Yep, right on the money. The prep work isn't difficult; it is just tedious. If I had to do it over I'd hire a reliable high schooler for a half-day to sort it.

Wow........... I'm interested in your "really, really disliked" reading list. I've read all but two, and these are the types of books with which I relax. (So I am now in search of Kabul Beauty School and The Music of Chance.) Thank you!!! P.S. I agree with you on Ahab's Wife. ;)

If you prefer large hotels, then Cancun is your place. If you want a more laid back area then you might consider Playa del Carmen or Tulum, or something in between. Playa may be the best jumping off point for a number of activities and ruin sites. There are some large hotels in Playa, but there are also a lot of mid-size and small hotels too. The beaches in Tulum are stunning, and there are mostly small hotels/B&Bs there. Cancun and Playa might be better choices if you aren’t planning car-rental. But (IMHO) the beaches in Tulum are the best, followed by Cancun. It will be extremely hot in this area of Mexico at the time you will be traveling and this can make activities such as ruins unpleasant. Your travel dates also fall during hurricane season, so if you opt for the region, consider trip insurance.

Other ideas: hot dip for an appetizer (sweet onion, artichoke, crab, spinach, etc.); prep the night before, store in the fridge, and heat before guests arrive nice bakery French baguette, sliced thin and served with butter (this can do double-duty for the dip and with the meal) corn (perhaps with poblano chiles) some type of veggie casserole that can be prepped ahead Spanish torta/tortilla (that potato and egg-thingie that is cooked in the oven and may include other things); cook the day before and serve cold...maybe as an app, maybe as a side some kind of berry, with or without chocolate sauce

Could you make the rice crispy treats, subbing corn flakes? For something a little fancier, Nigella's flourless chocolate cake is simple-to-make and delicious: http://www.nigella.com/recipes/view/frances-flourless-chocolate-cake-2443

Can you do something special with him? For one birthday I took my kiddos ice skating (There isn't a rink close to here, so we took a long drive and stayed the weekend.). For another recent birthday we went out for a special lunch, then had ears pierced (There are no little shops in the mall that do piercings here...so unless one does the procedure oneself, piercings aren't cheap.). Is there a baseball team he follows? Can you go to a special game? Sometimes memories make the best presents....

Try Fruit of the Loom; I buy them in packs of three in WalMart (boys' section). My 9 yo is tall and thin and needs simple white tees for sports; she has tried Hanes and has the same problem. Fruit of the Loom tees aren't as thick as Hanes, but they fit my daughter better.

I am not someone who drags around a cell phone....My phone is usually left in the car for emergencies (and so I can find it :mellow: ). I always ask people to contact me on the house phone. Offensive? No way!!!

NM -- just saw your edit.

I totally agree with you….kids should be out on a nice day playing. That wasn’t what I asked. The news mentions when the kids were due to return to their home, but it doesn’t say when the children left. That is my question. My kids were out playing this weekend too! :001_smile:

This is the article from The Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/montgomery-county-free-range-children-taken-into-custody-again/2015/04/12/39987b08-e188-11e4-905f-cc896d379a32_story.html?hpid=z5 I'm curious as to how long the children were alone. Were they out all day or was it a couple hours?

Yea! Thank you!

We have a company BBQ tomorrow afternoon, but my morning needs to be spent out of the house. So I wish to do as much prep tonight as pos. Can I make this-style broccoli salad http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/trisha-yearwood/broccoli-salad-recipe.html tonight? (i.e., I know I CAN, but will it taste okay tomorrow afternoon? (I'd fold in the bacon and seeds before serving.))

Thanks, Zoobie and Ali!

I have a Rival ice cream maker/churn/freezer. Company is coming tomorrow for a BBQ, and I'd love to make homeade vanilla ice cream. The last recipe I tried was a no-egg recipe with sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk. It was completely underwhelming. I am from the Southern US, and I have memories of my mom mixing up a bunch of eggs, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla, and putting it in the ice cream freezer (sometimes she'd cook it, sometimes not). She'd add overripe peaches about 3/4 of the way through. It was AMAZING. I can't get peaches here, but I'd be content with vanilla (however, I also can't obtain vanilla beans). Any favorite recipes?

(My bold.) This made me think of http://www.amazon.com/Shakespeare-Saved-My-Life-Solitary-ebook/dp/B00APIVOHU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1428666796&sr=1-1&keywords=shakespeare+saved It makes for an interesting read, though I wouldn't buy it for the price listed on Amazon. I borrowed it from the Free Library of Philadelphia.

My 9 yo broke one tooth and knocked another couple teeth loose playing soccer. Our doc referred us to an oral surgeon who did a quick x-ray before suggesting a retainer/brace and sending us to her regular dentist. She had the retainer for two months. We were told by the OS and her dentist that she should be very careful when eating for at least three months (e.g., no biting (with front teeth) into items such as apples or eating sticky items such as caramels).

Pedialite (sp?) or another electrolite (sp?) solution: it tastes disgusting but I find small sips help me a lot when I am ill.

I felt dizzy/lightheaded for a week. Then I became violently nauseated. After three days of misery I knew a hospital visit was in order. (I have had salmonella twice (developing countries), and the sensation was different. It was apparent something was really wrong.) :grouphug:

We love our Brock Magiscope, and it sound like it would be perfect for you! It is made for children and is a pleasure to take into the field. It is well-made, robust, and Brock's customer service is very good (You may also be able to purchase one through Rainbow.). Do a WTM search on magiscope. :001_smile:

That brightened my morning. Thanks!

Doesn't CPK have sort a chicken/caesar-club thing? The one in Cancun does anyway ... theirs (or at least what I have) is a thin, thin crust covered with a bit of chicken, a bit of cheese, a bit of bacon, a bit of avocado, and a lot of lettuce coated in a little mayo (or some kind of mayo-based dressing). (The lettuce and avocado is added last, probably after it is cooked.) It is my treat whenever we take a jaunt to the mall in Cancun (about every six months). I don't see how subbing thinly sliced cabbage for lettuce is much different (though I am sure I would not like the taste of cooked cabbage on pizza or red sauce with it).

My daughter (almost 9) teaches English to a small group of five-year-old Mexicans.

Congratulations!!! Well done!!!

Thank you!!!