[Ummmmm...WWYD?]

I would edit out that last paragraph. She is a contributer, but not the creator of this gift. You are the creator. So edit without guilt.

[Has anyone successfully cured a suspected UTI *without* going to the MD?]

I used to be able to cure myself, but at some point, my body stopped cooperating. I had one infection that got out of hand while I was trying to avoid going to the doc. I developed a full blown kidney infection. Treatment and follow up testing for one of those will cost a whole lot more than $75. Last I checked, real cranberry juice was something like $10 for a quart. Proceed with caution!

[House fire]

Praying for you guys! I'm so sorry about your dog. Stay strong!

[Honest question about divorce -- for women]

I really don't assign blame, especially if I am not close to the situation. There have been a few times when I mentally took sides. One was when my uncle (my mom's brother) cheated on my aunt with her brother's widow, in the middle of his daughter's leukemia treatment. I was pretty pissed at him. The other time was when during my best friends divorce from a drug addicted, abusive man. Aside from those 2 situations, I've never had the desire to assign blame to anyone.

[Who is watching 24?]

Dh is getting hopped up on 24 as I type. I don't have the attention span for 1 hour shows anymore.

[Anyone Have Experience With a Mentally Ill Parent? Questions. LONG!]

First off- (((((hugs)))))) this is tough. My bil has full blown schizophrenia and it is SO hard to deal with. He had a recent hospitalization and our hospital experience sounds just like yours. We couldn't talk to anyone, docs wouldn't talk to us, he was released WAY too early and the whole thing was pointless. What we have been told is that if we want any control over his medical care, we would have to get a lawyer and go to court to get him declared incompetant. So far, nobody has taken the initiative (read- money) to make that happen. Dh's parents are divorced so there is a constant passing of the buck. I really don't know what we can do about it all. It's so sad. I've known bil since he was 14 and I've watched the full progression of the disease. At this point he's self medicating with pot and booze, and we're at a loss as to what to do next.

[So.......]

This reminds me of when my youngest was a newborn. We were part of a church plant that was primarily singles and young families. 2 of the ladies were having their first babies in short time and they were very focussed on "not losing themselves.". There was much conversation between the single girls and the moms to be over this, most of which received eye rolls from the few of us moms who already had a couple. So they had their babies and I had ours. They bottle fed and I breastfed. This last child of mine happened to be the only one of my four that thoroughly regected taking any type of bottle. So for a year, where I went, she went. Oh, but she was my last baby and it didn't bother me a bit. I savored that time with her. But those new moms just didn't get it. Especially when I turned down a free concert that all the ladies were going to. They just couldn't imagine why I wouldn't leave the kids for the night. They thought I didn't have a life. All because my littlest just didn't want that bottle, and her mama didn't want her to starve for 6 hours. It's a good thing that the disapproval of others has never bothered me much.

[S/O of inappropriate school thread.]

Unfortunately, I would have gone along with the entire project.:sad:

 

Me too.

[Peppy Christian music with a good beat for jogging]

Ginny Owens has quite a bit that is peppy and fun.

[For clarification: Open letter to Moderators]

Not sure how asking for clarification = entitlement :confused::confused:? It's just a request for clarity. (I would clarify what I think entitlement means but it would be polical and get us way off-topic.:D)

I don't think you are entitled to receive clarification.

[Family Friendly Beach in Florida where the water temp is nice in May?]

Siesta Key is my favorite beach in Florida. Crystal clear water, hardly any waves, powder white sand that actually reflects the heat, sand dollars and other fun things to find. Destin is beautiful too, but I've never vacationed there, so I'm not sure about family friendly. It's further north, if that's what you're looking for. I would search for a gulf beach, east coast beaches are a mixed bag.

[For clarification: Open letter to Moderators]

Her board, her rules. Period. I really don't understand the sense of entitlement that some people have. I have yet to see any of you political junkies go form your own board, why not? And I don't believe this board benefits Susan in such grand ways. Her books sold before the board, her books will sell long after the day she hears one too many tantrums and shuts this place down.

[The Derfwad Manor mom has a NEW SITE!!!]

I LOVE it!! Thanks for sharing : )

[How long is your middle-schooler's school day?]

The length of our day depends greatly on her attention span. There are some days that she takes an hour and a half to finish 30min of work. When she is on task, we can finish everything in 3-4 solid hours. On a bad day, we're working 5 or 6. She receives 18-20 hours of work each week. I voted in the 25 category because that's about how much we do. Is there a pulling out my hair smiley?

[OK Ladies, who's been cleaning out their freezers?]

There was a thread awhile back about placentas in the freezer. It was pretty funny. This made me think of that.

[OK Ladies, who's been cleaning out their freezers?]

Placentas found in sewage system

:eek:

[Home from church and feeling guilty]

Don't worry! As the mother of a disabled child, I would rather you not be there than potentially bring in a new virus. This is the season for sickness and I'm sure they understand.

[Siblings as best friends - should I be concerned?]

Your whole post, I thought you were worried about much older kids! But yours are *babies*! That relationship between them is precious, and they will expand beyond themselves as they get older. *If* you had been talking about kids 8-10 years *older* than yours, I would have encouraged you to start finding some individual activities for them, but they're still preschoolers! Just give them time and be thankful for the wonderful relationship they have! :D

 

:iagree:

 

My 4 and 6yo are like this. I love it! I make time for occasional playdates outside of eachother, but most of the time it's just the 2 together. My 11yo sometimes feels a bit envious, but the whole family really thinks it's precious. Don't worry!

[What do you think about letters from kids asking for money so they can go on trips?]

OK, I'm going to stick my neck out here and take the unpopular position. It really depends on the trip. If it is truly a "mission" trip and the kids are going to go somewhere and learn what it is like to live in a developing country, be challenged to be less selfish, put others first, share the Gospel, do some good works and be motivated to go long-term to the unreached then I am usually for it. Fund raising breaks down things like pride as it takes humility to ask others for help. There are people who are unable to go to other places for whatever reason but still want to be a part of the Lord's work in those areas and they can participate by being a supporter. Most importantly, it is an opportunity for God to get the glory for provision of what is needed, even when the resources look slim and the need insurmountable, He always comes through if it is supposed to happen. It all belongs to Him anyway.

If it is a camp trip or something else like that. Then I may still contribute but the kids I know who have requested help for this kind of trip usually offer babysitting or other ways to work for their funds.

:iagree:

 

Missions trips change lives.

[Social Group about American Idol?]

We watch AI, but I don't do the social groups. I just forget they are there. Plus, the gen board sucks away enough of my time all on it's own.

 

I was super happy with last night's results. The 2 people that I really liked both got through (Alexis and Danny).

[What would be a good devotional book for my dd9?]

His Little Princess by Sheri Rose Shepherd is just a great book. I'm not sure about the age range, but my 11yo loves it just as much as my 4yo.

["Brushing" for Autism, Adhd, etc..]

(This is also posted on the special needs board)

Does anyone do this (brushing) for their child? I was told about this today by my friend who's son is autistic. She was given the brushes and wasn't sure where I could get them. Do you know where to get them? I really think this could help my dd (adhd, pdd) relax to do some "school work" or just to calm down when she goes to bed and to start out the day. Many days she is everywhere! Also, my friend told me about the weighted vests. The more I read about them I'm thinking dd might benefit from this also.

Thanks so much.

 

I did this for my son with CP. We were given the brushes by his OT. Does your dd receive any therapy? As for the weighted vest, you could probably make one yourself with a durable fabric and some sand. I can tell you that ANYTHING sold for therapy, even if it is the simplest thing ever, is stupidly expensive. I have fashioned things for my son that would have cost us hundreds otherwise.

[Can a 2 year old develop OCD tendencies?]

I have a dh with OCD tendencies (but far from real, full blown OCD). Our 2 youngest kids have had phases of really OCD/Anal behavior. I don't think anyone in the family had clinical OCD, but that element is definitely present in their personalities.

 

I remember 2 years old definitely being a time when those behaviors were enhanced. One memorable moment was when my youngest was about that age. She had set up her tea set on the floor of her room in *just* the right order. We had friends over and one of the kids knocked it over. She came back into her room and completely fell apart. It took several minutes to even figure out why she was crying. Finally, through her tears and sobbing, she started to fix the tea set. The moment it was back in order, she stopped crying, stood up and walked away.

 

It gets better. Her room is a mess at the moment.

[Slightly off-colour: hilarity at our house last night]

A "fanny" to us Australians is a lady's "front bottom" :D

 

I didnt know what a fanny was for years, as as a child, who read lots of American book, I was always amazed to read lines such as " She got a swift kick in the fanny".

 

I always thought it was such a silly place to kick someone.:D

 

I had no idea!

[Yet another mother telling me about there dc math program in ps]

This is so true. After several years of hsing, my FIL finally felt comfortable enough to start asking questions about how we do this. He was so surprised that there was curriculum choices geared to hsers. He was SHOCKED that there was whole conventions for us! It was an elightening conversation for me.

 

I think a lot of non-homeschoolers don't realize how much curriculum is available for us. Last year when I started thinking about homeschooling, I was amazed at the vast amount of material to choose from. Maybe they think that you are just winging it without any kind of guidance from a structured program? No offense to you....I'm sure your kids are doing just fine with whatever you're using with them.

 

This is our first year, and since I'm just a beginner in this homeschooling journey I have discovered that there is an entire "homeschooling world" that others don't know about. Before we started, I remember thinking "Where do all those homeschoolers get their books from?" or "How do they know what to teach?" and since we've started these are the first questions family and friends ask me. (that, plus the socialization thing...)

 

Maybe you could keep your Rainbow Resource (phonebook-sized) catalog handy, and when they tell you what a great program they're using at the ps, you could whip out the catalog, plunk it on the table and say something like, "Wow, they have something like that right here....hold on, this will take me a minute....there are so many programs to choose from." ;)