[Just when you thought you'd seen it all-$290 paper bag]

I can't help but wish I could meet the people who would actually buy these things. Their mental incompetence must be just amazing to see in action. :tongue_smilie:

 

This. I also often wonder if some designers just really want to see what people will buy in the name of "fashion."

 

I had to stop reading most magazines because I spent most of my reading time arguing mentally with the "articles" and product assortments *sigh*

[How much are your 10- to 12-year-olds doing independently?]

I was reading a great thread that shanvan posted on the General board, about systems and routines that make schooling easier. It made me wonder how much your 10- to 12-year-olds do independently.

 

I'm finding that I'm still teaching for every subject. Math: I teach, and then she is assigned independent work to do on her own. MCT: I read aloud, we discuss and do an exercise together or I assign something for her to do on her own. Science: I teach the lesson, then we discuss/do the project together. SOTW: I read aloud and we discuss, and both girls do the map. I may assign additional reading. I don't really see this pattern changing anytime soon.

 

Are others having their kids do subjects entirely independently? Can you tell me how that works for you? Do you feel they learn as well? What resources are you using?

 

Thanks!

[Can we share...]

I'm reading this thread for ideas. We're still searching for a schedule/system that actually works for us (though this may be because I'm the one with the consistency issues :blushing:). I think I've figured out a system that will work, if I can stick to it, but we'll see how it goes this year. It might be a bit easier since it will be familiar to them from last year.

 

The most helpful thing we've implemented this year: We start the day with NO electronics privileges for anybody and they have to earn time (up to one hour per day) by finishing chores and schoolwork. This also eliminates the aforementioned issue of my son wanting to race through his work (because he wanted to get to the Wii part of his day :tongue_smilie:). We're still in the beta-testing phase of this, but so far it's been REALLY successful for us.

 

LemonPie, can you tell me how you implement this? What constitutes "earning" the time, and how do you make it so that rushing through the work is not desirable? Quality of work vs. simply being finished? Some other way?

 

Thanks!

[vision problem or losing interest?]

Well, I'm not sure about the vision, but I do know that I was still sweating about my youngest not being able to recognize/remember letters that we'd JUST talked about minutes before, and she was 5.5. I posted here and got lots of reassurance, but it was still several more months before things started to really click. It was literally the day AFTER I made the vision therapy appointment that she brought me a book to show me how she could read from it. So I don't think I'd worry too much about the reading right now. Easier said than done, though, I know :grouphug:

 

And in general, about vision, my family has a history of poor vision, so we start doing regular eye exams around 4-5.

[If you needs a girl giggle]

ETA: Here is the Amazon.co.uk version of the pen. These reviews are killing me!

 

The replies to the reviews are hilarious too.

 

It's as I've always suspected. Women have long been afflicted with pens envy.

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[Who can comment on your husband's weight?]

My husband has been hounded by his parents his whole life about his weight, even though they always made him "clean his plate" and "have another helping." They are Middle Eastern, so it's impolite not to offer, and impolite to refuse. But after they overfed him (as a child), they'd tell him he was fat. :glare:

 

He's 42 years old now, and they still tell him on every phone call, "You're fat, you need to work out, you need to lose weight, we love you."

 

I'm tired of this.

 

It doesn't help that his mother is a nutritionist and his father was a gymnast. But his dad had a free-wheeling kind of job (years ago), and he would leave work early every day to work out/play racquetball/play tennis/jog for 3-5 HOURS! My husband works and travels constantly, he would be happy to be able to fit in 30 minutes a day. If he's in the OR/hospital from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm or later, he's exhausted when he's done. And he still has to go out to some restaurant for supper, then back to his hotel. He's gone from home about 3 weeks out of 4 now.

 

And then there are MY parents. We live in the same town, which was too close today. :glare: My dad is forever telling me what my husband is doing wrong -- the trash didn't get put out right; he really should mow his own lawn on the one week a month he's home; he really should paint the garage door; he really should X, Y, or Z; he really should, he really should, he really should. And I say, "He's not retired, like you are, and he has more to do than put together jigsaw puzzles on the back porch." Which is all my dad has done this summer, but that's another story.

 

So today my dad said, "When [your husband] was over here the other day [hooking up their cable/new TV/moving the stand/fixing their electronics], I was talking to him about his weight."

 

And I calmly but firmly said, "If you are not his physician or his wife, you have no business saying anything to any man about his weight. And he's 42 years old, which is a full-fledged adult. He's not a child that you need to talk to like that. It really is between ___, and me, and God."

 

My dad got huffy and said, "But it is my business, because if he dies, then I have you and the kids to deal with."

 

:001_huh: Um, no. We have insurance, I have degrees, I am a grown-up, too. :001_huh: Just no.

