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jeninok

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Everything posted by jeninok

  1. Hopefully some sort of warning will come about for those who constantly report things they just don't like, rather than actual rule violations.
  2. Since one can not control the actions of others, it is generally best just not engage with people that simply drive you crazy. ETA: I feel like you have given personal history and identifiers while speaking of a particular poster. Frankly this seems to be on the verge of a coyingly thinly veiled personal attack. People reporting for civil disagreements by people they simply dislike is part of the problem here.
  3. I always just a portion aside for DH, then he can warm it when he gets home. I prep salad veggies at the beinning of the week, so it can just be tossed together and dressed at any time. I would really reallky invest in a microwave! As a side note, DH may have been gone all day working, but I've been home all day working. I teach, I plan, I self educate, I clean, I take care of the animals, I cook 2 if not 3 meals a day most days. By 830 I am done! I don't find it at all unreasonable for him to warm up his own dinner.
  4. We teach our dogs the words Baby, be gentle! And also No, mine! Mine comes in handy for all sorts of things, food, chickens in the cats, things that look like toys but aren't, shoes and so on. They understand that baby means to be calm, gentle, to lie down and sniff rather than exictedly dance and paw. We taught it on leash, by literally saying, That's a baby, sit! Or having them sniff tiny chicks in a small box while in a down and saying that's a baby, gentle, gentle before moving to in my hands, then finally on the floor but dog on leash. We rarely yell or scold beyond eheh! Or leave it! Prefering to train manners instead. So when they harass the cat and the result is me slapping the coffee table and yelling NO!!! Or DH standing up and yelling GD bad dog! They get the idea fast.
  5. One of the girls in our circle of friends wears actual animal parts skulls as hair clips or bits of them as jewelry. It is pretty neat, very Prairie Gothic. At 9 she is probably starting to experiment with style and identity and self expression. We encourage that, as long as it isn't profane and important bits are covered. (No you can not have the shirt with Willie Nelson Flipping the Bird, Yes! You can dye your hair purple!)
  6. Many many dogs treat outdoor cats much differently than indoor. It is however possible to teach even previous killers to not go after little critters in the yard. If you have crates I would be the dogs and letting the kitty out, that way they can see and smell her without being able to grab her. Then on leash interactions for a while. A couple good swipes on the nose along with you being present and training should be enough for nearly any dog. I agree with indoor only kitties, we used to let ours out, but due to injuries we stopped. Life is better for all of us. No more infections, bites, or worrying when they don't come home for a couple days.
  7. The easiest way to cook a whole bird is in the crockpot, plop it in with some seasoning and a little butter, ignore it for 8 or so hours depending on the size of the bird. If she has sensory issues, do you think her husband would be willing to pull it all off the bones? We mix the shredded meat with rotel, beans and rice and have burrittos or tacos often, I keep the mix in the fridge and DS can make his tacos, and then slap it on a pn with butter or a little oil to toast the tortilla. Egg salad is healthy and filling. Last night we ate shredded chicken over baked potatoes, with pan gravy and a little sprinkle of cheese, super filling comfort food that costs very little. Potatoes can be fixed for every meal. Scrambled eggs, potatoes, a tiny bit of ham or sausage, and whatever else can be mixed up and used for breakfast tacos through the week. Ground turkey is cheaper than beef and goes great in spaghetti or chili. Chili is easy and you can stretch it by adding tons of beans, corn, tomatoes, etc.
  8. My 13 year old has many of the issues. Summertime here is very relaxed, we are continuing math lessons at half speed, doing a summer bridge workbook for 6-7, and reading books. Right now he is reading Tyranosaurus Canyon by Douglas Preston, and The Long Walk by King writing as Bachman. He spends whole afternoons roaming the neighborhood with friends, we stay up late stargazing and telling stories, we binge watch educational tv shows. I know every child is different, but really needs the time to decompress and there is still so much learning that happens with free play and the quiet moments in nature.
  9. There have been many instances of my very bright tween asking why in the last few years when I have assumed that he actually knew the answer and was just being difficult. Nearly every single time is has come up that he really didn't fully understand, and was genuinely needing clarification.
  10. So, with this statement, are you saying that only the existence of god allows good choices, or your belief in him. By evil do you mean simple disbelief, or are we talking about beating puppies, stealing property and being mean to babies? Certainly my disbelief has not caused any of those things. Kindness, compassion, empathy, charity.......those things are good in and of themselves, not because I must do them in order to avoid punishment.
  11. We are starting a gluten free trial at our house, to try to clear up some digestive issues and lack of energy/more joint pain and soreness in my 12 year old. So far we are 4 days in, and while it is early days, he has been complaining much less about stomach pain and seems a bit perkier overall.
  12. Tethering him to you with the leash should stop the potty problems really quickly. I love the name you chose for him!
  13. I love my old Good housekeeping cookbook from the 60s, but for someone with no food knowledge, the use of gelatin, and everything in a can might not be a good thing. I love martha Stewarts Cooking school, but would also consider a magazine subscription to Taste of Home or something similar if that was a possibility.
  14. We live in oklahoma, and always used to say "Well, at least we don't have earthquakes!" Not so much anymore, there were 4 close and large enough for us to feel, basically right under our house yesterday. Not to mention the other 8 gajillion we have had in the last year. It is just plain weird!
  15. During the last extended power outage we set up a crate for the dogs with a thick piece of cardboard underneath then put several heavy blankets over the top and a rug inside. I now have a piece of thick insulation foam cut to size for underneath, and several hot water bottles that could be tucked in for warmth too. We had to stay at my parents for over a week, with 6 other people, so we brought the dogs over at night to sleep, but took them home in the day to cut down on the chaos, and also bark at people and discourage break ins.
  16. So you feel your children have no right to privacy as they get older?
  17. Is there anything in it that would be wildly innapropriate for a worldly 12 year old boy?
  18. We love our house plan, downstairs it is a big open kitchen and family room, with a den off to the side that can be closed off with french doors. There are 3 small closets plus a pantry downstairs. There is a large storage space under the stairstoo. Up one half flight is a small guest room, a linen closet, the main bathroom, and my sons rather large bedroom. Up another half flight is the laundry room, hvac closet and then our gigantic master, with two clsets and a bathroom. Either our bedroom or the one my son is using could accommodate several kids, the master could also easily be bunkbeds and playroom. We use it as a master and gave plans to put in a small seating area and desk. It isnt a big house but they have made great use of the space, we host co op here, and have lots of friends and get togethers.
  19. They really enjoy a variety of food to pick and scratch at. Favorites around here are anything in the squash family, grapes, oatmeal, and apples. Feeding them a warm meal in the evening on cold nights really seems to help their energy levels in the morning. The best loved seems to be hot cooked grains with pumpkin and scrambled eggs. Or hot corn and eggs. They are thirsty creatures, and also make a mess of their water, so that takes special attention. We just love our birds, even my husband, but I have learned to detach myself a little, everything wants to eat them, and we have had a couple just up and die. It stinks, and I shed a tear every time, but I'm learning to be less emotional with them.
  20. I use coffee pot cleaner and a magic eraser, for my liquid rock induced soap scum.
  21. We are also using coffee or black tea to try to stall an increase in dosage around here. Pediatrician recommended. :) We've switched back to our regular coffee maker because the new house liquid rock coming out of the pipes. The kuerig was constantly clogging from the minerals and is much harder to descale.
  22. I try to speak in a calm voice, even when I am angry or frustrated, to not yell, and to never parent from a place of bitter anger, using mommy time outs as needed. One of the results of this has been that when I do use my big voice it cuts right through the crap and dogs and children stop cold and look at me. It is a great way to stop dangerous behavior in the moment.
  23. I'm not sure smacking a toddler (or anyone really) is ever considered a natural consequence. It certainly doesn't work towards building a healthy mutually respectful parent child relationship. Toddlers are tough though, I think leaving the activity if they can't calm down, making sure they are napped, fed, exercised, and have distractions to avoid meltdown status, and making sure to have strollers, playpens,and help whenever possible is the best course. We also practiced lots, in small increments, before putting DS in situations where toddler antutics could be a real problem....when in doubt, I hovered, held hands, and went home!! As a general rule very young children aren't being jerks, they just don't have the tools to communicate or make the right choice. The key seems to be finding ways to meet their needs and modeling good behavior, rather than punishing for something developmentally they can't do. At bedtime I would offer choices, this book or that, these pajamas or those, fuzzy bear or unicorn princess in bed with you? We coslept when ds was a toddler too, everyone was happier that way.
  24. You did give him a happy home, and speaking harshly does not undo the fact that he lived and died with love and compassion and care. He had a good life with you, much better than it would have been without a loving family who did all they could to help his medical needs, but also knew when the kind thing to do was to say goodbye to him. I am so sorry for your loss, and so sorry for your pain right now. (((Hugs)))
  25. I use plain white washcloths and towels in the kitchen and wash them in hot water and vinegar, I bleach them all once a month or so too. If they have a residual smell I soak them in a tub of stronger bleach water in the sink before rinsing and washing. Switching to the little Tide pods for our laundry has helped with all smells, DS is 12 and his clothes just stink sometimes, even after washing, the Tide pods do a better job with only one vs. having to wash them several times in a less expensive or the Free and clear type detergent. I realized I am actually saving money by using them even though they cost more.
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