That's what we've found as well. Even with a small amount of daily screen time, we have behavior issues- surliness, fighting, boredom, whining. So we turned it off. They might watch a movie while we eat pizza on Friday nights, or we might not. I might have a documentary on the computer while I'm cleaning up the kitchen that they watch a bit, but that's rare. They play Wii at the Y, we have no video games here, except Leapsters they lose (misplace,'forget about) for months at a time. TV doesn't go on until they're in bed. They go to be at 8. When we first banned it, my husband would turn it on the moment they went upstairs. Now, sometimes, it's after 10 before we put it on. Of course, there are exceptions. If there is illness in the house, they may lay around dozing in front of a movie. My kids are rarely sick, though. There was one cold (which I brought home from a lovely, sharing coworker), and one stomach bug (which I escaped) in the past year and a half. So if they're sick it's a Big Deal. ;)

That's what I would assume.

Treatment: You can try soaking it in Biz (hey, I wonder if the Tightwad Gazette clorox 2 / cascade thing would work on that?) overnight. The yellowing is a reaction between the detergent/bleach and the antiperspirant residue. I'm not sure if there's anything that consistently works. So, yes, preventable. Switch to deodorant or use dress shields (probably unsightly with a sleeveless blouse... but funny!). eta: I wonder if Barkeeper's Friend would work. No, seriously. It's the oxalic acid that helps get metal scuff out of your sink, right? So I wonder if a sprinkling of that would help. (and now I'm mentally inventorying the closet for a garment in need of this experiment)

I don't starch most things. Sometimes a blouse that is particularly reluctant to give up wrinkles, or has weird body. But those items aren't normal wear. If it makes you feel better, I've had the same bottle of starch since my husband was in grad school... 2007? '08? And it's a quart bottle, so... And it's less work than trying to pick the starch blech off your shirt. ;) psssst, I also use bluing. In the laundry, even, not just to make awesome crystals grow on charcoal.

Anything I also wear with a skirt... so, tees (long- or short-sleeved, v-neck, brown, black or gray, mostly), turtleneck, bulky sweater, blouse, cardigan... It's too hot here to wear jeans in the summer, so they're definitely late-fall to mid-spring wear. I don't think I own a polo shirt, though.

I had my 10yo write a letter to a friend after discovering a horribly mean - telling her nobody likes her, playing on every insecurity the girls has - email she had sent. I honestly was so horrified by the viciousness... Our circumstances are different, though, in that they do not see each other regularly. I used to tolerate her mother (really pushy, mean, judgmental) until she turned her eye to me, so the girls really don't have in-person time. The letter was the best solution. In your son's case, I think a heartfelt apology is entirely appropriate. And, really, more difficult than a letter, I think.

Nope. But I did use Mrs. Myer's ironing spray on the wide hem edge of the top sheet and pillow cases until they stopped making it. :glare: Now, I'm going to have to make my own. Also, when I do starch, I use liquid, dunk and squeeze out the excess and roll 'em up in the fridge. Much better than spray starch IMNSHO; spray starch sits on top and scorches. Blech. I have mangle envy, too. Apparently my Meme had a roll-around one right in the kitchen that was there when my dad and his brothers cleaned out my Pepe's house after he died. :svengo:What I wouldn't give to have Meme's mangle.

That's us. Close conversational tone in the children's room, quieter anywhere else.

And evidently not at this one, either. I would most definitely speak to the children's librarian, if that is her regular post. We don't have that sort at our library, nor at the DE library we used to frequent. We DO have that sort at the next bigger town library. My husband checked out a book on tape for a class he was taking. When we got home, one of the cassettes (but not the one he needed) was missing. I immediately called the library and informed them. When I returned it, I stood at the returns desk for a full 5 minutes before anyone came over to help me, then explained the situation and that I had called the day of checkout. No problem. A note will be put on it. When I got home, I had a message from Ms. Frowny Pants, saying a cassette was missing, so I called and explained (again) that it had been missing on checkout, I had called, I had spoken to someone at the returns desk... "Well, we'll forgive it THIS time, but I am personally making a note on your record." Whatever. You got me, lady. Because, really, I am ALL ABOUT stealing random cassettes from the middle of books on tape. :glare:

:lol: That's just one of those emails where you wonder if the writer was high.

Is THAT what causes it? :blink: (We need a smilie with a tic)

My mother is a walking font of WTH? moments. When my husband and I had been dating for a year or so, I mentioned his parents were going to Egypt. Her response: "Why? Are they black?" There is simply no way to answer this question while trying to figure out how she arrived there. Years later, everyone came to our house for Easter and my SIL was saying how one of the kid's (in her class) mom had come in to talk about the Passover Seder. My mother jumps in with the train-of-thought wreck du jour, "Oh, E! I didn't know you were Jewish!" My SIL - clearly more clever than I - doesn't miss a beat and comes back with "Yep. We're a bunch of black Jews. Sammy Davis, Jr. is our uncle." My mother also called my husband, when I was on bed rest for cervical funneling when I was pregnant with the boys and insisted - DEMANDED! - he take me out dancing for my birthday. She was sure they'd let me out of bed, since it was a special occasion. (Which has some bearing on my cervix in what way?) Also, she has evidently not met me because I don't dance. Of course, she may have had me confused with someone else... I called her once and said, "Hi, Mom, I just got your message...yadda, yadda" and she asked who this was. Uh, I'm an only child? :001_huh:

:iagree: totally dependent on season, activity and mood.

You made a category just for meeeeeeeeeeee!:001_wub: I iron everything, including (especially!) the sheets. Best.chore.ever.

Ditto. But if guests would prefer to have food with the illusion of being untouched by human hands - what? divine intervention? - then served in a bowl, pre-grated would be the way to go.

I agree, and I am a child of the 70s. I would expect a child with whom I have a satellite relationship to call me Mrs. Husband's-Last-Name. That is my title. (However, if you address something to me using my name, then please get my last name right, MOM!) Children who are close friends and our families hang out together, I expect to call be simply by my first name. I think this has more to do with homeschooling and having multigenerational friends than anything else. Likewise, I expect my children to call my co-workers by Mrs/Mr Last Name. If the adult's preference is first name, then I expect them to respect that. And I wholeheartedly agree with the thought that EVERYONE should have an etiquette book. I have a 70s vintage Letitia Baldridge (Amy Vanderbilt). The rules haven't changed, we just engage in less formal socializing. The purpose of etiquette is to standardize the social rules so that everyone is comfortable, not to make people feel thwarted in their personal expression or bad about fork choices. Indeed, standardization keeps one from embarrassment from committing such faux pas. Of course! There was a different, more formal way of inquiring about registries, but they were absolutely still in force. How on earth would one go about contributing to the set up of a new household without information on china patterns, etc. Can you imagine? Alas, the part that seems to have changed is civilty, gentleness in the process. {sigh} ETA: it is also in extremely poor taste to condemn someone for faux pas, as well. ;)

My thought exactly. Everything we do in play is "practicing" for life as a grownup. We simply practice on a different level. My boys have various vehicles that come apart, have gear drives for the axles, etc. It would be entirely inappropriate for them to take the wheels (or any other parts) off MY car, though. And Quinn was sorely disappointed to learn he will not have b00ks when he's a grownup. He evidently had plans for them.

I second Evolution running, or suggest finding a Chi Running seminar in your area. Heel striking is really hard on your joints. And, yes, depending on where the pain is, tight hips (specifically the IT band) could be causing it. Runners World has some videos on kinesio taping for IT band pain. KT helped me tremendously with achilles issues. Honestly, the worst for me was more supportive shoes. Running barefoot (or in Vibrams) is what stopped all the joint and lower leg complaints.

When the boys were infants, I brought them into the highschool so my oldest daughter could show them off to her baby loving Spanish teacher. Her English teacher happened along and asked if they were my daughters! We all just looked at him for the longest time... I had to wonder how he would miss a 15 yo pregnant with twins. :confused: (reason #1013 to homeschool, a two parter: a: teen pregnancy is so rampant as to be unremarkable, b: the teachers are not wearing their Captain Obvious panties to work)

Excellent! I'm glad it's working for you. It's so hard to find something that works for everyone in the house.

My kids, boys and girls, did too. And they all talked about breasts, as breasts were a normal part of their daily life at that age. They don't anymore, though because they've all weaned. Shocking!

Oh course the company spokesman doesn't understand the controversy, the company is in Spain. Only in the US do we offer padded bikini tops for 7 year olds and scandalize breastfeeding as lewd. Why on earth would we want to normalize (as in standardize) bottle feeding in the role playing of young children to the exclusion of dolls that teach otherwise? (this is NOT a rant against bottle feeding. We all have the same information and make our choices based on our own needs) I could do without the top. Not in the "fake nursing bra" way, but because I don't care for the idea of toys that only work with certain garments. (and, frankly, my hungry nurslings worked with all sort of garments. ;) People ARE weird.

Love it! I put cuisine-appropriate hots on everything! My kids, on the other hand... Well, the 6yos are asking for red pepper flakes and hot sauce now. The 10yo is suspicious of black pepper. Interesting that genetics and culture don't seem to play a part in that. I've known people raised in cultures where spicy was the norm who just can't handle their mothers' cooking as adults.

I live in town, where one of our neighbors is, perhaps, 30 feet away. But the fronts of the houses are staggered so our front porch is mor forward than theirs, etc. If someone's deck (which they presumably use) was facing my house with no barrier in the 200 feet, I would feel like they were always watching me. We have a privacy fence that I designed. The "solid" lower part is 5' tall, with about 1" gaps between the boards so there is some feeling of openess. There is another foot of 2x2" spindles that are about 6" on center, and a cap rail. It provides privacy without feeling like a fortress. I love a nice hedgerow, but dogs don't seem to take that as a barrier.

I feel for you. There is a certain air of banishment... From my experience in public school in the 70s, they were much better equipped to get a kid up to speed and less reticent to have kids skip grades based on ability. Now it seems like the just want everyone in the herd to pass the test, you know? I would think a private school would have better resources, but... ?