 

Then my mom comes into the room and says, "We just have to be so careful what we say." Which is like saying, "You are so defensive." How can anyone contradict that, without being defensive. How can anyone contradict the "we have to be careful what we say" line, without objecting to what was said? :tongue_smilie:

 

Okay, I'm done now. Sorry, just needed to vent, and my FAT, LAZY, IMMATURE husband is 3,000 miles and 3 time zones away from home.

 

 

Wow. You are being much, much more polite than I would have been. I'm really sorry :grouphug:

[Does anyone else ever feel like a stingy food police?]

And so much of being the food police really is wrapped up in this! It's not so much always about keeping a grocery bill low as it is teaching them how to be healthy eaters and how to make healthy choices. No, when you feel a little rumbly in the tummy, you do not need to always hit an expensive snack when carrot sticks or an apple are waiting for you. You do not need MOUNDS of cheese in your taco when perfectly lovely pintos are waiting to provide you with protein, iron, etc. That's where I am a lot with the boys. Forcing better food choices, :D.

 

Exactly. Yes, a taco full of salsa, sour cream, and cheese is delicious! But a taco full of beans, meat, salsa, sour cream, and cheese is really good too! It's OK to not have "deeeeelicious!" in every bite that goes into your mouth. "That tastes pretty good" is also perfectly acceptable :D

[Sprouting chickpeas?]

I've not sprouted chickpeas, but I have sprouted soy beans, alfalfa seeds, broccoli etc. It often take 2 to 4 days. The more often you change the water, the faster it goes.

 

Did you get your beans from a reputable place and were they intended for sprouting? Just asking because some seeds meant for planting are treated with anti-fungal chemicals that you don't want to eat.

 

They were just Goya-brand chickpeas, so they should be safe for eating, but they may be too old to sprout or something. Should the water be beany-smelling when I change it, or should it be completely odorless?

 

Thanks for the help so far :001_smile:

[Does anyone else ever feel like a stingy food police?]

I think that learning to make hummus and yogurt is a big budget stretcher.

 

I'm working up the nerve :lol: I'm soaking my first chickpeas ever today! I'm going to roast them with parm cheese though. I have to find tahini before I can make hummus (or else find the blade attachment to my Magic Bullet so I can make my own). And I'm juuuuust about ready to make yogurt--I've heard it can be really tart, though, and I have to research how to mitigate that a bit, or no one will eat it.

[Sprouting chickpeas?]

How long will it be before I see sprouts? It's been 48 hours now, and I don't see anything yet.

 

Also, how will I know if they're getting icky? I'm draining and rinsing every 6-8 hours, and they're not slimy at all, but they smell pretty beany when I open the lid to drain them. I'm a little worried about them going bad without my realizing. This is my first time sprouting anything but seeds to plant in the garden, so I'm a total newbie.

 

Thanks!

[I'm eating more chocolate now that school has started]

:lol: I did handwriting today with DD6 (her weak point, and the point at which her school day usually breaks down). I seriously needed some chocolate or scotch after that.

[Does anyone else ever feel like a stingy food police?]

This thread is making me really sad. Are people really rationibg food? :( I coupon hardcore and we have a big supply of food. My kids eat day and night and are thin anyway (metabolism) i am so sorry!! This makes me want to put even more food in storage!

 

I'm not rationing so much as I am trying to control overeating. My oldest is not that bad, but my youngest would eat all day if I let her. When they were little, I believed that if I didn't restrict them and kept healthy options in the house, they would self-regulate. That does not work at all for my youngest, and she's got the too-small clothing to show for it. I started dinner one hour ago, and she's been in here three times asking for snacks. When I tell her she can have a fruit or a vegetable, she leaves again. I have about 50 pounds to lose, and DH is working on 30-40. No one here is starving :lol:

 

Really, I'm trying to go from a lifestyle where we pick and snack way too much (and then eat normal meals!) to one where we eat if we're actually hungry (not just bored) and make it healthy snacks. If you don't want the healthy snacks, then you're not truly hungry!

 

And my kids would choose the $6 hummus and expensive olives that I bought for special treats in one day if I didn't ration them, and would leave the carrots and apples and celery until they were wilted and no longer appealing :glare: So yes, I do actually ration things like that. When it's in the house, I do ration milk and juice, because even though they're healthy, drinking just plain water is healthy too, and a good habit to develop.

[s/o a whole list of options for using teenage drama to its maximum effect]

My 6 year old has been doing many of these for since he was about 3 1/2. By the time I have a teenager, I'll have had a decade of practice dealing with them. I hope that means things can only improve.

