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Suzanne in ABQ

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Everything posted by Suzanne in ABQ

  1. I'd guess either she's playing scientist (testing her hypothesis that perhaps Santa is Mom/Dad), or she wants more than one thing, but she doesn't want to ask for too much, so she's spreading it out. Another option is that she's just seeing things advertised, or talking to friends, and the power of suggestion is causing her to change her mind or add to her list. FWIW, We never told our kids to believe in Santa. When they would ask, we'd just turn the question back to them with, "What do you think?" We could see their mind milling over the options, realizing that if they said he wasn't real, he wouldn't be. They had the power to keep him alive, or let him go. Eventually they let him go, but we let them each believe as long as they wanted to.
  2. I'm in almost the same exact situation as Homeschool Mom in AZ (7.5 and 9 year splits between my first two and my caboose, who is now 14), except that I'm 10 years older (I'm 56). When my second went off to college, and I just had the youngest at home, I felt very lost, like there was more of me than I needed, so we got a Japanese exchange student for the whole school year. That cured me. :o) By they time she went at the end of the school year, I was ready to have just the one. I started volunteering when my older two were in high school, and after our exchange student left, and my youngest started going to school, I really kicked things up. I am currently on the boards of five non-profit organizations, well, three very active non-profits and the parent association at school. The other two boards aren't very active. I also mentor a robotics team, and drive carpool and do costumes for summer opera camp and drive 14yodd here, there, and everywhere. Every once in awhile, I have a free day, but they're few and far between. Don't worry about it. Vacuums don't exist for long. If you have empty time, you will fill it. If you want to plan ahead and start taking some classes for your dream future, go for it. If you want to start a side business that you can grow later, as your life allows, go for that. If you want to donate some time and talent to a worthy cause, they will love to have you. You will not be twiddling your thumbs; I promise.
  3. Eddie Bauer has this: https://www.eddiebauer.com/p/20612416/bomber-jackets-for-women?color=Dk Loden&sp=1&size=S
  4. Youngest dd started at 9 1/2, and started using OB tampons right away. She still likes them best five years later. I like that they open out, like a flower, instead of getting longer and bulkier. They're perfect for young bodies. Also, there's no applicator, so one less thing to deal with.
  5. I use plain Orville Reddinbacker in mine. After popping, I salt it and drizzle on a little real butter.
  6. I loved Mr. Rogers, but like MissLemon, I watched him on the sly. I had four brothers who teased me incessantly. Everyone in my social world seemed to mock Mr. Rogers (imitate his speech and mannerisms). But, I found him peaceful and predictable, and I liked that. We were latchkey kids, and I watched TV every day after school. Mr. Rogers was part of my line up (along with Zoom and The Electric Company).
  7. I never purged their room *for* them. I always did with them, side by side. It was too overwhelming for them to do by themselves. Long before Marie Kondo made it on the scene, my kids and I were pulling all the stuff from around the walls, under the bed, stuffed into the corners, and piled in the closet, and making a huge pile in the middle of the floor. Then, going through it item by item to determine what to keep, what to toss, and what to share with others (via donation to the thrift store). They were probably 12 or 13 (depending on the kid) before they could do it on their own.
  8. I like the light idea. There could also be something else he's doing that's triggering his sneeze reflex. Perhaps there's a dust on the pill that he's inhaling, either just before or as he's swallowing, that's getting up into his nostril or pharynx and triggering the sneeze. He could try drinking a bit of liquid and inhale deeply and exhale right before he puts the pill in his mouth, then concentrate on *not* inhaling with the pill in his mouth. It could also be psychosomatic, and something he could teach himself not to do by practicing with a non-medicinal pill-like something, like a little candy of some sort (mini-M&Ms, or Nerds, or something else that's the same size as the pill). If he does it over and over, perhaps he could train his nervous system to ignore the trigger.
  9. My 14yodd LOVES hugging and cuddling, and she's the best hugger I've ever known. When we've had a tiff, she recovers and we mend our relationship by cuddling. It's easy with her. She hugs everyone, often. When her older brother was a teenager, he went through a "don't hug me" phase, and it really affected. Now that he's older, and he's willing to hug her, she's soooo happy! It would really hurt her, I think, if I didn't hug her. (In fact, I should initiate it more). 22yods isn't a hugger, at least not with family. He's a "social hugger", if there is such a thing. He'll hug his friends as a greeting, as did most of his friends growing up, through high school, etc. But he doesn't hug within the family, beyond a big hello when we haven't seen each other in awhile (he lives out of state). Still, he NEEDS touch. His choice is back rubs. I've been giving him back rubs since he was little, at bedtime, and in church (to keep his wiggly self calm). He still wants me to give him a back rub every time that I'm with him (which is only about 10 days a year these days). We're gonna see him at Christmas. I expect he'll give us each a big hug when he arrives. I'll give him a couple back rubs, and he'll hug whoever is present when he leaves. 23yodd hates touch (sensory processing issues). I only hug her when she initiates it, and it's sort of like hugging a spider. She's taller than me, and thin, and it's evident she isn't really comfortable hugging, so we don't. I show her love in other ways. I like hugging squishy people more than lean ones. Dh isn't a hugger, neither is anyone in his family, I don't think.
  10. Either comment on its own could easily be taken at face value, but both comments together seem to indicate he's fishing for a bonus. I'd probably hire him one more time, just to see if he does it again. If it's a pattern, I'd probably cease my business dealings with him. I really don't like when my employees guilt trip me, even when (especially when) they are friends of my family members. (I had similar circumstance with a friend of my mom, who was cleaning my house. The lady no longer works for me.)
  11. I do the boring recipe (1 cup water, 1 cup sugar), except that I use pure maple sugar. It makes all the difference in the world. The maple sugar adds a buttery, mild flavor that cuts through the sharpness of the cranberries. It's delicious, and soooooo easy. You just gotta get your hands on maple sugar.
  12. I've had this for years. I thought I was alone. Hydrocortisone worked for awhile, but became ineffective. Doctor prescribed Fluocinonide, and it worked for several years, but it stopped working as well. I have found that the less I do, the better. I wash with shampoo when I shower, then dry out my ears with a q-tip (not rubbing, just absorbing the water). Then I apply a much diluted blend of coconut oil and essential oils. I only use the q-tip and essential oil/coconut oil blend after I shower, which is about every other day. The rest of the time, if my ear canals get dry/itchy, I use plain coconut oil, and that does a good job of keeping it moisturized so it's less itchy. When it's really itchy/flaky/weepy, I scratch, which has led to infection. I have a bottle of Hibiclens, which is an antimicrobial liquid (like the orange stuff they use in surgery, only it's pink). I use it in the shower, and rinse well afterward, and it clears up the infection really well.
  13. We have a different philosophy. Instead of looking at what the car is worth to other people (market value), we ask what is worth to US. In other words, what would it cost to replace it? We recently had to make a similar decision wrt our 2007 Honda Odyssey. After 12 years of faithful service, and never leaking a drop, it sprung an oil leak in the main seal, which sit's between the engine and transmission. The transmission must be dropped in order to reach the seal, so the $25 seal costs at least $1000 to replace. That brings about the fact that the transmission had over 275,000 miles on it. Last summer, we replaced all the struts and the steering rack&pinion. The engine is running beautifully. So, what to do? Pull the transmission to replace just the seal? No. If we're going to pay to drop the transmission, we should replace it. So, the cost is now sitting at $4000. We tried living with the leak for about a month, but it was a mess, and it made the car stink, and neither of us wanted to drive it, so it mostly just sat in the garage. I drove our other car, which is smaller (so I couldn't do the carpool very well), and it's not as comfortable. We started looking around at replacement cars. We always buy new cars and keep them forever. That way, we know what we're getting, and we can maintain them properly, and expect them to last at least 15-20 years. So, we were looking around at new cars that would suit our purposes (seat seven for carpool, lots of space for road trips, lots of cargo room for moving kids to/from college, etc). We found that we would need to spend about $40,000 to replace the van. We wouldn't be able to get much out of selling it, given its age and mileage, and since it was leaking like a sieve. So, yes, the repair would cost "more than the car is worth." So, we could either spend $40,000 for a new car that would be too big 4 years from now, or we could spend $4000 and have a vehicle that will last at least four years, probably longer. We replaced the transmission, and I feel like I have a new car! It was definitely the right choice for us because our car is worth more to us than it is to other people. In four or five years, we won't need so much space, so we'll be able to downsize. By then, we'll have saved enough to pay cash.
  14. You've received a lot of really good advice upthread, but I would like to ask one more question, which may or may play a part in his distress. Did he know, or is he friends with the other kids in the class who did pass? If so, might he feel embarrassed for not passing, or perhaps be disappointed that he won't be moving on to the next level with his friends? If so, will there be an opportunity for him to repeat the class in time to move on to the next level with his cohort?
  15. The one I hosted had three acts, and it was a sit-down dinner. It was for my dd, who was in middle school, but I went all out with my best china, wine glasses, table linens, candles, the whole bit. The kids all arrived in costume and in character. They had a blast. I served hor's d'ouvers while they mingled, waiting for everyone to arrive. After all the characters were introduced to each other, they sat at the table and did Act 1, while I served their salads. Salad plates were collected while they did Act 2, which was followed by the main dinner (cornish hens, mashed potatoes, fancy fresh green beans, sparkling cider). Again, the waiter (me) cleared the table while they did Act 3, then they sang Happy Birthday and had cheese cake for dessert. I took pictures of each of them, with the birthday girl, as they got up from the table. They had a wonderful time, they still talk about it three years later! It was the most relaxing dinner I've ever hosted (it's easy to impress 12 year olds) and was good practice for me. If you plan to participate in the drama, definitely have someone there to serve. Oh, we had one extra person (my elder dc) who dressed as an FBI agent and facilitated the "investigation". That worked really well.
