We had one but the pen thing broke very early. I never did get around to replacing it. It looked like fun but it was not tough enough for my kids.

Actually, my kids love it when we do this job because they find all sorts of lost treasures. We do it about once a year. Not because we are clean people but just because the fridge seems to be moved for some reason or another and we just suck it up and get the job done. We have found all sorts of things under our fridge and stove; markers, crayons, marbles, legos, money. I'm still waiting on the three earth magnets that I *know* went under there the day they came into the house 4 years ago. :toetap05:

You've got good ideas here. All I'm doing is sending hugs. :grouphug: I hope you feel better soon!

I have tried that one too and it worked well. Man is it pricey! If you have a cheap source I'd love to hear where you get it.

:iagree: but I *do* use Influenzinum 200 by Boiron. It is a homeopathic remedy based off of the flu vaccine made each year with the new vaccine. Its purpose is to strengthen your immune system so you can use the previous years without a lesser effect. I bought too much last year and plan on using it up this year. I trust homeopathics more than the regular drug companies. I am getting a little bothered by the vaccine industry. My kids are much heathier when they are not vaccinated. (They have been in the emergency room after shots, so I have seen the negative effects first hand in my own kids.)

I am very bad about taking pics of my dc. My friends take the pictures for me and give them to me later! I have a shoe box for storage and the kids will have to go through it for family photos when they move out. :blushing: I wish I was better but I'm not. Opps! I just looked and you are posting in the test section. My bad. There now you have a real poll with voters and everything.

I voted more than ten miles. Our town has about one violent crime every year (or less). It shocks the whole community when it does happen. I have lived in a violent dangerous area and I know how it feels to be concerned about your safety. But once I moved from that location I quickly forgot it. Perhaps it is self preservation but I like feeling safe in my home and I would not trade that for any large salary dh could make or for any special features of a metropolis, with our young kids it is just *not* worth it.

I voted all of them. I am deliberately staying neutral and will not fight with anyone even if provoked. I love you all!!! :grouphug:

Anything with Seasame Street, Blues Clues or the like. Graphic Novels.

:iagree: What looks like play here could actually be called school somewhere else. Dd has made dolls today out of scrap fabric. Ds has pulled out a laminated map and colored it with crayons and made a story up about a journey. They have done copy work about dinosaurs on their own and read until the are almost antisocial!!! I actually cannot make dd stop reading. They have sorted toys on their own. Often, they pretend to be people from history and created the costums to go along with it. They have lego, art supplies and magnets that they use and lose! I think Charlotte Mason calls it "mastery inactivity" and it is good!!!! I think it is a neccessary part of a healthy happy childhood. So, I set them up after a long day of school and walk away. :001_smile:

I get about $600 a month for food and toiletries (one in diapers) but I also buy about $150 from Azure per month. So I guess that makes it $750. I have a freezer of organic beef and lamb as well and make most of our food from scratch. I cook for 3 adults and 3 kids but no pets. My budget is loose and if we have a bad month I have other resources.

Joanne You are a trouper. I hope you found a suitable cleaning lady and are ready for your schedule. How long will you be doing this? My prayers for your strength go out to you!

Thanks everyone! I've got a few more ideas to follow up. Shannon - The ornaments are beautiful. They display a great deal of creativity and ingenuity. What a wonderful memory you created with your kids!

We had a bank field trip just last week. I called ahead and arranged a tour to see the bank. We took coins and donated them to the food bank. Before we gave them, the bank sent them through the sorting/counting machine for us. Your son looks like the perfect age for an activity like that...as he is probably learning about the value of coins. Your daughter could learn a little about keeping a checking account and keeping it balanced. We had a good time and I learned something too!

We have a cold here and have been taking most of the week light. Today is a day off but the way the week has been, I am not surprised. Of course, the kids are well enough to go trick-or-treating. I'm the only one really "in bed sick". They have enough energy to run a power plant!! :001_rolleyes:

That's a very thoughtful craft idea. Sometimes just the coloring pages week after week makes my think that resources could be spent better. Thanks! Anyone else know about the Jesse Tree? I'm wondering if it was just a one year family activity and they didn't do it this year. Maybe the kids got older of something... Otherwise, I'll just buy the book and get dc to make them. :bigear:

As we say around here.....Ofercute! Thanks for posting.

Has anyone ordered any of the Jesse Tree ornaments, this year or last? I tried ordering last year but I was too late. I sent an e-mail to pre-order and heard back that they will have a Christmas in July event. Still no word. Has there been a delay or does anyone how this usually works. I'd really like to get them this year but I do not want to order the book separate from the ornaments. I've sent them an e-mail in the last month but there was no response. I'm thinking some sort of medical emergency but I wondered if they moved their site and I didn't notice. This is the link I am using..... http://www.jesse-trees.com/embroidered-ornaments.html Thanks for any info you have!

Looks yummy!

You ladies astound me! That might as well have been Greek to me. Thanks for the recipe Rosie. Looks wonderful!

I'm sick today, so this is perfect distraction for me. I love to think about our past history. I have lived in.... Sarnia, Ontario - I loved our church there; real country feel. Guelph, Ontario - The city had an artsy feel; relaxed and international. Ottawa, Ontario - the festivals and museums. Kingston, Ontario - I have few good memories from here but one of them was walking to the downtown area and eating ice cream. I personally found it a very socially closed city. Kelowna, BC - Beautiful area for sunshine and fresh produce. Outdoor sports. Poughkeepsie, NY - Slammin' Salmon, a place like no other! Sadly poor. E Grand Forks and GF, MN and ND - People here are truly family oriented. Friendly but respectful of boundries. Which is my favorite....that is a hard one. We are happy where we are. I loved Kelowna but I'm not sure I could live there anymore. So, this is home I guess. :001_smile:

Here in my hs group, we do a yearly Geography Fair. It is non-competative and a fairly social expereince. People love it. We have decided to do a Science Fair the same way this spring. It will not be competative either. The kids study a topic (state or country) and present information they have learned. My kids share their topic and do it together. We buy a poster board from Walmart for $4 and go to it. People have included copywork, pictures, maps, food, costumes, puzzles, computer slide shows and whatever the children want. Basically, it is a free for all. They set up a card table in a church in town and share with each other. They play and eat and have a ball. The organizer makes up a passport type of book with stickers for all the flags in the states or countries. They go to each table and collect the stickers and find one interesting thing to write down in their book. We use constrution paper but some people use more artistic papers. My kids are young so they learn about making a title, centering and boiling down information to a manageable amount. Next year, the kids will do the work on the computer. If you had a few families close by you could do the same. Pick a broad topic and get creative. Pick one night and meet and visit. I really think if you make it fun the kids will learn alot. I have been surprised each year when we pull out our boards from previous years. The kids remember a large amount of what we covered.

I would try vinegar. Dump it in and set it to go. I think that helps. I hope you find a solution soon. Another thought, throw some dirty clothes in there....then the vinegar in the end. :D

Oh, you do have it bad. Are you sure you are not my hubbie, posting in disguise? ;) Is there something you could give that was not an item since it seems you have frustration levels over that. You could give a date night out once a month or permission to go hunting for a weekend. Every marriage has these little issues...like one spouse needing a cleaner home or getting a home repair done. They aren't really items but require effort from you so they are a gift. Maybe, you could look into a donation to a worthy cause in his name. Maybe he doesn't want it but he needs it. kwim? A family photo would be nice and perhaps a surprise if you do it in secret. Buy him some lingerie for yourself for his gift. If he has everything he needs then go for what he wants. :D That way you both win! I think it is admirable of you to see beyond your obvious frustrations and still give generously. Kudos to you! That's what the Christmas spirit is about!