I went trick or treating for the last time the year I was 15, I think. My daughter just turned 12 and is eagerly looking forward to trick or treating this year. I think if your 14 year old is looking forward to trick or treating, she should go have fun! I think any teen who is willing to put on a costume and POLITELY go door to door should go ahead and have a good time! As long as they're being polite to the people at the houses they go to and in front of the younger children on the streets, go ahead and hold on to this last bit of childhood fun. Why not!

I didn't want to say "yes, it's what I do" because I'd personally hand out candy. However, I do think non-candy treats can be okay for people to hand out, too, and in your specific case, I think glow bracelets are great! My kids would love getting those. I don't think you HAVE to go buy candy, too. They'll get plenty of candy at other houses.

I call my in laws by their first names. My husband also calls my mom by her first name. My kids aren't married yet. I'll be fine with them calling me by whatever they're comfortable with, I think, when the time comes!

DH and DD made wallets out of "Duck Tape" (okay duct tape I guess, but it said Duck Tape on it lol)... I posted a bunch of pics in this blog entry: http://nancextoo.livejournal.com/316433.html Apparently, you can make all sorts of items out of the tape, wallets, headbands and so on.

I put simple sentences. My 1st grader is using Reading Eggs and he's at the stage where he's reading sentences like: The fish hid in the tin. The cat can see the fish. Etc. He really enjoys Reading Eggs and is doing well with it, but we use it for fun. Our main curriculum, Oak Meadow, doesn't push a lot of academics in K and 1st and is gentle and Waldorfy. We are pretty laid back right now at this age!

No, there's not a lot of warmth and love at all. I really hated some of these characters, and felt really sad for some of these characters, and found some of them really pathetic. It was like watching Jerry Springer, or hearing your neighbors shouting at each other when they've had too much to drink, or a little reality tv all rolled into one, where you're glad you aren't them, and you really probably shouldn't be entertained by it, but you are anyway. Well, I am. :P (And not all of it- like I said before, some of it truly was hard for me to read, especially with drug issues in my family and some of the things that happened really did turn my stomach, but I still am glad I read her book).

Congrats!!! :grouphug:

In recent months with my two most recent pregnancies and miscarriages (one in June and one in September) I fell off the wagon and just recently decided to get back on track again. But before all that, I went completely flour free and it worked great for me. I lost 60 lbs! I didn't eat any flour at all, not even whole wheat, or white potatoes, or rice, except for once in a blue moon for special occasions. (I did once in a while eat corn on the cob though). I drank mostly water (and sometimes milk, but no juices or diet beverages or anything like that). I walked for exercise. I didn't really strictly limit quantity of food or my fat intake or anything like that, the only thing I did was basically cut the grains and paid attention to stopping when I wasn't hungry, not eating out of boredom etc. I didn't eat "diet" foods except for sometimes sugar free jello. Mostly though I avoided processed fat free/sugar free stuff. I continued eating real full fat peanut butter, butter, mayo, etc. Since I stopped paying attention to any of that stuff and going back to eating whatever the heck I wanted whenever the heck I wanted and way too much of it and way too many carbs, I did gain some of the weight back. Like I said, it's been a little rough with two pregnancies and then two miscarriages recently and I've had a lifetime of bad eating behaviors to fall back on. :( But as of four days ago I've cut wheat out entirely again and have already lost a few pounds. I am now only up 13 lbs from where I left off and can probably drop that pretty quickly (and, hey, I'm still down about 47 lbs overall, looking on the bright side)! My board-certified medical doctor and my chiropractor and my OB are ALL fans of this type of eating, by the way.

I really liked it. I thought it was well written, that she did a good job tying all the characters together, giving them depth and their own stories, it was basically just a character story when it comes down to it- giving each one of these people their own story and voice, and some of them were funny, and some of them were gritty, and some of them were very sad and honestly hard to read, but the book really did hold my interest, I found it worth reading. Quite a few "adult" bits, but I never mind that lol.

The fastest way is to stop eating flour altogether. If you can't stop eating flour altogether, at least stop eating white flour altogether and only eat whole grains and even those in limited amounts- not with every meal. Whole, natural foods as much as possible. Don't bother with low fat or fake sugars etc. I lost 60 lbs that way. I'm sorry that happened to you, that's embarrassing and just being 25 lbs over doesn't sound all that bad!

I type c with my middle finger as I was taught in formal typing classes. I type nearly 100 wpm. d is also middle finger. x is ring finger. k is middle finger.

No, I would not. It's not the type of thing I consider my business, nor would I claim to know what he's really going through or feeling on a regular basis just because he might have good days or push himself on things now and then. I have back problems sometimes. There are days I feel like I just can't move, and I don't. There are days I feel great and I get tons done. There are days that are iffy and I do things that maybe I shouldn't and I tell myself I'm gonna regret it later, but if something needs to get done, it needs to get done. I don't get benefits for it or anything but if I did if hate to think some neighbor was watching me, judging me, and deciding whether to "report" me based on how I was feeling or what I was doing on one given day. Live your life and let him live his. He's not bothering you, I assume.

Not sure how much you want to spend per hat, but I just got the Oriental Trading catalog in today's mail, and they have a bunch of hats in it that might work. Child's bright cotton bucket hats, $16.00 per dozen felt berets with elastic bands, $21.00 per dozen neon cotton sailor hats, $16.00 per dozen bright glitter plastic shiny top hats, $16.00 per dozen shiny black plastic top hats, $6.50 per dozen bright accordion cardboard and paper top hats, $10.50 per dozen neon plastic gangster hats, $9.50 per dozen and a bunch more. orientaltrading.com

Just Finished: The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling: When Barry Fairbrother dies unexpectedly in his early forties, the little town of Pagford is left in shock. Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war. Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…. Pagford is not what it first seems. And the empty seat left by Barry on the town’s council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations? Blackly comic, thought-provoking and constantly surprising, The Casual Vacancy is J.K. Rowling’s first novel for adults. Currently Reading: Belladonna, by Anne Bishop: Mystifying forces of light and dark continue to rend Ephemera, a shattered world of extraordinary, interconnected landscapes that can be altered by strong emotions, in Bishop's challenging sequel to Sebastian (2006). The Eater of the World spreads its corrupting darkness, and Glorianna Belladonna, disdained and declared rogue for her powers that blend both the Light and the Dark, is the only one who can halt its evil influence. Caitlin Marie, a friendless young sorceress with dark blood, also faces great danger, while her brother, Michael the Magician, is drawn through many perils to Glorianna's side by dreams of a dark-haired lover. Even as their love is kindled, the key Michael brings to cage the Eater of the World may doom Glorianna and take her away from him. Readers encountering Ephemera for the first time may be confused by the complicated, fantastical world, but fans of the preceding installment will revel in Bishop's imaginative powers. COMPLETE 1. Envy, by J.R. Ward (Fallen Angels series) 2. Kiss of the Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 3. The Ramayana, A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic, by R.K. Narayan (with my daughter for school reading) 4. Dark Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 5. The Immortal Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 6. Spell of the Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 7. 11/22/63, by Stephen King 8. The Traveler, by John Twelve Hawks (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1) 9. Into the Dreaming, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 10. A Judgement In Stone, by Ruth Rendel 11. The Dark River, by John Twelve Hawks (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2) 12. The Golden City, by John Twelve Hawks (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 3) 13. Forbidden Pleasure, by Lora Leigh 14. Relic, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child 15. House Rules, by Jodi Picoult 16. Midwives, by Chris Bohjalian 17. Wind Through the Keyhole, by Stephen King 18. The High Flyer, by Susan Howatch. 19. Daughter of the Blood, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels Trilogy, Book 1) 20. Heir to the Shadows, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels Trilogy, Book 2) 21. The Host, by Stephenie Meyer 22. Queen of the Darkness, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels Trilogy, Book 3) 23. The Invisible Ring, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 24. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James 25. Fifty Shades Darker, by E.L. James 26. Fifty Shades Freed, by E.L. James 27. Dreams Made Flesh, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 28. Tangled Webs, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 29. Goodnight Nobody, by Jennifer Weiner 30. Kiss the Dead, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series) 31. The Shadow Queen, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 32. The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease 33. Ahab's Wife, by Sena Jeter Naslund 34. Shalador's Queen, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 35. Sebastian, by Anne Bishop (Ephemera, Book 1) 36. The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger 37. The Good Sister, by Drusilla Campbell 38. The Lost Boy, by David Pelzer 39. Little Children, by Tom Perotta 40. Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger 41. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy 42. Impact, by Douglas Preston 43. House of Stairs, by William Sleator 44. The War After Armageddon, by Ralph Peters 45. The Casual Vacancy, by J.K. Rowling CURRENT 46. The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende, translated by Ralph Manheim, aloud to my son. 47. Smiles to Go, by Jerry Spinelli, aloud with my daughter. 48. Belladonna, by Anne Bishop (Ephemera, Book 2), to myself

Good luck, I hope you get great news regarding your lab work and office visit!

Upset is not the word for it. I would be absolutely livid. I as a parent should have had the right to approve that and then eased my child into it by preparing him for it first in a manner of my choosing if I wanted to give said approval. If I didn't want to approve it, they never should have exposed him to it, and heads would be rolling. That is so inappropriate!!!

"Wow, they say elderly people lack tact, but you really take the cake. He didn't get his smarts from your side, did he?"

We usually use a menorah that the kids made. Of course dh makes latkes, yum. We always send some to our next door neighbor who loves them. We buy the kids 8 gifts each and they open a random gift on each night of Hanukkah. We usually read stories about Hanukkah and get together with family one night. I have not done ANY shopping or planning yet, I prefer to do Halloween first lol.

I hate being alone at night, it really freaks me out. I start hearing noises, convincing myself someone's in the house. I don't even like when he has to work late so I don't think I'd do well and would probably move my daughter into my room with me just to have someone there although I would not indicate all that lol. Honestly I think my mother scarred me for life. My parents split up when I was very young and she used to go out at night and hire these teenage babysitters who she would then have to drive home, and i can remember being awake sometimes when she was leaving and begging her to take me too as I didn't want to be alone at night with only two younger brothers and no other adult in the dark house. She would say no and I would lay there for what seemed like forever terrified that something was going to happen, someone was going to come in the house while she was gone- and to this day I hate being in a house at bedtime without another adult around in the house. Pathetic, I know. I'd make a horrible military wife. :P

I personally do not think this book was any creepier than some of the Harry Potter scenes were.

I just finished it. I really liked it. I'm not sure liked it is the right word, some of it was hard to read. But I found it worth reading.

I so hope this is your time! You deserve it! :grouphug:

Recently finished: House of Stairs, by William Sleator, Young Adult. Someone mentioned this on a scary reads for October type thread and my library had it, so I decided to read it. Finished it the same day and it seemed familiar to me, and when I got to the end, I remembered how it would end, so I guess I've read it sometime in the past already: One by one, five sixteen-year-old orphans are brought to a strange building. It is not a prison, not a hospital; it has no walls, no ceiling, no floor. Nothing but endless flights of stairs leading nowhere ?except back to a strange red machine. The five must learn to love the machine and let it rule their lives. But will they let it kill their souls? This chilling, suspenseful indictment of mind control is a classic of science fiction and will haunt readers long after the last page is turned. Currently reading: The War After Armageddon, by Ralph Peters: Shocking scenes of battle…unforgettable soldiers…heartbreaking betrayals…. In this stunning, fast-paced novel, a ruthless future war unfolds in a 21st century nightmare: Los Angeles is a radioactive ruin; Europe lies bleeding; and Israel has been destroyed…with millions slaughtered. A furious America fights to reclaim the devastated Holy Land. The Marines storm ashore; the U.S. Army does battle in a Biblical landscape. Hi-tech weaponry is useless and primitive hatreds flare. Lt. Gen. Gary “Flintlock†Harris and his courageous warriors struggle for America’s survival--with ruthless enemies to their front and treachery at their rear. Islamist fanatics, crusading Christians, and unscrupulous politicians open the door to genocide. The War After Armageddon thrusts the reader into a terrifying future in which all that remains is the horror of war--and the inspiration of individual heroism. A master at bringing to life “the eternal soldier,†Ralph Peters tells a riveting tale that honors those Americans who fight and sacrifice all for a dream of freedom. Looking forward to: Rapture, by JR Ward, the most recent in her Fallen Angels series, and The Casual Vacancy by JK Rowling. Already ordered both on Amazon and they should be arriving by tomorrow! COMPLETE 1. Envy, by J.R. Ward (Fallen Angels series) 2. Kiss of the Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 3. The Ramayana, A Shortened Modern Prose Version of the Indian Epic, by R.K. Narayan (with my daughter for school reading) 4. Dark Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 5. The Immortal Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 6. Spell of the Highlander, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 7. 11/22/63, by Stephen King 8. The Traveler, by John Twelve Hawks (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 1) 9. Into the Dreaming, by Karen Marie Moning (Highlander series) 10. A Judgement In Stone, by Ruth Rendel 11. The Dark River, by John Twelve Hawks (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 2) 12. The Golden City, by John Twelve Hawks (Fourth Realm Trilogy, Book 3) 13. Forbidden Pleasure, by Lora Leigh 14. Relic, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child 15. House Rules, by Jodi Picoult 16. Midwives, by Chris Bohjalian 17. Wind Through the Keyhole, by Stephen King 18. The High Flyer, by Susan Howatch. 19. Daughter of the Blood, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels Trilogy, Book 1) 20. Heir to the Shadows, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels Trilogy, Book 2) 21. The Host, by Stephenie Meyer 22. Queen of the Darkness, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels Trilogy, Book 3) 23. The Invisible Ring, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 24. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James 25. Fifty Shades Darker, by E.L. James 26. Fifty Shades Freed, by E.L. James 27. Dreams Made Flesh, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 28. Tangled Webs, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 29. Goodnight Nobody, by Jennifer Weiner 30. Kiss the Dead, by Laurell K. Hamilton (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series) 31. The Shadow Queen, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 32. The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease 33. Ahab's Wife, by Sena Jeter Naslund 34. Shalador's Queen, by Anne Bishop (The Black Jewels series) 35. Sebastian, by Anne Bishop (Ephemera, Book 1) 36. The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger 37. The Good Sister, by Drusilla Campbell 38. The Lost Boy, by David Pelzer 39. Little Children, by Tom Perotta 40. Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger 41. The Road, by Cormac McCarthy 42. Impact, by Douglas Preston 43. House of Stairs, by William Sleator CURRENT 44. The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende, translated by Ralph Manheim, aloud to my son. 45. Smiles to Go, by Jerry Spinelli, aloud with my daughter. 46. The War After Armageddon, by Ralph Peters, to myself.

:grouphug:

Ugh, how frustrating. For someone with a history of ectopics and/or losses and someone with only one tube no less, you should not have to wait any amount of time to begin diagnostic testing or monitoring or have to play phone tag with your doctor! The day I got my positive pregnancy test at 12 dpo with this last one, I called my dr office and they sent me for my first betas that morning and had me come into the office that afternoon because of my history, which at the time was one ectopic (no damage to my tubes) and one early m/c. Do you have a set appointment yet??