Snickelfritz, you pin-pointed what I want to talk about when (if?) my pediatrician calls me back. I need to make sure that the answering service isn't at fault here (although I explained the situation, that I was inquiring about test results). If he can explain to me how he will improve the communication mechanism so this will NEVER happen again, then I would very much like to stay with him. The money part ticks me off, too. I had a $15 co-pay for the office visit on Friday. I had a $100 co-pay for the ER visit last night. If I don't get a call from the pediatrician today, that will definitely mean that I will no longer see this doctor.

I will be sure to ask when he got the results. On Friday, though, he specifically said he would call with the results on Saturday. So, if there was a problem with the lab, I still think he should have called me to let me know. In response to another reply, the ER offered to repeat the strep test, but I declined because I knew I would get the original test results earlier than I'd be able to get the ER results. They specifically said that it didn't look like scarlet fever, though, which surprises me since that's apparently what she has.

Thanks for the good feedback. I have put in a call asking the pediatrician to call me to discuss what happened. I've got my thoughts written down so I don't forget anything. (Basically, what can he do to ensure that this does not happen again? Is there some way for his answering service to contact him in this type of situation?) I'll post again later after he and I have talked. Bonnie

I forgot to put that in my original post. I tried to call back around noon on Saturday, but there was no way I could get in touch with my actual doctor (who's a solo practitioner). I could only get to a nurse practitioner-on-call who was not actually affiliated with my doctor's office.

Synopsis: Took dd5 to doctor on Friday when her low fever (that she'd had for a few days) became a high fever. Dr. did a 5-minute strep test (negative) but then did the full culture, and said he would call us with results on Saturday. He did not call. By Sunday, her fever was over 105 degrees and she had a rash on her torso. Took her to the emergency room; they said it was a virus. Monday a.m., I call the doctor; strep results were positive. So, because the doctor did not call me with the results on Saturday (like he said he would), dd felt terrible all weekend and we are starting the antibiotics 48 hours later than we could have. I've been with this pediatrician for over 11 years, and I really like him -- but this is the second time we've had issues with getting test results over the weekend. What would you do? Bonnie

Our kids have all read / listened to these at even younger ages. These books are wonderful on so many different levels. I believe that younger kids enjoy them for the stories themselves, and older kids and adults enjoy them because they perceive deeper levels of meaning. Bonnie

These are some of my favorite, and I'm sure I had read them all by age 13. My 11y.o. ds has read them, too, and thoroughly enjoyed them. They do use the word sh**, but as a noun (i.e., what you'd find in a farmyard), not an exclamation. I hope this helps. Bonnie

We have just finished reading Pilgrim's Progress, and I'm wondering if there are any good movie versions. Thanks!

Interesting . . . mine seem to be tied to a combination of too much caffeine and not enough water. I just started on thyroid medicine two months ago, but I can't say I've noticed a difference since then.

After our 4th was born, I felt as if I was done, but I wasn't sure whether that feeling was simply a result of the fatigue of having a newborn. Well, my ds is now 2 1/2 years old. He weaned just before his 2nd birthday -- and I felt okay with the idea that I would never breastfeed again. (And believe me, after ds #1, dd#2, and dd#3 I felt quite sad when they weaned.) That feeling told me that, as far as I was concerned, we were done. So, I guess my answer is that for me, I just knew. I expected to go through a deep mourning process, and I haven't. I feel excited about the family things we'll be able to do as our youngest gets a bit older. Bonnie

We have a "Stooge-fest" and watch lots of episodes of the Three Stooges while enjoying some good snacks. (A cable tv station used to do this; now we have our own dvds.) Also, we read through my notes on what happened during the year. (Background: each morning I write very brief notes about what happened the day before.) It's interesting to look back on the fun things we did, the animals that we spotted in the woods, field trips that we took, etc. Happy New Year!

One positive lesson: Since I've gotten married / had kids my parents have never openly criticized my choices or my spouse in any way. Of course, it helps that I haven't made any major life decisions that they could argue with. But still, I hope that when my children are grown, I will be as supportive as my parents are. One negative lesson: When my sister and I were growing up, and the four of us had to go anywhere separately, we always divided along the same lines. For instance, if we took two cars anywhere, my sister always went with my mother, and I always went with my father. This division seemed to occur in many other ways, too. Because of this, I am not as close to my mother as I could be. I try to make sure that each of our four dc get time with each parent.

I started this past spring by attending a program put on by our local extension service. You could check to see if your extension service will be having such a program, or, if not, if they can put you in touch with someone who can help you one-on-one. Also, check to see if there are any local beekeepers' associations near you. If so, the association members could tell you anything you need to know, and they would most likely be glad to mentor a new beekeeper. As far as a reference book, Beekeeping for Dummies has been a good resource for me. I went to a seminar with an open mind, but also listening carefully for indications that beekeeping would be difficult or time-consuming. I got my first hive last June, and we're looking forward (hopefully) to a good honey harvest in the spring. I hope this helps! Bonnie

"H*ll is other people before breakfast." I'm a morning person, but I like my quiet time before other early risers start talking to me! Bonnie

Hannah Coulter is one of the best books I've read recently. My first exposure to the 'Port William Membership' was in The Wild Birds. I plan to ask for some of his non-fiction works for Christmas.

It's expensive, but sturdy. We tried a plastic marble run, and it was frustrating because the support legs would not stay in place. My kids (even the younger ones) can play with the Quadrilla without getting (too) frustrated. Bonnie

I was concerned about my 15-month-old because he did not have very many words; this was very different from his three older siblings. The doctor checked his ears to make sure there were no congestion issues that might affect his hearing. Since there were no other issues, the pediatrician said to wait until he was 20 months old to see if he had 20 or more words by that time. Sure enough, at about 19 months his vocabulary took off. I think it is worth ruling out other issues (such as hearing problems), but in and of itself not something to worry about. Bonnie

Put her in a bathtub with lots of toys, while you sit in the bathroom with her and read a good book. Or, if you feel like getting something done, clean the rest of the bathroom while she plays in the tub. Good luck! Just remember: the days go slow; the years go fast.

I am going to check this out for my own lego maniac. Bonnie

Protein Balls Prep Time: 30 minutes (15 minutes to mix, 15 minutes to roll into balls) Basic Ingredients: 1 c. peanut butter 1 c. honey 1 c. protein powder (or powdered milk) Add-In Ingredients (4 cups total, create your own combination) Oats Sunflower seeds Peanuts Chocolate chips Granola Raisins Dried cranberries Oat bran Wheat germ Flax seed (ground or whole) Directions: 1. Mix together the basic ingredients in a large bowl: peanut butter, honey, and protein powder. 2. Add 4 cups total of the add-in ingredients. (Peanuts, oatmeal, and chocolate chips are a delicious classic.) 3. The more dry ingredients you add, the stiffer the mixture gets. You want the protein balls to stick together when you roll them, but you don’t want them to be so sticky that they won’t hold shape. Add more oatmeal, wheat germ, or oat bran if your mixture is too goopy. Add more honey if your mixture is too dry. 4. Roll the mixture into balls about 1 inch in diameter. This is the tedious part—so get the kids involved! 5. Refrigerate the balls (or freeze any extra). You can stack them in Tupperware and separate the layers with waxed paper.

I've got a hive of bees, but I guess they haven't found the cucumbers. I've got lots of flowers / no cucumbers, too. I'll have to try hand-pollinating, I guess.

We've been together since we were both 18.

I've got the diapers out and ready to send or give to you in person! Bonnie

I have some Bumkins diapers (all-in-one cloth ones) in size medium and large (probably about 10 of each size). I have no more use for them, but I don't want to throw them away. They're used, but still have lots of use to them. If you'll pay the shipping, they're yours!

RightStart has done well for three of my kids so far (entering 5th, 2nd, and pre-K). My oldest son really disliked Spelling Workout, to the point of tears (and he's very strong in language arts). Now, he gets excited when it is time for spelling. I think being able to place him at the proper level was the key. Latin Prep is the only Latin program we've tried, but it has been a success. My oldest enjoys the author's sense of humor. I'm re-learning Latin too (I had a couple of years of Latin in high school), and I think it is a good program.