browneyedgirl

I desperately need suggestions for my three picky eaters, ages 5, 7, and 10. We moved recently and I went from being a way too busy to cook working mom to a stay at home mom ready to cook every night, but my kids are seriously stuck in a rut. I've tried simple recipes with chicken, beef and pork (no way will they even look at fish), and supposedly "kid-friendly" sides with no real success. They'll try new foods without a fuss, but if it's not an instant hit they won't eat more than a bite. And we can't have a casserole of any kind.... all foods must be separate and easily identified. If they had their way we'd have frozen pizza, chicken nuggets and mac & cheese, or spaghetti every night. Any suggestions??

Bear with me, this will take some explanation.

The conservative Christians are saying that homosexuals should not be allowed to marry because God doesn't approve of homosexuality. Does God approve of people who don't believe in Him? Heterosexual atheists marry in civil ceremonies every day. Why can't homosexuals be offered the same choice??

I think it's time for an official poll.

For the record, I love them both. Yeah, I'm a suck-up.

... your husband / wife / boyfriend / girlfriend / lover / significant other does that really gets on your nerves??

My sweet hubby ~ dirty socks on the living room floor. I left them once to see how long it would take for him to pick them up. Two weeks later I put them in the hamper.

Settle an argument for me. We are preparing to move from Texas to Kansas. We have three kids (ages 5, 7, and 10) and two sweet kitties. It's about an 8 hour drive, and my husband and I will be driving separately. I will be in the family minivan (shut up, it's practical) with the kids and the cats. The cats will, of course, be in their carriers, and I want to sedate them because I don't want to listen to them "mmeeeaaoorrr" all the way to Kansas. My husband is violently opposed because several years ago his family's dog died after being sedated for a teeth-cleaning. Our cats are young (2 and 4) and very healthy, and their dog was healthy but not young (she was 8 or 9). He won't even let me call the vet about it, he's that dead-set against it. Anyone have experience with this? Any other suggestions?

"We are spiritual beings having a human experience."

I don't believe you have to be "religious" to be "spiritual", and I'm curious to know what people of various beliefs think about this statement.

And be nice.

...what can I get you from the bar??

Sorry, that song is stuck in my head for some reason.

Hey Mr. DJ...

My husband is being relocated out of state, and our kids are excited about going but also very upset about moving away from their friends. We're moving from Texas to Kansas, so it's pretty far from "home", and visits back will be few and far between. Any suggestions on how to help them keep in touch with their old friends and still help them make new ones?

Some ideas I've thought of:

We're starting an address book to get addresses, phone numbers, and email adresses. I think they'll enjoy the idea of having pen-pals.

Also, two of my kids have birthdays in September. I thought we could make their birthday parties "get-to-know-you" parties with their new classmates.

I'd love to hear success stories as well...

We're about to relocate to another state because my husband got a promotion. YAY!! Since we're moving quickly and it isn't a necessity right away, I will become (for the first time) a stay-at-home mom. All my kids will be in school (K, 2nd & 5th) and I am petrified that I will get lazy and bored ~ that's one of the reasons I've always worked. My husband works for a fitness center so I'll probably work out more frequently, but I'd also like some ideas on how to keep to a good system for "household management". Any pointers??

Just curious...

There's another "browneyedgirl" on Answers! I certainly didn't expect to be the only female with brown eyes here, but geez... feels like the time I went to prom and saw this girl I didn't like wearing the same dress as me. Should I change my name or hire a hit on my imposter??

My husband and I are taking a mini-vacation to Chicago this weekend. What are some good places to eat out that aren't outrageously expensive? We'd prefer something that you can only find in Chicago ~ we live in Dallas, so we've got most of the franchise chains and we'd like to find something more original.

This will sound like a joke, but it's not. My cat poops in our bathtub. Every day. On the very same spot in the tub. EVERY DAY. We're religious about cleaning her box, and it doesn't seem to be a response to anything else. We have another cat (also female), and they get along well and play together a lot. We keep the door closed most of the time, but it's the kids' bathroom and they don't always remember. My husband is literally ready to beat her into submission, but I don't really feel like that works. Any suggestions?

Is there a show or movie that you secretly watch when they're not around?

I hate every one of the many varieties of Power Rangers. My kids LOVE them ~ everyone gets to be a Ranger. Maybe I'm just bitter because my daughter won't let me be the pink one.

I do watch Kim Possible and Dave the Barbarian even when they aren't around.

This is really a rhetorical question, but I have to vent somewhere! Last night, my two sons and one daughter were having a "slumber party" ~ which just means they all sleep in the same room ~ and every time my daughter got settled, one of my sons would decide to move. I'm not kidding! She got comfy on the floor, and he decided he wanted to be there but he didn't want her beside him. So she moved to the bed. And he said "I don't want her in my bed" so she moved back to the floor... which of course started the whole "I don't want her beside me" thing again. So here's my question: Are my children *trying* to make me crazy, or is it just a bonus for them to see me fly off the edge??

This is a long story, but I'll try to make it short. My dad had surgery about a week ago, and didn't tell me until a few days after it happened. I talked to my brother and sister that same day, and they didn't know about it either. It wasn't anything serious, but Daddy is not so young anymore ~ even non-serious medical problems can turn into something more serious. Here's our problem: when our mom was alive, she was the one who kept us informed about everything. Daddy's sweet, but he's forgetful and not the greatest communicator on the planet. I talked to him 3 days before the surgery and he didn't say anything about it! Should we be upset that our step-mom didn't take up the responsibility of keeping us informed? Keep in mind, she told her sons about the surgery but said nothing to the 3 of us. I'm just afraid that something terrible could happen to my dad and I wouldn't find out for a week. Any thoughts or suggestions?

I can't seem to stay on task today, and the 4 Diet Cokes don't seem to be doing the trick. Any suggestions to make me feel like working? Other than the possibility that I could be fired.... 'cause I already know that and it hasn't motivated me yet!

My kids spent the weekend at my in-laws' house. YAY!! Wait, that's not the question. :-)

When my husband picked them up on Sunday they were eating dinner. One of our sons didn't have much of an appetite and asked to be excused before he finished. My husband told him to take two more bites, then he could go. Our meal-time rule is to try everything on the plate, but you don't have to "clean" the plate (studies show forcing kids to eat can lead to eating disorders and obesity). My mother-in-law launched into a lecture about wasting food and how hard Grandpa works, blah blah blah. She told my husband the kids would have to "learn the rules at Nana's house" ~ basically saying (in front of our son) there's something wrong with our rules. Now, I don't mind if they bend rules regarding TV time and bedtime at Nana's, and they are actually a little more strict than we are on some things, but this is different to me. Any thoughts?

Help me settle a disagreement. The other night, my 7-year-old was pulling dollar bills out of his pocket and putting them in his piggy bank. When I asked him where the money came from he said his friends each gave him a dollar to watch him play his GameBoy. He charged his friends to WATCH HIM play his GameBoy! I was stunned! I told him when he's a professional athlete he can make people pay to watch him play, but until then it's not acceptable.

When I told my husband about this ~ hoping he would reinforce what I said ~ he started praising our son for finding a new way to make money! I mean, yes, it's creative, but isn't it just wrong? Should I make him give the money back?