Helena Bonham Carter. Ever since the Harry Potter movies came out, though, the younger kids/teens now ask me if I know I look like Bellatrix - or, from some, "that evil deatheater woman". When I was a teen myself, I was often told I look like Keri Russell. Now that I'm older, it's Bellatrix. Yay! :glare:

We've been in the Christmas mood all semester because we were cast in one of the Christmas productions at a local theatre. Every theatre in our area puts on a Christmas-related play each year. Attending or performing in one puts the holiday front and center. We also get in the Christmas spirit by putting up our tree and listening to Christmas music right after Thanksgiving. We watch Christmas movies the whole month long, drive around and look at Christmas lights, make cookies and salt dough ornaments, use advent calendars (normally we do an advent wreath, too, but I can't find the pieces to it this year!), read a different Christmas book each night, and attend one or more of the several Christmas events around town. If we weren't involved in a play, we would attend Wed night advent dinner/lessons/carols at our church. We've also gone caroling in neighborhoods with friends in years past, and that's lots of fun!

Downton Abbey Parenthood Once Upon a Time Army Wives Glee

I'm so very sorry for the loss of your friend. And, yes, this is one of the major downsides to FB. :grouphug:

For that age/skill: Ranger Rick, Ladybug, Nat Geo Little Kids

I'm not 100% against sleepovers, but I don't love them. Dd has no desire to sleep over at someone else's yet because she struggles with separation anxiety, but we have had a few sleepovers here. I've pretty much nixed them for now because I don't sleep much with another child in my care, and dd doesn't get a good night's sleep either. We're both grumpy and sick the next day, so it's just not worth it at this point. Hypothetically speaking, though, I would never let her sleep over with a family we aren't extremely close to. Obviously I don't believe I'm robbing her of her childhood. She still has a pretty amazing childhood thing going on!

I've been there done that with a ped in the past, and moved on to a MUCH better fit. We love our current ped, and I don't regret simply walking away from the other. If your area has plenty of peds to choose among, I would just be done with the frustration and stress this is causing you and find someone you are more comfortable with. Do you really want to stay where you're not wanted? If they've taken the time to call and suggest you find another doctor, they've pretty much written you off. I wouldn't trust my child to them any longer.

Snake - - we recently added one to our growing number of pets, and so far it's the easiest to care for and actually super cute and sweet.

I'm sorry so many things have gone wrong at once. I can't help with the gallbladder, the packing, or the hole in the wall, but I can tell you something that will help your broken hand and your dh's injury - comfrey. Right now, you'll most likely have to rely on comfrey root since the leaves should be dying out or already be gone, but the root works great, too. You can find comfrey root online or at natural health stores. Steep a few tablespoons of chopped root in about 4 - 6 C of boiling water overnight. No, the water doesn't have to boil all night. Just pour the boiling water over the root, cover, and leave on counter all night. Soak cloths in the tea in the am and wrap around the injury. Secure with ace bandage. Wear for several hours. Repeat soaking and reapply as often as needed. You can store the tea in the fridge for a few days or freeze in ice cube trays or muffin tins for future use. Use for several days up to a few weeks depending on injury. You should feel relief by the next day, but continue to reapply daily for several days to promote healing. If comfrey oil is all you can find, you can use this, too (just rub it directly on the injured area), but it isn't quite as effective and would require more frequent applications. Hope things start to look up soon!

OP, you have so many wonderful ideas already in this thread, but here are a few that came to mind when I was reading this. 1) Free Little Library: See if you have any in your area and scope out a few books for your kids. Normally, it's a leave one, get one honor system, but I can't imagine anyone begrudging a family a few books for Christmas gifts even if you don't have any to leave in their place. You could always take a few to replace them with later on if you feel the urge to do so. 2) Probably best for your youngest: gather up all the broken bits of crayon you can find and make new swirly crayons in fun shapes. You can google how to do this if you don't already know, and if you don't have any fun molds, ask your friends if they have some you could borrow. Pair with a $ store coloring book. 3) "Write/Illustrate Your Own Book" Kits - $ store blank journals, new pen or pencil from a $ store multipack split among the three, maybe split a set of $ store colored pencils or markers among the kids for illustrations. They could always swap colors if they need more than what they received. 4) Do you have mason jars, glitter, and small toys that somehow have lost their homes/family members/original set, etc? If so, divide and package these items up for each child and market it as a make your own snow-globe kit. If the kids want their "scenes" to remain stationary, you'd need a glue gun. Otherwise, they could be free-falling. 5) a small and prettily packaged box of salt dough ornaments you specially shape and paint for each child based on his or her current passion(s) - date the backs and talk up how they can hang them every year and hang on their own trees when they grow up These next two were taken from a friend who needed homemade/inexpensive gifts for her kids a couple of years ago: 6) bottle pop lids - paint something the kids will love on the inside and protect with mod podge or similar. Turn into necklaces, hair items, or magnets. This assumes you have most items needed already around the house (old business or store magnets you might have around the house can be cut up and reused to make a pop bottle lid magnet set). 7) autographed pics of kids' favorite movie or tv personality - she would write to the celebrity and receive the pics for free - not sure of all the details since we aren't too celebrity crazy here, but her kids loved them Another idea the whole family could do: 8) Have each person either make something from stuff they already have or choose an item from something they have that they think someone in the family would love and regift to that person. This might work out best if names are drawn. I hope your Christmas ends up being so much more special and wonderful than you ever imagined it could be. Sending you lots and lots of hugs!

All three of us will have movie themed stockings this year. Everyone will get a few movies, their favorite "cinema" snacks, and if I can find them, their own little popcorn bucket shaped popcorn holder. Yes, I've planned the theme for my own stocking, but I will still let dh do the choosing of contents for mine. I chose this theme because Santa is bringing the family a new dvd player this year. Ours went kaput a few years ago, and we've been making do by hooking up dd's portable player whenever we want to watch a movie.

I placed an order for a set last night. I didn't purchase the largest set because this wasn't supposed to be the "big" gift this year, but I am glad to know that there are upgrade kits available and thought I'd share that info here in case it helps someone else decide what to purchase now. I expect to upgrade to the largest kit on her next birthday. You can find the upgrade kits on the snap circuits website.

Mine always does that. I just bang on it with a knife. I've found it loosens up much easier than Borax!

Yes, it's slow for me, too - especially on my Nook. It's a little better on the laptop, but not much.

Has it been confirmed that we will be able to change usernames? I asked about that but received no reply. The last I saw was that user names will be retained, but I've seen nothing about an option to change them should we wish to do so.

I want to work for you.

A new pr of Toms and home WIP completed (mostly painting and a few baseboards installed - really not asking for a lot, here!)

Most likely all the way through, but I'm open-minded if another plan appeals more to dd when she's older.

Awww! Soooooo jealous! Give her a huge hug for me, please. Rosie is one of my most favorite people in cyber world. Love her! Hope you two have lots of fun! :001_smile: ETA: looks like Chris in VA and I are of similar minds on this!

We paid $3.06 this evening! :001_smile:

If I had a child who read all the time, I think I would stop her in order to get other work done. As it is, I have a child who would rather do than read, so when I do find her reading (very rarely), I definitely DON'T stop her for anything!

You're inspiring! Our dryer is acting strangely lately, so I worry it may be about to go out. I did do a quick lint sucking up yesterday (no time for more than that; had to get out the door), and it seems to be better, but I definitely need to take the time to do a thorough lint removal. Haven't done that in a couple of years. On my to do list for today. If I ever have to take the entire thing apart, I'm coming to you for guidance! : )

Experience. Case #1: St. Jude: Dh and I began donating to St. Jude years ago (before parenthood even entered our minds) because we felt in our hearts that this was a worthy cause. However, actually needing their services, seeing firsthand just what goes on there, meeting some of the research scientists, the doctors, nurses, seeing other patients and families, etc. made the place even more of a priority in our minds. Every dollar we've ever donated was absolutely worth it. Case #2: Local community theatre: Dd has been in show after show since she was almost 5. Her love of theatre revived mine, and together we brought dh into the circle. Because of our experiences, our family sees the importance of local theatre. It has given us so much, and we feel the need to give back what we can, so we volunteer often and donate annually. In our case, being on the receiving end of these wonderful organizations created loyal and active supporters.

Buy it. We didn't have it at first, but now we do. Quite a difference.

When I voted no, I was answering the question posed in the OP's conversation box. I should have read the poll title more carefully. In any case, I would not let a 7 yr old read (or see) the Hunger Games. I won't let my gifted 9 yr old read it, either. Yes, with her old soul and bright mind, she could most likely "get" a great deal of the issues presented, but that's not the point. I don't care how bright a child is, there is something to be said about preserving joy and innocence in childhood.