Nuclear not "Nuke-ular"!!! Lose not Loose (as in, "Don't lose the keys") A lot not Alot Washroom not Warshroom Horseradish not Horshradish "I couldn't care less" not "I could care less" *raises hand sheepishly* I do this all the time. Ending sentences with non-prepositions is a goal I ought to strive for... And I should never start my sentences with a conjunction, either. :laugh:

Two short creepy-ish books that come to mind are The Ink Drinker and The Monkey's Paw.

Yep, it's been that kind of Monday... Feels like I broke the "ring" toe on my left foot. Maybe the pinky and the middle toe, too. I watched them bend as I stubbed my foot and it wasn't pretty!! I have a newborn to carry around and a house full of stairs... At least I can still drive. The problem is that I can't get to urgent care today or tomorrow without Dh taking time off. How long can I can wait before being seen, does anyone know? There is no broken skin and the toes aren't sitting in an unnatural position.

We are working on one-point perspective this week, and this project looks really cool (and fairly easy). http://www.refrigeratorgood.com/2013/04/1-pt-perspective-mixed-media-collage.html

I made some beadwork jewelry that I'm really proud of. But no pictures of that, so... I like to decorate cakes and cookies. Here are some of my favorites from over the years (not sure about picture etiquette here, hope it's not too many): There are a few more here: http://www.cakecentral.com/u/911593/Cecropia/gallery What's funny is that I can make just about any cake in any theme/material/flavor that the kids want for their birthdays, but nowadays they prefer a regular old walmart cake off the shelf, or a dairy queen cake...

I have a cystocele and a rectocele and who knows what else :tongue_smilie: Never had them officially "graded" or anything. But they are significant. I had two kids (vaginally), then a bad flu + long lasting cough that really messed everything up down there, and after that I could feel the prolapse(s) 24/7. I eventually figured out that the cystocele can be managed with good posture, lifting the right way, wearing loose clothing etc, and the rectocele with a healthy, non-constipating diet, no straining. I have had 2 more kids since then, both vaginally, and haven't noticed a huge change while pregnant or afterwards. I've been mostly symptom-free for years. This time I made a big mistake though... which was to try belly binding after the birth. I have a stubborn diastasis recti (separated abdominal muscles) to add to my troubles, and nothing seems to help it much. I thought I'd try a bengkung after this birth and I didn't even tie it very tight, but after three days my prolapses were hugely symptomatic... it was *bad*, especially the rectocele. Very painful, and it took over a week to feel normal again. So all that pregnancy weight for months, all the trauma down there from birth, were nothing compared to wearing a binder for 3 days. If we consider another pregnancy, the prolapse will be low on my list of worries. What really stinks is that I now know for sure that surgery to repair the diastasis is out, because it will be just like wearing that binder and increasing the abdominal pressure on the prolapse.

(note: my answer comes from a Catholic background/perspective) Traditionally, despair has been considered a pretty serious sin (the opposite of the theological virtue of hope), and sometimes it has been interpreted as the unforgivable sin (blasphemy against the Holy Spirit). See the relevant section of St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica: http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3020.htm Of course this view was modified as it became known that many seemingly-despairing people were suffering from a condition that was not a conscious choice/under their control. I think that depression as a medical condition and despair as a supernatural condition are still confused for each other today, and that's why you see people treating depression as if it is a sin.

Museum of Science and Industry

Chiming in with Wendy, it also sounds like you can use any herbs and spices you want for flavoring. This makes such an enormous difference in the variety of foods you can eat. We have a family member who reacts to both the mint family (which includes basil, oregano, thyme, rosemary, marjoram, sage, mint) and nightshades (cayenne, curry, chili pepper, paprika). Avoiding foods is one thing, but the lack of spices takes the variety-problem to a whole new level (both cooking and buying prepackaged).

When I had H1N1 during the pandemic year, I found out how much worse the flu is! I don't get vaccinated every year, but feel like the whole family has to when I'm pregnant or there's a baby/toddler in the house. Homeschooling will make me even more reluctant, since the older kids won't be exposed to the classroom petri dish every day.

I know I should get our family vaccinated by October, but every year I dread the shot and put it off... I always have a strong reaction or immune response or something, that puts me in bed with extreme fatigue, a fever, splitting headache and body aches from about 6 hours after the shot to a few days later. I need to wait until an event-free weekend to get it, when dh can take care of everything while I lay around in my robe, miserable. Just typing this makes me anxious about it coming up again!

Oh yeah, forgot Cream of Wheat. "Would you like it runny or clumpy today?"

Van Camp's Pork n Beans Manwich Andy Capps Hot Fries BBQ potato chips cheap bologna "Gushers" fruit snacks with a liquid center jello jigglers shelf-stable tapioca pudding instant quaker oatmeal with a gimmick -- weird fruit sludge to swirl in, or dinosaur eggs... and I, too, agree with spaghetti-o's

I'm looking for art project ideas/art techniques that are simple enough for upper elementary/middle school students, yet have a real "wow, a child made that?" quality when finished. What have you tried that really impressed you?

This article is pretty concerning... http://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article99309872.html

I'm new to teaching, don't feel like I really belong here in the Lounge... We started homeschooling in mid-June and got about 5 weeks in before the new baby was imminent. Now he's 3 weeks old and we are starting school again. The past couple days have mostly been review... and my kids have done pretty well with retaining what they've learned, but the work is taking them f.o.r.e.v.e.r. to finish (motivation issues). Yesterday they weren't done until close to dinnertime, which is crazy. I had been getting up extra early with them to get much of it done before the toddler woke up, but now we are starting school at 9am while juggling a toddler and a newborn at the same time. Lunch: various people ate hot dogs, chicken nuggets, leftover BBQ pork, along with carrots. Meals are all about convenience right now!

