MeanestMomInMidwest
-
Posts
1,556 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Blogs
Classifieds
Store
Posts posted by MeanestMomInMidwest
-
-
That's the beauty of the Vitacost option. Most things are not in cases or lots--you can buy single packages. That's how I've been experimenting with baking (I'm newly GF too).
I agree that it's overwhelming. I'm going the route of just cooking with whole foods from scratch, for the most part. I like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and rice, so we're eating those a lot. I found a bread recipe and a basic muffin recipe that I like, so I'm sticking with those. I just don't eat the other things (or, that's my goal, at least--I sometimes get caught off guard and end up eating the sub sandwich or pizza that everyone else is and just accept that I'll pay for it later).
As for things being labeled gluten-free that are already, you'd be surprised at how many random things have some association with gluten. Vanilla, for example. You'd think it was just a vanilla bean and alcohol, but some alcohols are are rye- or barley-based, so they pose a problem for celiacs. Some blue cheeses have their mold started on bread. And cheap corn chips can indeed have wheat in them, or are made in factories with wheat products and haven't been tested for levels of cross-contamination.
To add to my fun, I can't have oats either. Breakfast is difficult these days :glare:
Good luck!
ETA: Oh! I also forgot to say that while the Pamela's all-purpose baking mix is expensive, I do keep it around for quick bread fixes. It makes a good, fast biscuit recipe (especially yummy when you mix in lots of parmesan or grana padano and rosemary) and excellent pancakes. I still haven't gotten in a rhythm with making my own bread yet, so sometimes if I'm craving bread, I'll whip up some biscuits to go with dinner. It makes life a lot easier. This is the one I buy:
http://www.vitacost.com/Pamelas-Products-Pancake-Baking-Mix-Gluten-Wheat-Free (you can also buy the smaller bag to test it out).
thanks for the link. The site is a bit hard to navigate for me, but I like that I can buy just one thing. My dh just told me he saw "a lot" of gf products at a store in a neighboring town, so I may make a trip over there and grab some items.
I do like the Pamela's flour you linked. I made pancakes this morning and everyone liked them! I'm going to make some cookies this evening. I'm really missing my pastry.
-
Also check out Vitacost for some of these. Amazon had a better price (barely) on big bags of Pamela's mixes, but Vitacost beat Amazon quite a bit on the sorghum flour, and since I needed to buy from Vitacost anyway (restocking on supplements), I was already paying the shipping cost. And Vitacost almost always has a 5% or 10% coupon and gives you back 4% in ebates.
Thank you for the recommendation. While I really like the stuff I bought, I really don't want multiples of the items. Since I'm newly GF, I want to try stuff without being committed to 12 packages of one item. It gets a little overwhelming to see all the products, too. Add to that the fact that some items are advertised as "gluten free" when I think the regular store-bought items are naturally gluten free (like corn tortilla chips).
-
Just recently purchased some gluten free products from Amazon. I am very pleased with the quality (I'm newly gf) and the quick shipping (I ordered enough to get the free shipping). My area is woefully bereft of gf products, so it is not a matter of price, but ability to obtain.
-
Well, from the pov of an active duty (male) soldier: (yes, I'm taking dictation here)
He is still on the job. He may still have things to do. He has asked his wife not to come. What happens if she does come? How will HE feel? How much respect for HIM will he feel his wife has?
This isn't Hollywood - this is real life.
Oh, and BTW - how is she going to feel when she shows up and he tells her to go home because he doesn't have time for her?
a
(remember - dictation)
Well, I can't answer those questions because I'm not inside either the soldier you quoted, the OP's husband, or SM's husband. These are relationship/emotional questions that need to be sorted out by the involved persons. Separate from (but often intertwined with) the military's BS (Bureaucratic Stuff)
-
No.
That is not the way it works coming out of a war zone.
This has absolutely nothing to do with communication and everything to do with decompression. A chaotic situation (unfamiliar territory, multiple modes of transport w/o a firm schedule, not knowing where team members are at all times, etc.), soldiers who have not had a chance to even REMOTELY decompress from the battlefield (which is why they are not being released until next week), and the knowledge that not all family members will make the trip makes whomever came up with the idea for this 7 hour meet and greet on the short list for idiot of the year.
While I respect that you may have gone through this situation before, there is a reason that the military no longer simply releases soldiers right off of the plane. Nor do they immediately send them on extended leave, but rather keep them working at least part time. Assimilation back into the "real world" from a combat zone is difficult for even the most seasoned veteran. Tires by the side of the road are suddenly IEDs. Shadows are enemy combatants. Loud noises (innocent things, like, say, a balloon popping) cause extreme adrenaline reactions.
This has nothing to do with a husband being "distant" or not "demonstrative in public". This has to do with having seen horrible, horrible things, and trying to realign one's worldview into one that isn't so horrible. That isn't an instantaneous process.
asta
asta - I always appreciate your forthrightness. But SecularMom's dh is active duty right now, so I'm pretty sure she is giving accurate information based on her current experience, just as you are. Perhaps what she said is "How it works" for her situation, and the OP & SM are speaking of emotional things, not logistical bureaucratic ones. Both posts (yours and the one you quoted) are coming at the situation from different angles.
