[My son found his birthmother on Facebook -- update]

:grouphug:

[Guys! A new element has been discovered!]

Nifty!

[Anyone ever refused an induction while pregnant?]

I'd reschedule the appt. for tomorrow. No need for you to deal with the additional stress of dealing with Dr. BigEgo; call at 8 am and tell them a family thing came up and you need to reschedule for Friday. :)

 

(The family thing that's come up is you don't think this doc is best for your family tomorrow.)

[S/O when do you let them out of the car booster seat?]

Have short light kids here. Probably minimum of 10 yo. I'm convinced of the value of cars eats, including boosters after our car-totalling rollover last month. Dd9 is probably no more than 50ish pounds, and walked away uninjured largely thanks to her booster. :)

[Happy Birthday Laughing Lioness!]

Happy Birthday, dear Lisa! Happy birthday to you! :party:

[has anyone used Garcinia Cambogia to lose weight?]

I have. I use the Citrimax by NOW. I don't find that, for me, it so much helps me lose weight so much as help me control my appetite. However, if you're more disciplined than I, and are exercising regularly, I bet it'd work really well. :)

[Today's Transfiguration Feast]

Briva, I can see why you're not permitted to participate in teaching roles, but why on earth shouldn't you help out with kitchen duties or similar type things? Have you spoken to Father about this? Does he know you're being excluded in this way?

[Do your tween boys have friends that are girls?]

Ds12.5 has several girl friends, not girlfriends, and has for many years. One of them has been his best friend for several years. He likes her and he "likes" her, but they are primarily friends. I think this is a marvelous thing, frankly.

[Help me get rid of the pee smell in my bathroom!]

I find that the best remedy for bathroom smells is BacOut, because the enzymes "eat" the nasties that smell bad. :)

[Today's Transfiguration Feast]

Hey, that's our patronal feast! :)

[Please explain French movies...]

La Fee is an awesome and hilarious movie. Dh and I loved it. It's zany, and touching, and deep. Highly recommend it.

[Eastern Orthodox ladies! I need you!]

I'm not sure orthodoxy includes the idea of Holy Days of Obligation per se. Rather, the approach is that anytime the liturgy is celebrated, heaven is on earth--why wouldn't you want to be there? The obligations in orthodoxy are more big picture, less micro-managerial. Optimally, one would attend *every* service available, and partake of *all* available mysteries (sacraments) as often as appropriate. But this is not obligatory, but is desirable, laudable, virtuous, pious, etc.

 

ETA--one really has to reset one's ideas about church to talk about EO very effectively. ;)

[Poll: children squishing bugs]

I don't let them squish bugs outside, "bugs need to live somewhere too!" But in the house, as a rule, we permit squishing.

[Several Jane Austen titles for 0.99 *updated with links*]

I saw only one at $.99. The were others for $3 or less, but the one 99-center.

[An Orthodox Native American]

Thank-you!

[Question about tea for those not newly-wed]

I think Hexe is right, it's both. I like TeA and I love my dh--it's a winning combination, IMO. And neither of us is as, uh, youthfully beautiful as we were 18 years ago, so it's not a matter of simply enjoying the visuals, iykwim. ;)

[What do your 9 year old daughters play with?]

My dd9 likes playmobil, horses, American girl-style dolls, and doodle books. Wishing your friend a full healing. :grouphug:

[Proper English under pressure - can or can't you?]

It didn't work on my iPad, but it was quite fun on the computer.

Ditto!

[I'm looking for a book recommendation for romance BUT I'm picky]

I know I'm always flogging these books, but Dorothy Sayers' Peter/Harriet novels, especially Gaudy Night and Busman's Honeymoon, are awesome love stories.

[Trying to wake up earlier in the morning. Any helpful advice?]

I find that for me, it's very helpful for there to be sunlight. On dark dreary days, it's much harder for me to wake up than on nice sunny ones. I am planning to get one of those light alarm clocks for the winter, which is long and dark here in the Frozen North, ad see if that can mimic the bright early summer mornings well enough to get me out of bed at a time more conducive to an early school start. Good Luck!

[When do you start school?]

We start next Monday. That's a week and a half before public school. We generally start the first week in August as we do six weeks on, one week off. I like our first week break to fall around ds's birthday in September.

Yep, ditto. That week off saves our bacon. :)

[The Cuckoo's Calling]

I'm listening to it on audible. I quite like it. There's a lot of swearing, if that bothers you. I'm finding the characters well drawn and the mystery interesting, though. Knowing that its Rowling, I can hear the similarities in style, but I'm not sure I'd ever have guessed without that; the subject and the "voice" are too different from HP.

[Do you have a recipe that is just SO good, and SO much better than any other that you'd cry if you lost it?]

I make this, with the addition that I first dredge chicken in flour and sautée in EVOO with a ton of garlic and some salt and garlic pepper. Gets rave reviews every time. It's a bit spicy, but we all like it, even ds5. We add Parmesan to the dressing too.

 

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/caesar-salad-dressing-recipe/index.html

 

Serve over chopped romaine or a romaine/spinach combo, with croutons and a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan.

[Is Amazon prime streaming an adequate replacement for Netflix?]

I have and use both. But prime was worth it for me even without the streaming. I feel like things on Amazon are more permanently *there*, but I could very well be deluding myself. ;)

[What do you think when you see a woman with a shaved head?]

Any idea why?

Because they believe that they're commanded to cover their heads in modesty; by shaving them and wearing wigs, they fulfill the commandment without looking "different."