AnnaBeth
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Posts posted by AnnaBeth
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Can guinea fowl share same coop as chickens?
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What does WHOLE30 program allow for protein?
Does it allow meat/animal proteins?
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Haven't thought about outlet timer or using a rice cooker for this purpose.
I liked everything about the crock pot in the link but I didn't see where it could be programmed to come on at given time.
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I looked for crock pot today at Walmart and didn't find what I was after. Maybe it doesn't exist.
I want a crock pot that doesn't have teflon/non-stick interior (prefer stoneware or glass/ceramin/porcelain) that you can program the time for it to begin cooking.
I see where you can program timers for so many hrs on low or high, but I want one when I can program it, for example, to start cooking at 4am. I want to wake up to hot steel-cut oats or just plain oatmeal.
Does this exist?
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My ancient vacuum has died and I need a new one and I need vacuum advice. Upright or canister and why? Any particular one you recommend?
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Love my Merrell Siren Sports.
They come in wide and sound like they'd fit what you're looking for.
www.zappos.com/womens-sneakers-athletic-shoes~gJ#!/merrell-women-sneakers-athletic-shoes/CK_XARC81wE6ApYPWgK3A3oC2QSCAQOVgAXAAQHiAgYBGAIPCwc.zso?s=goliveRecentSalesStyle/desc/
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I'm not a morning person and thus I've always had the most energy before bedtime (around 8 to 9:30). Thus I've recently been tossing around the idea of making before bedtime my routine exercise time as I'm rarely GONE out of the house, my child is asleep, I have energy, it'd be a consistent time for exercise,etc.
Despite these reasons, I've resisted exercising before bed as I've heard it keeps you up/elevates heart rate and causes insomnia (obviously haven't tried it yet).
If you're a (consistent/routine) before-bed exerciser, is this true that it causes insomnia? What has been your experience? What sort of exercise do you do before bed (aerobic/anaerobic/duration/etc.)? How does this work for you? Does it help your sleep? Pros/Cons?
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I need to lose weight. Thinking about joining Weight Watchers online, but to me the having to look up four values per food (carb, fat, protein, fiber) seems so much more complicated than calorie counting. If there's some great advantage of this? I don't get why a 105 calorie banana is 0 points. Why not just calorie count? What's the benefit to points over calories? Other than the support one gets from meetings/others, why do people do that program rather than just count calories? IN short, please shed some light on comparing calorie vs. point counting for me.
(Adding this edit to respond to initial posts....I have a calorie tracking software program that I just downloaded (free trial) and it's VERY extensive/thorough --- it's called DIETPOWER (www.dietpower.com) so it's one of my two options -- I'm either going to use it or join Weight Watchers, but I'm trying to hear from others before I decide which one to commit to).
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I've read all of these and have loved hearing (and gleaning) from you all on this. Thanks so very much for sharing.
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DH has a sister 4 years older. They talk on the phone at least once a week (it was much more when we married), often more. DH also calls his parents a few times a week (it was almost daily when we married).
I would say he had a good relationship with both, although not deep relationships.
I, on the other hand, feel close to my siblings but I never call them. I will sometimes chat late at night to one of my brothers on Facebook. None of us is phone people (except maybe my sister). When we do get together we all stand around talking into the early hours because we enjoy being together, but in our regular lives we don't intersect much. I'm the oldest and there's a year between me and my brother, then a year between him and my sister. My youngest brother is 4 years younger then her.
Does DH initiate the phone call or does sister call him?
