In general, I don't like it. But I suck it up. I like it better when certain people (that know how to photograph people) take them. My mother hated photos of herself. She even destroyed them on occasion. (Like burning her wedding photos of her and my dad after they got a divorce) Now I'm sad because she passed away at 41 and I have very few photos of her. For that reason, I don't get too upset about bad pics of me.

I just made four pans of Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls. I put them in the freezer, and will bake them for Christmas morning. We've also baked sugar cookies, 7 layer bars, and make a bunch of hot cocoa mix in jars. I'll probably make something else naughty before it is all said and done.

I really enjoy being able to run to the grocery store in slouchy clothes, no make up, and messy hair, without the fear of a tabloid cover photo being taken. So no...lol. My girls and I often remark as we are standing in line at stores staring at the awful tabloid headlines that we are SO glad that we aren't famous.

So that I don't retype the whole thing over...I wrote this post for a blog a while back. It lays out my planning process and makes it a little less intimidating. http://sandboxtosocrates.com/2014/10/22/high-school-isnt-as-scary-as-it-seems-by-apryl-2/ Also, don't worry or plan a lot right now. Your children will change SO much between now and high school. Your carefully laid plans will likely be tossed out the window (I know mine were). Just keep giving them a solid foundation to work from.

I don't know what they ended up getting me. Which is nice..lol. I'm kind of hoping for this: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Coloring-Star-Wars-Creativity/dp/1484757386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450652495&sr=8-1&keywords=star+wars+adult+coloring+book And a thermos travel mug. Maybe a sweater? Oh, and maybe The Last of Us for PS4

Having gotten one child through high school successfully, and with two more almost finished, I can definitely say it does NOT have to be that way. We aren't shooting for the stars here, just trying to get ready for college. None of mine have Ivy league aspirations. I approached high school as preparation for being able to go into depth in their chosen field later. Aside from meeting the graduation requirements for our state, and what universities expect to see on transcripts, our focus has been on learning HOW to study and learn independently. My oldest spent around 5-6 hours a day on school during her high school years. She was a daydreamer and didn't really have that big of a load. It just took her longer to do the work. She's doing fine in college. She has a good job. I think she is a homeschool success story. My younger two, who are much more academically inclined, only spend 3-4 hours a day on school work. They read fast, and I'm not cramming them full of extra work. One of them has already met the requirements to enter into the Honors College at her chosen university. I'm not worried about whether our school was rigorous enough. Classical education isn't a race to see who comes out the best. It is quality over quantity, IMO. So, unless you have a child that is driven academically, then don't overload them.

It is private here too. In fact in the long gone porta-potty thread it was discussed..lol. We don't let just anyone back there. The kids even knock before they come in. It is the one place in the house that dh and I are guaranteed privacy. We have large numbers of guests over rather frequently, and our bedroom is pretty much off limits unless we take someone in there for some reason. Often our dog is locked up in there. We keep more personal/valuable items put away in there as well. It isn't in the main flow of traffic in the house, so there isn't any reason anyone NEEDS to go back there. That said, I have offered it for a quiet place to lay a baby down or change a diaper when needed.

For Christmas Eve and NYE we do appetizer type things. We get together with family and everyone brings their favorites. Usually things like chips and dip, veggie trays, mini pizzas, potato skins, etc. On Christmas Day FIL is going to grill steaks and we'll have potatoes and salad. On New Year's Day we'll have a Prime Rib roast at our house with brussels sprouts, potatoes, and other veggies.

Three of the five people in this house prefer music while working. I'm one of them. When I was a teen, I could listen to anything, and it really did help keep me focused. Now as an adult, I stick to classical or instrumental because words distract me. But listening to classical definitely helps and keeps me from listening to traffic/birds/dh working, etc.

I've lived in both large cities and in the absolute boonies. I prefer the city to some extent. I loved living in Fort Worth. I love being able to bike/walk to libraries, grocery stores, etc. I loved having so many museums and activities to do. I also liked living in Minneapolis. TONS of parks and trails. I currently live in the country. Cows and sheep are my neighbors. It sounds idyllic, but the reality is that it is unsafe to bike anywhere (highway with no shoulder), marginally unsafe to walk alone (lots of druggies around, and people just don't walk here, to you stick out like a sore thumb), and there is a big meth problem here. I have to drive to go ANYWHERE. There isn't much to do. My ideal would be to live right on the edge of a metropolitan area, with easy access to bike trails/sidewalks.

I'll be honest, it annoys me when He is depicted as a white guy. Especially here in my area where people try to use the Bible as an excuse to be racist. Half the people I know that claim to be Christian wouldn't let someone that shared an ethnicity with Jesus into their home. I wish they realized the hypocrisy in that. Then there is the whole stupid thing in a lot of traditional Baptist circles in which men shouldn't have long hair and should be clean shaven. And yet there is a big ol' bearded, long haired white Jesus picture hanging in the church ???

Neat! Right now my oldest is the age I was when I became pregnant with her, and my youngest two are the age I was when I began dating my husband. Kind of weird for me (and I spend a lot of time wondering what in the world my mother was thinking in letting me run around like I did at 15! lol.)

Dh handles the yard and house maintenance stuff. He doesn't do any housework unless I specifically ask him to do something (rarely). This came about because for most of our marriage he either worked long hours or traveled a lot. Now we are rather stuck in our roles...lol. Things will likely change a bit after the girls move out and I'm working.

Well, my dd just got a case of celery flavored soda from me for her birthday yesterday! Cel-Ray One of my other daughters got Pink Himalayan Sea Salt last year for Christmas. (She always wants kitchen/cooking things, and she was thrilled..lol.)

I used to be a front sleeper, but back and shoulder issues keep me from doing that much any more. I rotisserie chicken sleep now. I roll and roll and roll, most of the night. :glare: Good sleep eludes me most nights.

My dd and I both finished up finals today. We are of the same opinion: sleep sounds lovely.

They had dogs to relax with last semester during finals week at our school. They also give fee massages in the rec center (actual massage therapists)

My dd is a commuter. It is working just fine. We live 20 minutes from school. She works part-time as well as attending school full time. She manages to study, have a boyfriend, work, and still be fine. She doesn't have to worry about late night parties, and she still loves her bedroom for study. She participates in as much or as little of the extras at school as she likes. She studies both at home and at school. Sometimes she hangs out with friends to study. We don't have a set curfew, but she's never been one to stay out late. Her dad has asked her to be home by 11PM on Saturday nights because we get up early for church, and our dog wakes up the whole house if she comes in late. Other than that, she comes and goes as she pleases. However, she's courteous and lets us know where she is. ETA: I have lightened up a LOT on what chores I ask her to do. She has to do her own laundry, keep her room below FEMA levels, and occasionally help with dishes or dinner.

Seriously?! What in the world are they getting paid for?

Ugh. I would sue for damages at this point. Maybe round up some neighbors and go in together. I would also not hesitate to call animal control to come get the crazed animals that are at your back door. They are a danger to you and yours.

In our family that would have garnered an inappropriate sounding response designed to make MIL uncomfortable. "Naughty. Verrrryyy Naughty. Heh heh"

I have this one and love it: http://www.target.com/p/zulu-atlas-beverage-bottle-teal-20-oz/-/A-14767619?ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=14767619&ref=tgt_adv_XS000000&AFID=google_pla_df&CPNG=PLA_Sports%2BShopping&adgroup=Portable+Beverage+Bottle_SC&LID=700000001170770pgs&network=g&device=c&location=9013412&gclid=CjwKEAiAs4qzBRD4l-2w7qOoqEMSJABauikXHpGx81OwH5p_GGYAWRNZvBKGkKx7jvztJtl9ibwxYhoCF73w_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds I like that the water doesn't get that plastic taste. This one has been toted all over college with me and dropped (short distances) without issue.

I've monitored and kept passwords on my kids online activities since they've been online. However, as they reach the age of 16-17, my standards relax a lot. They have the ability and knowledge to hide pretty much anything from me if they chose. (I mean, at that point, they can drive, usually work, and aren't in my presence for much of the day). I figure that by that age they are either going to behave mostly responsibly, or not, and there isn't a ton I can do about it. We kind of have the attitude of "You have x amount of freedom and trust right now. Don't breech my trust or you'll lose freedom". (disclaimer here: I was married and living with my 18 year old husband by the age of 16. I tend to operate on the assumption that most 16-18 year olds are capable of acting responsibly, and it feels weird to me to be in control of that much of my nearly legal adult children's lives)

I have focused on what healthy choices look like. We, as a family, don't always make the healthy choices, even though we know what they are. We go through periods of eating great, and periods of eating horribly. My oldest doesn't like vegetables, and has an allergic reaction to most fruits and all nuts. What can I do? She's 18 now, and buys her own food when she isn't home. I saw that she was eating a LOT of sugar, and I did bring it up. It wasn't framed in terms of weight though. Diabetes is a big problem in our extended family. I kind of jokingly told her that her pancreas was screaming at her to please stop. Then we talked about how even though she isn't feeling the immediate effects of all of that junk, 10-15 years down the road she was going to have some pretty major trouble. She still eats candy like it is going out of style. There isn't much I can do about it at this point. I think after a certain age, they just have to make that choice on their own. Forcing the issue will just cause resentment, and possibly make it worse. FWIW, your daughter is in sports, and it doesn't sound like she has a completely horrible diet. MANY people don't eat in the morning. My dh never eats until after noon, neither does one of my other daughters. I would think not eating breakfast at all (if she isn't hungry) is better than eating white bread.

I wouldn't, but we eat early, and by 7PM I would have already eaten dinner. The exception being if it were someone I really wanted to see, or haven't seen in a long time.