Have you taken the myers-briggs personality test? Here's a free one: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp I was an introvert in high school and switched over to extrovert after college. But I never scored strongly for either, I've always been kind of a fence-rider. I love this personality test. The description of my personality type is almost *exactly* me.

Argh! I feel your pain. The same thing happened in our house this morning - dh woke up at six, and so both girls woke up at six. I love him, but he's not the quietest person in the morning. :tongue_smilie: Could he maybe do more getting ready the night before? Get his clothes ready and take a shower at night? Take breakfast with him to work? Or maybe you could get a white noise machine to put in your four year old's room to drown out the little getting ready noises? I'm thinking of getting one for my girls' room. Sorry you had such a rough morning! Waking up to whining and having to clean up pee is never fun.

Oh my gosh! I'm so glad he is okay. I need to look into bolting our dresser to the wall as well - I have a climber too.

Baby doll shirts are definitely in right now. Which I think of as a good thing because at least they cover up the muffin tops that usually stick out at the top of those low-rider skinny jeans. :tongue_smilie: I think any style of jeans is in right now. But the most popular styles are 1) the skinny jeans, which I think look terrible on most people (including myself) but can look really cute worn with a longer tunic-type top, or 2) the trouser-style wider-legged jeans. I would say that most things made of rayon seem to be out. And that long dresses and skirts are, for the most part, out. Knee length or slightly below the knee seems to be the in length right now (also in are extreme mini skirts, but I doubt too many people on this board are wearing those :tongue_smilie:). And yes, I second the observation that full skirts are definitely in. I think the trick is making sure to wear them with a fitted top to balance it out. In fact, I think that is a good general rule - if your bottoms are on the loose/full side, wear a fitted top. If you wear a loose top, wear more fitted bottoms. So really, only your dresses (but it's hard to know by not actually seeing the style) are probably out of style, and the rest is probably fine. If you're really worried about it you could try going into a couple trendy shops - like Anthropologie or H&M (although Anthropologie is pretty pricey) to get some ideas. For me, I like to keep about 2/3 of my wardrobe full of "classic" items and the other 1/3 trendier items that I can replace every year or two. I spend money on the classic items and try to find inexpensive trendier items because I know that a year or two from now they will look sooooo "2008" :001_smile:

I know how you feel! There is so much information out there and it makes it so difficult to know what to do sometimes. Problem is, I am one of those people who needs to have things resolved and closed quickly or I am a big basket of nerves. A big decision will hang over me, in the back of my mind, until it is made, and make my head swim. So part of me just wants to make one and get it over with. The other part wants to make the perfect, perfect, perfect decision. I tend to do a fair bit of research before I make a decision, time permitting. It's gotten to the point where friends and family call me before they buy things to see what I've researched. Especially big purchases like cars, or a big decision like moving to a new town, or planning a vacation. I am a planner at heart so I can't imagine jumping into something without researching it a lot. So, time permitting, I research. And when I don't have much time, I still research. Even five minutes is better than nothing. And then I make the best decision I can on the information I have, knowing that it may be reversed or adjusted later (unless it's something like buying a house or making a move, etc...). I like to think: this is what I am planning on doing *for now* - nothing in life is ever final. So as long as I have something to run with for the moment, I am happy. I would also say that the realization that you know nothing is not so much self-doubt as it is a sign of maturity. And that there is nothing wrong with leaning on your dh to make decisions. I like to think of life right now as "life" version 1.0, 2.0, 3.0 and so on...by the time we are in our "golden years" we will probably have worked out most of the bugs. :tongue_smilie:

Finding the seat up doesn't bother me. It's finding the toilet rim and underside of the seat covered in yellow spots that bothers me. Although I must say that dh is never the culprit - he is very good at cleaning up after himself. :001_smile:

I've don't line dry my clothes right now, but like you I am interested in starting. I did read one tip which was to make sure you use a fabric softener in the wash to help, which will help cut down on the stiffness factor. Maybe someone who actually does this can chime in re: how well it works?? :001_smile:

Torment is exactly the right word. But, 10 days past ovulation is still very early!!! When I was trying to get pregnant, I had to make an agreement with myself that I would not test until 12 days after ovulation, in order to keep myself sane. I agree, buy another one and test in the morning. Maybe buy a two-pack and test tomorrow morning and then the next morning. Most tests should be sensitive enough to pick it up by then. It's so maddening, because unless you get a positive test or start your period there's just no way to know for sure. I always give myself a huge case of anxiety over pregnancy testing. Quite the emotional rollercoaster, if you ask me. I hope you get your definitive answer soon!!!

