:lurk5:

:lurk5: My plan for raw milk is to get a goat. The most inexpensive, low equipment way to make butter that I know is put about a pint of cream in a empty, clean quart jar and shake it. this is best done with a group[ of kids that each shake the jar for a while.:D

:grouphug:

On different occaisions I have done both a treasure hunt and leaving a large gift unwrapped. The treasure hunt was for a bike and it was waiting in the orchard. Part of the reason for the reasure hunt was that I did not want the hassle of getting the bike in and out of the house. :lol:The present that I left unwrapped was a keyboard. Part of the reason for that decision was concern that it might be damaged during the unwrapping process. The look on dd7's face when she woke up and saw the keyboard was priceless. She is very talkative and was literally speechless for a few minutes.

My dh was not initially onboard with homeschooling but we both agreed that the ps in our area was not an option (our state is consistently one of the worst performing in the nation). Dh wanted dd to go to a private school that would have been a significant drive everyday. I simply made it clear that if he insisted that dd go the school the ball would be completely in his court. He would have to transport her to and from school daily. He would have to get her up dressed and ready every morning (and she is a major grouch if awakened before she is ready). He would would have to handle all registration, paperwork, parent teacher meetings and other school related things (including explaining exactly where she learned any words she picked up from him that I had been telling him not to use since she was concieved). Dh knows me well enough to know that I meant every word and that I would hold him responsible if anything went wrong. I will however add that I am not in the least submissive.

:iagree::iagree::iagree:

:iagree:

:lurk5:

:iagree:My dh has a college degree in a lucrative field, however I am often shocked by the the gaps in his education. Just last night I learned that he had no idea that Wales even existed must less where it is located and that it was once an independent nation. This is just one minor example. My dd7 already corrects his spelling.

If he was stupid enough to put that in writing it needs to find its way into the local newspaper or some other forum. Maybe a youtube if he said it at a meeting.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

I saw an article yesterday on yahoo that said that two officers were on administrative leave due to pepper spraying the students. I can't find the article now but I was glad to see that they did not get away with it. I hope they end up fired.

I would plan on freezing half the milk when you get it.

Here is an article about a researcher that links homogenization to heart disease. The author does not agree with the researcher but does think that homogenization is a bad idea. http://www.westonaprice.org/know-your-fats/milk-homogenization-heart-disease

:lurk5:I suspect some of these things would appeal to my dd7.

I think that my dd7 would love both.

I also seem to remember that the Trust Birth Initiative is supportive of unassisted childbirth.

I wanted to second the mention of the mothering.com forums. The unassisted birthing forum is under birth and beyond. If I were in your situation I would probably have an unassisted birth. I have seen several people on mothering mention a book that is used to train firemen, ect. called the Emergency Childbirth Manual or something like that.

I would use the copy machine and increase the size that way. I would probably start at about 200%. Then I would measure the side of a square and see how close it was to 1 inch. Also as long as all the pattern pieces are the same size she should be able to go larger or smaller than the recommended size if she wants to.

I have two longhaired dachshunds and they have never been shaved. The are not double-coated and even our summers don't seem to bother them too much although they are less eager to go outside then.

I really, really dislike both crowds and shopping. My fantasy is that someday I will manage to have everything purchased and be so organized that I will not have to enter any store between about a week before Thanksgiving and the end of the New Years sales.

Baba Ghanoush http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/baba-ghanoush-2/detail.aspx This is an egplant dip. I like it even better than hummus.

:lurk5:I have had success with respritrol in the past. I need to order more.

Another thought, I do not have personal experience with pugs but it is my understanding that the very short-nosed breeds like pugs and some types of bulldogs are more vulnerable to drowning than most dogs so you will definitely want to train him to stay away from the water or anywhere that he might fall in.

I take our dogs out off leash and they stay with me and in our yard. I would vote for fencing the fourth side but always go out with the dog especially at first. A pug is relatively small and even with the creek fenced a predator could still attack him. I go out with my dogs because we have seen large birds of prey in and over our yard.