No, I wouldn't. My MIL only cuts off contact when she's being deliberate about it, and she'll tell you - or someone else who will tell you - why. Then, if you try to call and 'fix' anything, she'll ignore your calls. After you quit trying and she's decided she's 'punished' you enough, she starts calling with new tirades and whines that you didn't try to call and fix it. You can't win, so I've quit worrying. At this point, no news is good news with her.

Are you sure the food was real?

My DS had eye surgery when he was 2 1/2 for strabismus. He did okay. It was his second surgery (his first one was when he was 3 months old and for something entirely different), so I knew he woke up cranky. The nurses panicked when he wouldn't stop crying when he woke up, so they had to re-sedate him a little bit because he was crying tears of blood. Rather unnerving for Mama. Anyway, after we got home and he woke up properly, he was fine. We took it easy for a day or so, and he's been fine ever since. You guys are in my thoughts. Eye surgery is scary!

We're in the process of both selling and buying, so GOOD LUCK TO YOU!! It is exhausting, and you'll never please everyone. I will never buy a house that: -- Has structural problems -- Has plumbing problems -- Shows no sign of cleaning (I doubt this is an issue here, but we were appalled at the number of houses we visited where the owners knew we were coming more than 24 hours in advance and didn't clean, tidy, dust, ANYTHING) -- Has an HOA (add me to that list... I refuse to live in a neighborhood where the neighbors can tell me how to live) -- Has carpet in the bathroom (learned this one the hard way)

There's a woman in my town who is doing a 'Food Around the World' type blog at Global Table Adventure. It's a lot of fun.

*cautious celebration* CONGRATULATIONS! :) :lol:

I would/have. I take the perspective that if both DH and I were working and we were remodeling, there would be no way for someone to be at the house the entire time, so I put up the valuables, make sure the contractor knows what's going on, and do my own stuff.

I want to hear that story, too. We're normally scoop 'n' go people (last night's jambalaya was a prime example), but if I fix a nice meal and have the time, I'll plate. I absolutely love making sauces; I'm not as good with garnishes, especially right now since I don't have a garden to get fresh herbs. Still, there are times a little parsley or basil or dill can transform an entire plate!

I'm Sarah. DS has been home for three years (four this fall) and DD is coming home this fall. We have lots of animals. We are secular. I love this board. And tattoos. :)

We discovered my high blood sugar at a well-check for me; it was high enough that they checked me again and I had to lose weight before they had to flag me as pre-diabetic. My children had their ear berries (long story) discovered at a well check. Female check? Nothing.

Time and space are my main limitations. I am not a morning person, so getting up early is not an option for me. So that leaves evenings, since my days are jam-packed and I have no space in my house where I can exercise without being watched (I *HATE* being watched while I'm exercising, and my children don't understand this). Well, once evenings come, DH is home and... guess what? He can't leave me be while I'm exercising, either. Our budget currently doesn't encompass a gym membership, and we don't live in a neighborhood where I can safely walk. So I don't exercise often at all. Which is frustrating, because I'd really like to get in shape but just don't have the time or space!

Language Arts: -- HWT Cursive Success (penmanship) -- Spelling Workout E (spelling, continuing where we left off) -- WWW level 4 (writing basics, four days per week) -- Organizing Thinking (writing organization, one day per week) -- FLL 4 (grammar) -- Reading Math: MUS Epsilon and supplementary pages from various sources History: SOTW 4 Science: Elemental Science physics Electives: -- La Clase Divertida 2 (Spanish) -- Minimus Secunda (Latin) -- Swim lessons/swim team (P.E.) -- Banjo practice (music) -- Artistic Pursuits book 2 (art) -- Logic Liftoff, Building Thinking Skills (logic) Some of these things will be shared with his sister, who will be in second grade.

I'll give them the change sometimes, if I'm paying cash. I'm not consistent, nor do I have a set amount. It's just on the whim of me.

DS has PDD-NOS, diagnosed at the age of 5, along with ADHD combined type and GAD. DD has other issues :)

I remember getting lightheaded and nauseous after high-carb breakfasts (cereal, toast, etc.) when I was prepubescent and during my early to mid-teen years. I never did throw up; I was more prone to passing out. My son is developing this trait now, so I have to watch him closely. I suspect he'll grow out of it but you never know, and I'm going to mention it to the doctor when we go in for a check on Wednesday. Also, could it be anxiety-related? My daughter is psychosomatic and will vomit if she's mentally worked up about something. I hope that's not it, but I wanted to throw it out there at least.

I have no problem with cyclists in general, as long as they follow the rules of the road like everyone else. Most of the time, they do. Last night, though, my husband nearly watched three of them get taken out when they came out of a parking lot without any regard for the car coming toward them - no signaling/indication, nothing. One second they were talking and sitting still and the next minute they cut off the car in front of DH. THOSE cyclists frustrate me. By and large, though, I'm happy to let them go their merry way and wave when they come past the house or we go past them on the road (safely... and I use MY indicator to pass them, too. I'm sure there are enough cars that cut them off). It does scare me when they go against the flow of traffic.

Oh, wow... hit on my ultimate dream. I really, really want to be able to afford a Grand Tour one of these decades. So... if you could go to 5 places in Europe, what would they be? Please be as specific as possible. (For instance, if you say London--what would you want to see in London?) 1. Stonehenge 2. Any bridge over the Bosphorus River (Look! I'm in Europe! Look! I'm in Asia!) 3. The Vatican 4. Versailles 5. Some small towns in Germany where my family came from Or--what are your top 5 for history? 1. The Hague/Leiden 2. Auschwitz 3. Rome 4. Pompeii 5. Troy Top 5 for art? 1. Rome 2. Florence 3. The Louvre 4. The Prado 5. The Hermitage Top 5 for natural beauty? 1. Somewhere in the Black Forest 2. Ireland 3. Greece 4. Prague 5. Gibraltar

*shrug* We've had mandatory full-day K here in Oklahoma for a few years now. Since most families were sending their kids to school as early as they could do so anyway, it didn't change much other than cut child-care costs and increase the number of teachers needed (not that the state was/is okay with funding that).

Frittatas are nice and easy, and you can add whatever you want to them to satisfy a picky eater :)

Kudos to you! We're starting in early July, so I had to get cracking last week. People who have to plan for multiple kids have my earnest sympathy - it took me 3-4 times as long to do plans for two kids as it did for one. I can't even imagine doing it for 3+. And that was just doing the overview of what I *HOPE* to get done, not actual scheduling/plans. To get six weeks done... you rock!

Your 5yo naps??? How in the name of the good green earth did you manage THAT?? ENJOY THE SILENCE!

I would suggest looking between Claremore and Skiatook or maybe out toward Sand Springs (several lakes out that way). Mannford is right on the lake, though that may be too far from Tulsa/Inola for your liking. Good luck in your hunt; hope you're able to find something perfect!

Stashing. My kids stash the most random objects in the most random places. For instance, a couple days ago DD wandered into the bathroom holding two brand-new rolls of toilet paper: "Mom? I found these in my dresser drawer. I don't know how they got there." I don't even ask any more.

This. Or corduroy.

We did a research project this year (3rd) for DS. He writes about on level, I think... I dunno, writing is so subjective. Anyway, I let him pick a topic, research it, organize the information, and then let him turn it into a Powerpoint project rather than an actual report. We'll probably do a couple next year for practice before diving into something akin to the 'real deal' in 5th.