The Land of the Free & the Home of the Brave (expats)... All Those in the US!

[UnderRated]

I just finished the old thread by accident

I need to read that. I think I will put it on my list. I think I tried to read it once but got stuck. I really should be able to manage it, shouldn't I?

Cali, I need help with a Lego Order

It's not a hard read, SB. The series is really considered a children's series but is so good adults can get into it. Are you sure it wasn't the Rose Wilder Lane book you read? (She was the daughter of Laura and Almanzo). That was more hard going.

Maybe, I don't know Will order from the library. I think it will be a good contrast to the Jeremy Paxman book I am reading atm.

I meant to comment on that too. What a dark horse you are, Anorak!

anorak! Tell us more about this former career

I share your feelings as to not being the most natural of mothers. I tell ds1 we are going to have a "Mommy and ds1 Adventure Day" when we are going out like that and we do always have fun. He also seems calmer when it's just the two of us. I think being with the whole family at restaurants and things kind of hypes him up.

I need some advice on the US healthcare system please, in particular what should I expect to happen in a children's annual health check.

And as a side issue, will dd's school really not let her start without one? Because I'm having trouble finding a paediatrician with an available appointment before 10 September (I have spoken to the school, they are getting the nurse to get back to me).

And also, it makes me feel crappy when the doctor's receptionist asks when their last checkups were and I have to say 'um, well never actually'.

Bunkups, good luck with your move. I really sympathise having just done it, the list of things to do is overwhelming isn't it?

AT DS's check-ups, he strips off, they check height, weight, watch him run around and ask him questions (like which is the orange square? Can you draw a circle?) then give him shots if he needs them.

Public schools are strict about vaccinations so you will need a record of who has had what and when. I don't know about the physical exam though.

Anorak, how does one become a Mastermind question setter?

Schools could care less about the exam, it is all about the vaccinations here. I know that at least here, the deadline for proof of vaccination is a month or so after school starts before they exclude them.

SB, I posted last night, but then the site went down and ate it. Not offended at all. Can't believe we both forgot the fanny pack as part of the American tourist uniform, though.

I found DH's old LHOTP books. He had 3. On the inside cover of one of them he had written "I am the coolest". It was great to get an insight to his mindset when he was 8 or so. He wants me to give up the book, but I won't.

We had the same problem and got our kids in without the medical, but we had to have it for camp. The school needs to know that the children have had their vacs. If they haven't had all of them (our two hadn't had Hep B) then that's OK so long as you say you are getting them done. Just take a copy of the vac sheet with you. Note that most Americans don't understand the Red Book, but you can get your old GP to print out the vaccination sheet if you ask nicely.

The check up is really a bit of a waste of time, so don't worry about not having one before. It's just a crazy American thing. We hadn't been to the doctors for about two years before ours. Just say that they don't do them in England.

Thank you! That's good to hear. They are up to date with their UK vaccinations, but they need some additional ones no doubt.

Dd is a bit of a wuss about going to the doctor but she should be okay to draw a circle and run around naked. Almost her two favourite occupations!

Ooer, what have I started?

What do you want to know? I used to write questions for 21st Century Quiz who supply most of the TV quiz shows. Mostly I used to write the specialist rounds for Mastermind. But I had to stop when I came to live in Bermuda because it would take too long for reference material to arrive, I would never meet my deadlines.

You get to be a setter by approaching the company and offering your services, they then get you to write a sample set to their specifications, and if they think it's good enough they give you some low-paid work to start with and use it to train you up.

I still write questions now but not for MM any more. I just do a few for the Quiz League of London now.

I fear I have forgotten a lot of it!

But most setters set questions on subjects they like, so you end up reading books/watching TV shows etc that you might have wanted to see anyway. Only difference being that you sometimes have to cram 10 novels into a couple of weeks instead of reading when you want to.

I need to catch up with the FOOC thread. It needs a serious time commitment, that one.

LOL @ I am the coolest written inside LHOTP

Anorak, what a brilliant job. What was your main subject?

FOOC is a lovely thread but very busy and posts are long. I can't keep up. If I don't pop in every evening, I get lost and miss.

I used to do mainly rock music but also pop. I did quite a few 'novels of' people and a couple of TV shows.

Used to love reading through music biographies though. Lying on the sofa reading saying to the kids 'leave me alone, I'm working'

I want that job

Since when did Marmite come in a squeezy jar?

I need to pick Cali's brains again. Sorry. Where did you get your cupcake carrying thingy from? I need one but they don't have any in Target. Do I have to trek to JoAnns or make BF take me to Hobby Lobby?

I just found it, I think

This cake making is getting expensive!

alarkaspree I don't know about all States but here in CO you are allowed to sign a exemption for vaccinations on personal grounds - ie just moved over. I did this and it was truly acceptable. The CDC has a website which lists by age all recommneded vaccinations. We (me included) had to be all up-to-date for our Green Card. So I had to have another four shots aged 42 . And as for ds2 don't even go there. So best to sign the waiver than stress to be honest. Having had a trip to the ER for myself last week, I have to say I'm finding the Health System here just fine and NO I wasn't asked to pay up front either, but I do have Health Insurance.

SuperBunny - last I looked the Supermarkets had great silicon Cupcake trays.

Oh, a supermarket. I didn't think of looking there. Thanks Ali

Why did you go to the ER? Are you ok?

If you want the job SuperBun you could go for it. But it's not as easy as people think!

And the pay is crap. But I did like doing it - it was interesting.