:grouphug: Baby is far off, but the fatigue and hormones can be a downer. I feel like you do. I can't stand the whining and tantrums that are coming from my 3 and 5 yo - seems like everything you do isn't 'good' enough or 'fun' enough. I can't even read a book lately without bickering over who sits where and someone screaming 'quit touching me!' :cursing: So... you're not alone. Some days and weeks are better than others, take it one day at a time.

If you are crafty or able to sew you may want to sell things at local festival flea-markets (our little towns each have one through out the summer.) I had a friend who made $400 in 4 hours from homemade jewelry. You would have some upfront costs, though. Others do homemade soaps and lotions. That may be too much of a learning curve (I haven't tried it because I'm afraid of throwing away to many mess-ups which get costly.) If you have a garden you can sell produce at farmer's markets throughout the summer.

The key to this is cooking it only 1/2 way before freezing it, otherwise it gets to soggy. HTH!

I am a failure at once-a-month cooking. I didn't think it was saving me much time and it didn't seem to save me much time in the long run. I have discovered some short-cuts like others have mentioned. Cook extra meat and freeze it, then you can just add your sauce or taco seasoning, whatever to it. It doesn't have to be 'completely' prepared. I cook extra chicken in the crock-pot and freeze extra bags in sizes I use for casseroles. That way when it comes to making chicken pot-pie, I don't have to mess around with the meat. If you make a roast, plan on 2 meals with it. Today with potatoes, tomorrow on buns for sandwiches. I do make extra 'batches' of meatloaf and pat it in extra bread pans, 2 stack nice. These are good for leftover meatloaf sandwiches to send with dh the next day. The burritos are a good idea, just make a double batch of taco meat and that night roll up the extras to stick in the freezer. I freeze soup as well (not milk based, it gets chunky) and that can be frozen flat. I run hot tap water into a bowl and let it sit in there to defrost some to get it out of the bag. I don't think freezing pre-cooked veggies is worth it. It's easy enough to throw them in the microwave or a pan for 10 minutes before you eat. I do chop up extra onions, peppers, celery and mushrooms and throw in freezer bags, that way if I need something, like for soup, I can just grab a handful to sauté in the pan. It saves quite a bit of time. I don't think it's necessary to have a bunch of meals all the time in the freeze, but more of a rotating supply so you have a few choices when you need a quick meal. It keeps it more organize as well, and things don't get lost or forgotten as easily! HTH

:grouphug: I don't understand how some people think they can say whatever runs through their head. Stuff like that burns me. So rude! Glad you had a good time anyway.

My homemade bread and fruit keep me from being true low-carber. I don't understand how fruit can be 'bad', especially while picking your own blueberries!! I'd love just to guzzle chocolate milk some days, but I know I'd feel like carp after. Maybe just find some new recipes.

I have it with pregnancies and when my thyroid is off. Iron deficiency and calcium/mag def. is a problem. I recommend mag. citrate as it is the best absorbed. It can be terrible, but when all my hormones and minerals are in balance, it goes away completely.

I'm going to fail #11 this year.... gonna have a baby in Dec. Well, I did plan to take a month off, so maybe it'll actually be better! Guess I'll find out.

The original article didn't specify what type of law and I'm thankful someone explained it as I wasn't aware of it. I haven't heard this story before. I understood it as the child was taken away from her adoptive parents simply because she was Native American and because her father changed his mind he was able to get her back just because of her nationality. It made it sound like adoptive parents rights aren't final ever just because of her ethnicity, nor did it state that her father was always trying to get custody of her from the beginning.

We have little kids and dh and I both like my food better than going out anywhere... so we do home 'dates' I guess you could say! Put the kids to bed early and hang out! We play games or have camp fire outside or go for a walk (we live on a farm so we can walk field roads without worrying about too much.) Finding a sitter and going out for a dinner and a movie just doesn't sound like as much fun. We're both home-bodies though.

Oh that's terrible! I don't see that this case was like that, though, as the father originally gave up his rights willingly (so it seems according to the article.) It'd be different if he didn't know about her or couldn't find her and finally did sorta-thing.

They never should have taken her away from her adoptive parents in the first place, but now they are doing the same traumatic thing again!! The adoptive parents should realize that they are now going to be the cause of the same pain the bio dad caused on them - all at the expense of a little girl. One thing that irritates me is that the bio dad got custody because of some 'Native American law'. I don't care what nationality or color you are - there shouldn't have been an exception in the first place. He gave up his rights. Why can't their be joint custody in situations like this???

Keep it up!! You can do it!!! DH finally kicked the habit - first sugar (went to black coffee only) then slowly weaned down the caffeine. He said he hasn't felt THIS great since he was a kid!!!!! Stick with NO sugar, but it's okay to wean the caffeine over a week or two. You'll feel so much better and so glad you did it. The sugar craving is bad at first, make sure you are eating healthy, too.

I tried this... I can't figure out how to get the 3 and 5 y.o. to be 'quiet' in their room (they share)- somebody ends up picking a fight or crying or screaming or throwing loud toys around. All across the hall from the sleeping baby... :glare: so they watch a movie/tv thing for an hour - hour and a half while baby naps. It's the only way to keep them quiet. 7 yo plays outside or in his room well. I don't rest, however! I use it to catch up on things. Which means I should probably get off the computer now!

Duplo legos (we have a TON) or another similar versatile building blocks like wooden blocks Cars/tractors Dolls with stroller (ditch the accessories - they lay all over the house!) small box of baby toys (put the shape in the right hole, play phone) play kitchen with food

Do you can the juice? That may be the best idea if it doesn't make good jelly. That way you can have juice all winter.

If you don't have a juicer, this works: Put the grapes (stems and all) in a big pot, put a little water in the bottom and simmer them, mashing them once and a while. Once they appear popped and the juice is mostly out (I don't know how long, maybe 10 minutes?) Run it through a large strainer lined with a cheese cloth into another large pan or bowl, squishing it down to push all the juice through. That's the easiest way to get rid of the stems and seeds. I then just follow the recipe in the Sure-jell box. It won't be crystal clear and win a fair ribbon, but it works well!

You sound just like me when there's stomach problems!! Paranoia!! :laugh: (scream!) Just to be safe, I'd throw out any leftovers. Everyone reacts differently to food poisoning and viruses.

My kids would be too cranky to do this and they need food to function. I think I'd set a set breakfast time and a set school-start time. If you miss breakfast, you have to make something for yourself and start school late, and get done late, followed by going to be a 1/2 hour earlier than everyone else that night. I'd also turn on the lights and drag their hiney out of bed when it's time to get up! You could take privileges away as well (such as no TV on a day you are not up at the right time.) Just my thoughts I guess!

Maybe I'm one of the few thinking that she is actually curious and just trying to start a conversation about homeschool. Nothing to get upset over... just tell her you use a bunch of different things and you'll call her or invite her over sometime if you think it'll take that long. Some people are truly interested, and some people are nosey (meaning the kind that would put down anything you say.) Guess it depends on the type you think they are.

Usually stomach flu has a sudden onset - he probably just has an upset stomach from something else, and likely not contagious.

Get rid of it! It'll make you pick at your face and that can leave scars. No one's able to look at you 15x magnified. Put it in the garbage. Back away.

Thanks so much for your replies! I wasn't quite sure what to do, and coordinating them seem more of a headache than it's worth.

Anyone?? Two curious people here :)

Scary! If atenolol didn't work for my sis they were going to use digoxin, and that has to be closely monitored with blood draws, I believe.