Um... Yeah. Not. Vehicle inspections are required at the point of sale, only. Emissions testing only applies to those in metro areas. I know plenty of other states that are more stringent on those. I don't know what road laws they looked at, but we follow the same traffic laws as everyone else. You can buy a gun in a Walmart... And the state absolutely DOES NOT approve curriculum, plus individual school systems are explicitly prohibited from adding any requirements to the oversight laws.

I once went to the post office to mail something and the counter clerk (who was our carrier when we first moved here) asked me if I'd done anything with the gigantic box of packing peanuts on the porch because they'll take them for recycling. She'd filled in for deliveries a couple weeks before and knocked to mention it to us but knew we must have been away because "Mia didn't bark". A couple years ago, my boys dressed up as our UPS driver for Halloween. He was on vacation but his fill-in sent him a picture. All through trick or treating we heard "look! Two little Charlies!" He's also been known to drive back into town to deliver friends' signature items to me because they weren't home (and he figured if they weren't here, I'd at least take it for them).

"that's not food!" I've had to start telling them they may not tell other people that because I think some of the parents of their friends are getting offended. Which still doesn't mean I'll let mine have soda - even if (or especially because) "it's diet!" :ack2: - but it's probably better to just decline politely.

:grouphug: we went through what you generally described last year. You and yours will be in my thoughts while you process all of this.

Ghastly is generous. I find that, in addition, it has an ironic chemical aftertaste. You should be able to buy a couple packets at your local health food store. I am very glad I did.

Yup, if I'm wearing matching socks, it's an accident. Being concerned about sock matching just pokes at the evil sock-stealing gnomes that infest my house.

Until the giant genetically modified breastmilk cow lobby gets in on it.

In my mind, cows already produce breastmilk. And it's unique to her and her baby.

Behr "Maharaja". Dark, dark, midnight purple with white trim.

Love Cozi (free version) for coordinating calendars & lists between my iPhone & my husband's droid. I also have Mad Libs, a word search, iMapMyFitness, Gazelle (the Qwest Diagnostics patient app - dumps my results into my account, let's me keep track of medical stuff)... LOVE Words with Friends! I have games going with a friend and my husband right now! There is also iMissal, iBreviary, etc. if you're looking for daily Catholic readings. If your library system participates, Overdrive has an app to download ebooks & eaudio. I'm sure there's more...

Far be it for me to determine what's offensive, but I think "Indian style" is no more offensive than "tailor style". It's not a derogatory term, in either instance. Now, if someone tells me to sit criss-cross applesauce, I'm outta there. I am a grownup and I sit cross-legged. :tongue_smilie:

Rainbow Light gummies. They come 30'daily packets to a box.

Um, yes. That. Thyroid problems postpartum are very common. I attributed brain fog, hair loss, fatigue and a whole host of issues that scream thyroid to having infant twins. (symptoms that are totally attributable to being hormonally imbalance and sleep deprived with a little one -or two - too!) It took me six years and a profound bout of fatigue to wake up and realize my twins were no longer infants and this was NOT normal.

We didn't have heat or snow days. I think here, there have been heat days, primarily in Baltimore City schools where there are a number of older buildings that would be stifling in the city heat. Where I am (eastern shore), I don't recall heat days... Though I am admittedly not paying much attention.

As far as I know, yes. You need a passport card (or proper passport) to cross back from Canada or Mexico now. Not sure how it works for a joint attraction like Niagra Falls though.

Well, I wouldn't say I don't freak out, but I do remind myself, in the words of a wise friend who also homeschools, "this a marathon, not a sprint".

I have the same cringe-inducing experience. Repeatedly. Yes, we sure do take breaks, but not when we're behind. Yes, there are areas where I see a gap, so we put more effort there. Yes, my six year olds are not reading fluently and I do say "eh, it'll happen" but that does NOT mean we sit back and wait and do something more "fun"; we just keep practicing knowing we shouldn't stress about it. And we do struggle. And we constantly reevaluate our needs and how our current process is meeting those needs... Must be the old software engineer in me because that evaluation process is continuous in all areas of our life.

I have two people who were just so predictably vicious that I couldn't take reading their posts. (I have clicked the magic "view" button a few times, only to be reminded of why I ignored them.) They've been there for years and really post so infrequently that I'm shocked to see an ignored post in a thread.

Yes. Propriety. Honestly, I think my mortification has more to do with the speaker's lack thereof.

Yes, that sort of thing makes me uncomfortable. Not so much because it's inappropriate to share, but that it's creepy to do.

I generally keep things to myself in person, unless discussing something with a very close (read: trusted) friend. That said, it doesn't bother me when people offer what is socially accepted as TMI, in most cases. (I honestly wondered if the subject "TMI" was going to be followed by a declaration that the doctors of the 70s were right and your uterus did actually fall out from running! Snort.)

Also recommended: "Your Symptoms are REAL" (Natelson)' date=' "The Thyroid Solution" (Arem). I love that site. I think it is important to point out (particularly to people who keep being told they're "normal") that hypothyroidism was treated with USP compounds for over a century before the TSH test was developed. Read that out loud. Again. Now let us add that our super sensitive, 3rd generation TSH assay is catching more people with thyroid issues than the one before, and those before that. Each of which was the definitive bottom line. It makes me angry that doctors are no longer practicing the art of medicine, but have become technicians, and then pretend we are the crazy ones. If it makes her feel better - and I know I'm not alone in this - Dr. Weiss was the absolute last step in medical doctors before I was going to start treating myself. It just so happened he was on board with my assessment.

Jump? :blink:

I misfired my vote (that's what I get for not reading the very first post!); it should have been option 1. I work out 2 hrs a day, 6-7 days a week, moderate to high intensity, meaning I do about an hour of HIIT, then power lift. I also ride my bike, play lacrosse with my kids (including boot camp style conditioning drills), walk places, climb, bend, lift, pull, push... My kids are either a) at home with my husband (we'll take turns running/biking/etc) or b) at the gym with us, in the youth area or c) actively involved.

No kidding! And, also, did your Google search bring up (after the images, of course) the "House Centepedes are Your Friends!" Facebook group? I suddenly find myself having PLENTY of friends. :ack2: