Howdy All, I'm the mom to 6 kiddos from college to kinder and have been homeschooling since 2001. I've been hanging out on TWTM boards since then as well but every time they move the boards, I have to make a post in order to get on the swap boards :) My oldest just started college at Texas A&M, where my husband & I both graduated. The next 2 are public schooled now (11th grade & 8th grade) followed by 5th & 2nd grade homeschooled and my "baby" who is 5 but in an effort to not let him grow up too quickly won't actually start Kinder til next year. I'm Catholic and also work full time as a youth minister/religious ed coordinator for middle school youth at our parish. I love my faith; being a wife, parent, teacher and youth minister. I'm 42 and praying like crazy that God will bless me with at least one more pregnancy before the biological clock moves me onto the next phase. Blessings to all, Michelle 94txaggie

We butcher our our own as well...our 4H birds. Because we have to butcher around 75, we have set up an assebmly line. We suspend traffic cones hung upside down from the trees. Put the bird in with it's head haning out of the end, then slit it's throat and let the blood drain out. Since we have several cones hanging, we can really get a process going, doing several birds at a time. (We also skip the "plucking" by skinning them.) Then they get moved into the house where "mom & the girls" quarter them. Best thing we bought to help with all of this is one of those vacuum sealing machines!

For my 4th, 5th & 6th babies (all boys, so I had plenty of clothes)....my friends gave me a "Dinner & Diapers" shower. Guests brought dipes and frozen meals ( or signed up to bring a meal after the baby arrived.) I loved it and so did my husband. I also found that some guests would bring the suggested items as well as cute new outfits....you never know what guests will do. You could call it a "Bottoms & Books" shower!

I have the Pre-K and 2nd grade t.m. and didn't find that I needed either. We are going to start the cursive (3rd) grade and don't want to spend the money if I don't need to but not sure if it's needed for cursive instruction. Anybody else have experience with it? Does the student book have enough instruction in it to get by without the t.m.? Thanks!

I live in Boerne, about 30 minutes from N.B. and my stepdad is from N.B. For what it's worth, growing up, he only ever took us tubing on the Comal River. It's spring fed and doesn't typically have the issues with lack of rain that the Guadalupe is suffering from. Either way, here are two websites that my be helpful: http://www.rockinr.com/ - tubing company that floats the Guadalupe http://www.texastubes.com/ - tubing company that floats the Comal Definately agree about Schlitterbahn, lots of fun, can bring in your own ice chest of food/drinks.....we try to go at least 1x/year. Last year, we went on Labor Day weekend and I thought it was going to be really crowded...surprisingly it was not. Turned out to be a great day and the lines were minimal. I haven't been to NB Caverns in years but do remember it being fun same with Inner Space Caverns. HTH!

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6 "heaping" Tbsp for whole pot using a half-caf, dark roast....love the half caf to cut down on the jitters!

We've had great success with a product called Lavaggio Herbal Shampoo and Herbal Protection spray. These products are 95-99% botanical and the package says also works on flease, flies & ticks. A local herbalist orders it from one of her suppliers.My girls have brought them home at least 4 times from gymnastics and this knocks it out. Of course, we do still use the comb and everything gets washed and/or put in a hot dryer.

My 4 and 6 year old boys both love Magnetix. They say age 6 and up I think but my four year old will sit and play for an hour or more at a time(which is saying alot for him). I think there have been issues with young ones swallowing the magnets and causing serious problems so I always make them play at the table or living room where I can keep an eye on them (esp. since we have a 1 year old around.)

You should do it! It could be your "fourties thing"! I'm almost fourty and let my hair dresser convince me to put fire engine red extensions in my black hair. I completely love doing something out of my comfort zone!

I printed a large black stop sign on hot pink neon paper. Beneath the stop sign, it read "we can not play right now, please come back later." I laminated the whole sign to use over again. It got to the point that the neighborhood kids knew not to come to the door if they saw the neon sign.

I agree with this one. I had one "sunny side up" and didn't know it through labor. That birth was no worse/better than the others. Just relax...still plenty of time for things to change.:)

WOW! Your tattoo is beautiful! I don't have the courage to do one so big. I think my next will be a string of 5 stars around my outer ankle, one for each child.

I'd say you'd be in the chair for awhile with that one...Ouch!

Age range was mid 30 to upper 40. I just turned 37 and the least I'll wear is a tankini (2 pc with a longer top to cover the belly). After 5 babies, my tummy is too squishy to be revealed to the public. As soon as I know for sure I'm done having babies, my husband promised a tummy tuck! :lol: