I can't recall my mom or dad EVER reading to me. In fact, the only books we had in the entire house were mine! lol. My dad's house had tons of books, and I had free range to read them, but he never read to me either.

If I'm not soaking up the warm water...it only takes around 5 minutes to get the job done. I mean, the longest thing is letting the conditioner sit on my hair...and that can happen while washing everything else. Shaving adds another 5 minutes or so. My oldest dd, however, cannot get out in less than 15 for some reason. (Unless dad is yelling at her to hurry up...then it's about 15 seconds :lol:)

1) What was your childhood experience with chores like? What helped you, and what hampered you? My parents worked. By the age of 9 I was babysitting my 3 year old brother, and was expected to be able to clean anything. By 11 or so, I was expected to be able to cook meals. (they weren't fancy, but we got fed) 2) What do you expect from your children? How is it different from how you were raised? I expect my girls to leave home already knowing how to run a home. They do not have the burdens of caretaking that I did at a young age, but they are being taught how to do everything. In our house, we are all expected to contribute in some way. 3) Was it typical for people in our generation to have few or no chores? (like me) What about today's generation? If you think it has changed from one generation to the next, why do you think that is? It wasn't typical where I grew up. Most kids I knew had to do some chores, and many were like my family. 4) Why do you think some people don't give their kids chores or expect them to regularly help with housework? I think many think of it as a way of showing love. I think you are doing a dis-service to your child if they grow up never learning basic household tasks. 5) Do you think kids with "working mothers" are more likely to have chores and be self-sufficient and know how to do laundry, etc, than kids whose mothers are housewives? In many cases, yes. At least that was the reason for it when I was a child. In our case, it's different since I do not work. BUT we also have a lot more messes because all of us are home all day. 6) Whether you are an unschooler or not, have you known (or been) a child who was not given chores, but just naturally started doing housework of your own initiative? No, not in my experience. I have seen a child begin to try to clean a filthy house when no one else would and they got old enough for it to bother them. 7) How you ever known (or been) a child who had problems from not being given enough chores? (ie, spoiled, self-centered, unable to take care of themself as they got older, etc) I think just the chore isn't alone isn't going to form their character. But I do think it's a needless struggle that some adults have to go through. 8) Do you think requiring regular chores that are not optional causes children to despise these tasks and do a shoddy job? No. Kids will often do a shoddy job, just because they are kids. I was made to do it all as a kid, and I don't despise anything except putting away my clean clothes :lol: And I have no logical reason for that! 9) Any other thoughts?

Please go see someone about it. It can spiral into something worse, especially if you've had trouble in the past. And it can last for more than just a few months. I had trouble after each of my births, and it was horrible after my twins. They were 3 or 4 before I finally came out of it. Counseling helped me so much. And if you start having any strange/scary thoughts, please tell someone. Looking back now, I'm terrified at some of the things that ran through my head during that time.

My oldest is a tomboy, and always has been. She has more fun playing with the boys, and can't stand all the girl drama that girl friends bring. She doesn't like to primp, and loves jeans and t-shirts. She won't let me near her with the blow dryer, hair spray, or any form of make up. She loves dirt, bugs, and critters in general. She can make ALL the rude noises just as loud and obnoxiously as my dh. But she's still a girl. She has a soft spot for babies and little kids, she loves bracelets and necklaces, she has a stuffed animal collection you wouldn't believe, and loves fairy tale love stories (although she won't admit it :lol:) She's just like I was. And although I'm a little more girlie these days, I'm still on the no-frou-frou side. Oh, and I don't think it's our up-bringing. I have one daughter who is the queen of girlie, she EMBRACES all things pink and glittery.

Thanks everyone. I think I'm going to go to a couple of local stores and let her try on some of the boys/men's stuff, and look for womens. She's very curvy, and well, pretty much full grown. So the boys/mens things probably won't fit very well. Add pickiness to that, and I'm having a hard time! :glare: She doesn't want to dress like a boy, but she also hates anything frou-frou and shuns pink like the plague. But maybe after trying on a few things, I might be able to get a better idea of what to order online if we can't find anything.

Yeah, Kelsie didn't like the women's ones (too plain..lol) and she's too big for the girls sizes. She wears a womens size 9 or Med. to large in shirts.

She liked these shorts, but didn't see a rash guard on this site she liked. And I know nothing about this company..lol. http://www.surfwearhawaii.com/dropin/wahines/havaa/pua.shtml

I've looked at Land's End and didn't see what I'm looking for. We are looking for short sleeved rash guards and longer board shorts (dd would like some with pockets, but would like to find some made for girls, not guys.) I've found a few places online that sell them, but wondered if anyone had a place they knew had good service, or at least knew the product.

Can anyone recommend a good place to shop for board shorts and rash guards? My poor dd needs something she can be more comfortable swimming in. She hates 'hanging out' and so do I. We are looking for something in women's sizes. Who knows, I might even buy some for myself!

Ours has been on the market for 7 months, and still hasn't sold.

When I was in the 6th grade, our school district changed from jr. high to middle school. So it was k-5 elementary, 6-8 middle school, and 9-12 high school. Then I changed districts and went to a K-12 school, but 9th grade was still considered high school level.

I second the tea tree oil shampoos. Also, I wouldn't bother with the lice shampoos and such. They usually don't work and you are essentially dumping pesticide on your kids head. We had a horrible round of it when the girls were little and the only thing that got rid of them was combing every night with a nit comb for a couple of weeks.

Marshmallows should dissolve in warm water. I would think a good soak in the tub with some conditioner for the tangles would do the trick.

I PM'd you. :grouphug:

Older teens recommendation here too. We let our 13 year old dd watch it, not knowing how disturbing the ending would be. She handled it ok, but was shaken by it (as would anyone watching it would be) It is a worthwhile watch though.

Apryl (who just snuck a cookie out of the box meant for dessert tonight) Apryl (who is enjoying our brief 3 week schooling break) Apryl (who although is looking forward to a visit from the inlaws, wishes they had sheduled it DURING our break) Apryl (who really should be de-cluttering the school room like I told myself I would)

I had mine out at 20 something (I can't remember exactly, but it was pre 24) I wasn't sedated, and I had zero trouble. It wasn't even that sore afterwards. One was slightly impacted, the other wasn't (only had 2) The worst part of the whole ordeal was hearing the noises the extractions made. :ack2:

My kids are a little odd... They LOVE pokemon..lol. Even my 13 year old. In fact they spent hours today playing it. :glare: My 10 year olds: American Girl dolls, bikes, Webkins, Poptropica, and crafty stuff. My 13 year old: Reading, Anime (drawing/reading/watching), writing, piano, playing Maple Story, and complaining about her sisters :tongue_smilie:

I didn't post it, but my girls DO help with cooking. In fact, they cook their own lunch and breakfasts. They cook dinner a couple of times a week on average. They have clean up duty. :) My dh will when asked, but I don't usually ask.

Are there rabbits around here? That was our biggest garden pest in TN. Spinach is awesome for salads :) And the loose leaf lettuces will sometimes keep growing after you pick some for salads, as long as the roots stay intact. Do you have tomatoes? You'll need to steak or cage them in you do or they'll fall over.

Ok, I'm kind of in the middle of the number of kids requirement..;) We do eat a lot. :001_smile: Here's what I do though: I keep the staples on hand at all times. Chicken breasts, quick cooking cuts of meat, etc. I also keep several different forms of pasta, rice, barley, etc. Even the slower cooking varieties usually cook in 30 minutes or less. I learned how to make basic sauces. I can whip out a cream based or tomato based sauce in 10 minutes or so. I keep frozen veggies on hand. Things like peas, mixed veggies, broccoli, etc. I buy them in bulk, and there's no waste because I can take out only what I need. I usually have chicken stock and various canned tomatoes on hand as well. (I know canned tomatoes are a no-no on this board right now, but honestly I can't find an affordable substitute) I belong to a CSA and keep fresh fruits and veggies on hand. I have found that if I try to plan more than 2 weeks ahead I end up having more wasted food. I mostly try to keep the basics for many meals on hand, and use them as the need arises. Our weekly meals usually look like this: Rice with grilled chicken and green beans. (30 minutes) Salad with grilled chicken on top. (10-15 minutes, if the chicken has been grilled ahead of time) Soup (varies greatly here according to left overs) (30 minutes-all day crockpot depending on the recipe) Pasta dish with either ground turkey, or diced chicken. Add frozen or fresh veggies. I keep it very simple...a sauce, pasta, meat, veggie.(30 minutes) Tacos/fajitas/nachos. Again, simply cook desired meat with mexican style seasonings. I serve with onions, peppers, black beans, frozen corn, diced tomatoes, tortillas or chips. If I've hit meat on sale we'll also throw in grilled steak, slow cooked ribs, etc. Potatoes, and salads for sides. The biggest variety comes from the seasonings, and re-arranging of ingredients. You can make rice and chicken a mexican dish, an italian dish, or just a plain jane dish...simply by seasonings and a few changed veggie choices. I only buy meat when it's on sale. I keep a large extra freezer, and it's so nice to have a stock built up.

How exciting! I'm kind of jealous. We are in a rental and I want a garden so bad! I think it's so cool they are doing that.

We keep it on hand, and I try to buy organic when possible. Local has proven to be more difficult than I care to pursue. We belong to a CSA so that has helped. Yes, I think it's essential for good health. I serve it with meals, and it's available for snacking. The only drawback is fruit flies :glare: I do not like to keep it all in the fridge (and frankly don't have room) so we are constantly battling fruit flies.

Oh Kari, I am so, so sorry. I'll being praying for peace for your family, and strength to get through this. :grouphug: