Grace Livingston Hill. They are wonderful old books that are very uplifting. For something nice to read that makes me laugh out loud the Alexander McCall Smith Ladies' Detective Series fit the bill. I can't say when I have ever enjoyed a series of books as much as this one.

It was during a promotion, we had to buy it through the internet (not the store directly). It came out to about $1000 which seemed to be a significant savings over the regular price. The best part for us was that they delivered it for $75 which involved a day-long trip to get to us. Any other place would have charged a fortune to deliver to us in the middle of nowhere. I know that Costco has the Tempurpedic mattress toppers also. My parents got one of these for their king bed. The kids and I slept in their bed when we visited them on spring break and it was like heaven.

So glad you're back, we missed you!

I went out and bought "Gilead" today - can't wait to start reading it!

I wouldn't plan anything at all - but I would help dds clean their room top to bottom and remove all toys to a bin that they don't want their friend to touch or any messy things. It seems like dress up would be pretty safe if not mixed in with a ton of other stuff. Kids really have more fun with less. My kids' toys mysteriously disappear and they do not miss them (he he he).

Not by choice, it was when one of our cars died en route when we were moving to Oregon. We walked to certain things, a couple of miles with a stroller. Not too fun as it was extremely hot. Most things were too far to walk to. It was do-able for a few months until we got a new car. I actually felt pretty bad during that time because of the loss of the other car - just before its demise we had poured a ton of money into it, and it was (supposedly) our "better" car of the two we owned. If we had gone to one car by choice, I think my attitude would have been a lot different! Now we have moved to a rural area and I would not want to be out here without a car. I suppose we could walk into town but the terrain is too rough for a stroller.

But there are a few exceptions - books that are modern and I *love*. The Thirteenth Tale - Diane Setterfield Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden There are others but I can't recall right now. These two stand out.

It's kind of fun to let them run ahead to get the FastPass we need and then catch up with them. We have walkie talkies that work out very well. I guess now we have cell phones but last time we were at Disney we didn't have them. With the older kids we sort of constantly divide up and then meet up again. The walkies allow us to know where they are at all times. They don't even mind going on rides with the littles once in a while. We all have a blast.

My 2nd grade dd is using it (we backed up to Level 1, going through it quickly). She hates writing. The tiles work well because it's more of a game to her. I like it because she is so willing to do the program.

I'd like to get the other Little Pear books but they are not too easy to find.

I have a couple of cucumbers so I am making a salad too. Thanks for all the help. I really need to plan some menus and get to the store tomorrow. DH is out of town for a couple of weeks so I've been putting it off.

My potty-training 3yo just peed on her potty, the bathroom rug, and my foot. How? I don't know. I am just looking at getting these kids fed, and to bed.

I have been at the tire store with 2 littles (and the dog!) for the past 2+ hours. I am exhausted. There is absolutely no take-out in our small town. If there had been, this would have been the night for it.

is to listen on audio. I tried to read P&P so many times and couldn't get past the first few pages, but I did make it through the audio. It is not one of my favorites (ducking tomatoes!!!) but so many others are. I loved Jane Eyre so much I could not put the book down. I am currently mesmerized by The Woman in White (Wilkie Collins). You could also try to read some children's literature to get you started. Sometimes a more familiar story is easier to get into. Anne of Green Gables, Peter Pan, for instance. In my opinion, there is no finer book written than "The House at Pooh Corner." Really.

There were no arguments, begging, etc. I simply took the DirectTV access cards out of the units. Bam. TVs are "broken". My dh did watch the kids for a bit yesterday and he was letting them watch "Narnia" when I got back, so my plan deteriorated last night. Yuk. The kids got whiny again, especially the 3yo. My plan is to keep it off until the final "Lost" episode on April 24th and then turn it off again. It's going to be a battle with my dh (who loves TV) but he's working away from home most of the time so I just get to tell the kids, "tough break"! Signed, The Mean Mommy

Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day you can mix up a big batch and bake a little each day as you need it. That's what I do ordinarily. This week I got bogged down with birthday party stuff so I had to buy bread at the grocery and it tastes awful in comparison.

on audio read by George Guidall. It was so funny, one of my favorites. But as far as me reading it, I don't know. I would pick something easier. Right now I am reading "The Secret Garden" to my 7yo dd and she loves it but it is not the easiest book to read aloud! It is full of Yorkshire accents. I am looking forward to the end of it and starting something more lighthearted like "Owls in the Family" by Farley Mowat. Don't give up, it is not easy to find a book that clicks. Try some shorter books. The long ones take a huge amount of time to read aloud.

Waaah. Back to tucking.

I have slipcovers on my sofa and chair. We tuck, tuck, tuck them in. All the time. I am ready to scream from all the tucking. :banghead: Plus they need to be a darker color so I don't have to wash them so much. So, will Sure-Fit stretchy covers save my sanity?

And with two golden retrievers, AND the snow is melting into mud, and all our papers, science experiments, etc. - we *are* always cleaning. Always. And the laundry seems to never stop. I literally worked all day yesterday (kids, too) and didn't get done. Springtime in the mountains is an awful mess. I wanna go to Disneyland where it's impossible to get dirty and I don't have to cook.

So far I love it.

We'll wait for DVD because there's no way it will come to our one-movie-a-week theatre before it's on DVD (probably won't make it to the theatre at all). I love Ben Stein. I'm not sure what the movie will have to say but for Christians, the college atmosphere has to be a concern. There is an anti-religious sentiment at a huge number of schools, and I'm not even talkin' evolution - I just mean in general. (I'm "old-earth" so evolution is fine with me). I've got a kid who's getting older fast and I'm paying attention to this atmosphere on campuses.

If you ever decide to actually do this would you like a co-author?

it was the highlight of my trip to Venice. I want to go back so badly!

Prayers and good wishes being sent your way that it gets resolved quickly.