I was surprised in another thread by how many people actually own just one set of sheets per bed. I find this type of minimalism appealing although I'd have to have two sets (summer vs winter). It made me start thinking of other areas that could be minimalized. We have tons of towels and the ones on the bottom of the linen closet probably haven't seen the light of day in years. We also have a separate stack of very raggedy towels that see constant use for pet care. How many towels do you keep?

I've been tempted but I just won't do it. It takes much longer but I go through stuff with my DDs by my side to help make decisions. Yes, they keep very odd bits and pieces but have also surprised me by being willing to get rid of boxes and boxes of stuff at a go. What I've discovered over time is that the item they cling tightly to this year is easily let go in another year or two. Why cause unhappiness tossing it today when it will be painless later? Good luck! Pegasus

We are using MUS for high school. DD14 has finished Algebra I and is about half-way through Geometry. Our plan is to continue using MUS for Algebra II and Pre-Calculus and then use the local CC for dual-enrollment math courses. Did you have any specific questions? Pegasus

Once when my eldest was 2.5 years old and she was very sick with a virus, the pediatrician told us to give her ANYTHING that she was willing to drink. She was most willing to drink ice tea so that's what we gave her. We are in the South and it's not uncommon around here to put ice tea in the baby's bottle. :tongue_smilie: Pegasus

Are you available to provide tutoring?!? :bigear: We have several sets of sheets because DH tends to pick them up when he finds them on sale. We love to use the flannel sheets in the winter but the regular sheets in the summer so I do have to make a switch as the seasons change. Glad to see I'm not the only one who uses this little shortcut (as I listen for the dryer to buzz so I can get our bed made!) Pegasus

Undercover Tourist - google for their website The discount isn't huge but every little bit helps. I've used them a couple times and they were very quick to mail the tickets. Have fun! Pegasus

and puts them right back on just so they won't have to try to fold them? :D I can fold a fitted sheet very carefully but it still looks as if I just balled it up. I've found it's much easier to just take them out of the dryer and put them right back on the bed. Pegasus

We've had several vets over the years and most of them seem to be great for regular exams and everyday issues but seem to really be at a loss when it comes to anything not obvious. We have a cat in pain right now (since just before Christmas) and we've had her in to see the vet twice. Her approach continues to be wait and see if the cat gets better. She took x-rays today which were inconclusive and suggested that we bring the cat back in 3 months for new x-rays. THREE MONTHS!?! The cat is in pain NOW. It doesn't help that there doesn't appear to be a pain med that cats can take for more than a few days. I hate to see her suffering. I've talked to DH and if we don't see significant improvement by Monday, we are heading to the university vet hospital. Thanks for letting me vent! Pegasus

May I ask why this is considered a skill that needs to be learned? I'm not being snarky, I just don't see why anyone would want/need to do this. I somehow managed to get through public school and then B.S. and M.S. degrees without ever outlining material from my textbooks. So, I'm bewildered to read in some other threads that folks feel this is an important skill for their middle graders to be learning. Pegasus

Pretty please don't do this. I was very upset when I checked out a book only to find out that a previous reader had blacked out some of the text and written their own "facts" in the margin. Do what you want with your own books but do not write in library books. I'd be fine with inserting a sticky note pointing out the errors. Pegasus

There is no need to second guess yourself if graduating early is working for your students. We'll be doing high school for 4 years but similar to what was already posted, we'll also be doing dual enrollment at the near-by community college. My students will likely graduate high school with a lot more credits than they need but that's ok. Once they finish high school, they will likely need another year at CC before heading to a university. My eldest, especially, needs parental nudging towards independence so we are planning on taking baby steps in that direction. ;) Pegasus

Had a disagreement with DD14 about this just this morning and then we both had a chuckle when we looked it up and it listed both pronunciations as being correct. Made me wonder how other folks say it. Pegasus

I said yes but wanted to qualify my answer. Preschool can be beneficial to the family. Sometimes it's nice to have the preschooler happily occupied elsewhere so those at home can better focus. We used 3-hours of preschool for 4-days a week for our 4-year-olds. They loved it and it was amazing what got done at home during those few hours. I would NOT insist on preschool for a child that didn't like it. I don't think it so much benefits the participating child as sometimes benefits the family. I certainly don't think a child with a loving family is at a detriment to skip attending preschool. Pegasus

Wow! I forgot about this post and am surprised to see all the responses. I didn't even think about families with allergies and other special food concerns. I think the fact that I only occasionally cook had a lot to do with my inefficiencies, plus that I was trying to cook multiple things for each meal as we had guests. I also make a big mess when I cook so clean up can be a bear. As for what we normally eat if I don't cook, most of it has already been mentioned by other posters. We eat a lot of things like cold cereal, fruit and cheese, pre-mixed salads, leftovers, etc. My DH normally cooks dinner. :D Somehow, he goes "off-duty" when his parents are visiting and I end up doing all the cooking. We also go out to eat at least once a week in addition to eating with my sister once a week (she's a great cook!). Pegasus

But they aren't hotdogs until they are on a bun; if they are still in the package, they are wieners. :D

Please forgive me for chopping up your post but I wanted to highlight the comments above. What I'm reading (between the lines) is that you are bright and do well in all your classes but do not WANT to do math. You are trying to convince us that math isn't your thing and that you would not succeed in upper level math. I don't believe you. :tongue_smilie: It's hard to decide what you want to do with your life but please do not allow a simple dislike of math to convince you to take a different path. You CAN do it and do it successfully. Pegasus

Hmmm. . .you need to balance the couple hours in the chair with the many years you will hopefully be able to keep that tooth. If it's difficult to keep your mouth open for a long procedure (a huge problem for me), then ask for a bite block. This is a little square of rubber or plastic that they will place between your teeth on the opposite side to hold your jaw open; your jaw muscles can relax. This makes dental procedures significantly easier for me. Pegasus

how do you have time to do anything else? I cooked 3 meals a day for the days that the in-laws were visiting over the holidays and after the prep, cooking, eating, and clean-up were completed, it was almost time to start prep for the next meal. It made me very grateful that we normally don't eat like that. It also made me wonder if some families do routinely cook 3 meals a day and how they find time to do anything else. Pegasus

I'd go for the root canal on the top left. It's best to hold onto your teeth as long as possible. You shouldn't need any pain meds afterwards. The root canal removes the nerve of the tooth. I've had root canals and always felt so much BETTER afterwards because the infected root had caused so much pain before. I don't like dental work but felt like my dentist was my best friend after he made the pain stop! Good luck! Peg

Thanks for the replies so far. The above quote is exactly what my own feelings about the subject are. However, DH has a genuine concern and if he is correct, I certainly want to support him in making DD wear her glasses! I tried researching this topic on the web but the only articles I could find were reassuring people that wearing their glasses would not make their vision worse. I couldn't find anything about the opposite! Pegasus

I am very near-sighted and DH is near-sighted as well. So, we were not surprised when DD13 needed to start wearing glasses about a couple years ago. She rarely wore her first set of glasses and recently had a new eye exam and a stronger lens prescription provided. Now she wears her glasses only when she's watching TV or a movie screen. DH is worried that not regularly wearing her glasses will make her vision get worse and is hounding her to wear them all the time. Does wearing or not wearing corrective lenses actually effect how bad your vision ends up? I'd love to hear some input from eye care professionals and if you can refer me to any studies or advice from an eye care organization, I'd be tickled pink. Many thanks. Pegasus

This sounds awesome! I'm definitely looking into a fruit salad tree. I hope they'll grow well here (East Tennessee). We've been growing our own strawberries and I've thought about adding some blueberry shrubs. Thanks, everyone! Pegasus

Wow. Thanks for all the information and personal experiences. :D I didn't even know there were drops so we'll research all of our options. Pegasus

You get TWO thumbs up, IMHO. The first is for doing a great job answering your DDs questions openly and honestly. The second is for having a great relationship with her so that she felt comfortable coming to you to ask in the first place. Pegasus

I'm not 100% sure what color coding my kids would mean but I better not try it. I've only got 2 but I'm pretty sure I'd start calling them by their color instead of their name. Come on, Pink, it's time for you to unload the dishwasher. Have you finished your math yet, Purple? :D Pegasus