  16. Today is the last day for 50% off on EVERYTHING at Lands' End. From my e-mail this morning: 50% off your order: Simply click any link in this e-mail and the Promotion Code and PIN will automatically be applied to your order. Or at checkout, manually enter the Promotion Code STORM and PIN 1234. Receive 50% off your order online, in-store or by phone (excludes buy more and save pricing, monogramming, gift boxing, gift cards, shipping, taxes, duties, Lands' End Business Outfitters purchases, and excluded items as marked). Promotions and products may vary in-store. Prices as marked in-store. Excludes clearance in-store. Discount will be applied at checkout. This offer has no cash value. Promotional savings may be deducted from returns. 5-7 business day delivery to most addresses. Offer valid through 11:59 p.m. Central, November 18, 2019. Not valid on previous purchases or when combined with any other promotional offers.
  17. Is it possible your water softener uses potassium pellets instead of sodium pellets (or vice versa)? (ours uses potassium) I have no idea what would happen if you use the wrong type, but you should be able to google your water softener to ascertain what type of "salt" to use. If you're using the correct chemical (potassium or sodium), it shouldn't matter what brand you use. That being said, it sounds like your water is good and soft, and perhaps you need to greatly reduce your amount of shampoo. Check your softener display to see if it has recharged overnight. It could be that the previous owner was using the wrong chemical, so it wasn't working well, then your dh used the correct kind. Or, is it possible that he also added the resin cleaner fluid? It might be that the previous owners never did, so the resin beads were gunned up with iron or other minerals, and weren't charging properly. If that was the case, and your dh added the fluid, it might seem like your softener is supercharging, when actually it is just now working properly.
  18. For that many people, I'd cook as large a turkey as I can find (I've never seen one bigger than 25 lbs). I cook it in the electric roaster (which I bought at Sam's Club for $40). Having it on the counter makes it so much easier to handle, baste, etc. It also frees up my oven for all the fixings. (If you are going to cook one large bird, I highly recommend that you NOT use those disposable aluminum roasting pans that they sell in the grocery store. They're not sturdy enough.)
  19. You mean they don't accept applications from homeschoolers? If you're interested in a specific college, you can ask them if they accept no-test applications. Many will (even though they're not on the list. And, more schools are being added every year. Large state schools aren't likely to change, but many small schools will (and they're more likely to have scholarship funds as well). I don't know how homeschoolers fit into the mix, though.
  20. gardenmom5 and I are like twins! Self-cleaning all the way. Dual fuel if you can swing it (gas cooktop and electric oven). I don't care for white appliances, so the stainless would be my go-to, but I can totally understand your desire to have your appliances match, and white is always the least expensive option. But, the self-cleaning feature is a must-have for me. I will never, ever spray and gag and scrub an oven again as long as I live (I hope).
  21. For all these reasons, and other concerns about the bias built into the tests (questions with bias toward certain racial and socio-economic groups, and test fairness, along with the lack of evidence that the test scores relate in any way to college success, have led hundreds of colleges to adopt "Test Optional" or "No Test" admission policies. These are college who have real people in their admissions department who read every application, and select the people who they believe will fit into their school culture and will be successful. Yes, they see the applicants as people, not numbers, and they look at many factors besides gpa and test scores. Here's a list of Test Optional colleges from FairTest.org: https://www.fairtest.org/university/optional
  22. I scrape all plates before rinsing, so that only the tiniest bits of food go through the garbage disposer, and minimal grease or oil. We only flush what comes out of our bodies, and toilet paper. I don't use bleach, except under very rare circumstances (maybe once a year). I bought some tablets that are like probiotics for the septic tank. I'm supposed to flush one every month, or maybe every week(?), but I don't always remember. I just flush one when I think of it. We're fortunate to have two leach fields, and I switch them once a year. We have never had to have our tank pumped in 15 years.
  23. Athletic shoes that have removable insoles. Merrills (again, with original insole removed) Ecco hightop (insoles replaced) Teva boots and another pair of leather boots (can't remember brand), again replacing original insole. I look for shoes that fit rather high on the ankle, so that the insole doesn't cause the heel to slip. My feet are wide at the toes, and regular at the heel (wide shoes don't fit), so that limits me to shoe styles with a wide toe box. Fortunately, I believe that feature preselects shoes that also have a high instep, allowing room for the insole.
  24. I don't want to ever get rid of my '07 Honda Odyssey, but it will turn over 276,000 miles the next time I drive to town. It has been a remarkable machine. I never even leaked a drop of oil until about a month ago, when it blew the main rear seal. Now it leaks kind of a lot. We are going back and forth on whether or not to replace the main seal, an expensive repair that requires that they pull the transmission, which is original with 276K miles on it. So, if they're gonna pull it out, we might as well replace it with a rebuilt, which would cost $4000. But the rest of the van is awesome! (well, except sometimes it blows hot on the passenger side while the AC is blowing cold on the driver's side, oh and the right front strut is making a noise) But, it's been such a good car, and a rebuilt transmission would last years, but something else might fail. But, how much are we going to sink into this old car. But it would cost many times more to replace it. -- Back and forth we go. We just need it to last three more years, until youngest dd is is driving, and I don't need it for carpool anymore. Then, I'll want to replace it with something else as comfortable and roomy enough for travel to see our scattered offspring. I've started looking, but haven't found anything yet. Anyway, I'm not selling it. I'll drive it into the ground. I totally understand your feelings about your van, gardenmom5.
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