Thank you to everyone so far! So, here's the thing. She decided, halfway through last year and after starting to go through all of this analysis and treatment, that she wants to be a psychiatrist :svengo: She's now talking med school, and I believe she's serious. She's very motivated, and for this I am so grateful (and so angry at myself for not seeing what was going on much sooner--but that's a whole other series of laments). So she does in fact want to aim for STEM now, and that's part of my consideration. Even without that, though, if she doesn't plan to finish Alegbra 2 until end of senior year, how can she expect to do well on ACT/SAT? She has her heart set on our local state U, which is certainly not a sky-high goal, but it's a good school and she'll definitely need decent test scores to get in. Thank you all so much for helping me work through this.

To make a very long story short, my oldest (9th grade) is very behind in math (intense anxiety, depression, and ADHD, recently diagnosed and treatment started). Now that we're treating the underlying issues, she's starting to make real progress and is motivated to learn, but we are way behind. She's only about halfway through the old Dolciani Pre-Algebra (which we really like), but at the rate we're going...we're just not going to get enough in for high school, and she definitely won't be where she needs to be in time to start chemistry or be well-prepared for SAT/ACT etc. I just came across a comment on another group that mentioned that VideoText Algebra covers pre-A, Algebra 1, and Algebra 2. Is that true? And does it cover all three effectively and completely?! I've been fantasizing about something like that but never really thought it existed. I'm kind of :blink: at the idea. DD is good at math in that she's not really a natural problem solver, but once she learns a concept, she doesn't forget it. Could VideoText be a real option for us? And if not, does anyone else have other recommendations for how to proceed? Other than working through the summers to gain ground (which we'll already be doing), are there ways to make up for some lost time here? Thank you!

If you'd feel more comfortable PMing, that would be great too, of course. Someone close to me is in therapy for anxiety and depression, and it has finally been suggested (and I have believed for awhile now) that there is likely an inattentive-type ADHD component. Basic schoolwork is despair-inducing (bigger stuff is simply ignored), and general life skills and requirements require significant effort and mental and emotional energy to accomplish, if they even get accomplished at all. Can anyone talk to me about their experience with this? I know depression and anxiety can make even fundamental self-care difficult, let alone managing more, but is it likely that the difficulty of marshaling enough executive function capabilities to get through a day can be the cause of the depression and anxiety and not the result? If you've been treated or know someone who has, can you tell me what has worked for you or them? The psychiatrist involved is willing to entertain the idea but not terribly proactive about it, so I'm hoping to help the sufferer self-advocate and get the help they need. Regular treatment and meds for anxiety/depression have helped a little, but only with mood, not with functionality, and in the meantime, precious months are slipping by. Thanks!

*cue very loud screaming in my head* You guys are making me very nervous about the big bags of birdseed I buy from Costco. I know I should freeze them for a few days, but there's usually not enough room in my deep freeze! Thankfully the current bag has been around long enough for me to know it's fine, but we're nearly out :scared:

It was a joint decision on DD15's name. It was a name we loved and talked about when we were dating, and thankfully it fit her. For DD12, we couldn't find out the sex beforehand (absolute torture for me!), so we discussed and discussed name options but couldn't decide. Finally, after she was born and we finally knew but still couldn't decide, before we were discharged from the hospital, we gave oldest DD a choice of three names--two we'd been talking about for a long time but never felt quite right, and one we sort of threw in at the last minute. DD chose the last-minute option, and we started to say no...and then we realized we all loved it! We just hadn't considered it much, but the names we HAD been considering didn't fit. So oldest DD named youngest DD, and for her middle name, we gave her a version of oldest DD's name in Italian. Thank goodness DD12 was a girl, because we couldn't even come close to an agreement on a boy's name! And what's really funny is that while DD15's name is one of the most popular in the country, we've never met another one (except for in passing). Yet DD12's name is nowhere near as popular, and we've met so many girls with the same name or very close variations (like Mary/Maria/Marie).