 

I was thinking the same thing about my DD6. At least I was able to break her of the eye rolling when I informed her that I knew she was still rolling her eyes at me behind the hand she held up over them. Moms really are omniscient!

[s/o a whole list of options for using teenage drama to its maximum effect]

Well, I haven't had to enjoy any of these yet personally (though there are two teenage girls in my not-too-distant future), but I do recall walking away from my own mother while she was still talking, while mumbling, "meeememeemmmemememe" in a snide little voice. It's a miracle I never got a boot to the back of the head.

 

I'll be on that train with you in only three short years, ladies.

 

:willy_nilly:

[Does anyone else ever feel like a stingy food police?]

Yes, just recently in fact! I just told my DD6 she could have TWO olives, because I need the rest for a recipe. I let them each have ONE carrot last night, because I need the rest for a recipe. I reminded them both that the more they ate from the ONE box of sugary (all natural) cereal I bought yesterday, the quicker they have NO cereal. Just call me BummerMom.

 

Money is definitely tighter than ever around here, and with my youngest trying to snack ALL DAY LONG, I had to crack down. Apples are unlimited here though.

[So I ran out of dishwasher detergent...]

Someone here (I can't recall who, though) once expressed the concern that even a small amount of suds might put an unsafe amount of pressure on the hose connections, and you might risk flooding out your kitchen if a hose goes. I have no idea if that's valid or not, but I've been terrified to try it ever since. Also, even homemade dishwasher methods only work once or twice for me, and then the dishes get grimier and grimier. Even the Seventh Generation and Ecover ones don't work for more than one wash or two.

 

Those are my .02. I hope you do find something that works for you though!

[I did it...]

I have been thinking of your kids today, particularly your ds, and I hope they both had a great first day of school today!

 

AND STOP THINKING YOU HAVE FAILED THEM!!! (Sorry to yell at you, but someone had to do it. You're a great mom, and you love your kids!!!)

 

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

 

I have too, and :iagree:!

[Thanks, Imp]

:smilielol5:

[What's for dinner? 8/27]

So you use half sausage half ground beef? That is a good idea.

 

I may need to keep a little reserve JUST in case :lol:

 

:lol: Actually, my best meatloaf ever was 1/3 ground beef, 1/3 ground turkey, 1/3 ground Italian-style sausage. The fam literally RAVED about it. I misspoke though--when I don't have ground turkey, I use 2 lbs of ground beef and 1 lb of sausage (that leaves enough for a good-sized lunch for DH the next day, and sometimes enough for us). The sausage kicks it up a notch. It's delish.

 

I changed my mind about the vodka. Send it to Susan instead :lol:

[American Academy of Pediatrics changes position on Circumcision]

I actually find their statement more creditable that the AAP: it's well supported by dozens of papers in reputable medical journals, plus they have nothing to gain financially from their position — unlike the AAP. According to the article, "non-therapeutic circumcision produces more than $1.25 billion in income annually." How to make sure that this revenue stream continues? Release a statement saying that although the benefits of circumcision are not great enough to actually recommend it for the population as a whole, there are enough benefits that insurers should continue to pay for it.

 

Jackie

 

*gasp* What? NEVER! :svengo:

[What's for dinner? 8/27]

Well I am taking a hiatus from the cupcake vodka so you could have the rest :lol:

 

Now to find my meatloaf recipe

 

Oh please, if ever there was a day I needed it, this is it. I'll be waiting on my front steps for you.

[What's for dinner? 8/27]

Oh meatloaf! I haven't made that in ages. I think that sounds about right time wise today.

 

Hooray! What do I win? :bigear:

 

ETA: It's funny you mention the time thing. My recipe is called "Easy Meatlof," yet I tweak it in such a way that it takes me an hour to prepare :lol: That pretty much sums up my whole life right there.

[Wanna laugh? Hysterical reviews for "Bic Pens for Her"]

:lol::lol::lol: The reviews were funny, but I didn't laugh out loud until I got to the last paragraph:

 

Gendered razors I get. What woman doesn’t enjoy a nice shaving strip while scraping the hair off their legs? But pink gendered pens? Come on, son. Either come at me with a ribbed-for-her-pleasure pen, or don’t come at me at all. Pink alone ain’t gettin’ it done, IYKWIMAITYD.

[What's for dinner? 8/27]

Meatloaf (half beef, half sausage) and roasted beets and potatoes with rosemary and feta.

[American Academy of Pediatrics changes position on Circumcision]

If anyone is interested, here is Doctors Opposing Circumcision's commentary on the statement: http://www.doctorsopposingcircumcision.org/pdf/2012-08-26A_Commentary.pdf

 

It won't matter. According to some people, any documentation from those opposing circ is automatically propaganda and not creditable. Don't bother wasting your time.