Hey Mike! I've been insanely busy but still here. I'm working on 2 graduate programs and raising kids while also working and volunteering. Plus I've been traveling. I've had very little time for KG because of this, but I'm hoping I'll have more time in the future. I know the demand for calendars and planners is high. There are blank ones that can be used any year, and I'm begging the universe for some fee time, so I can work on ones specifically for 2013. You have no idea how much I appreciate your comment. It's nice to know my site is appreciated. Thanks! I'll try to update everyone when new planners/calendars are ready.

It is not uncommon to want to escape the things in life that overwhelm us, and as much as we love our families, managing families and nurturing relationships is exhausting (worth the effort but exhausting), and because of this, it can be overwhelming and lead us to a desire to escape. You are not alone in this. I wish I could give you a step-by-step guide for your unique situation, but because every situation is unique and so much information needs to be processed to understand every person's unique situation, the best advice I can give is to recommend finding a counselor that matches your needs. Sometimes you have to try out several counselors to find one that works for you. Don't give up! It gets better, and you can eventually use this experience to make you stronger and even to help others. All these pass, and this too will eventually become a part of your history rather than your present. It gets better.

If they have the same units, then a standard calculator will do the trick. :-)

Awesome! So happy for you!

There's no greater award than making yourself proud by doing something that you once thought was impossible. Keep it up! You inspire me!

Colic is exhausting! And the tantrum stage is SOOOOO frustrating! You absolutely have every right to feel this way. It sounds as if you are doing a very good job of raising your child. You are trying your best to be the parent you want to be. That is the best kind of parent!

There are no perfect parents and most of us can and do get pushed to our limits until we snap. I'm certainly guilty of this myself. I have had quite a few outbursts that I'm not proud of. We mostly laugh about them now, but I still feel guilty and apologize for them.

I've learned that we need to forgive ourselves for those, but at the same time, we must continue to be aware of our feelings and needs and to ask for help or change things when we start to reach our limits. It is not an easy process. I repeat, it is not an easy process! It's going to be difficult. You will slip up. You will be exhausted. You will cry. You will yell. You will have guilt. You will have moments when you feel like a failure. But that is the nature of parenting. It's an emotional adventure filled with triumphs, obstacles, dramatic breakdowns, and joy-filled moments of glory.

I think the best thing we can do as parents is to forgive ourselves for not living up to our own expectations. It's easier said than done, but it gets easier with practice. It is not the destination of perfection that makes you a good parent. It's the journey to improvement. As long as you're growing as a person and as a parent on this adventure, then you are succeeding.

Yes! So happy you said that! You are absolutely right!

It's not simple, but so many people think that it is. There are so many different factors that contribute to emotions, behaviors, thoughts, and relationship dynamics. When I first wrote this article, I was writing it for several of my male friends who had very specific situations, which I was addressing in this article (e.g. hormonal fluctuations, worrying about keeping everyone happy, etc.). It was astonishing to me how many people were drawn to the article and how many of them thought that I was trying to explain ALL female behavior with this very limited approach. Certainly, such a comprehensive explanation could not exist in such a small article. After all, there are people who get their PhDs in women's studies, and I'm positive that those individuals are reading, writing, and studying far more than a tiny article like this.

Because of your comment, I'm going to put this article on my "to update" list because I think this point (i.e. there's far more to it than this) needs to be clarified.

Thank you so much,
Kristen Brooke Beck

I created it. I couldn't find one that did what I wanted it to do, so I decided to code one myself. Still trying to add improvements and working on compiling a reference list of sources for the calculations.

I fixed the waist to height ratio on the calculator for you. Sorry it took so long. I've got a very lengthy to-do list. :-) Thanks for telling me about the problem.

http://www.kristensguide.com/Travel/Oregon/portla...

You can tell Adobe Reader or your printer to scale down the document to fit a 5.5 x 8.5 piece of paper, or any other size. I haven't tried that size, so I don't know what it would look like but it's worth giving it a try. :-)