I am right there with you. My dd is 11 and one minute she is my sweet little girl and the next minute she is someone else. She asked me to start shaving her legs when she was 9. One of the neighbor boys told her she had hairy legs.:glare: We discussed the pros and cons. She decided to wait and see how much lighter her hair would get that summer since it was the beginning of Spring. Last year she decided to shave so we went and purchased a razor just for her. She is not consistent with shaving. She shaves her legs when they bother her. Truthfully, it is a non-issue for me. It is her body and her decision to make. Up until the 1940's, I believe, women in the USA did not shave their legs or underarms. The razor manufacturers saw an untapped market and went for it. As for the makeup, last year I told her she could follow the same schedule my mother gave me growing up. 6th grade-lip gloss/light lipstick. 7th grade-add blush. 8th grade the works. For some events she has worn light makeup since there would be a lot of family photos but I have been teaching her how to apply the makeup. No repeats of the 1970's pottery blue eyeshadow with brown eyes. I thank my mom for putting a stop to that when I was 13.

We can be the only 3 who wear pantyhose. I also think you look unfinished if you are not wearing hose. And as I stated in the other pantyhose thread, I think clothes drape nicer with the right foundation garment underneath. I wear hosiery on the rare occasion I wear a dress because I don't like looking at my spider veins or being blinded by my marshmallow colored legs. I don't understand the sleeve thing, either. I was just shopping for a new winter coat and I could barely get the sleeves over my arms. I wasn't even wearing a bulky sweater. Jeans are certainly another challenge. I don't like my butt hanging out when I sit down let alone when I am standing.

Neti Pot. Use a Neti pot at least 2 times a day to help clean out the sinus cavities. Take a teaspoon of raw honey as often as needed to help soothe the cough and sore throat. Take a clove of garlic, chop it up and let it sit for 10 minutes. Then swallow the garlic. That will help your immune system. I have heard that putting Vick's Vapor Rub on the bottoms of your feet and covering with socks helps.

That is a tough one but if I have to choose and winter time is when you are going, 1. Musuem of Natural History 2. Ice Skating at Rockerfeller Center 3. Serendipity for Frozen Hot Chocolate

I gave up wearing eyeshadow for at least a decade due to my eyelids swelling whenever I wore it. This year I tried Physician's Formula and I was able to wear it for a number of hours before having a reaction. Maybe you need to give your eyelids a longer break after the reaction heals? Have you tried Bare Minerals? I have heard good things about their makeup.

I voted other. There are aspects of all their subjects that they do independently but there are also aspects where I am involved. We are probably closest to they do it all their own and I monitor but I don't feel like that is 100% accurate.

My instinct is to say absolutely not. However, I do not know this family. Perhaps the 9 year old is a responsible person who sees the family struggling and wants to help out. Now, if the mom just wants to take a portion without any explanation to the child, that is something else. There have been times when money has been really tight and take out was not in the budget and my ds paid for pizza for the family out of his earnings. Dh and I did not want to take this money from him but we saw how important it was to him to be able to do this for us.

Both my parents walked me down the aisle. There was no giving away the bride.

I like Bok Choy sauteed with olive oil and garlic. The only thin I ever make with Kale is Kale chips.

my favorite way to eat nutella is with a spoon.

I wear them for a few reasons: 1. I think skirts and dresses drape better when I am wearing hosiery. 2. I am blindingly white and I have ugly spider veins. 3. I am old fashioned and don't think an outfit looks finished if there are no hose. If I am wearing an open toe shoe then I do not wear pantyhose.

I say come to NJ. Your cost of living expenses won't be much better but the homeschool laws are great. Northern Jersey is near the city and has a fair amount of competitive gyms to choose from.

It helped my ds to keep a journal. When he realized he was pulling he wrote down what time of day it was, what he was doing, what he was feeling, and if he knew-how long he was pulling and how many hairs. It helped us identify his triggers. I also give my kids inositol powder and 5HTP which help control/soothe the impulse.

This past year has been a financial hardship for our family. When the belt tightening started I sat the kids down and explained that there would be no money for extras. They were not to worry about being homeless as we have the money to pay our bills. There was just no money for the extras: Eating out, ordering take out, trips into the city, extra classes. It just wasn't in the budget. If we were going shopping I would tell them how much we had to spend and what specific items we were shopping for. Please do not ask for anything else as the answer will have to be no. My two adjusted fairly well to the new world order. I can't say they always liked it and there were a few heated discussions over what constitutes a want vs. a need. In the long run I found honesty and being upfront about the budget worked for us.

She may have Trichotillomania and both of my kids have it. This site has a lot of great information: http://www.trich.org You can not become the pulling police. You will want to be the pulling police. You must resist.

That looks awesome. I may have to order it.

French drains are the way to go.

You are not awful. There is nothing wrong with your feelings. Just because someone who was horrible to you when you were growing up is now dying does not mean you have to get all teary and pretend. Be there for your mother. Don't worry about the rest.

If I see my married friends on facebook in a picture with a man/woman who is not their spouse and the unknown individual has their arm around my friend I may pause and think "Hmmm." Or I might think "Cute pic. or I wonder who that is?" Other then that it is a non-issue in my life. Now, if said friend is groping the other individual then I might become judgemental and say something.

Our current read aloud is The Mysterious Benedict Society.

I'm difficult. I can't believe no one has mentioned Gone with the Wind or Sixteen Candles.

My dh did not ask my father first because my father and I did not have that kind of relationship. If I was super close with my dad he would have asked first.

If I am unable to dine in a restaurant that caters to a specific dietary requirement (and there is no deathly allergy) then you just have to do the best you can with what is available and hope that the people preparing your food respect and honor your request.

Yes, there is! and it is wonderful. There is also bacon hot sauce. Yummy. http://www.baconhotsauce.com/

I just got my dh these tech touch gloves for the winter so his hands can stay warm and he can still use his phone while commuting to work. http://www.180s.com/pages/catalog_listing.aspx?g=1%2C2&y=2