You'll do wonderfully - think about it, you'll be so frustrated with the added costs of every last little thing (pillows. drinks. baggage. gas tax. et cetera.) that you won't have any energy left to be nervous about the flight!! Seriously, though. I'm a flight attendant, and I can assure you that even my colleagues who are not the most pleasant of creatures in the customer service aspect, we are all thoroughly trained to handle any emergency that arises so you don't have to worry about the safety aspect. We are required to carry with us a complete manual for quick, easy reference but we also attend annual re-training exercises that cover all of the possible incidents you mentioned above (in addition to additional training throughout the year). Anything that could possibly arise, we've been trained and had it ingrained via repetitive training to handle. This time of year the turbulence could be an issue, especially if you're in Louisiana, but know that if it weren't safe to fly ... the crew would refuse to go. We have families to get home to, too! If you're a nervous flier and think the turbulence may send you over the edge, just let a flight attendant know when you board so they can try to keep you abreast of any impending turbulence. Grab or bring a pillow or blanket so you have something you can grab on to, and when the turbulence hits just close your eyes and take deep, meditative breaths. If the flight attendants don't look or sound like they're worried, you don't have to be either :D. I'm a single mom; if it weren't safe, I wouldn't go to work! Have a pleasant flight, and a fantastic trip!

I love that my two year olds give me pause to stomp through rain puddles, chase lizards in the backyard, follow a trail of ants down the driveway, and wear completely mismatched clothes (my current two year old likes to have days where we choose outfits for each other to wear). This age reminds me to have fun, and to not be so serious about everything. In that vein, this age is also an exercise in my patience. I get better with each subsequent kid :willy_nilly: ;)

I'm blessed with a job that offers a multitude of benefits, from flexible scheduling to flight privileges, so our holiday travel will continue as usual. Unfortunately, we know many families who will have to pick and choose different routines this year; the past few years it had been more prudent to drive than to fly, but even now it all ends up being so cost-prohibitive that many of our friends will end up staying home and scaling down this year. Thank goodness for technology, though, in that at least webcams and phone calls are easily enough utilized so as not to feel completely alienated from loved ones we would rather be with!

My seven year old boy is also "always on the move" ... we just started AAS this year. Prior to this we never worked on any spelling program (just worked on learning words that were relevant to whatever he was writing or interested in) so I have nothing really to compare it to, but we both like it! He likes that it is hands on and not just repeated writing exercises; I like that it ranks low on prep time. My son is an excellent reader, but average speller. His frustrations before AAS were that he knew that his spellings were off, he just didn't know how to make his mispellings correct. He learned to read using a phonics method, so I'm not sure where the disconnect was but he couldn't use phonics to spell prior to our using AAS. The lightbulb went on almost immediately, for him. The manipulatives work great for him; he isn't a sit at the table kind of kid. We do use a cookie sheet; two actually (one to store letters, one to do lessons on). We also use a dry-erase board with lines ($5) for the actual writing part since he has an aversion to pencil and paper (and eraser marks, sigh). All in all, he's gone from being incredibly frustrated with spelling to wanting to work ahead of my lesson plan. Highly recommended!

:grouphug: I'm so sorry to hear about your loved one, and his unfortunate accident. It's hard to feel so powerless :( and I don't blame you one bit for wanting to keep busy and keep that feeling at bay. I hope you find enough tasks to keep your mind occupied as you await updates on his condition, and I pray he takes a turn for the better.

Bee, I won't speak to the ethics of your quandry but I will say that eating a veg*n (whether vegetarian OR vegan) diet can be quite the affordable experience! I don't purchase meat for our family, however I do purchase and prepare it for our pets. When we acquired these pets, I was in shock at how much meat cost and wondered how so many families could afford it for their humans! I didn't grow up eating it, myself. It might definitely be an adjustment to the palate (sp?) and definitely doesn't have to start off as an all-or-nothing change. Even replacing one meal or one day's worth of meals a week would be a good way to try out new recipes and introduce new dishes. Many family favorites can be adapted relatively easily. Also, think ethnic! This way, even if you don't commit to giving up your meat ... you've still broadened your culinary horizons, and can show your daughter that even though you fall on different ends of the spectrum on this issue, you take to heart the issues that are important to her.

It can be overwhelming to start all at once, so if it makes sense for you - take one 'area' at a time to focus on, and add in additional areas over a set period of time. Cleaning supplies is an easy place to start because it's also among the cheapest! Two staples: baking soda and white vinegar. I don't have any set recipes, but many abound on the internet if you do an internet search for those terms in context. Body & Hygiene can be relatively inexpensive, too, but a bit more of an investment in terms of finding what will work for your skin/hair type. And changes are sometimes better made gradually to allow an easier adjustment for your body. I shampoo with regular shampoo (the cheapest brands tend to have less of the -cones and -phates IME) and rinse with apple cider vinegar. I have thicker, coarse hair but it's not curly like yours. I wash my face with tea oil (not tea TREE oil! important distinction!) and tone it with floral water (I like rose). Weekly or so I give a good scrub with sugar and honey, and I'm good to go! Deoderants? Go without. Yes, there may be an adjustment period (!!) but wait it out. Smooth on some baking soda (or if you're a sweaty type, a cotton ball saturated with vinegar before you go out) during that transition. Focus on eating a wholesome diet, too, as it influences your natural aroma. Not just organic, but whole foods style. I haven't any websites to recommend, but I know my library has several books on "natural living" that contain recipes for these things. And if you're more looking for an existing product to buy, I'll throw out one of my favorites: Dr. Bronner's. You can use it for just about everything, from body to floors LOL. Good luck on your journey!

Last night I started re-reading an annual favorite: Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own Reading through this thread, methinks I need to shelve my constant rotation of annual favorites to see what else is out there that I'm missing out on!

How was lunch? :bigear: I love spaghetti squash - I make a chunky bruschetta-type sauce to top it that takes only a few minutes to prepare. Chopped tomatoes (can use canned), diced onions (can use fresh or frozen pre-chopped), a few leaves of fresh basil (or few pinches of dried), and garlic to taste (fresh or pre-minced in a jar). Warm on the stovetop, and it's ready in 5 minutes! To create strands, simply follow the PP's advice and use a fork to scrape out the flesh. You've got me hungry now!