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My ex-husband has one sibling, younger by 3 years. He considers them close, but they aren't close by my standards (not that it matters. LOL) They call on birthdays, exchange gifts at holidays, and get together whenever my ex travels back to their hometown (he's the only one who moved away). They know each other fairly well, but - not like the day to day stuff. He could pick out a gift card to buy her, but not be able to SHOP for something she'd like because he doesn't know her current style or tastes well enough at this point - e.g. They were extremely close growing up, and even in the early years of our marriage (she was still a teenager). What happened was she married a super liberal and started sharing those beliefs; well, my ex and his family are super conservatives. :lol: Now they can't stand each other and have very little respect for each other's politics. So they limit contact and any real conversations. LOL
My brother and I talk every day, and text throughout each day. I can tell you what he ate for breakfast and when it left his body via the other route (because that's when he finally takes his turns at our Words With Friends games). Okay, maybe TMI but we're very close and involved in each other's day to day. His girlfriend thinks it's weird that we're so close. It's normal for our family, though. All of us are pretty close and are in regular call/text/facetime contact. I think we're close because we want to be. We don't care what each other's politics are (and they're vastly different) and we fall back on our shared history to carry us through those times when we can't stand each other. Differences aren't personal, they're ... differences. However wrong ;) I think that's the key.
What's age difference between you and your brother? What do you mean 'normal for our family'? What about your family created this deeper connection you continue to share?
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My dh talks to his one brother about one a week or sometimes every other week. It's pretty casual but they talk often. My one older brother (2 1/2 years between us) calls me about once a month and I call him about the same and my two younger brothers both call me almost once a week (9years between us). I know that the brothers who call me also call each other fairly regularly to keep on touch. My other older brother doesn't call me much (4 years between), but he sees me fairly regularly. he does still call cousins and brothers now and then though, although not as often as the other three.
I do think that women are more prone than men to call regularly, but not calling at all is not just a guy thing.
What's age gap between dh and his brother?
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I'm curious about what adult male relationships to siblings looks like. What's "normal"? My husband has one sister 3 years older and they never communicate (and she lives 30 minutes away). (and there's no strife/fighting between them). I think it's so strange as I talk to my 2 sisters probably two or three times a week each. I'm curious if how he relates to siblings (now that they're obviously grown/no longer in same home) is typical of other men? To which of your husband's siblings would HE say he's closest and WHY? How near in age is he to this sibling? Or, why does he NOT communicate regularly with a sibling? In short....please tell me about your husband/partner's relationships with his siblings and what factors you feel contribute to that dynamic? Also...please give the ages of he as compared to the sibling(s).
THANKS!
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This is our first trip. Family of 3. Only child, age 7.
How long will it take us to complete the world tour? I need this estimation to plan a dinner reservation for that evening.
Reminder of countries in tour:
CANADA, UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE, MOROCCO, JAPAN, AMERICA, ITALY, GERMANY, CHINA, NORWAY, MEXICO.
Should start touring around 2 pm.
Thanks!
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OP Here.
Wow! What a help this info is. Thanks to all!!!
My son is NOT a thrill ride person. Space Mountain would flip him out. Haunted Mansion type stuff would totally reduce him to a puddle. Small drops are ok. He's a "gentle spirit" (still likes VeggieTales) .
I'm really thinking we need the 2 days in MK after reading all of this.
So the issue becomes what to do with the last 2 days to spread between the three parks. My son is sort of "nerdy" sciency so I'm thinking he'll like Epcot and I know nerdy Daddy and I will like it.
I've got reservations at Akershus for breakfast and Bierwhatchamacallit (german restaurant) for dinner at 4pm. So, now, after reading all of this is what to do with that last day --- Animal or Hollywood. Which of the two is the least busy? I'm going to go back and MULL over what you've all wrote again to decide...........
(we bought tickets to the LaNouba Cirque du Soleil performance for 6pm one evening!)
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My husband is in a wedding near Orlando so we're going to go ahead and make it a Disney vacation while there. This is our first time to go to Disney.
We will be arrive Sunday Feb 2 and will be at the parks Monday Feb 3, Tuesday Feb 4, Wednesday Feb 5, and Thursday, Feb 6.
Would you do a day at each of the 4 parks (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom) or would you skip one park altogether and do 2 days at one park and 1 day at the other 2?
Any help would be appreciated!
Additional data that may affect your advice to me:
My son is NOT a thrill ride person. Space Mountain would flip him out. Haunted Mansion type stuff would totally reduce him to a puddle.