I highly recommend going into a professional running store and being fitted for shoes. It really does make all the difference. A good one will watch you walk/run, analyze your gait/running style, and try several shoes on you until you find the perfect pair. A good pair of running shoes will save you much pain, soreness, and injury!!

I have a lot of family in San Diego that we visit quite a bit, so here are my suggestions: 1. Weather in SD is actually great year-round, it doesn't rain much and unless you are inland it doesn't get too hot. Maybe a good time to go would be September, when the weather is still warm enough for the beach but the summer crowds are gone? 2. I think it would be easier with a car. San Diego and the fun things to do there are pretty spread out. 3. Besides the zoo, there is: Old Town with some great Mexican restaurants, fun shops, and the trolley; Balboa park with several museums and which is a fun place to walk around and hang out for a day; the beach, my favorite is going to the bay because there aren't any big waves, you can also rent bikes and stuff like that and ride around on a big loop; the Wild Animal Park which I haven't been to for a long, long time but I know most people really enjoy it; Sea World; hanging out and shopping in La Jolla; crossing over the bridge to Coronado -a quaint little beachcomber town. 4. There is so much to do there, you could easily fill up a week or more doing something every day. 5. Have fun!!

That is a very powerful book! I probably would have been sobbing too!

Are you pulling the string from the inside? Even when I do that I still get tangles sometimes. If I have time I just roll it into a ball from the beginning to save myself the frustration. I can't stand tangles!!

Do you live in a community with a significant Asian population? My dd2 is adopted from Taiwan and I want both of my dds to learn mandarin (and I want to learn it too). In our area we have a Chinese school that meets on Saturday mornings. The parents send their kids there to learn the language and culture. You don't have to be Chinese to attend. It is very reasonably priced and I am soooo excited about enrolling dd1 this fall. Maybe a program like this exists in your area?

I think the problem was that I accidentally chose a subject that was very passionate to him. I worked hard on it and was proud of it, so the C stung. I actually started crying in class when he gave it back to me because he gave me some very harsh criticism and I think that's why the memory has stuck with me this long!

One other thing I would say is that we have a list of our 10 "big rules" on the fridge (no hitting, no pushing, no jumping on the furniture, etc.). The girls know these rules and get no warnings for these offenses. Straight to time out every time without discussion. I just point to the rule on the list that was broken and they go willingly to time out. I think it's important for kids to know beforehand which things you won't tolerate. It may help to talk to him before you get in the car to go somewhere about exactly how you expect him to behave (let you buckle him, not throw things at his sister while you are in the car, no running around the pool, etc.). And tell him what the consequence is if he doesn't obey. Then stick to it. And pick your battles. Make it possible for him to succeed by choosing a few big rules he needs to follow and not expecting 100% perfect behavior. If he feels overwhelmed by the number of rules he has to follow he may just give up.

Oooh, wow, I think I'll check this out! Thanks for the tip! So, it seems that the consensus is to cut everything out, and then try to laminate myself using the do-it-yourself sheets. I don't think I'm quite ready to buy my own machine, although Kay in Cal's looks pretty sweet!!! With the do-it-at-home sheets, does the lamination stay nice after a lot of use? Does it start peeling off or anything after a while? Thanks for putting up with all of my questions!

I'm in CA and I think that salaries in general are a little higher here, but not high enough to even out the cost of housing and other necessities. Unless your company has a great cost of living policy I would expect that things will be a bit tighter. Housing prices are still coming down out here though, but of course any difference in housing costs has been replaced by higher gas, food, and other prices. I have had a lot of friends who have grown up here move away because it was just too hard for them to live here financially, especially if they have young kids and are living off a single salary. Good luck with the relocation!!

I think in a homeschool setting an individual student could do the project, rather than making it group-based. I don't think what we did in my history class was jigsawing exactly. It was at the end of the school year, after the main subjects had been covered, and what we taught on as students were more like add-on topics, or taking an event that occurred and elaborating on it over what was covered in the textbook. I can't remember if we were assigned our topic or if our group chose it. Of course, the teacher interjected during the student lectures if something major was left out, and asked questions as well. He graded us based on the quality of our lectures and the quality of the assignments/test questions that we came up with, e.g. if a student did well on our test it would really mean that he/she had a full understanding of the subject.

I have yet to meet a four year old that I considered well behaved. Certainly my children don't deserve that label! What in the world could she be basing this on?? My mother-in-law is constantly commenting about what a difficult child dh was when he was growing up. He caused her some serious grief. But he managed to grow up to be a conscientious, well-behaved, successful adult and a great father. I think many times the traits that cause children to misbehave when they are younger become assets when they are older. And I totally get your frustration with other people not respecting your parenting choices. I would never think to go against a parent's wishes so this behavior completely baffles me. My mom does this to me a lot, although she is getting better. It drives me nuts every time.

