I would like to make some spinach artichoke dip. Can I use fresh spinach in this? If so, how much do you use in place of one of those boxes of frozen chopped spinach? Would I have to cook it first?

I did a 12 minute mile with Leslie Sansone. Then I spent 3 hours cleaning the playroom which should count for something. Then this afternoon I rode my horse for about 15 minutes. We had 12+ inches of new snow today so that meant a LOT of huffing it through knee deep snow to get him from the pasture, lead him out to ride, and then lead him around the round pen while my girls rode him. I figure that is my resistance training for the day.

We have had about 9 inches in the past 6 hours with another 2-4 hours of heavy snow coming. My oldest is home today so my girls don't think they should do school. Plans for the homeschool group to sing at the nursing home are cancelled as well as Christmas shopping for today.

I think the different with your children Remudamom is that they have grown up with horses and riding. YOU know what you are doing and have trained a lot of horses. For a family whose only experience iwith horses is with a well broke 25 year old gelding, I would not suggest it. Another thing, in today's market, why would you want to pay for upkeep on a horse for nearl a year that you can't ride and who needs more training. Having a baby can also really change the personality of the mare--even if just for a while. My riding instructor's beginner friendly mare had a foal and it then it took her about 1 year of riding her to get her back to the kid safe horse she had been. I will say, the pony is cute. Another thought---unless the pony you buy is older and very well broke, make sure that you have someone small enough to get on it and "remind" it of its manners. Even well broke horses tend to behave only as well as their rider rides and a smaller pony can quickly become a naughty pony if it isn't corrected. Here I go, sounding like such a downer again but I have seen other families with 4-5 year old horses with young children and it has not been a good thing.

Well, personally, I would NOT do it. She is only a coming 4 year old with just a bit of training on her. NOT a horse I would want a 7-8 year old riding. Our riding instructor said that she likes to follow the 20 rule. The child's age plus the horse's age should equal 20 or more. I know there are exceptions but for a child (unless they are a very experienced rider) I would want a horse that has been there, done that, etc. I am sure you can see with your older guy the value in having a horse that nothing much phases. Not that younger horses can't be that way but they tend to have more spunk to them. I also would not want to deal with a foal. There is a GLUT of babies in our area---people can hardly GIVE them away. They are a lot of work and even though they are small, they are still horses and can be dangerous. Personally, I would look for a 15+ year old gelding that has been there, done that and done what you want---showing, trail riding, etc.

I am 38 and still haven't had my first drink. I have no interest in drinking at all. In fact, I think that beer smells like refridgerated horse pee. I clean up enough of that at the barn, no desire to drink it.

I am certainly no expert but my girls' processing speed did improve when we treated the ADD. They also both have seizures and those are treated as well. If you don't want to do meds, at least right now, for 7dd you could check out http://www.omegabrite.com My girls each take 3 capsules per day and they really help. They are not enough for them though. Meds are a big decision but the difference can be very dramatic for some kids and is well worth it. My now 12dd gained 2 years of reading ability in less than 6 months after we started meds for ADHD. The reading program I mentioned is VERY easy to use and cheap. It is about $250 for the complete K-3rd grade reading levels but often you can find the books for sale for about 1/2 that used. Then you can resell them yourself as well. If she can read some, she might not need the first ones and some kids don't need the last 2 sets so that saves money as well. There is a yahoo groupd for the books that is VERY helpful. You get access to many reading specialists from around the world that are using it. The books are also motivating for the kids as there are no drills, no worksheets, no rules to memorize, just little books to read. My 13dd has an IQ of 38 and she is now reading at a mid 2nd grade level with theses already and making progress daily. I would ask the doctor about seizures with your 12dd. An EEG is a very easy test and if it is seizures, the treatment would be different.

It is always hard to see that stuff in black and white. I would encourage you to look more at treatment for the ADD/ADHD. If they could attend more, it might really help their processing speed. Another thing, did the doctor see any signs of petit mal seizures? These are little blank out seizures that last only a few seconds and look like daydreaming but really slow down processing speed. If you need something for reading for your 7 year old, I haven't found anything that beats the I See Sam books. http://www.iseesam.com or http://www.roadstoeverywhere.com/3RsPlusRead.html (esp. check the UK link). I have some samples in PDF format if you are interested. For spelling for both girls, I really like Apples and Pears spelling http://www.prometheantrust.org/soundfoundationsbooks.htm It is from the UK and a bit more costly but very effective and it covers from simple sounds to complex words and dictation.

I would email them at one of the links at http://www.bpkids.org/site/PageServer?pagename=fd_about_2 I know that they used to offer sponsored memberships for those that couldn't afford the $40/year to join.

http://www.bpkids.org Have her join and get on an email group for LOTS of great input. They have waivers for the fee if money is an issue. http://www.bipolarchild.com The book, The Bipolar Child, is also great. It is late tonight but I have an adopted child with bipolar. Let me know if I can help some more.

I am homeschooling my 13dd with ADHD, bipolar, cognitive delays among other issues. It has been wonderful for her. Tough at times but very good. I will say though that with the bipolar, meds make about 80-90% of the difference here......homeschooling, parenting, diet, exercise, etc. the other 10-20%. http://www.schooloftomorrow.com is what we are using.

For combing hair between washes---like in the morning--I bought a cheap little spray bottle from the HBA department and then added a Tablespoon or so of conditioner and then fill the bottle with water and shake. This works great as a detangling spray and is CHEAP.

Some ideas: If you have to go to the bathroom, have him sit outside the door with his hand under the door so you know he is there. You could do the same thing if you take a very quick shower, otherwise have him be in his room or shower before he is up in the morning or when dh is home. Try to keep him INVOLVED with you--helping you do what you are doing--which likely means some things will take you longer than with out "help" but at least he will be active with you. When you need to sit down, care for the baby etc. have him take a small crib size blanket (or slightly bigger) with him and put that down on the floor. He can then play cars, legos, read, draw, etc. on that blanket right next to you. That gives him clear boundries of where he can and can not be. Try to get him as much physical activity as you can---taking walks, running around outside, bike riding, hauling garbage, picking up sticks, etc. Boys need lots of exercise and it helps them feel "manly" to do jobs that require muscle (even if it is only 6 year old muscle). Have dh work with your son as much as he can. Have him teach him to be a man---real men treat women with respect, help their mother and sister, are kind to others, do the "tough" jobs for women, etc. See if ds can help your ds shovel snow, rack the yard, pull weeks, do minor home repairs, etc. Make sure you still have some quiet time to yourself each day---put him in his room with books, puzzles, even a video game if needed for 1 hour a day so that YOU get a break---ideally when the baby is napping and your dd can be occupied as well. Do you have idea what is behind his behavior? Is there anything else going on? Any special needs at all? If so, work on figuring though out as well. Let me know if you have any other questions. We did this type of parenting with some of our foster children with attachment issues (lots of control issues).

You are NOT almost done with the BRI books. http://www.roadstoeverywhere.com/3RsPlusRead.html or http://www.iseesam.com both sell the next sets. There are 6 more sets of the books. These will take him through mid/end of 3rd grade. I would HIGHLY encourage you to keep going with the books. Once you get through sets 3 and 4 (or ARI 1 &2 as they are also called) you will have a child well on their way to reading well. Once you are done with the books you can resell them as well and get much of your money back on them. Your 9dd could read them as well. When you are done with the 3rd or 4th set of the BRI books, start Apples and Pears Spelling. http://www.prometheantrust.org/soundfoundationsbooks.htm It is WONDERFUL for teaching spelling and writing from dictation. Gogether these would get you through all of the decoding you need and spelling to a 4th or 5th grade level (or even more)

Glad you had fun with the snow. Do you get snow often at all? We had snow once when we lived in SC and the whole city shut down for about 1 inch. Here in Michigan we keep going.

I will try the notched card for the tracking - I hadn't thought of that! However, his reading level is higher than those books go, I believe. How is his reading level? If he is missing small words, mixing up saw/was or on/no, etc. then you could have him read easier books with the cursor to make him focus on those words. The I See Sam books go up to a mid/late 3rd grade level. There are also fluency readers that cover 4th grade but honestly, if he can decode just about all words then I would just use other materials for reading.

I was going to suggest the I See Sam books but I see you are already using them--at least for your younger one. Did you try them for your 10 year old? Using them, along with the cursor has GREATLY improved my 13dd's visual tracking. She was in vision therapy for about a year with little to no progress but that cursor has really helped and at the price (the cost of a 3x5 card and use of a scissors) who can go wrong? For spelling, I still REALLY like the Apples and Pears spelling from England http://www.prometheantrust.org/soundfoundationsbooks.htm It is super easy to use and the TE could be reused. You could start your 10 year old out now and then once your 7 year old has read through the first 4 sets of I See Sam books you could start him on it.

One thing that might help is http://www.omegabrite.com 3 capsules per day. It does cost about $1/day though. The Omega 3s have studie to prove they are effective for ADD. They are also studied and effective for depression and mood stuff. They might hit bot the ADD and SAD for you. The good news is that they are safe for pregnant and nursing moms. They even add this to many baby formulas now as it is so good for the infant's brain developement. Try to add in a good diet, exercise every day, time out in the SUN (or those special lights to mimic sunlight), regular bedtimes, etc.

The Omega 3s are really good. http://www.omegabrite.com is the one we use. They have some studies on the website that shows the effectiveness for ADD/ADHD. My girls take 3 per day. They do also take Dexedrine but the Omega Brites are a big help. My friend has her 10 year old son on them and they really help him. She ran out and said that within 1-2 weeks she could tell how much they had been working. They are not fast acting though and it can take 1-3 weeks to see much of a difference. My dh takes 4 per day for his ADHD and we can see a HUGE difference within a very short time with him. I can tell if he misses even 1 day but most people dont' respond that fast.

Sign up for lessons yourself as well. I am LOVING riding. We started with a pony for my girls and 2 months later I bought my first horse. Now we go riding 4-6 days a week in good weather and 2-3 times a week in the winter. It is a great mother/daughter activity as well.

Make sure to hop over to the learning challenges board as well for more input. I would suggest that you find a doctor that specializes in ADD/ADHD to do the evaluation and start treatment. There are other things that can look like ADD/ADHD but need different treatment as well as things that can go along with ADD/ADHD which will change what meds are best options. We use Dexedrine here and it is very helpful. It took a few med trials to figure it out but it really does help. They also take http://www.omegabrite.com 3 capsules per day which help but aren't enough for them.

We have had horses now for 2 years--after almost no horse experience before that. Horse boarding in our area (western Michigan) is $150-350/month. If you want a stall for your horse, indoor riding area, nice trails, etc. you pay on the high end. The low end is for a shed out in a pasture with a group of horses. Vet bills can get you. Our 30 year old guy got sick a few weeks ago and it was $170 for the vet and then $8/day for 3 weeks of meds for him. You also need wormer, shots, farrier, maybe shoes or boots. Then add in tack--saddles, bridles, saddle pads, bits, more stuff when that doesn't fit right, etc. We board our horses---a 15 year old gelding for me and a 30 year old gelding my girls share--with a friend of mine. We get a good deal on the board as I do a lot of chores for her and do all of the chores when she goes on vacation. I bought a $2000 horse trailer but you also need a good heavy duty vehicle to pull it. A 1/2 ton truck is OK but for much hauling a 3/4 ton or 1 ton (even a dually) is needed. We ride in the pastures around her house, on some small trails she has on her 6 acres and then we can ride out in the blueberry fields and other fields from her house to dirt roads. I also trailer to our riding instructor and several local riding parks on a weekly basis. To have a horse you need about 3 acres for the first one and 1/2 or more acre for each additional horse. Horses are best kept with at least 1 other horse as they are herd animals. Depending on where you live, a run in shelter might be all you need but in cold weather climates you need to plan on a way to keep the water from freezing, shelter from the winter storms, etc. You will also need storage for your tack and hay/grain, etc.:lol: As to riding, you need to think of what type of riding you want to do. Do you want to trail ride, show western pleasure, English, jumping, cross country, etc. Some horses are only worked in the arena while other horses are trail ridden all over. I would HIGHLY encourage you to get lessons for your dd if she is interested and some for you to. Learn all of the basics of horse care as well as the basics of riding. After a year or so of lessons you will either decide that this is something you really want to do, or something that you would rather not do. Horses are fun but a LOT of work. They need DAILY care unless you board. When you go on vacation you need someone to feed and water them.

I think you are safe. No kill buyers around here would drive 5 hours to look at 2 horses and actually PAY for them. In our area, you have to LOCK your trailer when you go to a sale of you just might find a horse IN your trailer that someone dumped off. I am sure that you will be able to tell a great deal once you meet the lady. I did turn a few people away when we sold our pony as I knew that he was going to be too much for them.

Sorry to hear that. My girls have a 30 year old gelding that is the best old guy in the world. I know his day is coming as well.

Have you seen an allergist? It would likely be very helpful to have some allergy testing done so that you can try to avoid the things they are allergic to as well. Are they still dairy free? If not, that might help. Some of the kids meds have dairy in them. It could be they have other food allergies as well. I would see about some testing.