No way would I hand that book to my 8th grade daughter. I have it and have read it, but it is definitely not for a child.

I make my own laundry detergent. Instead of dryer sheets, I fill a plastic container 1/4 full of liquid softener and fill with water. Put a couple of sponges in there and grab one when you put a load of clothes in the dryer. Works great. I use homemade cleaners for the house. I grocery shop with a list made from my menu for that week and buy only what is on the list. I cook from scratch and use very few processed foods. We eat all our leftovers and rarely eat out. I don't shop unless we need something. Cancelled our cable. Use the A/C rarely.

:iagree: I am an introvert that avoids most (not all) of our extended family as much as possible. It has nothing to do with being an introvert and everything to do with boundaries and toxic people.

My oldest was very hard to take anywhere. He cried the entire time and wouldn't let anyone touch him except for me or dh, so no sitters. I bought groceries at midnight when dh was home. He got better when he was about a year old. These others posters are so right-on. He is now getting married this summer and my memories of staying home where he was happy, just he and I, for his first year are incredibly precious to me.

I'm an introvert with one cat, who is also an introvert. We get along well. :001_smile:

Now that sounds scary. I'll take my bear. :001_smile:

I try to limit our "drive-through" meals and that only happens once a month or so. We eat out once a month or so too, sometimes less.

My family called my youngest ds and dd "the twins" until they believed they WERE twins. They are only 9 months apart. We were at a consignment shop counter once when they were about 5 and the nosy cashier said, "Is that your sister?" to my son. He replied, "We're twins." I never even commented and just left her with a strange look on her face.

I also have two less than a year apart, one caucasian and one african american, due to my dd being adopted. People have said some REALLY stupid things to me. I usually ignore it (but not always).

It doesn't have anything to do with his work, but my dh called me from our front pasture the other morning and told me to look out the window - a bear was about to run by. It had just run past him and was making for the woods behind the house. :001_smile:

I just don't think there is any situation where traumatizing a child like that is okay. There are other ways to gradually and gently make sure kids are not fearful of the water so that they can learn to swim. We had an in-ground pool when my dc were small, and I just spent lots of time with them in the water. They all learned to swim before they were 4yo. If I had an older child that did not know how to swim, I would spend lots of fun time in the water with them so that they were not afraid, and then teach them to swim once they were comfortable.

I don't remember learning to swim. I grew up in Florida and was always in the water or on my dad's or grandpa's boat. The water has always been very familiar to me.

I love the series, and think the books would be great for the OP's 13yo, but That Hideous Strength was my least favorite.

You're right. Sorry about that. The only one I get in the mail is The Old Schoolhouse and I knew I read the article, so I assumed it was that one. I had picked up Home Educating Family at B&N and forgot about it. :001_smile:

My kids snack a lot, mostly on leftovers, fruit, yogurt, cheese and crackers. They all get a more exercise than most of the kids I know. None of them are overweight, and some of them are downright skinny. Your meal doesn't sound elaborate to me. I think the fact that many people don't cook every night anymore probably had something to do with your guest's reaction.

I spent around $2K this year, most of it for the high schooler. I have so many things on my shelves after 15 years of this, I could probably get by with spending very little. Don't tell my dh that. :001_smile:

It was The Old Schoolhouse.

ds16 - Meditations by Marcus Aurelius dd13 - Maggie's Door by Patricia Reilly Giff (sp?) ds11 - The Two Towers dd10 - Anne of Green Gables

I have a recipe that I only use when camping that would work. To your ground beef in a pot, add a can of tomato sauce, a can of cream of mushroom soup, a soup can of water, 1 lb. pasta shells already cooked, about a cup of shredded cheddar cheese, salt and pepper to taste, a generous sprinkling of chili powder. Warm it until the cheese is melted and everything is hot. Another thing you could do with the ground beef for something a little different than the tomato based recipes you're tired of, is add 8oz of sour cream, egg noodles, salt and pepper. You would have a stroganoff of some sort. :001_smile: HTH

Continuing to pray for you Molly, and I appreciate the update. :grouphug:

I have to remind my kids to pick up after themselves all the time. With six of them, some of them have been better at remembering than others. I have sloppy kids and neat kids. :001_smile: My 24yo is my most forgetful. Just this morning I told him not to forget to put his dishes in the dishwasher after breakfast. He went to work and they were still sitting on the table. I have tried for 24 years and he just doesn't remember. He is getting married in August and lots of times his gf and I will exchange a "look." She and I both know that it means it will be her problem instead of mine in a few weeks.

I grew up in a little town on the Panhandle of Florida, Port St. Joe, and lived much of my life in Panama City (had two kids born there). Most of my family is still there. This whole situation is sickening to me. This is the first summer we aren't renting out a house on Mexico Beach because we don't know what we would find.

I hope your dd is feeling better. One of my kids would run a very high fever like that periodically with no other symptoms. It just had to run its course.

Praying for Nancy. The doctors gave my dad two months to live when I was 2yo. He lived for almost 40 more years.

I was like that as a teenager. My mother took me to the doctor and he prescribed some medication that I took before any event that could cause me anxiety. It worked, but I don't remember what it was. It was just our regular family doctor.