I was telling a friend this very same thing earlier. There are just WAY too many inconsistencies. His story makes no sense. What toddler would hang around for nearly 24 hours while he was in and out of consciousness, and never be noticed? And the mom? That's a whole 'nutter thing. I am heartbroken for this little girl, and what has likely happened to her. :(

^ I would also recommend after-school care. You can take more kids (maybe 4-6), because you'll only have them a few hours. It's definitely easier to have a routine (they come in from the bus, have a snack, play a bit, homework if you wanted to help with that, etc.). It will have the least impact on your family time since you can be finished with your school day, maybe have dinner prepped and ready to go, and your husband won't be home yet. I did child care at home for quite a few years when mine were little and I was a single, home schooling mom. To me, this would be ideal if you can find enough interest. I also agree with the above poster that you may need to take on a few kids for the summer if you're needing to have income right now, but I'd definitely be getting my ducks in a row for taking on after-school kids for the fall.

I home schooled my children from the beginning, all the way through high school. I always hated school as a child, and I think, at least initially when my kids were young, that's what led me to home school. I just wasn't ready to put them in that environment all day. We moved to a rural area while they were still young, and that pretty much solidified the "we will always home school" position. The schools out here were less than stellar, and private school would've cost a f/t job and then some for the 4 of them. Let me just say that none of mine have particularly set the world on fire in the eyes of some (or maybe many), but we have fairly traditional values in the sense that I've always encouraged them to stay home while their kids were young (I just personally think that is important), and, though some may not think it's a big deal, I am extremely proud of the girls as mothers who are now home schooling their own children. The jury is still out for my son, but I'm still hoping/praying he'll grow up. 😜 My oldest finished through 12th grade at home, graduated with our large home school group, and then went on to college. She went for a year, and did okay, but wound up leaving the 4-yr college, and going through a medical assistant program. She was pretty seriously dating her now husband, and they knew once they had children she was going to stay home, so she never really pursued anything beyond her MA certification. She is now a mom of 3, home schooling, and doing very well. My second oldest was planning on going straight to Cosmetology school. She got married and moved to Hawaii (husband in military), and planned to attend a school there. She found out she was pregnant a few months later, and decided to wait on that. FF to now - she has 3 kids, and is home schooling. My third went to the CC her senior year - dual enrollment. She then became a dental assistant and worked full-time. She also has a little business building and refinishing furniture. She moved to WA state with her fiancé, got pregnant not too long after that, and now has a baby. They live in GA, and she works from home - scheduling school visits for her old best friend (who takes exotic animals to schools). She does quite well financially, especially considering it's a job she can do from home while still taking care of her little one. The goal is for her to, at some point, take over this business and her friend move on to something else. My son went to CC his junior and senior year - dual enrollment - and did quite well. He just really hasn't ever figured out what he wants to do, so right now, at 23, he is waiting tables, bartending, and just enjoying working in the service industry. I think he could do just about anything - he's very smart - but he loves the social aspect and lifestyle that comes with this right now. I'm hoping if he meets that right person at some point, it'll motivate him to make some concrete decisions about his future. I will never regret my decision to home school my kids. I'm sure we could've done some things differently over the years (and if we would've had the financial means back then, I'm sure we would've been able to do more), but I've never been sorry they were at home (and neither have they). They are super social, well-adjusted, normal adults that are making differences, each in their own way. For that I am thankful. **Oops - forgot to add what we did. I didn't follow TWTM strictly; we always did a variety of stuff. In high school, I was definitely a bit more textbook-ish than I had been in the younger years. We did Tapestry of Grace for a couple years at one point when some were in HS, and some still in middle. We typically did math programs on video - couple different ones - and we did co-ops for some subjects (sciences/writing).

After coming off a long stretch of doing Whole 30 (actually more like Whole 90), I was really curious to see what things were affecting me. Truthfully, eaten in balance (as in a sandwich or burger with appropriate amounts of fat/protein compared to the bread), I don't have an issue. I'm also not doing this daily like I was before. What I have seen the absolute most sensitivity to, as in what makes me feel the worst if/when I eat it, is anything sweet - not just refined sugar either, but even paleo stuff that's pretty lightly sweetened with maple syrup. I get an almost instant stomach ache, not to mention that crummy feeling 30 minutes later. I don't think it's just because I've lost a taste for it either. I've done it a few different times over the last month with "healthy" desserts, and it's awful. Soy-laden foods seem to affect me also, so I'm fairly cautious about overdoing that as well, but the occasional bread item seems to be okay.

Thank you for that! I'm still looking and struggling with a decision. I actually drove a Crosstrek also, and really loved it! It handled like a sports car! The size would likely work just fine for me at this point, but I'm struggling with making a decision. In all honesty, I'm probably gonna wait until the fall when the 2020s are out, and hope to get my hands on a 2019 at a really good price. If not, spring of 2020 is probably when I'll wind up buying. My problem - I also want to get a really small camper to take my grandkids camping, and I need to weigh whether I really want a Subaru, or whether I want to be able to pull a small camper.

