Yup. Biz is awesome. And, if that doesn't work, I will add that I have recently had success getting random stains, including mildew stains(!!!), out with the Tightwad Gazette Clorox 2 and Cascade solution.

:lol: that's so funny! It's nice to hear such spousal torment. I have that problem with ham salad from the Amish market. It's like crack.

Also, if his doctor refuses to order the tests, you can order your own at MyMedLab.com (they go through LabCorp).

I'm going to suggest two books, both of which were at my library: "Your Symptoms Are Real: What to do when your doctor says nothing is wrong", Benjamin H. Natelson and "From Fatigued to Fantastic", Jacob Teitelbaum These (and my husband) are what kept me sane and engaged in demanding answers this spring when I was told there was nothing wrong with me, having largely the same symptoms. I went through a family doctor, an endocrinologist, and finally landed with the internist who took the torch when Dr. Teitelbaum retired. It turned out, my thyroid is iffy but it seems I am thyroid resistant (like insulin resistance, just a different hormone), my adrenals are fatigued, and I'm celiac or at least gluten intolerant. One thing I wasn't: depressed. I was frustrated, defeated, and angry though. Btw, both of these books deal with chronic fatigue and the many underlying causes associated with it. The symptom arrays can help you figure out which direction is more likely than others. Also, if you use Quest labs, you can go on their website and get access to your own results, keep health information, etc. Those results belong to you.

Scarlet fever? Has she been exposed to strep? Parvovirus? Is it like a slap mark? I'd be inclined to get that looked at, and I'm usually a wait and see kind of girl.

My kids eat something like breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner... maybe a snack, maybe not, depending on what time we eat. They're skinny and need the calories. The snacks they have are things they can get themselves: yogurt, fruit, a muffin left over from breakfast, cheese and crackers. I'm not handling the snacks. That makes it easier for me to avoid them.

I like Chez Larsson. I find her ideas inspiring, though our styles and lifestyles are completely different. Org Junkie has tips.

Exactly. You're the training wheels. :D

Yes. I think this speaks to the article's statement that we raise our kids to leave us. There is a vast difference between micromanaging every aspect of a kid's life so they are never feel less than deliriously happy and helping them learn the skills they need to live their lives independently in a supportive environment.

I have the same issue. There was a segment on Diane Rhem a couple years ago where the doctor she was interviewing said the rule of thumb is that wazir circumference should be half your height in inches. So, at 5'0", I should have a waist circumference of 30". According to the BMI charts, I'm obese. I wear a 4-6 (have a 28-29" waist). One of our directors is a 5'10", solid muscle size 2. Her BMI falls in the overweight to obese range, too. It's a stupid chart.

I go through that sometimes. No idea why, but I can go from drinking a pot a day to not finishing the first cup. It doesn't seem to be seasonal or hormonal (though I did lose my taste for coffee when I was pregnant with the boys). Actually, I've done that with knitting over the past few months, too. I have half or nearly finished projects and no desire to pick them up. No aversion, either... Just no interest either way. And my life pretty much revolves around coffee and wool. :D

To my way of thinking, choice is the product of reason. Belief lies outside of reason. (by which I do not mean "unreasonable" )

You upload them as attachments. (The paperclip, not the picture button ;))

uh-huh. You can all pretend you don't have days where, when school is closed, the bar is open. Heehee. :lol: Look up one of her posts. She has a link to her blog post outlining her genius in her signature. :001_smile:

I agree (shocking, I know). In the homeschooling context that means, to us at least, that our children do not categorically succeed or fail. Rather, when they excel, we point that out but also up the challenge. When they fail, we point that out, and then help them form a plan for doing better. In a classroom, there is less opportunity for the teacher to raise the expectation based on the ability of a student (or even the class), or constructively critique each student on their weaker points. I don't see how excelling or failing in a vacuum can produce good results. That transfers to the social aspects, as well. If, by whatever arbitrary rules define such statuses, you're labeled popular, you are ingrained with a certain level of entitlement, from your peers, teachers, coaches, parents... If, on the other hand, you find yourself deemed unpopular, well, there's really no amount of work you can do to scrape that off. Either way, the social attitude toward you suggests this is an integral part of your person. It's easy to see where the adults on either side of that either find themselves feeling empty or depressed. However... I think, if you're inclined to sheltering or helicopter parenting, homeschooling may further or not challenge that, unless you are conscious of what you're doing and want to change that dynamic.

Baby blossom is lovely and light. I have nothing to compare it to, but my SIL started using it for her delicates wash when Victoria's Secret discontinued her laundry detergent. No need to run. Scent preference/sensitivity is a very odd and personal thing. :001_smile:

Lavender. Their gingerbread scent during the holidays is luscious. I like the lemon verbena, though the toilet cleaner in that scent smells very 7-Up to me. Not unpleasant, just different from the rest of the lemon verbena. (The lavender toilet cleaner doesn't smell like the rest of that scent line, either) Geranium (to me) is everything that's bad about cheap "rose" perfume. It gives me a headache.

I have the same experience, but ended up with a Dr who specializes in chronic fatigue. I first saw him Good Friday and was feeling like a completely normally functioning human within a month, with some tweaking of the Armour. Seriously, you need to see someone. And you may need to see multiple someones before you find one who will listen and act accordingly. Enlist an advocate. I'm sure I would have given up and crawled back into bed if my husband hadn't been as persistent with doctors as he was. :grouphug: a LOT of us have been there.

We have a hutch we've set up with Wishbone Dawn's organization system. :001_smile:

Ya know, I think you might be right. I sort of laugh at the Mommy Dearest to June Cleaver spectrum. If you actually watch Leave It to Beaver, the kids have pretty high expectations and, while the parents don't scream or beat them with hangers, they don't get away with rudeness/lying/bullying, aren't coddled, are redirected to put others before themselves, and so on. Gee, maybe we should stop poking fun and start taking notes. :001_smile:

I think I went directly from Harriet the Spy to Salem's Lot. I'm no worse for the wear, mostly. :lol: I totally agree. There are some books that are completely inappropriate for a 13yo boy: Carrie (among other things, I think he would have a harder time relating, just because he's a boy), the Stand (lots of sexual politics, but possibly my favorite), It (just because it gave me nightmares as an adult, and made me leery of clowns... he actually might enjoy it, though) and, yes, the Dead Zone. The Shining may or may not be appealing: there are adult themes of addiction and marital dynamic that may be simply beyond his experience. Ditto, Dreamcatcher; there is adult perspective that he just simply may not be able to relate to. On the other hand, I enjoyed Salem's Lot much younger than he is. The Talisman (King/Straub) is a great adventure story in parallel worlds with a young boy as the hero. (The sequel, Black House, may have more adult themes because Jack is an adult in that one... I can't remember. I read it with adult eyes.) Cujo and Firestarter were good when I was his age. The Green Mile is an amazing story, To Kill a Mockingbird meets the Master of Horror. I will also add that Peter Beagle has some excellent books in the fantasy genre that are probably less iffy, if you decide against King. A Fine and Private place was my favorite; The Last Unicorn may be my dad's all-time favorite book.

I would be, too, except I seem to be surrounded by people who think a toddler biting another kid is an opening to have a five minute, sing-songy discussion with said toddler, affirming his feelings, blah, blah, blah... And, yes, by 5-ish, the rest of us stifle discussions of our "feelings" regarding their children's "feelings" of entitlement and enormous self worth. :glare: I don't think my kids have self-esteem issues, but they find satisfaction in the payoff of their best effort (mostly), not because everything they do is the best.thing.ever. And they seem to have the empathy the simpering parents are trying to model by teaching their children how to justify poor behavior by being way over in-touch with their own feelings. Of course, these are the same parents that, when asked to please stop giving you a raft of carp because you are not (and have stated such) on board with their agenda (not their parenting, other unrelated things), they immediately demand an apology because you have hurt their feelings, then lash out because you are clearly evil and out to persecute them... :confused: But, really, I'm not at all bitter. :D

I feel so vindicated. :D

Home Comforts is my favorite cleaning manual.

My dad has a set of Le Creuset fry pans impregnated with silverstone. I have never seen anything like them, and they are fantastic. One had gotten weird inside with hard use, so he sanded it and it's like new.