See, this is where it gets tricky for us. You choose your seats when you buy your ticket. So that's completely fine if I'm going to a movie by myself, but if DH is going to meet me there or even going with me, then we're having to choose seats independently since we're really purchasing separately, rather than buying together and choosing two seats together. It would probably be fine most of the time, but we'd risk not being able to sit together since other people are also buying tickets at the same time and may be choosing the adjacent seats before one of us could buy. And I wouldn't be able to pick up tickets in advance like I usually do, because I wouldn't have access to his phone to get it close enough to the theater. We'd always be limited to when we could actually be there to get the tickets together. Small things, probably, but still limiting the usefulness based on our current movie-going habits. And this is what I'd really be afraid of. I don't see how this is a sustainable model without buy-in from the theaters and suspect it will go defunct soon, though that doesn't mean one couldn't enjoy it while it lasts!

I haven't, actually. I've seen a a lot of talk about soy curls in the vegan IP groups I'm in on Facebook, but I haven't started investigating them yet.

Here's a recipe that I make that easily splits into vegan and non-vegan. I do use two pots--a big one that I brown the meat in first and then cook the rest (the meat goes back in at the end) and a smaller pot that has the meatless version. The ingredients are exactly the same for the meatless version, so it's just me sautéing and cooking side by side. You could probably even brown the meat in the smaller pot and leave it aside, cook all the veggies in the big pot, separate yours out, and then add the meat for the omnivores. The omnivores might lose a little of the flavor from the meat juices left over after browning, but honestly, if it's a new dish for them, they'll never know. Real ginger and good toasted sesame oil are the keys, really. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/247300/addictive-asian-beef-slaw-crack-slaw/ This is a pretty flexible recipe too. I've made it with ground beef, ground turkey, only green cabbage, no red pepper, no cilantro (ever! bleh), no lime... As long as you have the ginger and the toasted sesame oil, it's amazing. It's one of the few ways my kids will eat cabbage. Fajitas are good for splitting out the meats from the veggies too. I haven't found a good recipe for them yet though!

OK, so I'm doing more research, and maybe it's better to start out with the monthly. It looks like there are some potential annoyances and hiccups, so maybe we don't want to shell out that much at once. Although I do hate processing fees... I can't quite figure out how it would work for both DH and I to go see a movie. We'd each need a separate account, and our local theater has assigned seating, so it might be tricky to make sure the seats are guaranteed to be together. I have to think about that a little more, hmmm. I'm so excited by the idea of this though! We love movies and don't go too often because of the prices. The kids are old enough to stay home alone now, though, so it might be a great way to see more movies with the hubs :D

Rach, before you sign up (if it's not too late), there's a Costco annual thing: https://www.costco.com/MoviePass-and-Fandor-12-Month-Subscription-eVoucher.product.100395930.html?pageSize=96&catalogId=10701&dept=All&langId=-1&keyword=moviepass&storeId=10301&krypto=GulcZpS9%2FDNtT%2FDgO3aumEnG744zWoL49mR4bx2hRQyDZXLAe%2F1QzMXetlrEczAcYxg%2Fcq5quLWApzwgusvxhGIHRfmYBSkaz8%2F9wGgTFoU%3D Maybe an even better deal?

MoviePass?! What the heck is this? It seems like one of those deals that's too good to be true, except that some of you actually use it with no problems? It looks like the outrageously expensive local theater is actually in the network, which I can hardly believe, since they pretty much stopped doing any promotions and specials since they renovated. And for an even better deal, Costco has a Moviepass annual pass for $89.99, and it looks like no processing fee? https://www.costco.com/MoviePass-and-Fandor-12-Month-Subscription-eVoucher.product.100395930.html?pageSize=96&catalogId=10701&dept=All&langId=-1&keyword=moviepass&storeId=10301&krypto=GulcZpS9%2FDNtT%2FDgO3aumEnG744zWoL49mR4bx2hRQyDZXLAe%2F1QzMXetlrEczAcYxg%2Fcq5quLWApzwgusvxhGIHRfmYBSkaz8%2F9wGgTFoU%3D I'm flabbergasted. If this thing actually works like it's supposed to, I think I know what DH is getting for Valentine's Day! He will be SO excited.

Yep, the only thing I've ever used low pressure for is steaming veggies, and that's rare. There are a lot of IP veterans here, so it's a good place to ask if you have a specific question! Here's one more important piece of info: If you ever see your IP start to count down, but the pot never came to pressure and the pin never came up, it's because something is scorching to the bottom of your pot. That's one of the safety features, that the pot won't create pressure if something is burning to it. If you saute stuff in the pot before cooking, check to make sure it didn't leave burnt on residue on the bottom. If it did, deglaze it first with a little of your recipe's liquid so the IP doesn't register it as burnt-on food. You can put the lid in the dishwasher, there are no electrical components in it. You should take off the little metal shield (might be round or oblong) on the underside of the lid from time to time and wash it out. You can also pop off the little silicone gasket on the bottom of the pin (under that little metal shield) and clean it and the pin, but make sure you have your sink strainer in your sink, because no matter how hard you try, you WILL drop it while you try to scrub it, and it would stink to have it go down the drain. If you're making something foamy like oatmeal or beans, don't fill more than halfway, because you need room for the foaming that takes place. (Though I've only ever had a problem with oatmeal.) And only ever fill the pot 3/4 of the way to the Max line. No one is quite sure why that Max line is where it is, because it's too high. If your ingredients are close to it, it's too full. Don't ever use or even store your IP on your stovetop. Just don't get in the habit. The FB groups have post after post from people lamenting their melted IPs because their DH or child turned on a burner or someone accidentally bumped a knob and the IP was sitting on it. ALWAYS LOOK in the IP before adding ingredients, and teach your family to as well. The FB groups have post after post from people lamenting about forgetting to put the insert into the pot before they started pouring ingredients in. The electrical components are at the bottom! Some people recommend adding ingredients to the liner while it's outside the pot, then putting the liner into the pot, just to be extra safe. I wrap my cord over the top of the pot and into the middle so I have to look in to pull it out before I can add anything. That's all I can think of at the moment :D If I remember any other important user tips, I'll post again. Good luck!

What is wrong with people?! $250 million over five years! That's completely insane.

Schoolwork :( And community pool w/friends. And Six Flags. And DD12 will probably spend a week at 4H camp.

What she said :D Arctic Mama is right that some rices take a little fiddling, but usually, once I get something straight, I add it directly into my recipe database so I never have to fiddle again. And actually, I usually go to the FB group and search for BTDT advice, so fiddling ends up being minimal. I love my IP. I don't use it as often as I used to, but I still wouldn't be without it again. If I had space, I'd have two!

Spider webbing! Great term, that really does sum it up nicely.

Oh, I'm sure it did! It was just funny. I often do the hover preview when I'm not sure I have the energy for six pages on the same topic, but I've never noticed one that had such dramatic variations visible in the preview :lol: It struck me as hilarious :D

I've never even read the manual. After I ordered my IP, I went and spent some time on the huge FB group, just reading and absorbing (and saving recipes into my Plan to Eat database :lol:), and I watched a few videos on YouTube. From what I understand, the manual is pretty confusing and not all that accurate on a lot of things! So I didn't bother. I do highly recommend spending some time on the FB group, and when I'm looking for new recipes, or for a recipe conversion, I go there and hang out for awhile or use the search feature. No need to reinvent the wheel. Almost always, someone else has done what I'm looking to do and can tell me all about it :D Yeah, a lot of people have the same fears based on the old stovetop cookers. The IP has so many safety features built in that it would be very difficult for it to explode. There is a lawsuit pending, but there are lawsuits pending against most of the electric PCs, and there's always the possibility of user error, so I just don't worry about it. Follow the safety guidelines and the risk of something happening is infinitesimal. I don't have a chili recipe, but that would be something I'd ask on the FB group. It doesn't look like there are a lot of recipes using dried beans, so maybe the rest of the ingredients don't do well when pressure cooked for as long as dried beans would need (usually 35-40 minutes)? As for draining ground beef, I usually don't. Ours tends to be pretty low in fat to start with, so I don't mind just mixing it into whatever I'm making. But I have silicone oven mitts, and they make it easy to pull the insert out of the pot and tilt if I have to. Or yeah, I'd probably brown in another pot. I usually do that if I'm sauteing bacon at the beginning of some recipe for it to be added back at the end. Usually whatever I'm cooking is still easier in the IP overall.

This is not a criticism or anything, it just struck me as funny. I was reading the "dad makes DD cut hair after highlights" thread yesterday, and I just hovered over the title to see the summaries of the first post, last read post, and last post to get a sense of where the discussion went, and this is what I saw: Joker made the first unread post When we had lice we didn't use pesticides. We used one of those businesses that use some sort of dryer/dehydrating treatment. Our HSA covered it and they did a recheck after about a month and would retreat for free if needed. We didn't need it as... scoutingmom made the last post I'm just going to go ahead and assume that there IS no meaningful consent between those women and the occupying forces. But some of them were actively spying on the Nazis, tpo, and they still got shamed afterwards.Yeah, I figure that probably 95%... So it went from discussion of the original news article to head lice to Nazis?! I just love the way the threads evolve and the discussions we have, but this particular snapshot just has me :lol: :lol: :lol:

If you can take a picture of the front of your IP's panel, we can tell you how to set it to high. Different models have different options. Do you know which model you have? If you have the Lux, it's always on high, so there's no option to change it. As for setting the time, you would set it for 4 minutes and wait, and then it would beep and start. It would say "On" for awhile as it heated and built up the internal pressure (you'd eventually hear steam hissing out, which would stop abruptly as the pin popped up and closed the valve). Once it reached pressue, "On" would change to "4" and the IP would cook for four minutes and count down to 0. Once the timer reached 0, it would beep multiple times to let you know, and then it would switch over into "Keep Warm" mode and the numbers would start to count upward instead, which is designed to let you know how long it has been since the cook cycle ended. If you leave the pot in Keep Warm mode, it will keep your food hot and pressure will decrease, but slowly. Eventually it would decrease enough that the pin would drop on its own, but most people don't wait for that since it can take awhile. Does that help at all? ETA: Don't be scared. You can't even turn the lid to open the pot unless the pressure is gone, and once the pressure is gone, there's no danger in opening the pot. The only real danger is from the hot steam releasing from the valve when you turn it, and lots of people use something like the end of a wooden spoon to do that without getting your hand close to the opening. If you've overfilled your pot or made something that gets foamy (like steel cut oats, very foamy, especially when you mess up the proportions and accidentally end up, say, tripling your amounts :blush:), then when you open the valve for a quick release (QR) of the pressure, you may get hot splatter. Then you quickly close the valve again and wait 10-15 minutes for the pressure to drop more and they try and open it again! But it won't explode, really.

If you're on FB, I'm on two good vegan IP groups. (I'm trying to slowly and sneakily convert the family to a more plant-based lifestyle. I'm not allowed to even utter the V-word, so not having much luck, but I'm trying!) https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotVeganRecipes/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/VeganInstantPotRecipes/ And the Vegan Under Pressure cookbook is supposed to be fantastic. The author is active on one of those FB groups. People regularly rave about the recipes from her book.

This has been my experience as well. I've found that past a certain age, this is a very tricky thing to accomplish. I'm grateful that I sort of accidentally managed to do it when my kids were little, and those friendships have stuck. I started my own weekly playgroup when DD15 was young, and we joined a weekly co-op when DD12 was little, and we kept on with those two things for a long time. For middle school ages, I found that offering a resource that I was willing to host/teach was key. I hosted a bi-weekly book/movie club at our house for a year, and I'm considering teaching a literature group to strengthen the ties around my DD12's friend group at the moment. But yeah, it has always seemed to be something where I was in the driver's seat in order to make the friend bonds happen. The groups couldn't be too large, either, or else it would still feel too impersonal. And there seems to have to be some mandatory activity that forces them to be together, followed by some social time. MaeFlowers, how old are your kids? Maybe that would help us make some suggestions?

Oooh, fun! I love the main IP community on FB. It's absolutely gigantic and has over a million members now: https://www.facebook.com/groups/InstantPotCommunity/ You can ask anything there and have answers within minutes. Searching there is also very useful because there's so much discussion. Some of our favorite recipes for the IP are: https://www.hippressurecooking.com/pressure-cooker-risotto-in-7-minutes/ (I saute shrimp first, then set aside while the risotto cooks. I add the shrimp liquid in place of some of the stock or water, add mushrooms, and then add frozen peas and the shrimp back in at the end.) http://whiteonricecouple.com/recipes/curry-coconut-milk-chicken-thighs/ (This isn't an IP recipe, but I just add everything but the coconut milk into the IP, cook it on manual high for 15 minutes, natural release for 10 minutes or so, then mix in the coconut milk at the end. Sometimes I thicken it a little with corn starch at the end, but usually I don't. I serve it over rice. It works with any kind of chicken, too, but it's best with thighs.) https://onceamonthmeals.com/recipes/instant-pot-honey-bourbon-chicken-traditional-version/ (The classic. I cut the honey back to less than half, and cut the ketchup back just a little bit too. Even then it's still pretty sweet, so you can fiddle with it to find how you like it. At the end, when I add the corn starch, I also add a bunch of frozen broccoli and serve it all over rice.) https://www.dadcooksdinner.com/pressure-cooker-macaroni-and-cheese/ (Insanely easy mac and cheese. Don't sub out the evaporated milk.) http://pressurecookerconvert.com/pressure-cooker-shrimp-boil/ (My first meal in the IP. SO GOOD.) https://www.skinnytaste.com/pressure-cooker-stewed-chicken-with-corn-pollo-guisado-con-maiz/ (This was our dinner last night. Works with any kind of chicken, and I usually add lots of frozen corn instead of corn on the cob, since I rarely have corn on the cob.) http://allrecipes.com/recipe/17628/basic-ham-and-bean-soup/ (This isn't an IP recipe either, but I just add everything into the pot but the ham, using rinsed but unsoaked beans. I don't saute anything, and I usually add lots of extra carrots and a chopped red bell pepper. If I don't have a ham hock, I use chicken stock in place of water. Cook on manual high for 40 minutes, NPR for a few minutes, then QR. Add the ham and cook to heat through. Salt to taste. I also usually add frozen corn with the ham if I have it.) https://www.budgetbytes.com/2016/02/curried-red-lentil-and-pumpkin-soup/ (So good. I make according to recipe except I use my own pumpkin or squash puree. High pressure for 10 minutes, natural release. Though red lentils cook very quickly, so I want to experiment with using less time. Could probably get by with 4 or 5 instead.) I've also cooked whole chickens in the IP, and they come out moist and tender and delicious. Whole chickens in crock pot never came out right, so I was skeptical of the claims that the IP could turn out a good chicken. I was wrong! Even from frozen, they are beautiful (not like roasted, but still delicious, and some people put them in the oven for a little bit to get a more roasted flavor on the skin and surface). And for making chicken and veggie stock, the IP is a miraculous time and effort saver. Chicken stock that gels in less than 2 hours! I also make lots of yogurt in ours, and it's so incredibly easy. If you want to make yogurt, though, know that you have to use milk that is not ultra-high-temp pasteurized. Hard to find these days, especially if you buy organic. We get ours at Trader Joes or Whole Foods. No other store carries it locally. If you think you'll make sweet or neutral-flavored things like rice pudding, I strongly, STRONGLY recommend getting one spare ring that you use only for that stuff. The ring does take on an odor from strongly spiced or flavored foods. It's not a problem unless you want to make something desserty. Then you'll want a ring that doesn't smell like chicken curry! And I only have one IP, but I have found it very helpful to have a second stainless steel pot insert. It makes life easier, if one is soaking or has leftovers in it or whatever. But see how much you use it first, before you spend the extra money. Oh, and if you think you'll make yogurt, you may want to invest in the glass lid. Yogurt doesn't require pressure, but you will need to put a lid on it. Check the lids you have at home first though--you may already have one that fits. Man, I'm stuck at an event all day waiting for my DD, and now I'm starving! Enjoy your new toy :D

I was thinking the exact same thing--it looked to me like nursing or drinking from a bottle or sippy cup. And yes, I've seen my kids do things like the video, and not like the video as well. The only thing that would spook me a bt about the behavior in the video would be the half-open eyes. I don't recall ever seeing my kids do that when sleeping.

I haven't read all the posts, but I agree this is absolutely a power play. I have two suggestions: 1) When he starts coming at you, suddenly have a coughing fit and cough all over your hands. Then "Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry!" and stick your hand out to shake his. Do it every single time. "Oh my goodness! I just cannot shake this tickle--must be allergies!" I think he'll decide pretty quickly that it's not worth the effort. If he does, shake gladly and enjoy the moment :lol: 2) More seriously, when he comes at you with his hand out, just hold up your hand and say with a big smile, "Oh, no thank you! Have a good day though!" and turn and walk away. Be polite, smile nicely, but NO THANK YOU. Keep doing it. You're being friendly and polite, but you're setting and holding your boundary. I'm all for being a good person and being kind to others, but that does not extend to letting people manipulate me over and over. Not even for things like church. You can be a good Christian and love your fellow man without letting him control you physically and emotionally. Nope. This is my tactic with Jehovah's Witnesses at the door, solicitors, direct sales people who stop me in stores, telemarketers on the phone, etc. I won't be rude, because they're just doing what they feel they need to do, and that's on them. My response is on me. No thank you! :D