Get the actual numbers. Depending what kind of doctor you see, one might tell you that your thyroid is fine, when you are end the very edge of the "fine" spectrum. Another doctor who specializes in the area, may not feel that you are "fine". And as Parrothead said, make sure the doctor is checking for Hashimoto's antibodies instead of just going by TSH levels.

I've always found that popping a vitamin C at the first sign of a cold helps.

Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. While fruits do contain simple sugars they are loaded with fiber which will slow digestion and absorption. If you are worried about calories, choose the fruits with higher water content such as peaches. Vegetables, like fruits, are loaded with vitamins, minerals and fiber. They tend to be much lower in calories than fruits but still have plenty of nutrients. Because of their high fiber content, a big salad will keep you full for a long time which will help you eat less throughout the day. This can help keep your diet on track. Oatmeal is one of the best breakfast foods. It's high in complex carbs and is also packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber. Oatmeal is digested slowly and will give you a steady supply of energy going into the afternoon hours. Stick with the traditional style oatmeal as the pre-flavored kind is filled with sugar. Legumes (beans, peas, peanuts) do not only deliver good carbs, they are also loaded with protein which is a good source for vegetarians. They are a good source of fiber as well as vitamins and minerals.

You must have some really productive kids. It takes forever to get my kids moving and keep them moving at anything that isn't their choice. I have to follow them around; "Brush your teeth", "take a shower", "get some clothes on", "eat breakfast", "clean up your mess", "get ready for school"...etc. etc., etc. Oh the agony. My kids would get a lot more "free time" if they were more focused and productive. It does sound like your kids get a lot of free time. Good thing mine aren't reading this.

Disclaimer: You don't have to read the whole thing if you don't want to. Cut out processed foods. Make more, or better yet, most, of your foods at home from scratch. This is a great way to avoid added sugars, high fructose corn syrup, and other unhealthy additives and chemicals including dyes. No juice. No soda. Juice is empty calories. It's loaded with sugar, albeit natural sugar, it is far healthier to eat a piece of fruit. Drink lost of water. Limit your sugar and refined carb intake. No white rice. Limit white potatoes. Limit white flour, or switch to whole wheat. Limit anything with added sugar (or sugar substitutes). Eat lots of vegetables. Mix up your lettuce varieties and enjoys salads, with a small amount of home made dressing. Processed dressing are loaded with crap, especially high fructose corn syrup. Red meat is not as evil as everyone thinks. And while you are on this high vegetable leafy-green lifestyle you will need to get a lot of protein. Protein helps keep you feeling full longer. If you have access to free-range organic or at least meat not treated with hormones and antibiotics, even better. Not all fat is evil. There are good fats. Opt for extra virgin olive oil rather than vegetable or corn oil. There's a few other oils that are good for you too (I'm drawing a blank right now). Choose real butter over margarine - but use it sparingly. Don't eat if you aren't hungry. If you eat when you are bored, stay busy. Exercise. Weight loss is largely about calories in vs. calories out, but the foods you eat do play a part in it. Join a forum like SparkPeople or My Fitness Pal. Track your food for a couple of weeks. You will be stunned to see how many calories are in foods that you didn't think were high in calories. It's a very educational experience. Rosie made some excellent points. I'm stealing them because I forgot to hit "quote" before I got started: "Other than salad, which has magical properties, start by changing your breakfast. You probably require a portion of protein, a portion of grains and a portion of fat. You'll have to figure out the ratio. Some people need to get their carbs from anywhere except grains. People like that scare me, but they exist so I feel I ought to tell you about them so you can check if you are like that too. ;) General guidelines to start figuring it out: ~If you eat your meal and feel sluggish, you are eating too many grains, so cut back. ~If you are eating a huge bowl full and still prowling around wondering why you want to eat, you probably need more fat. ~If you feel fine after eating, but are back in the kitchen in less than two hours, you need more protein. " Not to scare you Rosie, but I am one of those people that needs to get carbs from some place other than grains. It took me something like 37 years to figure that out. I feel great now that I have. Sadly, I do like carbs, maybe more than I should. And because this cannot be said enough: Eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup. Yep. If yo do NOTHING else, do that. You will lose weight.

We have dsl through the local phone company (Windstream - the only choice for a dsl provider here) and pay $34.99 a month for 6 megs, unlimited access, before taxes.

