No advice to add on hostas, but I do know rocks don't deter dog poo. Our dog actually prefers to poop in the gravel driveway :confused1:

I voted 3 because I'm really a lot closer to 5, but not quite..lol.

Is he wanting to edit photos or do graphic design type work?

I'm sorry. I had a similar rant a while back. I was sick from November until February, and started back to school full time the last half of January. I have grown children, and they still did not lift a finger to help unless I specifically told them to do something. My house was a disaster. :cursing:

I have zero advice for you, but wanted to thank you for loving on those boys and being a stable person in their lives.

We have two more that get their permits next month. My wallet hurts.

We bought our daughter a 2003 Impala. Dh is a former mechanic, so he is pretty savvy on what condition a used car is in. It is old and kind of ugly, but it is large enough that we feel better about her safety. It came pre-dented and scratched, so there wasn't the fear of putting a ding in it (which WILL happen and already has for her). Insurance didn't go up nearly as much as I thought it would. Being a girl helped I think.

I have found this to be true as well. Any time I use commercial shampoo/conditioners my back and hairline break out.

I actually found myself moving the opposite direction the older they got. We started with boxed curriculum, and their needs as they progressed no longer fit any boxed curriculum. Plus, we have outsourced many things as they progressed beyond my ability (or desire) to teach.

We've been doing similar things this month. DD registers for her full time class load on Monday!

My oldest is going to community college. We have a decent one, and they have some pretty awesome study abroad opportunities. She has no desire to go away to college. She will be majoring in German. One of my sophomores also plans (for the moment) to attend the same community college after graduation. She will begin taking classes there this fall. I also go to the same cc. Here it is a very valid option with very good transfer paths to state schools. Another bonus is that it is free for high school grads starting this fall.

I have a friend that was happy to be reminded of this too. It IS hard to see them as little when they are that age and you are in the middle of it, but they are still babies :) And it IS still an exhausting age. IMO preschoolers and young elementary kids suck more out of you than diapers and bottles.

It may be easier to close up if they've always had problems with irritation and infection. That said, my dh hasn't worn an earring in 15 years or so and can still put one in just as easily as he could when it wore it all the time.

My twins are earring fanatics. One even says she feels naked without them. Just walk into a Claire's and you'll see that earrings are still VERY popular. I'm even toying with the idea of getting a second piercing..lol.

Under those circumstances, I would go with the "insurance" of the accredited school. I think it would be better to do too much in this case than to have your hand forced later by something you could have possibly prevented. I wouldn't normally recommend doing any more than legally required, but it sounds like the requirements are fuzzy and could shift in your case.

We eat a lot of spinach. I buy frozen spinach and it goes into soups, spaghetti sauce, omelets, etc. I will also saute it and toss with cooked potatoes or rice with whatever seasonings strike my fancy that day. (Indian and Greek styles are my favorites). I also have a smoothie each morning with blueberries and greens. Since the mixed greens I buy at Costco go bad so quickly, I will puree a whole bag of them in my food processor and freeze them into ice cubes. I can just toss a cube or two into my smoothie with the frozen blueberries. You can also used them in cooked dishes easily this way. I also puree and freeze mushrooms for similar reasons, but they don't go into my smoothie :ack2: Roasted asparagus or brussel sprouts are quick and easy. Just toss them in a dish with olive oil and garlic (salt to taste) and roast until tender. You can do a lot with cabbage too. Coleslaw, "fried" cabbage (just sauteed with red pepper and salt), roasted cabbage (chopped and tossed with o.o. and salt and roasted in the oven), added to fried rice, and added to soups. I also make a brat casserole type dish where I layer with seasoned diced potatoes, onions, diced carrots and cabbage, and top with 5 or 6 fresh brats (not the precooked kind). Cover with foil and bake until everything is tender. :drool5: We also eat a lot of onions (I go through a huge 10lb Costco bag every two weeks with just 5 of us), bell peppers, frozen broccoli, green beans, corn and peas. Dessert is often frozen fruit and a banana pureed with the food processor to make "ice cream".

No, you will not ruin them. Yes, it may take some extra effort to get them engaged in something outside the home. That something does NOT have to be with same-aged peers. I have one that is by all accounts graduated (we are just waiting for her to finish up a dual enrollment class). She has a social life, and is transitioning to college life just fine. One of my younger two struggles a bit socially, and would have likely struggled more if she'd remained in school. She volunteers in the nursery at co-op, babysits for one of her former teachers, and helps the other teachers out at co-op. She feels more comfortable around adults and that is ok because in a few short years she'll be one. They've all scored decently on the ACT, and I don't foresee any trouble for the one that desires to go to a four year college right out of high school.

I started mine at 9, my daughters at 10. I'm just shy of 5'8", and my girls are all 5'8" or thereabouts. The twins were at 5'1" when they started theirs. Their ped even said they wouldn't grow much more and I quite literally laughed at her. We all did skip around a little after starting, but had regular periods within the year. No pelvic exam is needed. I would just mention it to the ped. at the next regular visit.

Knoxville, Tn fits your bill. The more rural areas surrounding it are pretty religious, but the city proper has all sorts of people. The only thing on that list we don't have is an aquarium, but there are two within a couple of hours drive that are nice.

It is fend for yourself for breakfast and lunch here. I cook dinner about 90% of the time. The girls cook sometimes. Occasionally dh will grill something. He does, however, rock the baked desserts. I have to limit how much sugar and butter I buy because he is so good and prolific at it :p

I'm sorry OP. That is so hurtful. Even in all my mess, my dh would never say such a thing to me, nor I him.

My oldest had a late birthday, and will be graduating as an 18.5 year old. It is perfect for her. She started public school as the oldest in her class. She did fine. I pulled her out to homeschool in the 6th grade. We attempted to accelerate her a bit as she was capable academically to do so, but ended up dropping her back because she wasn't emotionally ready. The "extra" time was really needed for her to mature. In fact, if she were planning to go away to college, I would probably have given her another year and graduated her at 19.5. She's just a late bloomer emotionally. I don't regret it. That said, my younger two will be graduating just a few weeks after their 17th birthday. They have been the opposite. They are somewhat academically advanced, and very mature for their ages. (I think they would graduate themselves and move out now if it were legal! lol.) We have the luxury of adjusting school to the child's needs.

You can get lucky in some areas that DO have jobs. Fort Worth, TX we bought a nice house, almost 3000sq ft, in a decent (not wonderful, but decent) neighborhood. We were in the city, near a library, and could walk or ride a bike to just about anything. We paid under 150K for it, and sold it for right at 150K around 4 years ago. It wasn't a new house, but it was clean, pretty, and in great condition. You can buy this house which is in our area. Not a bad area at all, a ton of new jobs opening up right now, and the location is very good for commuting to Knoxville or Oak Ridge, which are major employment areas. http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/7736-Tressa-Cir_Powell_TN_37849_M78720-68183?row=1 That said, there are many, many parts of the country that 150K won't get you squat..lol.

I like the way you put this. I'm honestly struggling at the moment. I've very much squeezed myself into a mold and now there is just too much of me to keep tucked into the mold. I'm at a crossroads in my life and it is very unsettling and making me think a lot about what I want life to look like in 10 years. (you'd think I'd have this all figured out after 23 years of being with him) I love my husband more than any other man on the planet, don't get me wrong. But, I'm a mess...lol.

It depends. On the big stuff, no I don't. On the little stuff, I'm sure. I mean, he'd wish for my hair to be down to my ankles, but I chop it off on a regular basis. However, I'd like to dye my hair pink, but don't because I know he hates it and I kind of like him (most days)