:seeya: Hiya!

I just went through this, and found the same thing: super padded, h00ker-y, sleazy... and I'm not even that concerned with what sort of undergarments my kids like (as in, my standards of decency are much lower than many here). Justice. They have very cute, pull-on and hook type b00kshelves for the new b00k collectors. ;) (ETA: the ones with removable pads are more like removable liners, in case the b00kshelf needs a little additional help with pokey b00k spines, not for enhancement.)

Um... Microsoft.com? EULA is End User License Agreement, the thing that says you will be prosecuted for repackaging and selling the software, etc.

I'm so sorry about your kitty. :sad: Our (now deceased) cat would. not. eat wet food, until he was about 19 and had trouble chewing his dry food. Then, he seemed to accept the wet food situation, but he seemed put out. He never had any urinary issues, and he liked Pro-Plan or Purina ONE (I can't remember which). Unfortunately, it seems they're either prone or not. My mother's cat is on a special wet food from the vet because he is prone to urinary issues, even with the "urinary tract health" formulas.

Yes, that. Either do via Windows Update or from Microsoft's website, not through a third party, especially one like Hotmail. (and by owning IE, you have already agreed to the EULA, so that's nothing new. )

Best. Diet. Ever! I am currently loving Chocolove dark chocolate orange peel bars. A little square or two is just the thing in the evening.

I use the Joyful Abode chewy granola bar recipe, substituting desiccated coconut (not the sweetened, shredded kind, the fine, dry, unsweetened kind for macaroons) for the wheat germ. (She also has a grain free recipe that's really good) We also do hummus (or black bean dip, or salsa, or egg salad, or whatever) and tortilla chips, nuts, fruit, etc. Nut thins are awesome with cheese, or almond butter and jam (we have a peanut allergic one who is fine with other nuts). Popcorn with Parmesan and pepper is a favorite. I'm a huge fan of Glutino pretzels, but they're kind of spendy.

Mine were psycho irregular when my thyroid was out of whack, and I had a similar experience with a local dr. She was so condescending and dismissive of my questions that my husband (who was in the exam room at the time) was literally jaw-dropping aghast, and told me he was proud of me for not shoving her against the wall and walking out on her mid-sentence. I'd make an appointment with a proper doctor, who knows how to think. If it's just an adjustment to the new exercise schedule, so be it.

My younger two have never asked, other than a sort of confused "when are WE going to school?" when they were younger and would meet other kids on the playground and the topic would come up. I did go back to work, part time and not in my previous field, a couple years ago, but my husband only works every third day, so it's easy for me to work my schedule around his, or take my kids with me (I work for the Y, so they have things to do if I'm teaching or working with a client or filling in some odd hours at the desk).

Ooh, thanks!

My 11 year old was that kid. We explained that we had made other choices and it was never a big deal. It was more the glamour of the bus. (And she wouldn't ride the bus anyway because I don't think a bus full of un-belted children at highway speeds is ok. At all.) I don't think the boys have ever wanted to go to school. They asked *when* they were going a couple of times, but I think that was based on conversations with other kids or their parents on the playground, who just assumed they'd be going. At 7, they're pretty comfortable with telling people they're homeschooled, what they've been working on, etc. Is there a reason you're waiting to start?

Me, either/too! I love their paper planner!

We use Method tabs or Seventh Generation powder with good results, but I think it really just depends on your water. Ours is super soft, and everything out there seems to be made to combat hard water. We do clean the dishwasher periodically, either with vinegar or dishwasher cleaner, and we run the heated wash (our dishwasher is hooked up to the cold intake because the machine heats the water anyway, so why burn oil to replace the water in the pipes?), which seems to rinse better.

Poor baby! I'm glad you got a second opinion. Can you imagine going through everything she's been through and having a tonsil / ear infection and not being able to speak? I'd scream, too! :grouphug:

Mine are typically in bed by 8, and they can read until whenever. Usually the boys are asleep by 9, Bailey might be up until 10 or so, but they are all in bed. As Ellie pointed out, we've been together all day, and by then I need some down time. We grownups are usually in bed, reading or watching tv, by 8:30-9:00. We're asleep by 10. We are up by 5:30 or 6, the kids are up by 7.

Nice. Now we can't even lick our keyboards. :lol:

Yes. My husband was also carded at Target while buying a 3-pack of.... Air. Yup. Air. You are suspicious if you buy more than one can, evidently. But it comes in a 3-pack. So now the 40-something dude with the wife and kids in tow and a dusty keyboard is suspicious. I, myself, whammied the allergies this year with Afrin and good old plain Benadryl. Because, yeah, the new decongestants aren't like speed for me, but they don't clear out my nose, either.

:iagree: That is exactly my thought. "Mom, I do not care to discuss my weight or diet. Period." and if she continues to push it, after being reminded a few times, start shutting down the conversation entirely, "oops, doorbell, gotta go!" I'm sorry, but you can't not know that harping on people's appearance flaws is rude, and that pointing out your child's (perceived) flaws constantly makes them feel bad about themselves. No one should have to be told explicitly that that kind of talk negatively impacts your self image. (and a big cheer for you, for training for your first half!!)

I had concerns for the first few years, both academic and social. The academic concerns were more for the future - I mean, I can read and do basic calculations, know shapes and colors, how could I possibly be unqualified for K? - but we've hit the middle years and I've found no great difficulty in challenging my 6th grader. She is tackling high-school and college level material in some areas and, while they do challenge her, they aren't out of grasp; she spent her elementary years learning to think and parse information. My second graders are following right along, too. And, while they're all bright, I don't consider any of them to be prodigies. They just have different academic opportunities than their PS peers. They regularly socialize with friends, my co-workers, teammates, and not only do I hear compliments from adults about how socially adept they are, but also observations about how nice they are, how willing they are to offer help, stand up and call a behavior wrong, encourage others when they're struggling... So I don't really have concerns there anymore. Right now, we are working on encouraging the 11 yo to challenge herself. I don't see her as any more or less inclined to push outside her comfort zone as most adults I know, so I hope she will be in that habit and get a jump on it in adulthood. One thing that has really left us, though, is comparing what we do and where we are to schools. It honestly doesn't cross my mind anymore. We just assess where we are according to our own goals. I think that both keeps us from complacency and from getting stressed out about "gaps".

We're flipped on that. Or, more accurately, *were*, pre-twins. My husband has a MS from Hopkins. He's a firefighter/paramedic. I have a HS diploma and a random assortment of college (no degree) and my former career was as a software engineer.

I don't think they do. I'm pretty sure that's the one we had for years. It was great, but then the antenna fried and we were cutting costs so we didn't replace it. Now, I mostly listen to the radio online, and we got a Bluetooth speaker that connects to our PC / tablet. (Which obviously doesn't work in the car. Just sayin'.)

I use sea salt. It has trace minerals - like iodine - in it naturally. I don't care for the taste of iodized salt, or salt with anti-caking additives. (and, yes, as Chucki pointed out, we have other sources of iodine, including shellfish and our multivitamins)

:svengo: I used to make stock overnight in my completely verboten countertop appliance that I no longer own, set to low. But it was hot in there.

No kidding. And, if you do, don't get bent out of shape when people point it out.

Yup, though I won't even lie: when I kept flour, it was in a flip-top dog food bin from Target. (it held 25lbs, and the other 25 was stored in the freezer) I use 8oz, quart and half gallon canning jars for spices, smallish "working" quantity dry goods (dried fruit, split peas, etc), and grains and beans, respectively. I write the contents and/or directions (type of rice and water to rice ratio, for instance) in sharpie on the glass.