I'm definitely gonna keep you in my prayers. This is DIFFICULT!! I have been there. Honestly, during that time, and then the couple months leading up to my mom's death, I truly think I aged 10 years there were SO many things going on. Set aside at least a little time for yourself every day, even if it's just a nice, long bath. And a practical suggestion - take a couple thousand mg of Vitamin C daily. It may seem silly, but my resistance gets really low when I'm stressed or not resting well. Vitamin C (at least I think) seems to keep me from getting sick.

Thank you all! I think the Airstream is farther into the future for us anyway. I did go to a dealer and look at them (they are quite nice), but he actually suggested buying something used and inexpensive and trying it out for a while before investing in an Airstream, which I thought was pretty cool of him as an Airstream salesman. For now, what I want is something really tiny I can pull with my Enclave and take a couple grandkids along. I need it to be small and lightweight. I'm fairly confident with pulling, having pulled horse trailers with horses back in the day when dd was competing, but I still want something light so it won't put a strain on my vehicle. I'm thinking Scamp or Casita or something along those lines. I'd love an older one I could renovate - have you SEEN those cool renovations online? My husband is extremely handy, having done an entire home remodel basically by himself (and I mean something that would've cost $100K or more had someone else done it - cost us $38K), so as long as the structure is good, the guts really wouldn't matter. It's probably gonna be a year or so before I get one anyway, but I'm keeping my eyes open in case the perfect little thing comes up!

Totally doing it! LOL this is what I want! I want to sell our house and property, and purchase a piece of property and let people (family) build small cottages with RV covers!

I realize this isn't gonna be a cure, but have you found anything that helps?

So I'm in major life changing decision limbo. Not really, but I'm trying to make a few long-term goals for us. One of the things we are considering is buying a camper we can basically live in. We would build a nice apartment with an attached shop/cover for the camper, so we'd have a big family living area (and a kitchen/bedroom/bath) for when we're here and our kids/grandkids are over, and then we'd have the camper to travel in. Other option is keeping our place we have (which is really just more house/property than we are gonna need in the long run - heck it's more than we need now), and buying a smaller camper for travel. Either way, I'd like to go the Airstream route. What are your experiences? Pros and cons.

Yeah my struggle is I like different things on the Outbacks and Foresters, so I’m having a hard time deciding which one to buy, or if I should just spend my money right now on a small camper to tow behind my Enclave and forget the new car for a while. SO confused...

Oh gosh that would be awesome!! I LOVE a stickshift! I have been looking at the base 2019s anyway because they are now equipped with the bulk of the safety features I’m looking for, and all the tech I want in a car. I rarely open a sunroof because, honestly, it’s just too darn hot here most of the time and the sun comes in and burns the top of my head, so I really don’t see the need to pay for that. I don’t really like leather at all. It’s just too darn hot in the summer here. There are a couple other features on the premium I like, but they aren’t critical.

It’s funny you mentioned the take-off, as one thing I noticed when driving the two (I was only able to drive a used Forester - 2018 model - so I didn’t compare new to new), was that the Forester has a little peppier takeoff, whereas the Outback was a little more sluggish. I’m sure that’s because the Forester is a lighter vehicle overall. There are things I prefer about each over the other, so I have no idea what I’ll wind up with. I’m putting my vehicle up for sale next week and I guess I’ll go from there. One other thing I was considering is that the Forester was updated this year (2019), so if I buy one of those it will be the current model for 5 years. The Outback is due to be updated in 2020, so I’d almost immediately be driving the “older” model. I realize that isn’t huge in the grand scheme, but if I’m buying something I expect to drive for 10 years, I might like it to be more current for the first 5. I guess the other option would be to wait until the 2020 models come out, but that’s no fun. 😜

Oh I’ll definitely check that out - thank you! I LOVE the bluebonnets!! I’ll definitely have to get some pics!

Lol the other vehicle I have considered is the VW Tiguan. Of course, we had great success with the 2 jettas my kids drove, so I’m not anti-VW. I need to look at the safety stuff though, and see if the Tiguan makes the list. I’m not opposed to the Outback, but I really like both, and the Forester is a little less expensive, so that was kinda swaying me a bit too.

I was thinking of towing a little, lightweight camper or pull tent. I've found some that it should technically pull. It's not a guarantee, but I'm considering it. The rain here is what would make AWD nice, and the water on the roads. We rarely get snow in south Louisiana. What made me look at Foresters and Outbacks initially is that they are some of the only 5 seater vehicles that can handle 3 car seats, which is rarely needed for me, but occasionally I'll have 3 of the grandkids. The gas mileage is NICE, and my insurance will actually drop lower than on my 2012 Enclave.

I have actually been leaning toward the Forester for a couple reasons, and the 2019 is a little longer than it used to be. I'm not sure if that extended the wheel base or not, but I'm definitely gonna look into it. I like that the Forester sits a little higher like an SUV, and I love that it has such great visiblity! The Outback is really great too though, so it's gonna be a tough decision. Apparently the Forester can pull up to 1500 pounds, and the 4-cyl outback, 1700. The 6 cylinder Outback can tow up to 2500, but I'm not sure I wanna give up gas mileage to tow that much more. I was looking at those little, tiny campers that weigh around 1300 pounds, or maybe just the smaller trailers with the tents that fold out of them that weigh less than 1000. I just really love all the safety features!

Well that would be fun!! I'm not sure, but I think you posted in it! I think we'll be in Austin more than Round Rock. We are there for the Lone Star Round Up car show, although my daughter, grandkids and I won't be spending as much time there as her husband and his folks. We're looking for all the fun, local stuff to do and eat! 😜 We will have a 5yo, 3yo and infant with us. They actually go to Austin every year, and have gotten familiar with some things, but I'm hoping to find some new stuff for us that they've not tried.

Heading to Austin next week (we'll actually be staying in Round Rock, which I asked about in another thread). We will be in Austin a good bit, and I need some no-miss activities. We will be there 5 days. Any no-miss foods would also be awesome, as I'm all about trying yummy, local stuff!

If you own a Subaru, which one? Do you love it? Would you recommend it, and why? Also, do you pull anything with it, and, if so, what, and what model are you pulling with? Basically, just give me the scoop. I'm looking at the Forester and Outback

People can still get shingles after having the chicken pox vaccine. Related to your other post, and the mumps, yes it can cause sterility, which is why, to me, we are beating a dead horse with some vaccines because they don't provide lifelong immunity, and people ARE getting the diseases as adults. Have you seen the news about the military boat being quarantined because they had about 25-30 military personnel with a "mumps-like illness," although looking it up, and seeing the CDC info on it, it's something that should've been covered by the mumps vaccine. These adult men would ALL have been vaccinated, and likely fairly recently. I think there's a benefit to lifelong immunities we get from having these diseases, including protection against cancers as shown in some studies. Are we really willing to trade measles for cancer? And when I think about it, the cancer rates have skyrocketed over the last 25-30 years. Sure it could be attributed to many things, but how do we KNOW there is no relation to the virtual elimination of basic, childhood illnesses?

Thanks for all the suggestions for places and things to do! I just sent all the info to my daughter. Chuy's is always a fave, but I eat there a fair amount (we have one within about an hour and a half, and it's where my niece lives too, so I do get to go fairly often). I would love to try some really good, local stuff while I'm there.

I can’t attest to just going off gluten, but I do know doing Whole 30, I struggled after a few days, but then saw a lot of improvement after about 7-10 days. Of course I gave up more than just gluten, and I know eliminating sugar will do that to a person. Now though, after eating mostly Whole 30 for 2 1/2 months, I feel a TON better overall. I’ve reintroduced a few things, but I’ve only had gluten once, and I regretted it pretty soon after. What helps me a lot with anxiety is taking magnesium, and epsom salt baths at least every other night. I see a huge difference when I am not consistent with that. I also added drinking a cup of good chamomile tea in the afternoon or evening. I don’t know that it does much, but I know it can’t hurt.

The thing about Lara bars, at least all the ones I’ve had, is that they are sweetened with dates, so you don’t even have the honey issue to be concerned about. That being said, they aren’t the best bars in the world IMO; pretty chewy and sticky, and it seems that, because of them all having dates, they all taste a lot alike. I think Kind has some good bars, and, as mentioned above, quite a few are vegan. The dark chocolate sea salt is a fave of mine. Another thing I like is that they are much lower in sugar content overall, although they do use a couple different types of sugars (brown rice syrup is one for sure) in the bars.

I think it causes sinus issues/mucous if you are sensitive to it; maybe not necessarily even allergic. My oldest grandson started talking around a year, and within a few months, he wouldn’t say anything. He was checked for ear infections, but there was no indication he had one, and he never complained. After months of speech therapy after he turned two, and still barely said anything, we took him to an ENT and he had a huge buildup of fluid behind his eardrums. They of course gave him meds, but dd took him off dairy, and he’s never had an issue with it since. He’s 7 now and can drink milk occasionally with no issues. I have a lot of problems with milk. If I drink a glass, I’m in the bathroom within 15 minutes. (Sorry if that’s TMI) However, I can have a little good quality cheese here and there, yogurt, and even the heavy cream I used to have in my coffee didn’t seem to bother me much. It has never affected my sinuses though, so maybe my sensitivities are different.