-
Put me in the camp of love for TT also. Yes, both boys tested into one grade higher than their actual grade level, which is fine by me. They still need occasional help from me, which is also fine by me. After all, I am still their teacher. I sit at the table with them and read or knit so I can be easily interrupted.
For those of you worried about being "out of the loop" you can always view the lesson with your child. Sometimes when my one of the boys has a question, I'll say, "Well, let's see how MathGuy (that's what we call the guy on the DVD) taught you before I try to help." We then review the lesson (or portion of the lesson) together. Sometimes I am able to come at it from a slightly different angle, sometimes just the review helps. From time to time, I sit through the lesson with each boy (we each use one earbud) so I will be familiar with the terminology in case it is different than what I would use.
I suppose TT could be totally "hands off" for a homeschool teacher, but that's not my style. I'm here anyway and look upon teaching my dc as my job, so I might as well be involved. When I'm working (at my actual job), they do do TT independently (Dad isn't quite as "hands on" as I am).
-
Ummm, yeah - I'll stick to having my kid as a "reminder of the birth"
-
Here are some remedies we use:
eat a spoonful of sugar
eat a spoonful of peanutbutter
eat a spoonful of honey
(notice a trend)
For very bad hiccups, take a small drink of vinegar. For me, just smelling the vinegar does the trick.
-
@ Rosie - a handshake and a banana. I like it! :)
I may find a way to incorporate that into my personal vocabulary...."oh, just give them a handshake and a banana" is now code for maintaining appropriate personal space.
-
Ugh, the public hugs and stuff turn my stomach.
I have always, always told my kids (in front of anyone) "you don't have to hug anyone if you don't want to." I never understood why forcing kids to hug people was a good idea. Some people don't understand, but how can I tell my children to trust their instincts, that they can say "no" when it comes to their own bodies, etc., and then give in when a virtual stranger (to them) insists on physical contact?
-
I don't mean to offend, but this was the absolute worst-liked meal of my childhood. Ugh - I hated to smell it cooking and hated to see it coming across the dinner table at me. Blech. The only thing I liked less was liver with brussel sprouts.
-
Well, everyone seems to be on the same page about this. I wonder though, why not tell your boys about this bad man? Nine is old enough to know that this man has done bad things to children in the past, and you don't want your son around him. I'm not really into protecting the feelings or reputation of people who hurt children.
-
My husband and I both drive one hour to work (opposite directions, different days/times). We live on 13 acres and consider the longer drive a good trade-off.
-
Thanks for all of your reports! It is amazing how many variances exist. FWIW we really don't think she needs a full day, but she has the energy for it and would perhaps enjoy it.
Just working the annual Chinese-number-puzzle of how to best meet every child's needs in the coming year. A high school junior and two high maintenance eighth graders have me concerned that my precocious kinder will get very impatient waiting her turn. I don't think ps is really the answer but I did need to at least get the info to consider it (or should I say, to rule it out).
Anyway, I was just startled to learn the costs involved.
The reason we send dd5 to 1/2 day PS K is that when she comes home in the afternoon, the boys are all done and I can concentrate on her. They are not so demanding, but she is and would really distract from my teaching them (as she did last year - but then she did learn a lot). I'm happy with the 1/2 day K because I have very low expectations. I expect them to keep her entertained and happy for four hours and then I'll educate her at home in the afternoon. So, even if this PS isn't the answer long-term, it is the answer to this particular situation for our family. A very wise woman once told me that no decision I make regarding schooling is un-doable (and she was right, we've changed our minds a few times).
-
looks great, thanks!
-
I think the same is done here in Indiana although my dc didn't do K here. Infact K is not required in the state of Indiana.
Also here in Indiana they have what is called "book rent" for all grades. Yes, you are required to pay for the books your child will use for the year and no you do not get to keep them. For my 8th grader the fee was around 300 dollars give or take a few. It all depends on what classes they sign up for.
I never heard of it before moving to Indiana. Back in Michigan, where we are originally from there were no fews for any grade.
Yup, I'm also in IN. My dd attends 1/2 day K for the modest sum of a $60 book fee. Those choosing full day pay an additional $2,000 (aprox). mind you, all the "education" goes on in the morning. but I have heard comments that full day K is cheaper than daycare. Out of almost 50 K students, only 7 are half-dayers.
The reason for the additional cost for full day K is that legislation was passed requiring school districts to offer full day K, but with no additional funding attached to the legislation. I attended many public and invitation-only meetings with representatives when this was being proposed. Every meeting was filled with teachers and school district reps (principals, superintendents, etc.). the overwhelming majority spoke FOR the legislation. Nobody wanted to think about how to pay for it. Any time funding was brought up, it was dismissed. Then, about 3 years later when the legislation passed, school districts were crying about no funds and some parents were complaining about having to pay for "free public education".
-
I agree with this. There are some people wired to be introverted and some extroverted. My ds13 is quite introverted. If he wasn't in his room playing video games, he would be in his room doing something else. Before he got into video games, he would spend hours playing with his Lego blocks or reading. Before that, he played with his toys. He spends time with us, but he prefers to be alone or with just one person. I can relate. I'm the same way. My dd12 is a major extrovert, wanting to be with someone at all times. I love her to pieces, but after a while of being with her, I'm both physically and mentally tired. We laugh about it. :)
You just described my oldest son and babygirl. My older son used to ask me to "punish" him by giving him a time out in his room so he could get some alone time. He really, really needs it. Daughter wears me out with extrovert personality. The middle one (son) is somewhere in between. Sometimes we're all grating on each other, and alone time is exactly what is needed (for me, too!). I'd rather recognize it and accommodate each child's personality, then the alternative, which is usually fussing and fighting.
ETA: It does frustrate me when my SIL's teenaged children (and preteen) are all "plugged in" during a family event. My dh does not allow any plugged in items for our children at family events - he views it as antisocial. I'm not sure it is any more antisocial than all the adult men vegging out in front of the TV or what I used to do, which is bury my nose in a book.
-
We start our morning snuggling on the couch and reading aloud. With one ds entering the wicked years (10 yrs old and into prepubescence) it may be the only time all day he is nice. Argghhh. But that's another thread, right?
Anymahow - each boy is on a different book, but they both listen to both books. Awkward sentence.
For ds8 I'm reading Danger along the Ohio, which fits into his history.
For ds10, I'm reading War of The Worlds. The arcane language is a bit difficult for him to get through alone (heck, sometimes its difficult for me to get through). Both books prompt discussions.
I read one chapter of each book every weekday morning (unless they beg me for another - but no more than 2).
In the afternoon DD5 reads one page of Little House in the Big Woods and I read the rest of the chapter aloud to her. I never go beyond one chapter with her.
ETA: Each child has his/her own book to read independently at night, and for trips we do audiobooks.
-
But what if the dog is red? It is possible that red things are prickly (the statements don't say otherwise), so couldn't the dog possibly be prickly?
I don't think you can so NO dogs are prickly unless you know ONLY purple things are prickly.
ETA: Love the quote!
Okay, I'll revise my answer:
Therefore, more information is necessary to determine if any dog is prickly..
-
Inconsiderate pet owners abound.
Yes, as do inconsiderate child-owners (parents), inconsiderate car-owners, etc. I feel your pain.
I think the first step is always a conversation, just to make sure it is not an oversight, or something the pet owner has never really thought about (not talking to you specifically here, Impish - just used your post as a jumping off point).
Motives are assigned, but never clear without the initial conversation. We seem to have gotten away from the conversation and jump right into the retaliatory action. Polite society depends upon conversation (obviously my opinion only) and avoiding the initial conversation adds to the degradation of society. It is incumbent upon we who are polite to hold to these standards, regardless of others' actions.
-
dogs are not prickly
no dogs are prickly
-
Your daughter sounds very sweet and kindhearted. These are qualities many struggle to bring out in their children.
Here's how I would handle it:
No flip-flops for DD this summer, since she spent her flip-flop money buying a shirt for a friend. This is not a punishment, rather a consequence of having a finite amount of money. If she chooses to express her generosity rather than have flip-flops I would feel proud of her, but I would not then give her extra money. Of course, I would make sure she understood at the beginning (this is not something I would enforce now, but for the next time - I'm using flip-flops as an example): "I am giving you this money for X & Y. If you choose to spend it on something else, I will not give you any more money for X & Y." Of course this would be a private conversation, not in front of the friend.
I agree with the other poster that some budgeting advice may be in order for DD. I think far too many teens haven't had education/counseling about budgeting and this may predispose them to mismanage money in their 20's and beyond.
You are in a very delicate situation. On the one hand, your daughter is displaying character that you want to encourage (or at least not discourage). On the other hand, you want her to realize that (as I used to get told) money doesn't grow on trees. Good luck with this. And might I add: what a wonderful problem to have with a tween daughter.
-
I work *as* a homeschooler by having additional students.
I have a 30 hour a week job at night and during the day Saturday running poker tournaments.
It's not work, but I am also a full time student. Ok, it *is* work, but I'm not paid for it! :lol:
Oh yeah, it is work. But wouldn't it be SO NICE if someone paid us for grad school? that is my fantasy, then I'd immediately start my doctorate or NP, instead of waiting until my student loans are paid..
-
I like that! I've never heard it before.
and also to babysparkler - I'm glad you like it. I stole it from someone, and I can't remember who!
I actually use this formula frequently - it helps to avoid conflict if I know what I'm going to say, and it seems to work on most people.
Would you do this with your placenta?
in General Education Discussion Board
Posted
yes :iagree: I once saw pillows made of human hair at a museum and that also creeped me out (didn't matter that the ladies pulled the hair from their brushes). I'm also a bit unsettled by the fact that William Shatner was able to sell his kidney stone to a casino museum. I will confess to saving the first baby tooth each of my children lost, but I do not have them on display (although I have joked about making a necklace out of them).