Small drops are ok.
He's a "gentle spirit" (still likes VeggieTales) .
My son is sort of "nerdy" mainly because he's around nerdy parents all the time so he talks like a 'lil professor and doesn't know how funny it sounds (i.e today as he was getting a haircut he told the stylist (man), "My hair has been growing so thickLY up front here that I'm beginning to look like an evangelist!")
He hasn't seen Indiana Jones or Star Wars so I'm wondering if the appeal of Hollywood Studios may be over the top for him
we bought tickets to the LaNouba Cirque du Soleil performance for 6pm one evening!
He will love firework shows
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Thanks to all of you! Lots of perspective here to mull over as we make our decision this year/or next-ish....:-)
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Are your health problems likely to return if you get pregnant?
Personally, I don't think you sound excited about the idea. It sounds more like you are considering it because you don't know what else to do.
No, my health problem isn't going to return thankfully.
As for sounding excited.....I didn't sound excited when we decided to start trying to have our first child. I had a 100 reasons why "maybe NOW isn't the best time...." I'm just wired that way. I'm not into KICKOFF of much of anything. We decided that since I was 30, it was just the right time/age to begin. We'd been married six years. Once we had conceived (on the first try), I was happy as a clam and loved pregnancy and baby stage and have loved motherhood. Just ENTERING into it is scary. I have no doubt that if we did conceive again, I'd be happy as a clam AGAIN.
It's really going to depend on who you ask. I come from a big family, have a big family, and had my last five when I was older than you are now. No regrets. Can you look down the road five years? Will you regret having another baby, or will you regret just having one?
The idea that I will regret having another is a huge deal. I think stuff about issues like when I'm old and my son is the only one caring for aging parents....will I regret? Or, when he's at my or my husband's funeral (whichever of us goes last) and he has NO siblings....will I regret it? When he's a grown man and has no (biological) nieces/nephews....when he's sick (in his own elder years) and we're gone, who will care for him (Esp if he doesn't marry or if they're divorced etc.). I have NEVER liked having an only child. It has always been painful for me to look out on our 12 acres and see him romping it alone. I and my husband both have siblings. My husband has NEVER thought too much of his being an only....mostly I think because he's not home all day with us seeing it up close. And, when he's home, he's playing with our son, so he doesn't observe him being alone. It would have never been something I OPTED for (obviously I don't JUDGE anyone who prefers having an only; it just wasn't my own first choice). Esp because we homeschool --- being an only is harder socially. Educating an only is easier obviously. We live out in the booooonies, so meeting up for playdates is tough. But...back to your point....yes, the idea that I'll REGRET NOT having another weighs heavily on my mind.
We had another solely because we thought we should...for DDs sake. Anyway, we had him and I cannot imagine it any other way now.
I think babies out of obligation are probably not the best way to go...but for us it worked out magically.
Good luck with your decision!
That's part of my thoughts....but that's not all of it as I KNOW without any shadow of a doubt that I'd love that next one as an individual and, as hard as it is to imagine, I also KNOW that I'll LOVE he'she JUST AS MUCH as I love my son. For that reason, I don't feel guilt over that. As far as looking out for the 2nd (unborn) child....I'm protective of he/she also in that I think how HARD it will be on him/her when my son leaves home. He / She will be 9 years old when a person who's been MORE in her life than his/her own father, namely my son (only because my husband works 45-50 hours/week at his job and would not be PHYSICALLY home as much), will LEAVE. I think, "How hard will this be for the little one!?!!" So, I'm not only thinking of the implications for my son. I'm equally thinking of the unborn's well being. I also think, "The 2nd born won't have first cousins his / her age as my son has..." (My son was born with the last group of kids among us and our siblings. He has 7 first cousins -- five of which are within 4 years older than he and 3 of which are within 14 months of his age.) So, by the time this baby would arrive the next oldest cousin would be age 8! All this to say.... looking out for my son's benefit in having a sibling is not negating the well-being of the next child.
Our family didn't feel complete before 3 kids. A part of me always liked the idea of a big family, but in reality, 3 felt good. We always had a higher than normal risk of birth defects after first was born with one, and she is severely disabled. Didn't really want to keep pushing our luck after 3rd was born when I was almost 37. You have to be ready to welcome whoever comes along, whatever issues they may have. If that doesn't feel comfortable, see if you can accept the idea that your family is complete as is.
I don't feel complete. But, part of me wonders if this is because my family doesn't match my long-held (since girlhood) notion of what I "wanted". I always said two to four kids (and my husband said 2 or 3 when we were courting and discussing our ideals/desires in this regard. And, I have NO doubt I'm ready to WELCOME whoever comes along. I'm extremely mothering. I MOTHER any/everything. I leave wads of cotton/straw near squirrels in case they want to add onto their winter quarters. I've always been overboard mother wise. My mom says that why I'm so "spent" --- because I'm not good at doing anything for ME. I'm the type that gets up and checks to see if everyone in the family is covered. I'll bring in a beach towel and oil and offer to massage my husband's back several times a week......all this to say, I'm extremely mother-y. My sister can't fathom why I don't have a passle of kids as I was the one playing house/dolly and eager to babysit, etc.
Part of our decision to have a lot of kids came after we heard several couples, who were 50-65 years old, say they wished they'd had more kids and hadn't limited themselves to 1-3. We never once heard anyone say they wished they'd had fewer. Sure, many were just fine-and-dandy happy with the family they did have, but to hear not just one or two, but more, couples say they'd wished they'd had more than they'd had was encouraging to us.
We've had seven and God (or nature, or however you think about it) is saying we're done. I disagree that 38 is advanced maternal age, but that's because I'm 47, had two after age 40, and would have another should it be God's will. Our last two are quite a pair and are going to keep us young at heart.
FWIW, milovany...I saw your post a completely benign. I don't get the negative comments thrown at it. Thanks for this. I too have met these couple who confess their regret at not having had more kids === which basically was their saying that they LOVED the parenting phase of their lives most and had a blast in this era and hated it to end. And, my take home from these comments also was that the empty nest freedoms doesn't necessarily override the fun of parenting and having chickadees in the nest. I don't think it'd be taboo or wrong to say (as my MIL), "I loved my children, but when they were gone, I was happy also and ready to move onto another adventure." I think people would readily (shamelessly) say, "We were happy with our 3 and, for us, that was the right number."
I had my second at 37. For us there was a combination: having the number of children that we could cope with emotionally, physically and financially (both college and independent retirement); concern about our age (husband will be sixty by the time the last goes to university); concern about the increased risk of abnormalities in the child....
Addressing one of your specific questions: my eldest brother is seven years older than me. We never had a very obvious sibling relationship: he was always at a different stage and interested in different things to me, in addition to being a boy. He left home before I was very aware of him as a distinct personality. Our relationship is friendly but distant. So having another child at this age may not give your child siblings in the sense that you may be anticipating.
Another thing to consider: if you rely on family support, or enjoy having grandparents involved in your child's life, the relationship may be very different if they are older when another child is born: they may not have the strength to be the fun grandparents they have been. Both Husband and I are the youngest children of older parents, so the relationship between the grandparents and my children has not been hands-on. My mother is now 89 and becoming quite frail. All the other grandparents are dead.
ETA: we will probably be those older grandparents ourselves: middle class Brits don't usually have children before about thirty, so I will probably be at least 67 by the time Hobbes even thinks of having children, whilst Husband will be 74.
Good luck with your decision.
L
Touching on your comment about the age gap between you and your brother....I DO worry about the age gap being too large for them to have much of a relationship but I'd hope that the homeschooling (and them being together SO much) may make up for the gap. But.....I also realize that the gap may be too large and I'm prepared for the baby just to be mine/for us. The second concern about that is that I HIGHLY doubt my husband would be on board with having another on the heels of #2 so I'd have to be prepared of watching ANOTHER lonely-LOOKING child romping on my huge property and my being much more of the playmate (which can be tiring!).