My 8 1/2 year old daughter says she will homeschool, or send them to grandma to be homeschooled because she might be busy with her baking and sewing business. My oldest son still refuses to believe that he will someday stop thinking girls are gross and marry one.

When we both had professional jobs, my clothes went to the dry-cleaner and he washed and ironed his own. Later, when I quit working I washed his clothes at home but he was still responsible for ironing. I don't iron. I'm not good at it and I don't like it. I make sure I don't buy myself clothing that needs to be ironed. My husband's clothes always looked great. He was very particular about them, and did a very good job of ironing.

We don't drink juice any more. It's empty calories. To get the full benefit of the fruit, you need to actually eat fruit. Juice IS barely better than a soda.

Sea of Love - Robert Plant Unforgettable - Nat King Cole

I agree with the above. Also, I'm not comfortable with handing off my 4 year old to strangers. Honestly, I'm not comfortable handing off my 10 year old to strangers, either, but even more so my 4 year old. The reasons for this are numerous. My brother and I never went to preschool, and we didn't miss out on anything. We were never "behind" or "slow" or "socially challenged". We missed nothing from the lack of the experience. We probably gained a lot from an extra year at home with mom too.

I've lived in America all my life, and I have to say that the American lunches looked absolutely repulsive to me. While most of the Asian meals have foods American children would find odd, or even gross, those lunches looked the most nutritious for the most part.

I was thinking the same thing.

That's a very good video. I've watched it several times in the past few years. That's part of what really got me started on reducing my sugar intake.

I tend to take in no more than 25 grams of sugar per day, and most of that is derived from whole foods. I have 2 teaspoons a day of table sugar; one in my morning coffee and one in my evening coffee. I do occasionally treat myself to a small dessert or 3 peanut M&Ms. How did I do it? I don't eat processed foods with the exception of a few items (pasta, ketchup, mayonnaise). That helps a lot. Most processed foods are loaded with sugar or sugar substitutes. The first week or two was hard. Really hard. I wanted to dip into the M&M jar, so I put it out of the way. I didn't have any baked goods in the house for a few weeks so I wouldn't be tempted. I also went low-carb at the same time. Most of my carbs and sugars are coming from fruits and vegetables. I feel better and I'm losing weight, which is how I stick with it. I feel tired and foggy headed when I cheat, so that helps keep me sticking to the plan. It wasn't easy (I have a real sweet tooth), but I was determined. Now every time I look at a food I'm measuring the sugar content in my head. I make sure that if I'm going to treat myself, it's going to be with something I really enjoy, rather than being too lazy to make myself "good" food. Are you eating in the evening because you are hungry? You could try a few different things. Either forbid yourself food after say 7 PM, or add more protein to your diet. It helps keep you feeling full longer so you don't get tired and hungry and want to reach for sweet treats. The other option is to choose to snack on fruit to feed your sweet tooth instead of cakes and cookies. I'm to the point now where I almost prefer a bowl of strawberries to a cookie. I also have a rule for myself that says I will not eat if I'm not actually hungry. It helps.

I only know 3 women over 50. One of them has long hair. The rest of my friends are slightly shy of 50.

Oh yeah, 'cause you can just re-write that on a whim!

Nutella?

I like that. I think I would rather make the construction paper quilt, too. In fact, I think I'm putting that on our project list.

You are not alone. I can't read them. It strains my eyes and hurts my head. It's also a PITA if you lose your place. I see this often in one of my home schooling email groups. I usually end up skipping the post.

I keep my linen closet very tidy. Very tidy. But lately the older kids have been helping put things away and it's getting messed up. It's hard deciding if it's worth the help or not. Right now I'm tidying up the linen closet a bit every time I go in there for something.

I agree.

Hotel California - The Eagles This song reminds me of my father. My parents divorced when I was 4. I remember Sunday visits with my dad, riding in the car with him and this song playing on the radio. It seems like it was playing every time we rode in the car together.

I have a pumpernickel bread recipe (somewhere) that calls for instant coffee. We didn't taste the coffee at all.

I don't watch soaps any more, but, All My Children has been most, if not all my life. It's kind of sad really. I suppose they will replace them with more of those stupid talk shows hosted by rich oblivious people.