[I need your best remedy for a stiff neck from sleeping]

one of these

http://www.wayfair.com/Original-Bones-The-Original-NeckBone-Pillow-REM-60-BONE1000.html

 

My neck and shoulders used to be constantly extremely stiff, and one night sleeping wrong would take days to recover.  

With that, I am not tense anymore.  I used to travel for work and now I have about 10 because I'd buy another if I forgot mine.  

[What, if anything, do you toss from the fridge if you lost power for a while?]

So, it went from 38 up to eventually 48.  I wouldn't toss anything at all.  It would have shortened the life span of some of the items in there, but I wouldn't even toss the leftovers.  It isn't like they were left on the counter at 70F for a few hours.  

[S/o bullying: Parents?]

 

 

 these adults just honestly did.not.care. 

 

In puled this from a recent post, but I think it was a subtext in many of the posts.  

I believe it to be true.  Noticing or caring would mean they would have to DO something.  

Better to let someone else suffer,  

[S/o bullying: Parents?]

I didn't tell my parents because they didn't listen to me.  Even about stupid stuff.  For example, my father got it in his head that I didn't like milk that was left after dunking the cookies, so he insisted I drink the milk while dunking.  No matter how many times I said I loved the milk, but the more milk you drink, the less cookie gets dunked every time.  We would go on long trips and as an only child I had the backseat to myself.  At the start I would get the pillows just right, get my book out and settle in and sigh happily.  Every stinking time my mother would jump down my throat because I was "sighing unhappily".  One time they picked me up from camp and they asked if "They had food for us." Meaning, did the camp offer to feed us.  They had, so I said Yes. I didn't eat any because I knew we always went to a special restaurant on the way home.  I was then forced to sit in the restaurant WITHOUT EATING while they ate because they wouldn't believe me that I was hungry and I hadn't eaten the stupid dry hamburger I had been offered.  

 

So, when I was being bullied I told them but quickly dropped it when I was brushed off with the normal platitudes.  They jumped in when my clothes were damaged and tried to get the bully girls parents to pay for new pants for me.  But, of course that did nothing.  

[What do you do when a preschooler ask for lessons?]

That is good to know.  I have been drooling over the super big set that comes with the case.  Heck, if she doesn't like it, I know I would.  

I will move it from the "when she is old enough" list to "when we can afford it" list.  She will probably be reading independently by that time.

 

It is funny.  I have a B.S. in Physics and an M. Engr in Material Science Engineering, but I really don't understand electronics.  Electrons, yes.  Electronics, No.  This will be one of those "Filling in MY educational gaps through homeschooling".  

[If you were bullied during your school years...]

I didn't want to hit "like" because I don't like what you went through. But I liked your last few lines because I can totally relate. 

 

Yeah, I've "Liked" a few because the posts really spoke to me, not because I liked what was done.  

 

I suspect that those of who have been affected negatively by bullying to a more than normal extent (isn't that messed up that I felt the need to add that qualifier?)  have a shorter trigger as far as doing anything to stop it or prevent it.  

 

I think in another thread someone thought that kids that were earlier readers were more likely to be homeschooled.  The idea was that they went to school and were totally bored.  

[Toddlers, naps and sharing a room]

I sympathize with the problem of playing with stuff in the room, drives me bonkers.  

We are moving soon, and DD's closet will be quite large.  I totally sincerely suggested we put the bed in the closet and keep all her stuff in the bedroom.  DH looked at me like I had two heads.  Maybe if instead of "closet", I called it the "little windowless side room" he would have gone for it.  (sigh)

[What do you do when a preschooler ask for lessons?]

...

I highly recommend looking into a snap circuits. It is my number one toy recommendation for this age.

 

What would you think the minimum age would be for a very bright kid?  

 

The ages on the boxes are totally useless at this age.  I wish they were allowed to put "Past sticking everything in the mouth".  

 

Do you think that the kid would have to be completely reading independently ?  

[If you were bullied during your school years...]

Don't know, but my mom would have abandoned me to a pile of books and the woods which is always a good choice.

 

I think that there was sarcasm there.  ( I really don't have much of a sarcasm meter)

But, at least for me, that would have been an excellent choice.  Better even than having mom doing the teaching.  

 

Although, I found my sea-legs in High School, and I probably would have homeschooled all the way through and missed out on that.  I was very active and successful which gave me confidence, and the tracking kept me away from the bullies.   So, I didn't have a problem in High School.  Although, we lived 3 miles from a major university, and I would certainly have sat in on lectures.  So, maybe independent homeschooling wouldn't have been such a bad thing.  

 

I remember a girl that bullied me in 5th/6th grade being hauled away from school by the police in 7th or 8th.  We never learned what she did because of course she was a minor, and it wasn't anything she did at school.  You could tell they were angry, there faces had that cloudy, grim, angry look.  She was extremely short, and they had her handcuffed and one cop was on either side of her and they were holding her.  Her feet didn't really touch the ground.  Before elementary school was over, she had stopped targeting me.  When I saw her being hauled away, I was especially glad.  

[What do you do when a preschooler ask for lessons?]

Yeah, I've started that process this afternoon. I thought she was going to be my average kid until the ped. said something and I started hearing her count and really pay attention to some of what she can do and knows. Her speech was just so delayed that I didn't realize how much was going on in her brain! I knew she wasn't behind cognitively but that was about it. Even now I have to be creative in my assessments to figure out what she knows apart from her having to use language to tell me.

 

I also saw a mischievous side of her today as I would watch her eyes go to the correct answer on the white board and then with a smile would point to a wrong answer. 

 

I see the mischievous side often.  What I do is respond, "Yes, if you were a silly goose."

It started with a book Hippopposites that we got from the library.  The left and right pages shows opposites.  She loved to label them wrong.  I could tell she was playing, but I didn't want to say "yes, that is right."  What is funny is that every now and then she would label them correctly and I would just say "Yes".  Then she would say "No No" and then say the opposite. It seems to happen more often with easy questions, even though it was her that requested the book.  

 

I remember reading about something similar in the book about the Parrot that was used in language experiments.  The test protocol said that they asked the bird the same question 50 times.  The bird would start out with some wrong, while it was still learning.  Then it would many right in a row when it knew it well.  Then it started to get creative with the answers. 

[If you were bullied during your school years...]

My husband is like the PP who mentioned becoming a tough fighter.  He has this tough shell around him.  

DD and I are within the shell, his mother and siblings and some friends.  But, outside of that, there is a "I could not care less about you" attitude.  

And, the fighting he has done in the past!   In high school, he put people into the hospital.  He never started anything, but his attitude was like Ender.  He didn't want the other person coming back at him later.  He started his senior year 4'7" in an inner-city school.  The school was mostly either rich white kids, or a range of black kids.  Neither of which he was.  

 

[If you were bullied during your school years...]

Hmm, playing piano can reverse the effect?  That is very interesting.  I played the piano (for fun) for at least an hour a day when I was in school.

 

If I remember right, the piano part was "early indications suggest".  

Looking back, do you think it helped you?

 

My focus reading that book had been an increased determination to stamp out bullying wherever I see it, and protect my DD for it.  

[If you were bullied during your school years...]

Yes. I have PTSD. It's the main reason I homeschool. My DD inherited my gene defect that got me bullied and I'll be darned if I watch the same thing happen to her.

 

I also can't tolerate children who bully. I have to leave the area/room because I Iiterally want to jump on the bullier and kick the $&@$ out of them.

 

Yes I have issues lol

 

That was my response too.  I always befriended the new kid, the lone duck.  When DD was 2 she got a gift that is a monkey with a banana at its mouth.  When you take away the banana the monkey cries and moves around throwing a fit.  Which causes the child to laugh.  It disturbs me.  Actually, when I go home I am going to throw it away.  I won't even Goodwill it, it is that disturbing.  

 

What sucked about that, was that the kid that just moved in is MUCH more likely to move out again.  So, even though I lived in the same place from 3rd on and never made a lateral school move, I never had a friendship last more than two years.  

 

As a mom, I am also highly alert to social skills/problems.  One thing weird.  My husband and I both "do our own thing" and "march to our own drummer".  DD is such a follower.  If she is play chasing someone and they fall, she falls too.  What do you do with that?

 

I read a book called, I think, "Science of Parenting".  It talked about a lot of studies related to childhood.  They can tell in before and after brain scans if a kid has been bullied.   Ponder that for a moment.  The divider area thickens. (This is what I bring up anytime someone says that bullying in public school is good for people)  The change in the brain makes people more like to be depressed. They said the learning/playing piano can somewhat reverse that.   

 

It also made me Snob Snob.  Meaning that preemptively snub people that I perceive might be snobs.  Basically the popular people in High School (even today).  For example, in the church youth group (7th to 12th) which I loved, I ignored most of the kids because it was obvious they were the popular kids.  They never did anything wrong to me or anyone else that I saw.  In fact, it was very accepting.   My senior year there was a kurfuffle about a former friend of mine, and I was talking to one of the kids I had shunned.  She told me that they had tolerated her because I seemed nice.  

 

 

[Is it unheard of.... (birthday party/present etiquette)]

I never have had my kid open gifts at her parties. I have to say I have gotten a fair mix of comments, some surprise and upset (but little Susy wanted to watch to see the reaction!) and a lot of appreciation.

 

I honestly find it more rude for kids to open all the gifts at the party. Most children that I have watched are so overwhelmed and excited by the sheer gluttony of it all that they are NOT appropriately reacting. Perfunctory thanks and a scramble for the next gift...and it becomes a popularity contest over whose parents forked out the most cash:(

 

The last two years I took pictures as my kiddo unwrapped gifts from her friends (after guests were gone!), printed them, and included one in the corresponding thank you cards. That way the friends got to see her face and it personalized the thank you. I have had overwhelmingly positive responses to this:)

 

I am totally stealing that idea

[Is Mother's day for YOU or is it for your mother, MIL, grandmother,etc?]

My FIL used to tell my MIL, "You aren't my mother" and wouldn't give her anything.  

 

I have told DH in no uncertain terms that I better never hear that out of his mouth.  

 

For me, I agree with your FIL.  I expect my husband to assist, but I think it is a child to mother occasion.

I also find it weird to get anniversary cards from anyone but my DH.  

[Best Peter Pan edition for Read Aloud]

We are currently reading the Great Illustrated Classics version of it.  There is an illustration on every page.  

DD is fond of Jake and the Pirates, and the library had a copy so I gave it a try.  So far she is enjoying it.  I think that knowing the characters has helped.  

[Fish oil?]

Depending on my mood, I either take some chewables.  Or, I bought these packets like big ketchup packets that contain one serving of fishoil, but they flavor and consistency is like nutella with a bit of orange flavor added.  

[So I went to Aldi's for the first time today...]

With Aldi, you have to know your prices to know what is a good deal.  There version of Velveeta is noticeably better real Velveeta.  On the grocery list we call it Velveetish.  We love the Bratwursts they sell there.  Particularly the Beer Brats.  We usually clear them out whenever we see them.  With other stuff it is just a matter of seeing what they have.  

[Sort of s/o from healthy eating threads: Vegetables: How do you get lots more of them into your diet on a budget?]

Has anyone ever had a Sweet Potato just baked?

You can add all the goodies: cheese, sour cream, bacon, butter, more cheese.  

I was doubtful, so I just ate the end of my husband's but it was quite nice.  

[My Mother's Day Plans]

I would reschedule Mother's Day for the following weekend.  And suggest some things you'd like.  

I like going to a brunch, but there is so many people on that day that it isn't as much fun.  So, rescheduling it regardless is a good thing I think.  

[Sort of s/o from healthy eating threads: Vegetables: How do you get lots more of them into your diet on a budget?]

I envy you all who have a Costco or local markets and such. We live in a tiny out of the way town and have a Walmart and a Food Lion. 

 

Lots of good ideas here, at least for myself. My picky family is another story. We already avoid junky stuff and boxed stuff. No sodas or juice. I'd just like to get more veggies in if possible. Thanks especially to you all who gave specific ideas! Gonna save this thread and type up a list from it. Embarrassingly enough, there were a couple things I had to look up because I'd never heard of them.  :blushing:

 

They are not cheap, but have you ever tried Fried Radishes?  I know what you are thinking.  Radishes are real food about as much as playdoh.  But, when cooked the bitter ickiness goes away.  I grate radishes in the food processor and cook them like hash browns.  You can find recipes online.  I've noticed that the smaller the pieces and the longer they are cooked, the more like a potato they are.  

Until a few years ago, I pretty much avoided every healthy vegetable.  

[Sort of s/o from healthy eating threads: Vegetables: How do you get lots more of them into your diet on a budget?]

I eat frozen.  I am a lot more likely to eat them if I can do so on a whim.  For example, I like mashed cauliflower and a bag of frozen cauliflower is $1.  

So, I will make up a couple of bags worth of mashed, and then divide it out into serving sizes for my lunch.  

But, I don't like canned.  

[Red wine]

They think it follows the J curve.  With health problems on the Y-axis, and quantity on the X-axis.  

So, any small amount will be better than none at all.  But, if you start to drink several servings a day, then you'd be much worse off.  

 

Drink the one you prefer.  Merlot became popular in the 80's when 60 Minutes did their story on the health effects of red wine, because Merlot is a red-wine that appeals to white-wine drinkers.  A Zin. would be just fine too.  Drink the one you like, or switch back and forth since I assume you'll be sharing with your husband.  There are also some decent boxed wines out there.  That way you could have a glass every now and then without worrying about the bottle.  

[New Gallup Poll About Prestigious vs Other Colleges]

I have no idea which career(s) Crimson Wife has in mind, I'm just thinking of threads similar to this one on CC which mention investment banking as one of the fields in which the college name really does matter, and connections as well.

 

It seems to matter in high government appointments.  I remember the snobbish sniffing from the press about one of Bush's appointments whose degree was merely from SMU.  They've probably done the same for other people and I never noticed, but I did in this case because SMU is a school you attend for connections within Texas.  

 

For me, my university has never been discussed.  I have a degree from a real university that is large and local, so I guess no questions are needed.  For employment it is really just a checkmark.  I've never gotten a job through someone from the university, nor have I helped someone else get a job.    

[Critical Thinking Co.]

I'm 198.

I've been eyeing and drooling over the Pre-K bundle.  But, we haven't had the money to spare.  Now we have a little bit, and 40% off.  Yeah!  

 

eta: 205 now