I am perfectly happy I had my first at 34. I suspect I would be perfectly happy if I had my first at 24, or any other age for that matter. I think it's natural and healthy to accept (and embrace) parenthood whenever we are blessed with it. I do appreciate the fact that we were financially stable when we began our family and have been able to offer experiences and tangibles to our children that I feel have enriched their lives. I am, and always have been a very active person/parent. I still ride coasters with my two thrill ride kids, I still play Legos on the floor with my youngest. Being over 40 has not precluded me from doing anything with my kids that I would have done with them while I was younger. I love being a mother, period. And I strive to be the best mother possible each and every day (at every age :001_smile:)

We have both Papo and Schleich figures, and they both work well with the EDIX set. The Papo knights run 3.25-3.5 inches and the Schleichs stand 3.5 to 4 inches according to this page (scroll down to knight dimensions).

We went with the classical pronunciation.

A few years ago I went on a hunt for a castle set for my son. After lots and lots of browsing, I found the EDIX castle building system and fell in love with it :001_smile: This can be configured (and reconfigured) any way your child likes, and, you can continuosly add to it until you have an entire medieval village. My son got it for Christmas that year, played with it over and over, and, it still gets brought out from time to time now. This has been one of his (and mine for that matter) favorite toys ever. Great quality, also.

Thames & Kosmos Physics Kit is well done (like all their products, imo) and makes a good supplement for a Physics program. Also, FischerTechnic, as someone else mentioned, has some amazing sets. The Janice VanCleeve science books are wonderful, although we haven't used the physics one yet.

I'm glad to hear it's improving. As far as shampoo goes, I've been trying to buy and use only sulfate-free and paraben-free shampoos. Jean: As far as specific brands---I like L'Oreal EverPure line, Jason's natural shampoo line, and Aveda Rosemary Mint. All of those are sulfate and paraben-free. I've noticed Target is starting to carry a larger selection of sulfate and paraben-free shampoos, and some of them are very reasonably priced.

Aveda has a line of color with low ammonia, low bleach, low odor. I have my hair higlighted with Aveda color at my salon, but I haven't purchased it to highlight at home

I prefer a brouhaha. And, dh prefers a brew, haha! (just being silly...dh doesn't even like beer :D)

You and me both, Wabi Sabi ;) While there is not a lot of swearing going on at my home, my older kids (and I) do use many of the "substitutes" mentioned here. In other words it's not uncommon for flippin'( especially from me), freakin', or frickin to be flyin' around here. My teen has also referred to her brother as dumba$$ on occasion (and vice versa) :glare: No, it's not encouraged, but, honestly, I don't make an issue of it because it simply isn't one to me. My kids do respect and love their parents and each other, it's just our family dynamic. They have also been taught (from a very young age) to always be respectful in public, and, that, in addition to their actions, it may also mean to use more polite language. And they do.

:iagree:

:001_smile: I was posting this at the same time. I have this and it is very well done. I actually bought it at a homeschool convention several years ago, and it was more money than the price Keepsake has it for.

I have this United States fabric panel. You could easily turn it into a wall quilt by adding a border. I am a quilter, also, and my favorite technique is applique, however, I probably wouldn't attempt the project you mentioned.

My heart goes out to you and your family, Katie. I'm so very sorry for your loss.

I agree. There are a myriad of VALID reasons (and some may not be apparent) why someone might refuse to switch seats on a flight. There is no reason to assume someone is heartless, rude, or inconsiderate because they are not willing to give up his/her seat.

I'm wrapping up my 11th year. I feel a bit sad about how quickly it has all flown by...

I finally finished Fall of Giants by Ken Follett. I have been reading/thumbing through various London/UK travel books the last few weeks, so my regular reading has taken a back seat. I was pleasantly surprised by this book;I know some WTMers weren't crazy about Fall of Giants because it lacked the epic feel of Follett's Pillars of the Earth and World Without End, but I really enjoyed the WWl history, dimensional characters, and interesting storyline. I thought Follett did a good job of showing the tension present in Europe prior to and during WWl. And, I like how he provided the background to explain the start of the conflict. I felt his history and historical characters' portrayals were spot-on. In fact, if it weren't for some "R-rated" scenes throughout the book, I think Fall of Giants would have been a good read for my teen as a supplement to her AP European History class she took this past year. I'm looking forward to reading the second book in this trilogy.

:D That feature wasn't available in a 1963 Ford Tempest {said in my best Mona Lisa Vito voice}

Yes. My stainless looks so much better now that I've been using microfiber. In fact, I keep a microfiber cloth in the drawer next to my refrigerator to "dry clean" the stainless in between cleanings. It helps keep it manageable.

Yes. Holley makes many high-performance parts---intake manifolds, fuel-injection systems, etc., in addition to their famous carburetors!

I'm very sorry :grouphug:

Truly sickening.

Sorry you're going through this. I agree with trying some chamomile tea---you should be able to find some at your grocery store. Feel better soon!

Many prayers :grouphug:

I'm so happy to read this! Have an amazing trip!

Along with our suffocatingly hot weather, we, too, are dealing with fires here. The smoke has been overwhelming. And, like you, I've been dealing with a migraine. The smoke has definitely ramped up my pain. It has been unbearable outside for me the last few days. I'd gladly take a blast (or more) of cold air...