I'm another one who has been thinking of you. :)

Read Barbara Frederickson's book: Positivity. I find Martin Seligman's writing dryer than Frederickson's, but others prefer him: Flourish.

It all seems a moot point to me. Get a court order for child support first.

If you want to try cognitive behavioral therapy methods, check out MoodGYM. It is free and even somewhat entertaining. :)

It doesn't have to be a permanent decision, does it? Could you send them to school on a trial basis when the next year or term starts? If it just adds more stress, pull 'em out. If it is a good thing, then consider taking a part-time job. And that European tour...would it be more appealing if DH or a travel agent did all of the planning? :grouphug:

Did she get tested for Lyme disease? Tests can be negative for up to 30 days from infection and symptoms, so even if an initial screen was negative, it is worth retesting outside of that 30 day period.

Testing is not very reliable. False negatives are common, and it is more or less useless if symptoms started more than 2-3 weeks prior to testing. Our ped practice only tests children admitted to the hospital. Pertussis is not at all rare in young adults and adults. While it does sound like there are a lot of pockets of infection around the country, I suspect a lot of it is increased awareness. For years it has been reported that a long-lasting cough in adults is very likely to be pertussis, but many doctors were unwilling to believe an adult patient might have a "pediatric" illness. However, now that the booster has been approved for adults, non-pediatric infections are in the spotlight.

With that description, I'd suspect pertussis too. It is a really common infection in young adults and adults, whose childhood vaccine-acquired immunity has worn off. Here's the thing about pertussis: Antibiotics don't improve symptoms unless they're given before the coughing starts in earnest. Once the coughing starts, the pertussis toxin-mediated damage has already occurred, so there's not much that can be done. The purpose of prescribing antibiotics is to keep you from giving it to other people. (I'm amazed that so many doctors aren't aware of this!) Pertussis-related coughing normally lasts 2 weeks to 2 months, but it can be longer. It can also "reactivate" for up to a year or more whenever another upper respiratory infection is caught. Sips of water and/or small amounts of honey might help with the coughing. On the bright side, naturally-acquired immunity to pertussis is believed to last much longer than vaccine-acquired immunity. In your shoes I'd keep the pulmonology appointment. It wouldn't hurt to rule out asthma, as a chronic cough can be an asthma symptom. Think about vitamin D too. My dad had chronic reactive airways for YEARS until he started supplementing vitamin D for other reasons. I know the Vitamin D Council website has some info about benefits of vitamin D supplementation for asthmatics.

:bigear: I've been curious about this topic since I read (years ago) some Enki curriculum materials.

:lol: In December I made a special trip to Williams-Sonoma to get espresso powder . . . and then I couldn't remember why I'd wanted it! :D (Later I figured it out. I read somewhere that small amounts of espresso enhance the flavor of chocolate in a recipe.)

Probable celiac disease trumps diarrhea of unknown etiology. I agree with others that you may have inadvertently increased something that your younger son can't tolerate. Alternatively, perhaps wheat normally has a constipating effect on him. This probably isn't a good thing. Off the top of my head, here are a couple possible explanations for what you've observed. Possibility 1: When he consumes wheat, he seems to have normal GI tract function. But when you remove wheat, you unmask a previously unrecognized problem. Could be a food sensitivity, could be an intestinal problem...there are lots of possibilities. Possibility 2: He's on his way to developing celiac disease too, and the constipating effect of gluten is one of his symptoms. The diarrhea could be another symptom, indicating that he already has significant intestinal damage. Either way, keeping your younger son on wheat is not a solution. I'd keep him off gluten, serve a naturally GF diet (no GF subs), and try a probiotic for a few days. The probiotic might help firm up his stools if he's recovering from a mild intestinal bug. I like Culturelle because it is easy to find over the counter at drugstores. After that I'd start looking at the usual suspects: dairy, soy, nuts, any weird flours in the GF foods you bought, etc. Good luck!

LOF Elementary does not market itself as a full curriculum. It is more of a supplement. So yes, you'll probably need to use other tools in addition to the Elementary books to prepare a child for Fractions.

Wait. You have no idea what their listing price will be, do you? :confused: And you haven't seen the inside? No harm asking them about it, but I wouldn't get your hopes up until you know what they want for it, and have seen the inside.

As I mentioned above, I don't buy GF subs for myself. And when I'm baking (mostly for others, I don't often eat sweets), I try to avoid complicated and expensive GF flour mixes. This recently published article on NPR has some great naturally GF recipes. Kitchen Window: Baking Without Flour Bring Sweet Results In fact, my kids and I just put the Lemon Cornmeal Cake in the oven. At Christmastime, we often make variations of the nut butter cookies.

Bummer. Fortunately white potatoes are unrelated to sweet potatoes, so those should still be an option. Depends on the brand. Quaker-brand cornmeal is NOT gluten free. They freely admit to cross-contamination. I stick with Arrowhead Mills brand, which my regular grocery store carries in the natural foods section. I don't buy GF subs for myself. I buy things that are naturally GF: meats, veggies, dairy, eggs, and nuts. It helps to focus your shopping on the edges of the store, where the fresh foods are usually located. If you stay out of the aisles, you avoid most of the gluten and gluten-contaminated products. Yeah, I'm probably paying a little more because I buy packaged foods from more trustworthy companies (like Arrowhead Mills), but it is worth the peace of mind.

As others have mentioned, a Paleo diet might be a good fit. Many Paleo eaters do consume sweet potatoes. Others add in white potatoes and white rice. You could easily (and cheaply!) get your carb needs met with those foods. You might want to experiment with that. After a period of adjustment, many people with thyroid issues find that lower carb eating greatly improves their blood sugar control issues.

I don't know whether I have celiac disease, but I do have a cousin with celiac dz and other extended family members with other autoimmune diseases. I initially went GF because my breastfeeding child was wheat-sensitive. Later I went completely GF because I have developed a whole bunch of autoimmune-ish symptoms but so far have had normal lab results. Since there does seem to be a link between gluten intolerance and autoimmune disease, I figure going GF might stave off full-blown autoimmune disease for me. I've noticed that when I'm accidentally glutened at a restaurant, my unexplained arthritis (presumed post-viral) returns. So no, I don't ever intentionally consume gluten, and my list of trusted restaurants is quite small. My husband is more or less GF because he eats paleo, but he's not strict about it. He'll pick croutons off his salad, etc.

Sinus issues and ear issues can also cause dizziness, even if you aren't noticing ear or sinus symtoms. If it continues, see a doctor. :grouphug:

When we were looking to buy our first house, we had a really bad experience negotiating for a house owned by a divorcing couple. They brought their animosity into the transaction, and our agent was shocked that their agent was allowing it to happen. (Apparently their agent was also a personal friend.) We eventually did have a contract, but we backed out when our inspector found a lot of deferred maintenance and a mild-to-moderate structural issue. Though the issues probably weren't true deal breakers, we just couldn't handle any more negotiation with those sellers. Bummer for them. The house stayed on the market another year, and finally sold for far less than we'd offered them. I bet they wish they'd behaved like adults when negotiating with us. If you really want this house, I'd write a personal note and have the seller's agent pass it on to them. In the meantime, it looks like you need to figure out storage and temporary housing for yourself. Good luck!

It is probably because of different feed. I've noticed that some organic milk smells grassier or more like soil.

I think cleaning technique can play a role, and the new tool idea sounds reasonable to me too. I suffered through dental cleanings my whole childhood. When I moved away and got my own dentist as an adult, cleanings suddenly became much more tolerable. :)

It isn't just aspirin. Put away ALL fever-reducing meds except perhaps Tylenol (acetominophen) during chicken pox. I wouldn't even use Tylenol unless absolutely necessary. In addition to the risk of Reye Syndrome, use of NSAIDs during chicken pox is associated with increased risk of secondary bacterial infections. (Chicken pox itself usually isn't life-threatening. It is the secondary infections which can be dangerous.)

Two XL Twins is probably cheaper than a King mattress anyway. HOWEVER, newer mattresses are really good at isolating movement. Try out some mattresses in a store before deciding that a new King-size mattress is out of the question. Dawn, do you know the cause of your snoring? If your DH fidgets a lot at night, he may also benefit from a sleep study. Fidgeters may suffer from sleep apnea, even without loud snoring.

It is probably a big tourist week, as many CA schools have February vacation next week. I'm sure the islands will be packed with families. My mom works at a school in CA, and my parents will be heading there for their first-ever visit to HI. :)

I recall from my wheat-eating days that often the bottoms of Subway sandwich roll were liberally dusted with flour. If I was eating a sandwich, someone nearby could easily have inhaled particles of flour. Now, is an inhalation reaction a possible celiac side effect? Some would say yes, others would say no, that's a celiac who also has an IgE-mediated (true allergic) reaction to wheat. Even if she's tested negative before, it might be worth testing for an IgE-mediated allergy to wheat. (I'd just get the top 8 panel done.) If she tests positive, she can work with an allergist to develop an action plan for reactions. Edited to add: by the way, is she cleaning off tables/chairs in the student union before using them? If they're outside a Subway, she should assume there's gluten on them.