A couple of years ago, I used to read every post in every thread. I know, I know. I guess I wasn't reading many books at the time. :blink: Now I'm lucky if I read most posts in a couple of pages of threads. If I ever exhaust this forum, . . . well, let's just say my eyes would be burning, my back would hurt, and my mouse-hand would have carpal tunnel.:lol:

This has a name: Side-Tracked Home Executives! SHEs for short. See the description at FlyLady.net. And count me as a recovering SHE. I have to deliberately re-focus myself on my goal, because the temptation to wander off onto side paths is ever present.

I pray out loud for patience. I yell at God. My exhausting DS sees my relationship with the Creator of all things up close and personal, and sees me struggling. I think it's good for us both. And as he's gotten older, he's gained an immense amount of self-control. And I think I may have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, because I can react to his [now mild] outbursts by over-reacting as if he were throwing a huge fit. I need to pray for myself even now, for calm, and for emotional healing and self-control. Just because he was one way a year ago, doesn't mean he's the same kid today, he deserves to be seen for the child he is now. Just my two pennies. Best wishes.

A lot of women here swear by "The Core Program" by Peggy Brill. It's a book with lots of pictures to demonstrate the stretches. http://www.amazon.com/Core-Program-Fifteen-Minutes-Change/dp/0553380842/ It really strengthened my core muscles, and made everything else easier. But I wasn't starting from an injured status, so you would want to go really slowly. Another alternative: could you see a physical therapist to begin designing a stretching/exercise program? Good luck. Back pain is no fun.

Ahh, Keeping Up Appearances . . . now you're talkin'! My DH can't stand it. All he can see is a snobbish harridan and a wimp. He can't see the hilarious undercurrents of social satire and human nature on display -- coping with extreme circumstances (i.e., Violet). "Boo-kay residence! This is the lady of the house speaking!" :lol:

I agree with Amy. Re-read your post. The only pressure to change is coming from outside your family. You, your daughter, and her friends are perfectly happy the way things are. Don't fix what ain't broken.

I listened to the two boys give a seminar on logic at our local convention. It was really good, so I looked at their book "The Fallacy Detective" and bought it, then promptly loaned it to my Dad, which perhaps was not logical, knowing what I know about his s-l-o-w reading habits. But listening to the Bluedorns (senior) was like listening to a particularly opinioned religious blowhard. A smart cookie, but unwilling to consider other opinions, it seemed. Such as Cicero. :lol:

When my grandma was in her last years and living with my brother and SIL, she would doze the day away, unless you asked if she would hang clothes out on the line. Then she snapped awake and went to work with gusto! :001_smile: I'm a lot like my grandma Lola. ;)

:lol: I'm snorting out my soda, here. Too funny.

This is an interesting discussion. My 11 yo son is one of the sports-mad baseball boys, and I'm choosing to let him play option #2, simply because of the family time & gas money involved in being on the travelling team. Another factor here is Dad's desire to see his son do well in a sport he (Dad) also loves. Lots to think about.

Instead of using paper-or-plastic-or-canvas bags at the grocery, I take along my sturdy laundry basket, stick it in the shopping cart, unload onto the conveyor belt, and ask the bagger to put everything back into the laundry basket. I'm something of a celebrity at our local Kroger. ;)

My 11yo son *loves* to watch SuperNanny with me. He happily reminds me that "Tonight's Wednesday, Mom! We get to watch SuperNanny, remember?" He is enthralled with the images of trainwreck-families and wants to hear my take on how all the damage could have been avoided and/or handled. I consider it part of his education in how to be a good daddy some day. Your neighbor might want to tune in to a few episodes. :001_smile:

Listen to Kelli, her ideas are right on track, and as usual, kind. Your children are *very* young. An amazing amount of growing up happens every month through these years. Stick with them in the class and don't leave them to sink or swim on their own. They need you right now. Payoff is later, as is customary with this job. ;)

You might prefer to save it to a document. Newspapers don't keep their articles on their websites indefinitely. Wouldn't want to lose all this excellent info.

1) It's very sad to hear about a childhood like this. It evokes a tug of compassion in all of us. You know it's left scars that won't go away. 2) You can't help them get past their ideas. It's a self-protective mechanism that is based in jealousy that others didn't have the pain they carry. Don't even try to make them see differently. Just pass some bean dip if they start telling you how to raise your children. It's really none of their business, is it? Good luck. And don't let their negativity make you question your own good sense and your well-thought-out decisions.

I drive 55 on my errands around our smaller town and into the city on the interstate. On my last two drives from here to St. Louis on I-55 I drove 55 as well. No big traffic jams behind me, fortunately. If I were on a tight schedule I'd go faster, but saving money is becoming a very big issue for me. I also like the green aspect. I figure if someone gets mad at me for having to pass me on the interstate, he'll have to pay my gas bill before I'll take him seriously. [shrug] All those speedy drivers must be a lot richer than me.

I don't keep one anymore, though I did when I first moved here six years ago. I pulled prices from sales circulars to find the best price, and then did my regular weekly grocery shopping at a different store each week, filling in their prices. It got me up to speed quickly, with a minimum of running around. I used index cards, one for each product. Easy to change; lots of room.

I think that sometimes our unconscious brings us these painful memories at the point where we either need to deal with something or where we're just ready to. Not that we want it, you understand, just that it's time. I hope it becomes a learning, growth experience for you, rather than a walk down a dark path with no outlet, yk? Blessings,

There aren't a lot of options for semi-homeschooling here in our neck of the Illinois woods, maybe because the regulations are . . . well, non-existant. My boys are young yet, but I don't have plans on outsourcing things unless they decide to take up something like competitive Olympic diving. :D

LOL -- my DH came in while I was checking these out. He calls them 'Boulder shoes' after the town of his alma mater, Colorado University at Boulder. :lol:

Now see, your blood sugar level spiked, then crashed. Musta been those plain M&Ms. :D

I'm speechless with jealousy at people who are naturally hairless or don't *need* to shave. With light skin and coarse dark hair that grows faster than bamboo, I had few options, none of them pleasant. Ingrown hairs were a fact of life. I had to plan for a week in order to wear shorts in the summer, in order to time the ingrown hair outgrowth, stubble length long enough to shave, time for skin to recover from the nasty damage done by the razor. Ugh. Then my DH decided he needed to fly to San Francisco to have training in a newfangled biofeedback machine. Making me miss my 20th high school reunion. :glare: I was able to negotiate laser hair removal on my legs. Extremely painful, but not as much as 30 years of shaving. I should have done it long before, but then, the lasers wouldn't have been as effective, I suppose. Before someone asks: I went to 'Sona' in the western suburbs of St. Louis. They know what they're doing. Prices change constantly, so I can't tell you what they charge these days. Big cities have better technology and better prices.

Hear, hear. My 11yo son is loving it too. And my 8yo. Me too! I'm reading it aloud before bed and whenever we do read alouds. A thumping good read.

This just annoys the heck outta me. It annoys me more when I'm the one doing it, :blushing: But still! Ack! Lately, there's the family member who complains about his Aspie kid whose attitude and social skills take a nose dive when he plays computer games, so they let him play tons of computer games. Um, ok. The MIL who complains of severe dizziness whenever she accidentally ingests chocolate, and then fills her plate at the restaurant buffet with . . . chocolate. [bonking head against wall]

OK, I have to say Thanks! for those great links, Anne/PA. My DH is the math/physics type and the calculus video had him in stitches. Myself, I dig the Monty Python philosophers' soccer. Good stuff. Very good stuff.