Hmmm, good question. I am wondering what to do with my huge dress too. If you don't have anyone in mind that you would like to hand it down to, I say get rid of it! If you are crafty, maybe you could save some of the fabric for a project of some sort? Is it silky or scratchy? If it's silky, it might be cute to save a few pieces and use it later to make some little lovies for grandbabies down the road. I'm not very big on keeping things around that aren't being used...but I do have two daughters and so I am torn about keeping my dress. I think I might try stuffing it into one of those vacuum seal bags and seeing how small I can get it.

I totally know how you feel and I'm so sorry you're going through that! There are times when I feel like my disciplinary tactics are not making a shred of difference too. Actually, one thing that has helped recently is our "bead jars." I got two pint-size canning jars and filled one with big beads from a craft store. Every time one of the girls does something nice or listens the first time, they get to take a bead out of one jar and move it to the other. After all the beads have been moved over we get to go pick out an inexpensive toy for each of them. They get SOOOOO excited when they get a bead. I am still using time outs and the occasional spank (which like you said I use for outright defiance only) but adding the positive reinforcement really has made a difference, I just have to continually remind them to think about their behavior. Like "remember that you get beads for listening to mommy the first time" or "girls who help mommy clean up get a bead," etc. My dd1 sounds a lot like your 3 year old. She is so, so headstrong. She wants to do things her way all day long, and if she doesn't get her way we will never hear the end of it. She just turned four and it has gotten much better lately. I think that a lot of it is that she is smarter and more mature for her age than I give her credit for. She wants to do things herself, and usually my excuse is that she dawdles and so I help her and then a fight ensues. But being able to master things and be in control of herself is very important to her. I am learning how to allow her to have more control without it being unfair to the rest of the family and giving her more "grown up" tasks that she can succeed at (helping me cook, garden, etc.) seems to help too. Maybe if he has more situations where he gets to be in control or make his own choices he will be more accepting of the times when he needs to do as you ask? I'm really not sure as I hardly feel I'm handling my own situation well! I hope you figure something out that gives you results, it is so frustrating when nothing works.

I don't have a recipe, but if you are making any sandwiches cucumber slices are delicious in a sandwich. They make it so nice and crunchy and juicy. You could also do a tomato and cucumber salad with olive oil, chopped up mozarella, and some basil or oregano and salt. Maybe add some sliced red onions or a clove or two of pressed garlic. If you want a real recipe I know I've seen one online somewhere. My husband is Italian and his family rarely cooks from recipes so this kind of stuff is always just throw together at our house. Enjoy your cucumbers! I planted some last year and only got *one* cucumber out of six plants. :001_huh:

I am going to be using the EB text and workbooks this year for my dd1, and I'm supplementing with Power K for some extra practice when she needs or wants it. She just turned four and we are doing pre-K but she is very ready to start with some math. If you are only going to use one I would pick EB. Is much more fun, colorful, etc. The power K is all black and white and not very exciting for a 4 year old. I could see how after a while it could become a bit boring. The EB version I bought was the standards edition. I have read through the first text and it looks like a lot of fun. I also bought the teacher's guide, which has a lot of ideas for introducing manipulatives around the house and incorporating them into the lessons, making it more of a complete math curriculum. I hope that helps!!

Ok. I have a confession to make. I have never laminated anything. And now I am preparing for my pre-K year with dd1 and have a bunch of stuff to laminate but no idea what to do! Where do I go? Kinko's? I have some paper dolls and things like that I want to laminate so we can use them all year long. But how do I do it? Do I get the whole page laminated and then cut them out? Will that even work? Or do I cut them out, laminate them, and then cut them out again around the lamination? Sounds like a lot of cutting to me! Thanks for your help! And please don't make fun of me too badly...I'm already embarrassed!! :blush:

My dd1 slept through the night early on too, by about 8 weeks. But she did go through several periods of waking early after that. She did always go back to sleeping longer on her own at some point. I think most of the time when a baby has been sleeping through the night and then stops, there is something going on like a growth spurt, teething, or some other unmet need - maybe she was used to the extra sucking time on her pacifier and is trying to replace that? I didn't let my dd cry it out until she was 8 or so months old, so I don't really know what advice to give regarding letting her cry it out at this age. When my dd1 woke early, I would always just bring her into my bed with me and let her nurse while I fell back asleep. It didn't seem to create any habits on her part, and she got to spend some extra snuggle time with me when she needed it. But I know that every family is different! Good luck figuring out what is going on! It's so frustrating to backtrack on sleep habits....I have the same thing going on with my 2 year old, who has been waking up at 5 am for the last two weeks, ready to go for the day....:glare: