The best course of action? clean as best as possible...put on neosporin with pain relief...bandage up...elevate....tylenol/motrin for pain. What am I missing? I just took care of the neighbor's boy and I have never dealt with one of these. Jo

This year I will fill my own since dh won't be able too. I need to keep the illusion.......:D I probably won't do as good of a job as he does though.

Normal? It's an age thing, right? Please say it is an age thing. He used to be a great reader, reading high above his grade level. Pride goeth before a fall :glare:. So now it is like pulling teeth to get him to read. I think perhaps because he is exercising his independence and not wanting to read what he isn't particularly interested in. Tough toodles. Some books are assigned for school. Fine. I have tried to feed the fire of his interests....um....he would need to *have* a genre or topic of interest for me to cater to for this to work. :confused: I get nothing, nada, zip suggestions from his highness. I'm dying over here. Where did my reader go?

I agree. Shouldn't your husband go ahead? We have to do this a lot. It reminds me of the scene in Persuasion where the husband wants to go to the dinner when his son had fallen out of the tree.... I'm sometimes tempted to fuss at having to stay with the children, but it's "not his providence" :D. Jo

See, and I thought you were just giving me a smack down for being grumpy in paradise. :lol: I am thankful it isn't 20 degrees here. Thanks for the reminder. :001_smile: Jo

Just a little one from those of you who pray. I'm fatigued and I don't have the luxury to be fatigued. I'm feeling grumpy and can't seem to snap out of it. This is compounded by the fact that my 12 yods reads my moods like a book and reacts badly when I'm stressed-sort of a mixture of wanting to fix me and being anxious. Honestly, it drives me batty, but I think it is his temperment to be very, very aware of people around him. I have simplified Christmas to the extent I'm able, but I have commitments- military wife stuff- that can't be avoided, and getting the gifts for the immediate and extended family organized and sent is tough. It's just a lot to make the magic of Christmas by myself. wah. Okay, enough said. I just found myself trying to pray this morning and feeling like I'm in 100 pieces, and not at peace. I know it will be okay, but as I go into another day praying I will be a good mom and get all that needs to get done with a good attitude I feel weak. Hence my request. Thanks. Jo

Thank you both. I ordered the Salad Bar one. She is a purist and she likes complicated and interesting salads. I had seen both of these on Amazon but I thought I'd throw it out to the hive. Thanks again! Jo

You can't call a book on salads a cookbook. What do you call it? Anywhoooo, that is what I need. I have a party to go that I need a hostess gift. This lady is a big fan of salads. Any ideas? Jo

Ria, You would have loved it. She twirled around, dancing with the cookie cutters! She was giddy at the whole event. Then she organized Nathan into being the Daddy while she baked imaginary foods for him. He was only allowed to recline on the pillow and she served him. :001_huh: Um...I know she didn't get that from me. :D And dadburnit Ria, if I don't hear your voice in my head ALL. THE. TIME. encouraging me to cook with my kids. I even see your son serving me his wonderful chocolate decadence for dessert. You've pushed me past my resistence many a day. :lol: Jo

A little help, recently discovered (three minutes ago), to keep my attitude in check: have a child camcorder the cookie cutting process! Being recorded for all posterity made me keep a smile on my face! :D We're having fun now...we're having fun now....we're having fun now.... :blush: Jo

A relaxed early evening on Sunday sounds like it would work. You can emphasize that it won't be too long so that people can get home and prepare for the week ahead. I recently had a meeting and served a pre-made plate of tortilla rolls, zucchini bread with cream cheese, pumpkin bread, a fruit plate, and a choice of Arizona ice tea, soda, or beer/wine. I used small but sturdy chinet plates so it was easy cleanup. I had candles lit on the table and we self served ourselves to everything. It was a cozy evening even if we were having a planning meeting. You could do a game night with Scattegories or Taboo or, if they are lively, Pit. Or you could view a movie, or even bring wrapping paper and some gifts to wrap. It doesn't have to be fancy if it is friends and the atmosphere is welcoming. That is what people like most- to feel welcomed. Jo

I should have done a poll, but honestly I just need some "I hear ya' sista" comments from those like me. ;) :lol: I do it anyways because it's good for them, but I. don't. enjoy. it. Can I get an amen? Jo who is baking loads of sugar cookies today.......

We have a Nisse (Norwegian)....it is always his fault....always. ;)

You want a scrooge competition.....bring it!:D This morning I walked out the front door for a marathon day of errands- Birthday preps (dd turns 8 tomorrow), Baby shower preps (best friend has hers tomorrow), grocery shopping (a $300 trip easy), and to put together an auction basket for a wives meeting tomorrow night (thankfully I don't have to attend, just contribute the basket). I open the screen door to nearly step on the cutest little Christmas bag of candles, candy (the good stuff), special soaps from Pier 1, the works! It was lovely. Still I grinched at the thought that I needed to put together two bags to pass on to other neighbors! Ba Humbug! We do these secret gift exchanges on Halloween, Christmas, and Easter- it is sort of a military housing tradition. It is fun, but this morning I was not amused. I hope that will be my last Scrooge moment....but I doubt it.:) Jo

It doesn't count for us Pacific islanders! :glare: Phooey! I have spent a ton with that company this year- I'm in charge of the command Christmas party favors.

Wow. And the thread lives on. :D A couple of points- I didn't know about cartoon network. I naively believed it was a kid's station. I know better now. Regardless I don't let my kids surf channels unattended, I had screened the TV program- Tom and Jerry- and I thought it was appropriate. I made assumptions about the commercials. My bad. Secondly, The commercial showed photos of gay men with their arms around each other looking overjoyed and cheerful- actually looking quite gay in the original sense of the word. The statement "it's a great time to be a gay man" was only the beginning of the commercial. What I don't appreciate is the attempt *normalize* a behavior I think is wrong. Simple as that. No worse than other commercials- like Pam said I'd like to hunt down the marketers of Cialis and hang them by their toe nails. But placed after a program that is most definitely directed towards children seems aggressive. My 12 yo is mature enough to have a conversation about the topic. We can discuss and reason the topic. But *I* get to make the decision when the younger children are given the talk....because I'm the mom dagnabbit!

yeast rolls, sweet biscuits, corn bread muffins, and cranberry and zucchini breads. I'm the bread lady! That way I know my kids will eat something....;)

I think I'm the strictest mom on the street. Not mean, but strict. My kids have a lot of chores in the day. It was never a problem until we moved to this neighborhood with SO MANY KIDS. Now I realize my children do so much more around the house...and my kids know it now too. :glare: There has been an attitude battle lately. They still do all they are supposed to do, but a less cheerfully and willingly. Does anyone else feel this way?

This was my impression too.

If I cooked a bunch of bacon and crumbled them in a ziplock bag, how long do you think they would last in the fridge? I have this great bacon-cheddar scones that i would make more often if I could keep crumbled bacon long term. They are full of salt and preservatives anyways, right? Jo

It was a campaign about HIV/AIDS, but the beginning of the service announcement was a man talking while showing gay men in several photos. It was from the campaign, Cable Positive, or something like that. Fine. We discuss homosexuality and AIDS with those of our children who are developmentally ready. Cartoon network isn't the place I would have thought this organization would target. I have watched a good bit of TV lately (having my dh deployed tends to make me watch more), and I'm a major channel surfer. Not once have I seen a commercial like this on any other channel. :glare: I agree that it is simply an opportunity for discussion. I was just surprised. Jo

I know this may not bother many of you, but it bothers me! I'm sitting in the family room while my kids watch Tom and Jerry on Cartoon network. I was telling them how I used to watch that show when I was a kid and they wanted to check it out. When the program ends I hear "it's a great time to be a gay man". :001_huh: On cartoon network? Whatever your opinions on this topic, do you think cartoon network is the appropriate place for that type of topic? They rarely watch cable TV but I just banned that channel for the duration..... Sheesh. edit: btw, I fully take responsibility for monitoring my children's TV time. I had never visited Cartoon Network before, perhaps I should have known, but I didn't. I thought perhaps there would be others like me that wouldn't know.

HOAW? Translation?

Oh and now that I've checked the link.....DOH!!! That silly Well Trained Kitchen site :D, I completely forgot about that thing. :) Thanks again. Jo

Thanks Crissy. Happy Thanksgiving and Big Aloha from me to you! Jo