a gold laced with a barred bird [cuckoo]). Things like blue (andalusian blue) and self-blue/Lavender are really fun to play around with because they are simple to understand and produce predictable results. The pattern genes get far more complicated. (You probably already know this, but different breeds call the visual result of this same gene different things--ohmigosh, the Silkie folks went round 'n round over wether or not to call the color self-blue or lavender when qualifying the variety for acceptance--but I believe the actual gene is termed "Lav" or lavender, while most breed organizations call the variety self-blue.) Have you ever played around with the "Chicken Calculator?" It is a lot of fun, though I really have to be on a mission to mess with it because, honestly, it makes my brain hurt. :D Remudamom, if you get all blue mille fleur chicks, it's a simple thing to breed a few "regular" mahogany/reddish & black milles in the next generation, if you are so inclined. Blue bred to blue results in approximately 50% blue, 25% black (regular mille fleur) and 25% splash (double dilute of blue, affected plumage will look white/very pale blue with darker blue "splashes" of feathers randomly).

What zaichiki said--mille fluer is a color, not a breed. Mille fluer is a mahogany-based bird with partial black (lacing or barring? unsure) and white spangling on the feathers. Not sure what they would mean by a blue mille fluer. There are two different genes that produce "blue" in chickens. If a solid blue (the andalusian blue gene) bird was crossed with a mille fluer,the blue gene would only affect the black on the feathers of a mille fluer bird, which should give you a mahogany-based bird with partial blue lacing/barring/whathaveyou and the white spangling on the tips (this would be my guess as to what blue mille fleur is and how they developed it), and any solid black feathers (e.g., the tail feathers) would be blue as well. To complicated that though, only half of the offspring from such a mating would show blue. Half would be mille fleur, half would be blue mille fleur (blue x black = 50% black, 50% blue). If you cross a self-blue bird (aka, lavender) with a mille fluer, you get what looks mille fleur in the first generation, but if the first generation is crossed back to lavender, the self-blue gene would affect/dilute both the mahogany and the black, giving you a cream-colored base with lavender instead of black, still with white spangling (the white being unaffected by the self-blue). But this is called Porcelain (zaichiki, your half-porcelain chick turned out mille fluer because the self-blue/lav gene needs two copies to express the color. So because your chick only had one porcelain parent, it had to be mahogony-based.) Anyway, sorry to take the long road, :tongue_smilie:but my guess is you'll get some chicks that look mille fleur and some on which the black on the feathers/black feathers in the pattern are blue.

Well, it is good to know that I am not alone! :) I will add that we do have a "no response" policy to rudely phrased requests or comments. If I'm spoken to rudely, I will matter-of-factly say that I don't respond when people speak to me that way, but I will respond when the question/comment can be re-phrased politely. This has been helpful, but is usually more appropriate when, say, my DS is asking for something. If he's just yelling at me that he doesn't like me and wishes I would go away and not come back, well, he can yell like that all day and nothing I say is gonna stop him if he's on a roll. :001_huh: I don't do "time-out," per se, but if he is behaving rudely or yelling or otherwise being obnoxious, I will tell him to walk away and go somewhere else until he is ready to join me/us in whatever we are currently doing. Basically, I won't have him standing in my face screaming and being nasty, so he needs to go away from me if he can't get it under control. I really try to use a consequence logical for his actions--if he's being nasty, no one wants to be around him, so he needs to go be by himself until he can get along. Same thing if he's using a toy to beat a hole in the wall--I take the toy away until he can use it without destroying something. Time out in the traditional sense doesn't work, as he will not stay and any attempts would end up in a physical wrestling match. I'm not really willing to go there. I can get him to leave the room, but I couldn't get him to stay in one spot (short of sitting on him for four minutes or something. :lol: )

Specifically, nasty attitude and general rudeness from a young child. :confused: My sweet 4-year old son has been bodysnatched by some horribly rude little critter, and I'm not handling it all that well. He is rude, demanding, and can be downright nasty. My lack of patience is my problem, not his, and I know I really need to work on that. But I feel like I could much better work on myself if I at least thought I was moving in the right direction with teaching him to be polite and respectful. I know that he is at an age where he just doesn't really care all that much if his words are hurtful to others, but the knowledge that it is developmentally appropriate really isn't helping me all that much right now. I am losing patience and yelling, which a) isn't helping him learn polite and respectful behavior, as in those moments I'm certainly not modeling it and b) just makes me feel like crap, because it isn't the way I want to parent. So, I'd be ever so appreciative if y'all would spam me with your advice, favorite tips & suggestions, links and/or books you've liked, etc. Anything. It's really important to me to raise a person who is respectful of others, and while I know he's young and doesn't "get" a lot of things right now, I think I just need to hear some effective and gentle ways to respond to him when he's screaming at me and beating me up with words. I try to give simple, concise explanations that whatever he is saying and/or doing at the moment is hurtful, and no one likes to be treated in a way that is hurtful/makes them sad, etc., but I feel like I've been a broken record and none of it is getting through. And then I lose patience. So right now I feel like I'm often just being nasty in return, and the last thing I want to do is become belittling or demeaning. I understand that I might just need to be patient, keep modeling the behavior I want to see, and basically wait this through--that the fact that my 4-year old is behaving this way now in no way means that he's going to grow up to be some horribly nasty person--but I am having a hard time nonetheless. However, feel free to tell me to get over myself, be patient, and deal. I might need to hear that, too. :D Thanks! :)

Y'all have obviously had better luck with jack-o-lantern type pumpkins than I have. Lemme tell you, I only tried that once. :ack2: :lol:

Mille Fleur is such a pretty color. :) I love the "calico" colors on a chicken--I breed Tolbunt Polish, which while not technically a Mille Fluer pattern, is comprised of the same colors and is a similar pattern. I just love it. A silkie is about the only bird I'd try that with (though I have a friend who has a wild bantam game hen on her property that stole 4 muscovy ducklings from a muscovy hen and is raising them as her own...they are twice her size now, and it is just hysterical). She'd probably love it. I would definitely try it at night, and I would keep careful watch to ensure that none of the babies wander away from the new momma and get chilled. And how many chicks do you have coming? A silkie hen can hatch and raise a larger clutch than one might imagine, but if I were pulling a switch I wouldn't want to put too many chicks under her for fear that some would get pushed out and get chilled. I probably wouldn't try putting more than 6 or so under a hen in this case, but that's just me.

The big pumpkins you buy for carving and decorating are usually not all that yummy. It's the smaller, "sugar" pie pumpkins that have the right flavor and texture for baking. I'd skip using them for eating. It's not too late to do some type of craft, though. It's still fall! :D Do you have more than one pumpkin? I saw a cute idea on Martha Stewart's website that used three pumpkins stacked to make people to decorate--kind of like snowmen, just with pumpkins. The photos showed a whole "family" of pumpkin people, totally adorable. There were other pumpkin crafts that weren't halloween-specific. I'd just do it up for fall and/or Thanksgiving.

Woohoo! You are awesome. :D I learned to drive (and yes, parallel park, though I did borrow a friend's chevette to take my driver's license test!) in a dually pick up truck. Now we have a ford f-350 king cab dually, which I drive and tow the horse trailer with. My husband is allowed to drive the truck--occasionally--but he's not allowed to tow. He wrecks stuff. :glare: He took out the stop sign at the end of the road with the horse trailer once (not a tight turn) and he's banged up every single gate and fence on our property. I give up. Sometimes I let him hook up or unhook the trailer though. It makes him feel special. :lol:

Good n Plenty? Though they are pink-ish (maybe purple?) and white, not red and purple, but otherwise sounds just as you describe...they are a spicy licorice with a candy coating and do look a bit like a large tic-tac.

Basically, we've taken FIAR, added on and tweaked, and called it kindergarten. My son was asking for more structured "school," but I thought he was too young (he recently turned 4). However, what we've been doing is working really, really well so far. Maybe I should listen to him more often. :D I really like FIAR in some ways, and in other ways I'm pretty "meh" about it. I do love most of the social studies, language arts, and art in FIAR; I skip the math and pick and choose the science. I added OPGTR for phonics and Right Start A for math, and I am very, very slowly implementing BFSU for science when not doing something from FIAR. DS is working on the Bob books, and of course we do plenty of read-alouds. He also really enjoys Starfall.com and doing pages from Lollipop Logic. Lots of time outside and time just talking/learning/reading about what interests him goes without saying. We're going through our cobbled-together curriculum at a fairly relaxed pace because, like I said, he's young. While what we're doing isn't child-led because I have chosen what (i.e., the curriculum) we are learning, it's still somewhat child-led because I very closely follow his lead as to how much we are doing. We aren't Christian, so everything I mentioned above is secular. FIAR does have bible study as an add-on option. It hasn't cost me too much to implement everything--I really didn't want to jump in and spend a fortune when we didn't really need to be doing school yet--the only thing I spent a lot (to me) of money on was the Right Start starter kit, but I'm glad I did. We really like it! I also have the Miquon math First Grade Diary and have been reading and digesting it as I like, and I may add in some Miquon sometime in the future. But for now, we have plenty!

Both. I am nearly completely gray, and I am starting to have some trouble finding at-home stuff that works well (though I am still having luck with Natural Instincts, which I have used for years). If I want to touch up roots (my hair is black, so when I grow a bit of root I look like a skunk :glare:) or do a simple all-over color, I usually do it at home; if I want something fancy (I have a thing for electric blue or fuschia highlights) and I have the means I'll splurge on a salon visit.

I'm so sorry. Losing a pet sucks, no matter how much you know it's the right time for them to go. :( I think you and your husband absolutely did the right thing in being open and honest with your son. He's angry because he's upset. He'll figure it out, just keep being open to his questions. And while I agree with previous posters that some preparation for saying goodbye would have helped, it's not the end of the world; please don't beat yourself up over it! :grouphug: You guys did what you needed to do. FYI, my mother to this day thinks that "telling little white lies" is the best way to deal with uncomfortable or difficulut situations. I have had her make the decision to euthanize animals before and then lie, lie, lie. :confused: When my first pony passed, she lied about how it happened. When my second horse needed to be euthanized, she didn't tell me he was doing that poorly, she didn't tell me their plans, and then she didn't tell me at all that he was gone. I found out a week after he was euthanized from a family friend who made a comment that "so, I hear they had to put a horse down at the farm." I was sixteen, but my mother's excuse was that she "didn't think I would handle it well." At the time, I was busy with school and the horses were kept on a relative's farm, so I often did not see them for a few weeks at a time. He was older and was retired, but I had no idea he had gone downhill quickly. I have no idea how she did plan on telling me, but let me tell you, I have never forgiven her for the way she dealt with that and similar types of situations and I have learned to read between the lines when it comes to what she tells me--I have no trust in her that I can take her word at face value. The point to my ramble being, you are doing the right thing by be honest, even if it seems blunt or harsh for a youngster. That honesty will go a long way in helping your son through his grief.

I have a Janome Threadbanger (TB12). It's a simple, no-frills machine that is sturdy and easy to use for a rank beginner like myself. I'm sure Janome makes other similar models--the Threadbanger models were special editions for a DIY web site of the same name. I also have an antique Singer machine gifted to me by a family member. It's incredibly fussy, though it works beautifully if you have the time (and patience, something I lack) to sweet-talk it into cooperating. The gift of the Janome from my husband one Christmas was a relief. The Singer is now a well-loved piece of furniture. ;)

I agree with most others--don't mention the gap. It can be explained later. If they are interested in him, they'll contact him. And if they are interested, they may not even care about the gap. If it's any small bit of encouragement, my husband just went through a lay-off and was several months searching for a job. When the right position finally came along, the company that hired him didn't even mention the gap during the interview and hiring process. But in order to find this one perfect position, my husband probably sent out 100+ resumes, even for positions that were not in his current field or differed in other ways from what he had been doing. In the end, the company he was hired by didn't even have his current position advertised when he sent his resume--it just happened that the company had started with a new project and needed to hire a whole team of employees, and found his resume at the right time--so you just have to get his resume out there over and over and over again. Don't wait 'till you see the perfect position in the classifieds, and definitely don't let the fear of rejection deter him from submitting a resume to a position that does look like a good fit! Good luck to you and your DH!

Thanks! I love the idea, but my kiddo is only 4 and definitely not ready for the The Graveyard Book. However, I LOVE Neil Gaiman. So I'm gonna try to tune in on the 31st purely for myself. :D

I was going to suggest this. TSC sells real, plain 'ol jeans--levis, wranglers, lees, etc. I buy them to ride in and for work around the farm, but they are higher quality than the "cute" jeans I buy from Old Navy or whathaveyou. They would make great every day jeans if that is your daughter's style. As for skinny jeans, I like mine. And I haven't any guys try to jump down them, either. :tongue_smilie: Yeah, there are plenty that are super tight and super low, but you can find others that have a higher rise and a more relaxed fit around the hip and thigh (which is what I need, because I have hips and thighs). A medium rise (near the belly button) skinny jean that is not super tight can fit just like any other jean out there, just with a smaller leg opening. Not all skinny jeans are created equal, that's for sure. My son also wears skinny jeans--because, well, he's super skinny. Regular jeans fall off of him. Skinnies fit him like a good, slim-fit pant should. However, I understand skinny is not your style. Give Tractor Supply a go. They do have nice jeans, and it sounds like they may be more your daughter's style if she just wants straight-up jeans.

The online list/group for local homeschoolers in our area has an open "park day" every week. The day, time, and location change every week and it is open to anyone on the list who wants to stop by and play, hang out, chat, etc. If you think it would be received as "weird" to offer to open your home for an open playdate, perhaps you could organize something like this at a local park? Parents may feel more comfortable meeting you and your kids for the first time someplace public, and the "activity" won't be structured (e.g., you'd just plan to be at the designated park from 1 to 2:30 or something, for anyone who wanted to drop by) so it would be conducive to just chatting and meeting new folks. You could eventually move on to scheduling more structured playdates/organized "drop off" days after you and your children have had a chance to meet some new friends. Just a thought. I wouldn't think it weird if I saw what you are proposing pop up from a parent on my local online forum, but I probably wouldn't respond/participate, either. Maybe it's because I'm an introvert, but I'd rather hang out someplace like a park first and get to know folks a bit before I accepted open invitations to their home.

I have an eager learner, too, so I am enjoying reading through this thread. My little one is barely 4 though, so I am stuck somewhere between giving him what he wants and doing too much. I don't want to end up with him being beyond his age-level academically but not physically ready to write as much as would be required from a higher-level curriculum. We do lots of read-alouds and play/exploration-based stuff when I can, but he really likes structured "school." He has gotten to the point where every time I sit down at my desk (I work a full-time job from home) he throws a spectacular tantrum because he wants me to work on school activities with him. :crying: Anyway, we are doing FIAR, OPGTR w/ETC, Right Start A, and Lollipop Logic, with a sprinkling of other things. He LOVES Lollipop Logic. Have you looked into that? It makes great "busy work," if your little one is looking for something fun but challenging and you need something easy to pass his way when he wants to work. Mine plays the guitar and is beyond what I can teach him now, but I have not yet found the time to find an instructor who will take one so little. I'm hoping soon I'll be able to get him regular lessons. He really digs his guitar! It is something that definitely keeps my guy occupied for awhile, though the racket of his playing doesn't help me get any work done...:tongue_smilie: You mentioned a structured art program...I have had my eyes on Artistic Pursuits for awhile now, it looks pretty nice.

Thank you very much for your replies--I appreciate the information!

Sorry if this topic has been discussed before. I promise I did do a search, but didn't quite come up with the thread I was looking for. So I'm starting my own. Can someone give me a general comparison between using OPGTR and the Spalding methods for teaching reading? (the "dummies" version is just fine :D) I just snagged The Writing Road to Reading from my local library, but beyond reading the introductory chapters briefly and a quick perusal of the rest, well, I have not had a chance to really dive in and get to the meat of it. We are currently working through the OPGTR, which I like just fine. What are the major differences between the two, beyond the obvious? Personal opinions as to which one you prefer, if you've used either one, are welcome too! :bigear: Thanks!

Funny. I agree with previous posters, though--it's probably for research purposes more than anything. But still slightly entertaining. This brings back many vivid memories of my elementary years in public school. The ones where I was "in trouble" often and ended up frequently in the principal's office for a talking to because...I was reading all the time. :glare: The system is awful proficient at shooting itself in the foot.

I cannot vote in the poll because my 4-year old is a conscience-less heathen child. :glare: Ok, not totally, he's actually a pretty fun kid mostly. But he could care less if he destroys something or is hurtful. His recent favorite is chasing the dogs. I cannot tell you how many times I have told him. Not. To chase. The dogs. That it scares them/is hurtful/makes them feel sad/whatever, and suggest we pet them nicely/be gentle/play gently. And so on and so on, ad nauseum. I have tried rationalizing with him ("how would you feel if the dogs were chasing you and no one made them stop?"), but, well, he's four. He just doesn't give a hoot. I have tried using logical consequences when he destroys stuff--e.g., "if you destroy (insert object you think he would care about), we won't have it anymore. That would be sad." Standard reply to this is "ok, well I didn't want it anymore anyway." :glare: I have to say that while I know from a developmental standpoint it is entirely age-appropriate for him to not have much of a sense of empathy at this age, I have very little patience for it and it is something I really struggle with as a parent. I am trying very, very hard to be patient and give him simple reasons why, say, throwing things at the chickens isn't cool, but it is awful difficult for me. Especially with the animals (we have a farm and a LOT of critters, we are all big animal people around here). I know he's not being "mean," but the effect on the animal is the same as if he did have malicious intent, and my knee-jerk reaction is to get mighty angry over his shenanigans. Naturally, when cooler heads prevail, I seem to get my point across better. Sometimes it does seem like what I am saying is sinking in. One step at a time... :D

Thanks for your input. I am glad to hear that others have used it (successfully) with their 4-year olds. We have been playing with cuisenaire rods for a couple of years now, and my son has a good time with them, so it may be a natural extension of what we have already been doing. Extra study on my part is not a big deal. After all, I spend a large portion of the time I should be sleeping reading instead. That part I don't mind, and actually something that draws me toward Miquon. I think I'd enjoy figuring it all out. I just don't want something that I have to plan extensively for ahead of time. Of course, I am still no closer to making my decision as to exactly what to buy. :tongue_smilie: I may go ahead and order the Miquon orange book, the lab sheet annotations, and First Grade Diary. It's a lot less of an investment than Right Start, so if I try it and it's not right for us, it's no huge deal. OP, sorry for the blatant thread-jacking. Hopefully the extra discussion is helping your decision, not muddying the waters... :)