That. Is. AWESOME!!! Congratulations to both of you!

Oh.my.word. Look at the one in the green diaper. It's sooooo humiliated. :lol:

Well, keeping in the same vein... Link And, yes, there are absolutely things in life - including parenting young children, perimenopause, etc - that can adversely affect our sleep, our hormone balance, and everything else. If I don't get enough sleep, I am tired the next day. That is completely different from long term fatigue that is affecting your daily living. Common and normal are not the same. And neither of those is "optimal" which is really what we should be shooting for. (and, also? argue away. It's one of the things we do best here, right? :D)

Oh. I didn't know that. That is sad. :(

:svengo: pffft! pffft! Bite your tongue!

Apparently, they also wear sweaters. :lol:

SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE! Don't you just love when that happens? :D

Mr. Electricity says I would save an average of $227/yr. Which is assuming that my 11c/KWH is accurate. It may not be. And I estimated 12 loads per week. (There are 5 of us.)

They're her family. :lol:

The "old lady arms", by the way, are a result of a flabby triceps muscle, held in a position where the muscle is relaxed (90 degree wave?) and not having super-tight skin. The muscle gets flabby because there really aren't activities of daily living that use it, unless your daily living has you pulling down on heavy ropes or hauling stuff over your head from behind you. Conversely, we use our biceps a lot. It sounds like you're doing well, and seeing positive changes. I wouldn't worry about the numbers right now. You're likely to see those happen, seemingly overnight, after the shifting around stops.

Yeah, I tend to fly my snob flag high and proudly, particularly when people like this are calling me on it. It just means I haven't dropped my standards to a horrifying low.

I find Women to Women very helpful as well, but would like to clarify that they are a women's health practice, founded by Christiane Northrup (MD, author of "Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom" and "The Wisdom of Menopause", etc) NOT "a company that sells vitamins and supplements". (That description does a disservice to the practice. ;)) Debilitating fatigue is not a normal state. Please don't let anyone tell you it is!

No, I'm sorry. If you are vomiting, experiencing explosive diarrhea, or bleeding from your head wound, you simply do not belong at a party. The end. I am fairly certain that not a single person, when having their shoes splashed as they enjoy their meal, is particularly concerned about whether the cause is contagious, your IBS flaring, or just a flesh wound. They're just revolted. When you find yourself afflicted with something that is generally considered revolting outside of, say, an ER, it's time to take your leave.

Me, either. But, then, I hope I'm not a train wreck, so I take it as a good sign that TLC isn't beating down my door.

Or that this sort of spectacle is an appropriate way to conduct yourself. I see that a good bit. Sigh. And, yes, aggieamy, it makes me sad for our society, too.

No. That was a self introduction from an apparently returning "guest" on Springer. My car was being tuned up. I had no control over the selection or volume of the television in the waiting area. And you're right. There is no adjective that seems to fit.

Yep. As in: I'm came on here today so you can fin' out who my babydaddy. I thought it dis guy or maybe dis other guy, but las' time I here, you say those tes's say no. So now I thank it dis guy or dis other guy that was in jail but he dead now. Which really makes you go :001_huh:

Uh... Yes. Yes, I think that is, indeed, their primary misfortune. Well, you should have turned on the sound. Then you would know they AIN'T rednecks, cuz they got all their teeth. Me, too. There is enough appallingly lowbrow carp on regular network tv, why would I want to pay for them to look for more appalling people to show?

Crude. Though I occasionally use it to refer to my husband when he's being goofy and I am trying (tongue in cheek) to disassociate myself from him, while suggesting he would be fodder for Jerry Springer. :D

I would speak to the parents and let them know that their 5 yo is ringing your doorbell all day long, regardless of the answer he receives. That's just rude. (not age inappropriate at all, but that's why 5 year olds have parents, you know?) It's unfortunate that he doesn't have someone else to play video games, but it's not your daughter's role to fill simply because he wants her to.

Yup. That's pretty much it. You can't be all things to them. They can either allow helpers in, or live with full-time assistance.

:iagree: You need respite care, and help so you can actually take care of the rest of your obligations. There is no shame in that; it's perfectly reasonable. When my (demented, otherwise healthy) grandmother moved in with my mother during the last few years of her life, my mother worked full time. The local Dept of Aging had people who would come and take my grandmother to appointments, the library, church. The church also had volunteers who would come and look in on her, play cards, go for a walk. Call the agencies in your area and see what your options are so you can work out something that allows for everyone's needs to be attended. As for your MIL, toss her. Seriously. Showing up to make demands and be critical is not acceptable. She can do that by email (which you will, of course, direct straight to the trash folder). If she's not helping with the load, she's adding to it. Not. Acceptable. I do think kids learn a great many things while caring for elderly relatives. But their regularly scheduled lives do not need to stop and be replaced by living the life of an elderly couple. Teach them how to support others while being their own people. :grouphug:

This is true for my mother. All the world's a stage, and she alone writes the script. My dad, however, has never wanted anything other than for me to be engaged in some sort of productive pursuit that brings me joy. The times he's been disappointed in me are the ones where I've disappointed myself.

Yup. My husband and I are basically interchangeable, except for birthing and nursing. ;) It's been sort of difficult to figure out both of us teaching, since it's not always clear what discussion took place the day before, so this year he's taking the STEM subjects and I'm taking the liberal arts. Today, he left for work with algebra and TWTM in his bag, so he can do some lesson planning and obsess over science curriculum this evening (provided they don't run calls). Tomorrow morning, he will stop at Trader Joe's on his way home. Cooking, cleaning, kid maintenance, house stuff all go to who is best able to do it at the time. We each have our preferred areas, but will - and often do - step out of those and into the less-preferred as needed.

I do this, too. Or, rather, I have to have the tv on when I fall asleep. I put on something dialogue heavy, with no sudden action scenes, that I've seen before (so no need to see how it ends). For years, it was Law & Order reruns: just enough dialogue to keep my brain occupied so it doesn't spin like a hamster wheel.