anon

Which do you most consider to be "Real Homeschooling?"

___ Any schooling regularly done by the children outside of a institutional (public or private) setting. Includes state or district sponored (paid for) online school options and homebound programs. (Most regulation--often have a teacher overseeing. Often have firm deadlines for assignments. Must follow state standards of learning. Hard to change curriculum--may be set by school or state)

___ Schooling done at home, but not anything sponsored (paid for by) the state or district. Includes correspondence schools, so long as the family is paying privately or through scholarship. (Regulation with freedom--advisor overseeing, may or may not have time limits to complete work. Changes in curriculum may have to be approved.)

___ Independent homeschooling. Anything where other than notifying the school district that the child is not enrolled in institutional school and showing proof of progress if the state requires, the parents and/or child choose the curriculum and learning goals and activities. (Most freedom, very little regulation, can change curriculum as needed.)

I'm the meat-eating wife of a (recently) vegan (for "health" purposes) husband. I don't want to have to cook separate meals, but I will not be going vegan or vegetarian (allergies to a lot of meat-substitutes and prone to anemia--I had to quit vegetarianism because it made me quite ill. plus, the children have been raised as omnis, also.

Trying to find good modular recipe ideas is difficult because most of what comes up is "I refuse to cook my husband meat" or "I refuse to have meat in the house!" Obviously, I have absolutely no problem with meat. Modular recipes are those where I can make a vegan base, but then we each add our own separate protein--so basically, I am making one meal. I work full time, get home at 6ish and want dinner eaten no later than 7:30. I do not have the time or inclination to make 2-3 separate meals every night. Any ideas of things to serve? Recipes or links to recipes appreciated.

That, in retrospect was a waste of money and space?

And, also, what was the one item people told you was a waste of money that you got anyways and was the best purchase you made for the baby?

For me: Worst: Tie between the diaper genie and the wipes warmer. Never could get the DG to work right and all the warmer did was dry out the wipes. Quit using them both by the time my first was 2 weeks old.

Best: The Ergo baby carrier. It was only $150 and we have gotten so much use out of it. I only wish I'd bought it before baby #3 (and last baby). But, as it is rated to 45 pounds and my kids grow slowly, I can see getting more years of use out of it.

If you found out that your spouse had been hiding the family's real financial situation and instead of no (consumer) debt and a savings account balance of over $10K, there was practically no savings account balance and a debt of over $10K. The whole thing was due to not tracking spending carefully and living outside your means so that the spouse had been using the savings account and credit cards to cover the shortfall each month for a couple years. Nothing extravagant or illegal. No affairs or supporting another family. No gambling habit. Just lack of communication.

My 9 year old got sent home with a note because she had "disrespected" her teacher. I know that she has very rigid thinking and probably got "locked in" to something the teacher said that did not jive with what my daughter "knew" to be the "truth". However--instead of showing me or her dad the note, she signed my name to it. I need to come up with an appropriate consequence, other than spanking, because I don't do that or taking away her birthday party Saturday after next because I've already paid for it and the invites have gone out. Any ideas?

Grounding plain and simple does not work.

What made you decide to start eating meat again? Did it improve your health or did you go back to vegetarianism? Did you take the lessons on being veg and apply them: healthy, whole foods, etc...? Do you still eat primariily veg with just a bit of meat (a big steak dinner on occasion is okay)?

Personally, I've gone to more a "traditional foods" diet--concentrating on vegetables, fruits, very occasional grains, beans, and meats--I haven't gotten into liver or tripe, but do make bone broths for extra nutrition.

If you are dating someone and are considering breaking it off, would you do it before or after Valentine's Day and why?

(Assuming you do not have a "replacement" waiting in the wing--i.e., you are leaving your boy/girlfriend for this other person. If you do, you might break up before so you can spend it with your new squeeze.)

I'm 99.99% certain that my skin symptoms are a variant of celiac (the DH). However, I'm in the Army and am uncertain whether or not I should just go gluten-free or if I should get a formal diagnosis. If I get a diagnosis, then I run the chance I'd be kicked from the Army, which can't happen.

Someone I know got married (traditional) in early 2000. By late 2000, early 2001, they filed for a summary judgment divorce. After filing, they reconciled and have never seen any paperwork regarding any divorce. They have moved to states that recognize common-law marriage and have held themselves out as married--and have had several children since then, and file taxes married/joint. They use their original date of marriage as their anniversary date.

I'm active duty army myself (10 years in). He used to be in and is considering re-entering. We have 3 children--8, 6, and an infant.

