I tried WITW several times when my kids were young. Each time they got so bored with it....and it's not worth reading anything that you have to force them to listen to! They loved to read and listen to many classics, but this one was not one of them! I loved the language style, and although the book doesn't have much of a plot, I liked it a lot. In fact, to hear that many other kids/adults didn't like it makes me less annoyed with my own kids for rejecting it!

Sounds yummy! My daughter's boyfriend is really getting on board with lchf, and has lost 10 kg in about 8 weeks.

IMO, there shouldn't be any confusion for a mentally and physically able adult to be paying all their own costs, plus a share of the cost of whosever car (or other item) they have some use of. Plus a share towards rent/food. My adult kids pay $70 a week board, and I'm also just now starting to expect them to contribute physically (cleaning/cooking) to the smooth running of the household. It doesn't do them any favours to do it all yourself (financially or physically). I'm saying this also to cement it in my own mind! ;) My oldest daughter has had several mental breakdowns, and at those times, we've deemed her unable to earn or study, and therefore we paid all her costs. She had a small savings, but we preferred her to keep it. She insists on paying us back when she's better and earning, and we insist we don't want it. A compromise of paying us back for vehicle and phone bills has worked for us. We write off living expenses. We would do this for any adult child in the same situation if they were not otherwise supported by partner. The hard thing is ascertaining when they are able to get a job, and encouraging them to do it.

I can't remember about colours, but I do remember my 2yo counting to 50. I didn't think it strange, as she'd had so much exposure with her older siblings counting. My attention was only drawn to it when an older friend (who used to teach preschool) heard my dd starting off 1, 2, 3, 4.... My friend said encouragingly 'That's right! Then...f i v e.... s i x....' My daughter looked at her and said 5, 6, 7...all the way through to 50. The lady looked shocked, and that's when I realized it might be earlier than most kids did. She is now 17, and fairly bright, although not exceptionally gifted. She is dyslexic, and didn't read till 10, or write well till 13 or 14, but numbers and math were not a problem for her.

Interesting. I've often thought that many conditions could be improved with better gut flora.

Hiking, walking, camping. Can't think of too much more right now. We swim in the local pool but me in the early morning and he at night. I'm going to talk him into putting in a lap pool for us then we might swim together.

I've always loved the styles and colors at LimeRicki too.

I would just go with something you love, or at least like quite well!

We have done a few all nighters, with changing driver regularly, sometimes changing every twenty minutes. Also including a couple of power naps of 20 mins or so, but I really, really do not like to do it. I can easily drive that same time starting fresh early in the morning and finishing late at night.

She sounds amazing! You are justifiably proud! ! Well done on raising such a giving girl.

Never heard of drinking other, but sounds interesting. Oh must get some for our chickens....you've reminded me. Maybe I'll try drinking it too!

I agree - sounds like it.

No! Why would I intentionally kill more brain cells than are already dying in my 41yo brain!

Middle Child Syndrome is very real. I guess if it was me, I'd try really hard to connect with him, and spend time with him doing 'manly' things, rather than just helping dad with chores, or giving him his own manly chores. What about weekends with dad camping, fishing, seeing a guy action movie, going to the baseball, speedway, whatever floats his boat? At 15, time is of the essence in recapturing his heart, and building a relationship, so I would make it a big priority, and one that's consistent. A weekend, or an experience, once a year is not really going to make the difference, but it will make some. If he's emotional, don't worry - it's just him probably. Don't expect him to be logical - he'll do that in time, if he's that way inclined. He'll also, on his own, and in his own way, embrace his position in the family. I wouldn't make the emphasis 'manly' position. He is a young man, he will be a man, but maybe it won't look like the picture you have. But that's ok. He'll be a wonderful man anyway, I'm sure. Love, Acceptance of him as he is, and acceptance of the stage he is at, basically embracing him as he is in your life, is key to allowing him to develop himself free of the expectations of others. :thumbup1: I was a middle child myself, but still found it tricky to navigate the issues with my own middle child, so you are not at much disadvantage than most of us, I think! :laugh:

No, you're not the only one! I've been known to stay up till around 3 or 4 am. Sleep till 9, then have a sleep later in the day. So worth it to get some serious cleaning done in the peace and quiet. It's almost weird how quiet it is when all the kids are asleep, and makes it so much easier to really get things done efficiently. Of course, now my kids are older I don't. But I do remember those times really well!

My oldest daughter, 21, met her first boyfriend at 19 when she left home to live in another state. He was at the church meeting she went to in the new state. She broke up with him after 3 months, and her next boyfriend was a friend of the first one. That's how they met, and then he supported her on the phone when she was upset about breaking up with the first one. They have now been going out nearly 2 years.

Re: the bolded....I know this probably sounds crazy, but can you hire a private investigator, and get your daughter on board with him as 'work experience'. Even if you came at it in a 'fun' kind of way. Maybe it would be best for her dad to broach it with her, seeing as she sees him as 'on the same page' so to speak, as herself. Perhaps he could say....'You know your mom thinks the person you are chatting to on the phone is an internet predator, and she's really worried about it. I think it's possible it could be too, but i realize that you are pretty sure it's just a regular teenager. To humour mom, and put her mind at ease, I'm going to get a private investigator to check it out. Do you want to hang out with the private investigator and get to find out first hand how they work, and quite likely find out that your 'friend' is a teen? Wouldn't that be cool?' Your dh could go along too for the ride, so you're not concerned about leaving her alone with another stranger. I don't know....maybe the idea is totally crazy. It's just what came to me. You may be able to kill several birds with one stone...uncover the predator if it is one, teach her a valuable lesson if it is a predator without being harmed (a lesson she had to learn herself, rather than just being told), and have something concrete to take to police. And, if it turns out to be a shy teen that is too anxious to meet in person, it will have put your mind at ease. Regarding other things beside the scary issue of the predator (it's almost certain to be that): I say this kindly, and in love, because I've been in a similar place (apart from the predator) with my own kids, and I know how your mother's heart would be hurting... :grouphug: It's really important that you do all you can to get on the same page as her ultimately. She isn't an adult, and will not think like one yet. Therefore it's quite likely in the example of calling for the job that she sees you not calling on her behalf as a betrayal, as someone else mentioned - it's a real fear, not perhaps laziness. Sure it should be easy - it is for you, but for her, negotiating the grown up world is fraught with scary things that make her very anxious to the point of paralysis. She feels you should see this, you feel she should see it as you do. Neither does. You don't make the call, and she thinks you purposely did it to be mean to you (remember, she doesn't think like you). It's like another nail in the coffin for her. At this stage, it's probably going to be quite hard to turn it around quickly, though, when she's being so hateful. That's why I think almost every issue that you need to approach her about, should be dealt with by her dad. She will come around to you eventually, I think. My kids have been the same way with their dad. He didn't see what he was doing to cause it, but backed off anyway, and after several years my kids all get along pretty well with my dh. If he'd kept up his pressure on them (and it wasn't unwarranted, just didn't do anything for promoting positive relationships with them), they would still be barely able to talk to him, I'm convinced. I also backed down a lot, and am so glad of the close relationship I have with my girls as a result. You know.... they will become adults one day all on their own. You don't really need to do too much encouraging them to be independent. It will come when they are ready. And doing a little too much (in your mind) for them at times is not going to delay the process a great deal. I've learned from my own experiences, that preserving a relationship is THE most important thing. They are their own person, and they may never be what you want them to be, they may not have the goals you have for them, but nevertheless, it's almost certain that they'll grow to adults that you are proud of in spite of that. My advice is just love her (even when she doesn't seem to love you), apologize when you upset her (even when you don't think you're wrong, or even if she doesn't apologize to you), chat with her, cry with her, try really, really hard to listen to her and see her point on lots of things. You don't have to agree, but to listen is so needful. You'll get her back. :grouphug: Hugs, mama - it's really, really, really hard.

We were at the point to not being able to live together, and I left home for 1week without telling him where I was, except that I was safe. I spent the week crying, and reconciling myself to the fact that this was probably it - we were over. I couldn't live with him like he was, and I didn't see any hope of him changing. I had gone to counselling myself, as he said it was my problem. I went to a Christian EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) counsellor, and he was instrumental in me gaining strength in myself, and being able to distance myself from the emotional pain, and to see things for what they were. Having this strength, is what gave me courage to leave for that week, and to demand that things either change, or I'm out of there for good. Dh was shocked enough at that - he still didn't think counselling was what was needed, and agreed that separation might have to be. But underneath, I think it shook him up enough to try. He went to three sessions of counselling (1 alone, and 2 with me), where he spouted all sorts of rubbish that was obvious to myself and the counsellor he was desperate to regain some control. My strength showed in many, many situations, and I think he realized I'd changed, and was no longer going to put up with any crap from him, so he began toeing the line. We had to begin again really. Going away for the weekend together (no intimacy yet at that stage), going on drives together, and him generally being very nice to me. From there it's just gone from strength to strength. Now he treats me like a princess, opens the car door for me, looks after me, all sorts of nice things. I really did not expect that it would ever be this good. In fact, I never thought there was any more hope for our marriage whatsoever. So it's turned around from the brink of disaster to a very happy marriage. Of course there's still the odd hiccup, as there is in all marriages, but it's not so heavily weighed to one side as it was before. Every so often if a see an old tendency coming back in him, I flare up immediately. I hate to say it puts him in his place, but I guess it just shows him not to start heading back to the old ways, because this little lady will not be staying around for it! Feel free to PM me if you have any questions about my experience.

If it was beef I wouldn't hesitate to use it, but I'm very wary of chicken, pork and fish. They go bad quite quickly. I'm not a fussy person either, except with these meats. Toss or give to animals.

Love Persuasion, too! But I think P&P takes the cake for her best book.

You could do the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb? Go to an evening at the Opera House?

My hubby chose The Heroes of Telemark one road trip and I was sure I'd be bored out of my mind, but it was awesome! It's not humorous of course...it's a true story. Very well read by the narrator and just a gripping story.

Maybe start a separate thread saying free books in the Jacksonville, FL area. It will attract the attention of any that live in your area and are interested in the school books.

I did 12 laps (600m)of swimming this morning. I've been practising my freestyle still using a float board thingy, but today I did half a lap on my own! Yay me! Can't believe it, as I'm the person who panics with my head underwater. I'm wearing a nose clip, though, and goggles so that helps a lot.

We just use lots of butter on hot veggies, olive oil dressings or mayo on salads, cook in olive oil, butter or coconut oil, and have nuts, cream and avocado daily. Hope he likes some of those. :)