So you want games that work well for two 12yo players, but also more than two? Story Cubes Love Letter Carcassonne Forbidden Island Smash Up (not so short) King of Tokyo (not so short, my boys like Smash Up better)

Roaming daily through the woods and tall grass without a care about poison ivy, lyme disease or the occasional squatter Riding bicycles barefoot Fireworks stupidity (lighting them in the hand, bottle rocket wars etc) Swisher Sweets Crisco (especially frosting) Teflon pans The weird sandwich staple I grew up on was salami and grape jelly on wonder bread.

I was the designated mom to provide snacks to cub scouts one week (my son must have been a wolf scout that year). I also had the activity, which was "keeping earth healthy" or something, so I wanted to tie in recycling with the snack. I provided cups of natural applesauce, spoons, boxes of raisins, juice boxes. The kids were supposed to separate their trash and put it in designated bags (foil, plastic, paper etc). Needless to say that it was a total disaster. Raisins being thrown around, applesauce either untouched or smeared everywhere, kids complaining etc. Most of the trash couldn't be separated because the food wasn't eaten. I think my kids were the only ones who sat there and ate all of the snack, and they were happy to have it. The scout leader was a really sweet lady, and I'll never forget her earnestly exclaiming to me after it was over, "Your boys eat fruit?! That's so great!!!" And that's when I knew that you're expected (by kids AND parents) to provide pure junk food at these things... the kids won't settle for less. You can bring grapes, bananas, apples... it will either sit there untouched or become part of a food war...

Thank you all. The support is wonderful. For the last baby, I had the same help. We had an uncomplicated delivery, but it was soon followed by another hospitalization, doctors appts nearly every day, baby tied to a bili blanket at home and me pumping every spare moment... I was a wreck. The extra help then was absolutely necessary, even though they still drove me crazy. I can't imagine going through that as immediate family, alone. The experience was traumatic and made me paranoid about the next baby, so I asked them to come again. He may end up with problems, too, but it won't be a crisis situation like his brother's. The relatives who stay with us for weeks take care of babysitting, meals, shopping and chores for the most part. The other visitors who come don't really help at all, except entertaining kids for a little while and "holding the baby so you can get things done" (not wanted/helpful!) - so more stressful but for a much shorter period of time, plus they usually stay at a hotel. But, yeah, I had to laugh at "invisible baby". That is exactly how I feel, even with the kids. Thank goodness for Dh, the only person in this house who actually listens to me. I ask or delegate or whatever, and everyone does what they want or what they think I said not 5 min ago. I am like the wha-wha of the Charlie Brown trumpet adult.

I had a new baby 2 weeks ago, so this is partly postpartum hormones talking. Extended family has been staying with us to help. Just like last time, it only seems to lead to fights and bad feelings. They do what they perceive as help, and much of it objectively keeps the household running... but it isn't help to me. I feel invisible, like I have no control and no say over what happens here. I dread the big "mess" to deal with once they leave (mostly kids' behavior from weeks of "anything goes"). Relatives don't understand what they could be doing wrong; at the same time they wonder why the kids are out of control. They think I am impossible to please, but if they would just ask me... and then listen to me and respect my answers, I would feel so much better. Right now I just want to shut down, stop trying to explain my POV and hide away in a secluded place. My stress level is crazy right now for so many reasons. I don't think it is pp depression even though I have found myself in tears often. Anyone dealing with all the new worries on our shoulders since this baby was born would probably be breaking down sometimes, too. The current group is leaving tomorrow, with no one else scheduled to come for a couple more weeks. I feel guilty to be looking forward to their departure and a window of our-family-only time, even though it's going to be really hard getting by from day to day. I know that our visitors can sense that they've outworn their welcome; everyone feels bad! If we have another baby, I am going to be so tempted to ban visitors for the first month, because I don't want to go through this again. Keeping up with laundry and dishes and meals isn't worth all this resentment. At the same time I am so sad that I am unable to let things slide and just be grateful for all their efforts that are done out of love, even if they aren't done up to my standards. All of our relatives live far away and we won't see any of them again for several months... another reason to be savoring this time. I wish I had a better ability to stop the negative emotions from taking over. Letting oneself be helped is supposed to be a lesson in humility, but I am not learning it well.

We have a Big Berkey that has filtered well water full of contaminants, including iron. It comes out clear with no taste or odor. Dirtier water just means replacing the filters a little more often than usual, that's all.

I avoid fluoride myself, but not necessarily for the rest of the family. In using natural family planning over the years, I've found my basal temps and menstrual patterns indicate some low level of thyroid function (maybe not full-blown hypothyroidism, but not normal). I use fluoride-free toothpaste when I can, drink highly filtered water, etc. I don't like getting into fights with the dentist (need all my energy for fights with pediatricians and other doctors, TYVM), so I let him give me a fluoride treatment when I'm not pregnant. I used to regularly drink tea, but not after I read about the high concentration of fluoride in tea leaves. I don't have a strong belief that fluoride caused whatever thyroid issue I have, but fluoride/iodine/thyroid don't play well together. FWIW, my symptoms gradually improved; it was the worst in 2005 I think. I'm also the only one in our family with no cavities in the past 10+ years, go figure. I got quite a few in my youth (while receiving regular dental care, "normal" fluoride exposure).

Moving during orthodontic treatmentI wouldn't recommend this, unless you enjoy pain! My advice is to stay perfectly still.