I've got two that age and this summer we've had good luck with: Runaway Ralph by Beverly Clearly The Franny K. Stein books (The girls BEGGED me to read these and we all love them) The American Girls books The Magic Tree House books Otherwise we've been reading a lot of picture books still.

We don't watch much TV and when the girls get to watch a show they like to watch DVD's. The favorite right now is Horseland which might be on network TV too. Don't know. Also we love Looney Toons and Scooby Doo. When we're over at my grandmother's house we'll watch Ben 10 sometimes. Yeah, we like it too!

We tried Harry Potter but it was too much for the kids so we're switching to Runaway Ralph.

I'm mainly afterschooling but we read between 20-45 minutes a day. Usually the girls will read one of their HoP books to dad then I read them a chapter from our current read aloud and usually a picture book. This is our bedtime routine and I love it. If we're lucky enought to be in a position where I can be a SAHM and homeschool then we'll probably be reading a lot more because we're all big readers.

Whew! Deep breath! Okay, I'm not a big fan of TV for kids but after reading your post I think I would happily put on a Scooby Doo for the little ones and lay down on the couch for some quiet time. Maybe an hour nap will help your poor nerves. Or ... any new art supplies you've got hidden away that would keep them occupied for long enough for you to have nice lemonade and read a few chapters in your book?

I love books like this. Thanks for the suggestion ... I'm putting it on my library reserve list.

I love having spinach, bacon, avacado, and ranch dressing in a wrap. It's out of this world!

You guys sound like great cooks! These are a few dishes my family loves: Italian Beef Sandwiches Serves: 4 Ingredients: 2 cups water 2 cubes beef bullion 1 tsp Garlic Powder 2 lb Rump Roast 1 tsp salt 2 Jalapenos, sliced in half 1 ½ tsp dried oregano 1 tsp Chili Powder Directions: Put all ingredients into crock pot and cook on high for 6-8 hours. Remove from pot and let rest for 10 minutes. Shred meat and add back to juices. Serve on rolls or over mashed potatoes. Honey Soy Chicken Serves: 4 Ingredients: 1/3 cup honey ¼ c soy sauce 2 Tbsp ground ginger Garlic clove 1 Tbsp lemon juice 4 chicken thighs 1 cup cooked white rice Directions: Combine honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, lemon juice, and chicken into a plastic bag. Let marinate 2 to 6 hours. Pour into glass baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, turn chicken and bake another 20 minutes. Serve over rice. Chuck’s Mac and Cheese Serves: 6 Ingredients: 8 ounce elbow macaroni, cooked al dente ¼ c shredded Parmesan cheese 8 ounce Cheddar cheese, shredded Splash of milk 12 ounce cottage cheese Salt and pepper to taste 8 ounce sour cream Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden. I'm transitioning to once-a-month-shopping too. We have a big freezer so I buy milk and bread to freeze. The only things I'm finding that I can't buy only once a month are fresh veggies and fruit.

That is so cool! She will have such awesome memories of this time in her life. Sounds like she's got a lot of talent and everyone around her seems to realize this. I imagine she'll be doing great things for years to come. And boo to your extended family for ignoring her special day. Happy Birthday Blueridge's DD.

So last weekend we went camping and decided to make a cobbler dish in our new cast iron dutch oven. I guess I didn't time it right and it burnt in the pan. Today I'm trying to clean the pan and the food is seriously burnt in there. I don't want to let it soak because I'm concerned that the pan will rust. Gah. How do I get it clean? Right now I'm using water and steel wool. That is slow going though. Any advice?

I'm an engineer too and haven't used my three years of high school Spanish at all. I wish I had taken German instead because I love the culture and the language. I'm also very interested in WWII and wish I could speak German when I was touring Germany. If it interests your son then I'd let him take it. Everything we do doesn't have to be practical. (Believe me, it kills me to say that because I'm a very practical person.)

How sad. I remember the days of having a baby and with older kids I could see how this could happen. Terrible though. I can't imagine how that family must be suffering.

I just put it right in. Season it up with salt, pepper, sometimes Lawry's and that's all. I like to have shredded chicken frozen in the freezer so I'll do a few of these and stock my freezer.

I throw mine in the crockpot on low for about 8 hours after seasoning it. Works out great!

My MIL wants to get me a food processor as a gift. Any suggestions on brand or size? What do you love or hate about yours? I do a lot of cooking and enjoy it. This is something that I would probably use a lot for stuff like pie crusts, sauces, hummus, lots of things so I want to get one that is heavy duty. TIA!

Happy birthday ladies! In 24-hours I will be sitting right here in my cubicle thinking "yeah - 1 hour 45 minutes until the weekend"! Yes, my life really is that boring. Now in 26 hours I'll be on a date with my prince charming. The first date night in a looooong time.

Don't you just hate it when your so right but can't point it out.

Sorry. It sure is a bummer to lose a valuable piece of kitchen equipment! Kitchen stuff you love can be hard to find. LOL.

Oh my goodness. How barbaric!

Awesome links! Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. You've hit right on my problem. There's lots of books I'd love to read them but I don't want to frustrate them by continually picking books that they won't enjoy at this age. Sounds like I won't even try with Little Lord Fauntleroy right now.

Bunnicula is a light and fluffy easy reader. (Pun completely intended!) Should be an easy read for him. Probably a bit silly for you but he'll probably enjoy the "mystery".

Sounds great. Thanks for sharing your recipe.

I haven't thought about it for years but I remember reading and loving the Rescuers when I was little. Thanks for the suggestions.

I've got two almost reading girls (5 yo). We've read oodles of picture books but now I'm trying to pick chapter books out that they'll enjoy for our evening read aloud. Here's what I've done so far and the results: Box Car children - one loved it, one was okay with it Bunnicula - everyone enjoyed it Nancy Drew Clue Crew - both kids liked it, I hated it Magic Tree House - everyone enjoyed that I'm trying to decide what to do next. I'd like to do something with a bit more literary value like The Secret Garden or Indian in the Cupboard or Swiss Family Robinson but I wonder if that will be too much for my crowd. I got Little Lord Fauntleroy at the library but it looks like it would be a little too mature to hold the girls attention. Any suggestions?