For us it was not so much thoughts as feelings. Before DS was born, whenever I saw a baby, I knew I really, really, wanted one. Once I had him, that feeling was gone. I had what I wanted. I can appreciate other people's babies--my BFF has a cute little 4-month-old--with no longings. DH, as much has he adores DS, dreads even the thought of those sleepless nights. (DS had reflux and did not sleep through the night until age 2. He's a slightly high-maintenance kid overall.)
And DS does not long for a sibling. Recently he said, "Mom, don't buy another baby." [Yes, he knows where babies really come from.] I replied, "Don't worry: I might go for a daytime rental, but I have no plans to get us any more to keep."
So aside from the lists of pros and cons, which do bear considering, think about your feelings. Do you *want* another or only feel like you should?
I've never felt complete with just one. That's not to say I haven't been happy with him, but just to say that I wish he wasn't our only.
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What thoughts are going (went or may go) through your minds surrounding decision to continue or end family expansion?
I'm in the throws of this decision now. I've just turned 38 years old and now that I'm well into "advanced maternal age" this topic has been on our minds of late.
We only have 1 child and he's age 7. I was in poor health for the first 6 years of his life which precluded my having another child (but did manage to have a healthy pregnancy with him),and I've spent the last year and a half regaining my health and it's back! So, now the option of having a baby is there, but I have some reservations. My husband is leaving the ball in my court and said he'll be happy and supportive of my decision.
There's the overwhelming thought of homeschooling with a baby (my son was a nightmare baby so all these memories are there --- colic, etc.).
There's my age and stamina. There's the thought of aging parents with a teen. There's the overwhelming thought of just not being empty nested and free to do more of "my thing" for once (I've NEVER done my thing in my entire life) so the thought of, if i had another, being empty nested at age 57!!! is a bit of a bummer. I haven't slept in past 7am for the past 7 years!!! Parenting is tiring and homeschooling is a commitment in and of itself!
Then there's the part of me that so LOVES being a mom and parenting. My husband and I SO love our son and parenting has been fun so there's part of me that dreads it being over. As it is, I'll be empty nested at age 48 --- so I think, "What am I going to do for 20 years waiting on my husband to retire?" I could go back to work but I didn't like my profession before I left it to have a child so I don't relish resuming it (I know I don't HAVE to do the same work again). (FWIW, I don't have to go back to work for financial reasons). I have always wanted to do mission trips, etc. and being 48 and empty nested frees me up to do these things. Then there's the disliking of my son having no siblings.
Please share what factors went into your (and your spouse/partner) decision to continue/discontinue having more children?
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I'm still here....just taking it all in :-)
thanks for the responses
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Are you a thin eater (a person who only thinks about food when they're physiologically hungry --- stomach growing/etc.)?
If you're a thin eater......how does this work? I hear "thin eaters" don't even think about food and even forget to eat!!! And they don't like getting stuff. They eat just enough and that's all. What makes you think about eating (stomach growling, etc.)? If you're a thin eater, please describe this "phenomenon" to me!
I'm trying to choose a "DIET PATH" and I can't decide if my goal should be to try to learn how to be a thin eater or if I should do the calorie counting or point counting. The latter just seems so daunting/like being enslaved. If you're not a "thin eater", what's worked for you?
Grammar after FLL4 that can be done mostly independently?
in K-8 Curriculum Board
Posted
I agree with Leah_S in this thread (link below) that was started a few days ago about how great Saxon Grammar and Writing is (Hake Grammar is it's former name).
http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/543757-recommendations-for-3rd-and-5th-grade-grammar/?hl=%2B3rd+%2Band+%2B5th&do=findComment&comment=6219904
Scroll down to the summary of Leah_S as I can't improve on her summary. She posted several links so you can not only read about it but also read the many reviews of users.
It's REALLY good and it's a perfect follow up to FLL series, esp since you've finished FLL 4. And it's also reasonably priced and can be used with subsequent kiddos (all you'd need is to purchase another workbook for $11)