My friend, Sue, is about 7 months pregnant (not me--I have a 4 month old baby, myself!!!) and is single. Her ex-boyfriend, Mike, dumped her for another woman, Mary, right after finding out she was pregnant. Actually, he'd started dating Mary before he actually broke up with Sue and before Sue was or at least knew about her pregnancy, but that is neither here nor there. The issue is that Mary's friends want to throw a baby shower for Mary. Remember, Mary is not pregnant. They are celebrating Mary's boyfriend's baby and wanting to get Mary and Mike stuff for the baby. They are also going around saying that they are going to try to go for as much custody as possible. As Sue's friend, I'm a bit offended.

You and your husband have made a lot of money in your lives. Now, your child is getting married. Would you insist on them having some kind of prenup to protect your child from someone taking advantage, such as was only marrying her for daddy's money?

Out of idle curiosity, say the guy or girl you were crushing on was involved with someone. What song or songs do you think would capture your feelings about the subject?

For me-- "Don'cha" (Pussycat Dolls); "Girlfriend" (Avril Lavinge); and "You belong with me" (Taylor Swift)

Ok, I have not been in contact with my dad since last summer and now I'm weeks away from having my third baby. How can I let him know without giving him a heart attack?

(BTW--I'm in my 30's, married-and yes, my husband *is* the father, and have a good, secure job.)

Who do you think gets over the end of a relationship, not by mutual consent, more quickly and why? The person who does the dumping or the person who gets dumped?

Also, who believes that relationships end by mutual consent? Even if both realize that it is not working, someone has to initiate the break-up.

I hear a lot of breastfeeding or "planning to breastfeed" moms talk about taking bottles with them when they go out with their babies. Whether the bottles contain formula or mommy-milk is irrelevant. My question is--isn't that harder than just breastfeeding the baby wherever? I don't like my babies to get bottles unless I'm nowhere in the vicinity, and if they do, I still have to pump the "missed feeding" to restock my stash so babe has enough for when I'm at work.

Of course, I've always been pretty non-chalant about breastfeeding my kids--just treat it as if it is the normal part of everyday life that it is-- and figure if it is okay to give a bottle or eat, nursing is fine. I just "dress for the occasion" (and I do love my slings--more because I can use my hands, too) and if someone has a problem with it, they can take a hike.

If you take bottles when you go out--why? Do you "judge" moms who don't (keep in mind that some babies aren't going to accept a bottle if the tap is right there)?

How many people had someone say something about throwing them a baby shower when they first found out you were pregnant, but then they never followed through? Do you keep thinking maybe it'll be a surprise, but then also start not expecting one or plan it yourself--which, according to some people is a big no-no. And my thought on that reasoning is: if it is "wrong" to throw your own baby shower, then it is just as "wrong" to throw your own birthday party.

How many people did not get a baby shower for their first, then when the second baby comes along, get 'you only get showered for your first baby?'. So you never got a shower at all.

I need to go ahead and start making purchases for at least the "big" items for my baby. I live over 1500 miles from my family because I'm in the military.

-We got rid of all our baby stuff after our last child was born.

-We intended him to be our final child, but we got a big surprise.

-In fact, I'd just donated the last of our baby stuff to charity (it had been in storage while I was stationed overseas) as we have no place to store it just in case.

This is baby number 3, so, according to proper etiquette, I don't get a shower for her. I did get a "diaper sprinkle" for my second and no shower for my third. Family bought us everything though. I don't expect anyone to help me with outfitting this baby and am watching sales and such for the basics.

Would it be okay to plan to throw my own shower/mother-baby blessing if no one offers by the time I'm 32 weeks along or just wait until the baby is born and set aside a bit of time to have a welcome-baby open house for friends to stop by?

My daughter has a party she was invited to. It is at the birthday child's house, but I just realized that it is tomorrow and we had not RSVPed. Thought my husband had done it. He thought I did. Should she attend anyhow?

Also, the weather has been really bad lately--schools closed and all that. Maybe I should call to make sure it was not rescheduled, or would that be rude?

You "broke up" with your girlfriend, but were not clear about it and continued to "string her along"--sleeping with her and such (as just friends) for a couple months after you broke up with her. You meet another woman and when she (the new girlfriend) says she's pregnant, your ex (who had no idea that you guys had been broken up for a month or so--because you'd been so vague when you had "the talk" and that life for her had not changed any--she finds out by catching you with your "new girlfriend") says she is pregnant too. Of course, you think your ex is lying about being pregnant at all and is just being a drama queen.

Fast forward about a year. You run into your ex. She has in her arms a child that would be the "right age" to have been conceived during the time you were sleeping with her. And the baby is a miniature replica of you.

What would your reaction be?