I'm going through our storage rooms. I've had a pretty easy time getting rid of clothes, which typically in have a hard time letting go of, especially baby clothes. I'm having a hard time with toys. I know - broken, missing parts, no longer used = goodbye. But even after that they still have a lot. Too many IMO. How do you decide how much to keep? I feel like if I get rid of too much they'll be deprived, which I know in my head isn't true. Because these toys from the storage room are what they have in addition to what is in their rooms. I removed some a few months back because they were having a hard time keeping their rooms clean. #1 loves American Girl dolls and has her dolls and their stuff in her room. Like beds and stuff, so it takes a bit of floor space, but isn't a big deal. #2 loves her doll house things and stuffed animals, plus some AG dolls. #3 has a doll sized horse,plus coloring things and dress up clothes. #4 has Legos, magnatiles and a few random things. So they have plenty to spark imagination and keep busy. How do I know how much to keep. We could rotate, but they wouldn't want to trade away what they have in their rooms now. As a side note, 2 of them have the beginnings of hoarding tendencies. So I want to show them how nice and free it feels to not have too much to take care of.

Vionics are supposed to have fantastic arch support.

I ask what is being served. From that I decide what I'll bring.

Years ago I did the saliva test and my cortisol was almost nonexistent until the last reading of the night when it skyrocketed. So, there are adrenal issues. I know that this dr won't give me any desiccated thyroid. She told me at my first visit that she doesn't use it because it's hard to be for sure how much you're getting in each dose. I had been taking 3 grains of NT (from the previous dr) and it started causing some numbers to go wonky so the dr reduced it to 2. It's hard to find a good dr who listens. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So I used to be hypothyroid for a long time. When we moved I ran out of my meds and it took a while to find a new dr. I went to a holistic-ish doctor and he put me on Naturethroid. It didn't seem to help at all. I had to switch drs because this guy was an out of pocket practice and it was getting steep. All that to say.... I thought I'd get started with an internal medicine doctor. I told her about my thyroid and when she ran labs my TSH (which I know is not the final answer on things) was .008.I had recently been sick and was told that might skew my results and I should come back in a month to retest. Also, she told me to stop the meds she'd put me on (can't remember what).Ok, so this time (almost 2 months later) my TSH was .006, Free T3 was 4.1, and my free t4 was 1. There nurse who called with my results said to reduce my medication because it was causing my numbers to be low. I told her I wasn't taking anything and she still wanted me to take the reduced prescription. I told her no, it didn't make sense to, she talked with the doctor who agreed. She said we could discuss things at my next appointment - a month away. I told her how bad I feel and how I need a sooner appt so they found a cancellation two weeks sooner. At this point I'm questioning this dr. Now, for me to have gone from a high TSH to simple with a change in symptoms makes me think something is going on. They don't seem terribly concerned. I want to find an endocrinologist, but being new in town I don't know a good one. I'm thinking of keeping the appointment just to ask for a referral. Or would you just cut ties and move on? Am I overreacting? I just feel so bad...

Uh, I wouldn't go back either. "So, thanks for the nystatin and lose the attitude."

I think offering to make something for him will open the door for him to accept or to say he'll bring his own. I'm sure he'll appreciate your thoughtfulness either way,

We were adults only for the ceremony. It was in an old plantation house/mansion and the room we were in echoed a bit. I didn't want extra noises to drown out our voices on the DVD. We hired a professional nanny to watch the children during the ceremony and parents could go get their children for the reception. The children could play and the parents didn't have to worry about little Johnny and Jane fussing or being loud. Win win. We weren't being selfish or juvenile. It wasn't due to budgets either. That nanny wasn't cheap. :-)

A friend's name is Violet Olivia. I always thought it was lovely.

Our previous town had community ed classes. Almost anyone could offer a class. There was a small fee for the teachers (like to pay for lights and stuff) but you were allowed to determine the student fees for your class, as well as the class scedule. I bet it would be a much sought after class.

Do Ellie's idea in reverse. "If you do not show up without letting the host know, each family will be charged a $5 inconvenience fee. Save yourself the money and just let us know." :-) No one would really do that, but I bet you'd get a more accurate head count.

Ours never "mean to" do anything. Tripped your sister? Wrote on the wall? Broke the toy? Nope, didn't mean to. All four of mine felt no remorse for damaging property (they're not terrors, just don't feel bad for breaking things if it happens). So I gave them the example of me hitting a car - maybe it was an accident, maybe it wasn't (obviously a hypothetical case) but I still have to pay for the damage I caused. So I've started making jars that say who owes who for what they need to replace and that person pays in the jar until it's paid in full. Then we go buy what was damaged or broken. It has seriously decreased the "accidents" that no one "meant to" do. Those flip flops she ruined? She'd be buying a new pair at our house. Run late on purpose? By all means, discuss it. Get her thoughts and reasoning. But if she were to continue? I'd let her explain to the music teacher/receptionist/grandma why you were late. Enough guts to run you late on purpose = enough guts to take responsibility. And I'd take up a bit of her time. Amount of time late or intentional lolly-gagging can be made up through an equal amount of housework or yard work. Spend some time alone with her, with your Dh or either of you alone with her. Do something she loves that you can share. Let her know your feelings about what is going on, not just about the issues right now, but that you're concerned about these things and her future. What is her love language? I know some poo-pah that book, but it's a good one. Love her (I know you do) and help her learn in the safety of home that actions have consequences.

We decided to go for it! She's excited and looking forward to getting started!

It's a company of 50 I think. And the school is quite large. The school and the company (a non-profit) are separate but connected. You are considered more serious in company, but I don't think that's bad for the non-company. Some just want to have fun and that's great. The performance pieces and shows are well known and not just for friends and family. :-)

It's not competitive, but more training and performances. And money and time. :-)

So we're switching dance schools (yea!). My daughter was evaluated and asked to join company. She's 10. The commitment is big ($, her time, 50 volunteer hours on my part). It also would allow for several more performance opportunities, which is one thing she loves. So.... How old was your child when she joined company? Is it worth the time and money? What are other benefits? Why should she join? Part of me says do it! Part of me says give her a year to adjust to her new school.

Being interrupted. Loud chewers. *shudder* When people unload the clean silverware and put them in the wrong place. Hello, people! Big spoons, little spoons, pointy knives, butter knives. *sigh* Line cutters. Toast crumbs on butter still in the butter dish. Butter in jam jars. Boxes opened in such a way that they cannot be closed using the tab and slot on top.

I like the way my guy colors my hair, but twice he's told me he wouldn't give me layers in the back (I have hair that's about 4 inches below my armpit) because they'll make my hair look thin. ? I've had long layers before and it was perfect. He also didn't want to do some highlights I asked about. Now, I want a stylist to be honest with me if something is going to make me look bad, but come one -a few layers in the back? Just do it, man. Needless to say, I'm in the market for a new guy. Sigh. I miss the girl from my old town.

The anesthesiologist will be here in time, don't worry. Your baby is too young to have food allergies. I've never seen a case of eczema herpeticum, only read about it in school. That's not what your baby has. Just give it another 6 months, her eyes will correct themselves. We saw another pediatric ophthalmologist who told us if we didn't do corrective surgery right away it would be life altering. We did the surgery.

I used Hope in a Jar for a while. When winter came in MN it wasn't keeping up with my dry skin so I tried When Hope is Not Enough. I didn't like that. It balled up in a very weird way if I tried to rub it in too fast. I liked HiaJ, but wish it moisturized better. I liked the face wash (can't remember the actual name right now). Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I love love loved our Jane PowerTwin. That thing could spin on a dime and was so easy to collapse and unfold. I was so sad when we no longer had a need for it. And the basket underneath held so much.

Whew - lots to answer. She's 10 (need to update...) and her class meets for 90 minutes twice a week. Her old studio had even kids her age then (so like 8?) in sync. At Christmas when it was off at practice I expected to hear "We're going to have to do it again - focus, ladies" like at her old studio. Instead I heard, "great job! You're going to be great next week!" Hmm... I know of one girl from this studiL who went on to study dance past high school and now teaches dance at a high school in town and also choreographs the musicals. There are a few who have "graduated" from the studio and now teach there. One session a week is a younger teacher like that and one session is with the older teacher. The older one (The one who has danced and done stuff professionally) does the choreography for recitals and the other helps practice it. The company is basically older girls at the studio who take more classes, pay more fees and are in more of the productions than the "regular" students. They have a name (The 'state' Christian Dance Theater). The intensives are located all over. Several girls go out of state for different ones. I want her to be at the best place we can put her. On the other hand I don't want to leave a place where dd feels comfortable and move her somewhere where maybe she's introduced to dance drama. Would you call this other place back? Could there be a good reason as to why they haven't returned my phone calls?

We moved last year(ish) and 2 of our girls are taking ballet. The oldest takes it seriously and wants to teach/be a pro when she grows up. The dancers are not in sync. I first witnessed it while watching my daughter's class rehearse for the Christmas performance. But it's not just that age group, even the company girls. They're all the time talking about the various intensives the girls get in. Honestly, I think it's partly because they're auditioning alone, not as a group. There's no doubt the girls are talented, it just seems like for most of the dances they're not together. It bothers me that the teachers don't seem to care. Oh, and my daughter said one of her teachers told them to concentrate on the beginning and the end of their dances because "that's really what people remember." Kind of an odd thing to teach IMO. Would this bother you? I've thought about another performing arts school (they have a pre-pro programm and have students that are now on Broadway and Rockettes). I've called twice and they have yet to return my calls. We like the atmosphere at the current place - nice people, kind and friendly. Ugh.

When my morning sickness was bad I lived off a certain brand of frozen dinner rolls (cooked,:-P ) and Boost (that shake in a bottle for senior citizens). When I was able to eat more I still had a hard time with meat. But I found I could tolerate it more when it was cut in very very small pieces. Like tiny. I forgot about cooking food and not being able to stomach eating it! I did that ALL the time.

Well, how on earth will you be able to relax and have fun if you don't plan every single detail? :-) If you assign her a specific outing or event, will she leave the other details alone?