Shredded napa cabbage, mango salsa (red onion, cilantro, mango, lime juice), chipotle sauce (chipotles in adobo, low-fat mayo, sour cream, adobo sauce, low-fat yogurt, lime juice), avocados.

We have Peltor AO Safety Select Ear Muffs in sky blue. Cheesy as this is, I bought them when we were headed to a concert with our then-toddler-aged firstborn because I had seen a picture of Gwyneth Paltrow at a Coldplay concert, holding baby Apple who was wearing a pink set. :001_smile: Anyway, we really like them. The only trouble is, my kiddos also like to use them around the house; they wear them and scream to one another. It's fairly ridiculous. And loud. Actually, I think I need a set for myself. Here's a link to black ones (I had no idea Drew Brees endorsed them for his son's use. :001_smile:) http://www.earplugstore.com/peltor-junior-ear-muffs.html

My five-year-old LOVES all the little stories by Thornton Burgess, like The Adventures of . . . Jimmy Skunk, Billy Mink, Reddy Fox, Peter Cottontail, Sammy Jay, Mr. Mocker, etc. He also loved My Father's Dragon, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, as your boy did. Other big hits this year: Little House in the Big Woods Farmer Boy Little House on the Prairie On the Banks of Plum Creek Wind in the Willows Beyond the Paw Paw Trees James and the Giant Peach Winnie the Pooh We're looking forward to reading more of the great suggestions in this thread!!

This delicious pot pie recipe from Jamie Oliver's cookbook uses chicken legs -- and we're having it tomorrow. It's a favorite at our house. Here's a lonk to the recipe: http://museinthekitchen.com/poultry/the-best-chicken-and-sweet-leek-pie-with-flaky-pastry/

After seeing a neighborhood cat being carried off in the talons of a haw, I was a wreck when I was outside with my kids in the yard and my youngest was a newborn. I would not simply let her lie on the blanket, but held her at all times -- I kept thinking, "she's about the size of a cat . . ." I know, crazy, right?

I used a New Native sling for my last two when they were infants. As they moved into babyhood, I started using the Ergo carrier, and fell in love. I do not drive, so it is crucial for a carrier to be comfortable to use over some decent distances (sometimes five-mile walks in a day, while pushing a stroller). And, I should add, my babies get big quick -- my almost-11-month old is over 20 pounds already. The Ergo has been wonderful --I don't know what I would do without it! I don't strain my back, my babe is comfortable, and I can fasten it really easily all by myself. Good luck finding the right carrier; baby gear can be overwhelming! Isn't it nice to have so many options? And a little bit not. :001_smile:

Hanna Andersson, Naartje, and MiniBoden, crewcuts, tea collection.

We lived in Charlestown for a few years. The USS Constitution is fantastic, and my kids loved the interactive second floor of the USS Constitution museum. Of course, once you're in Charlestown, you should go have lunch at the Warren Tavern, which was frequented by George Washington and Paul Revere. Plus, they make some really great burgers.

We use FIAR as a supplement, and we are really enjoying it. We also love literature-based learning here and I pull ideas from these two books in addition to FIAR: Social Studies through Children's Literature and Science through Children's Literature. Have fun!

Gypsy Soup from the Moosewood Cookbook and Salmon baked in foil (a la Giada DeLaurentiis) with salad and homemade baguette. (We're having company . . . :001_smile:)

:iagree: We live in Rochester though, so not exactly a small town, but a small city (compared to NYC and Boston, two cities in which we used to live).

I bought a gift subscription to Kiwi Crate for my four-year-old niece for her birthday and she loves it. http://www.kiwicrate.com/

DS 4: "Paleontologist." DS5: "I haven't really decided yet. I still have a lot of time to decide. I'm only 5.":001_smile:

Avocado rolls Saag paneer Raw red bell pepper strips

We lived in Boston for a few years and still head back to the North Shore each year for vacation. Boston definitely fits the bill -- you can tour the Old North Church and Paul Revere's home in the North End (plus eat some Italian food), visit the Bunker Hill Monument and U.S.S. Constitution in Charlestown, take a trip to Salem. There are also the New England Aquarium and the Museum of Science to visit. We love the beaches on the North Shore -- about 45 minutes north of Boston -- Good Harbor in Gloucester, Crane Beach in Ipswich are two faves. And, of course, there's Plimoth. We usually stay close to the beach and then head into Boston or Cambridge for day trips. September is when we visit -- school's in session, so it's less crowded and the weather is usually gorgeous. Happy planning! You have lots of great options. I'll be watching this thread for some ideas for our family too.

A lot of my time was filled with performing applied behavior analysis therapy with my little brother, who was diagnosed with autism when he was 3 and I was 16. I was in two musicals each year, in addition to a capella choir, and I was co-editor of our yearbook.

My boys love Ranger Rick.

One thing you may want to try is telling him the stories using little animals, peg people, and silks for different landscapes or draped over items to make houses or caves, whatever setting is in the story. I was amazed at how my boys would listen to me tell stories when I set the stage and used little figures and items to represent the characters and items in the stories.

I have a friend considering enrolling her kids in this online program: Christa McAuliffe Academy (http://www.personalizededucation.org/schools/sas/). Her two girls are presently in school, but she is looking for an alternative to brick and mortar school for next year. She works full-time, as does her husband, so she was hoping this program would meet her family's needs (they also have an au pair at home with the girls). Are any of you familiar with this program? Thoughts? Many thanks!

Two of our favorite chicken preparations: Marcella Hazan's Chicken with Two Lemons: http://www.wchstv.com/gmarecipes/roastchickenwit.shtml is awesome. No added fat and it's self-basting. Chicken Spezzatino: http://italian.food.com/recipe/giadas-chicken-spezzatino-stew-120256 For fish, I often just sprinkle some EVOO and green herbs on fillets and roast them at high heat -- 475/500 degrees F -- 'til they're done.

We just had poached salmon fillets with a quick butter sauce, green beans, and brown rice. Super simple tonight!

After the Epiphany!

No misses yet . . . Our hits were rocker boards and a knight's tent.

We always get new pajamas and one ornament for each of the kids. They open these on Christmas Eve, as well as gifts to and from each other and any other gifts that people have sent that have arrived in the mail. In fact, they've already opened them and have been happily playing all day. We now live in a neighborhood in which Santa visits on Christmas Eve with a gift for each child, so they open that gift as well.

For decorating, I don't know where you are geographically, but using natural materials is all the rage. And it's cheap and beautiful! Can you put some pine cones, evergreen boughs, branches of holly in baskets or vases? Along with candles and the kids' creations, some festive music and low lighting with the tree lights on, it will be gorgeous. I agree with others who said you should get as much as you can from Sam's as far as candy and cookies go, and ask for help with baking from the relatives with the baked goods as well. For dinner, you can do chicken parm with bread and salad or chicken marsala with noodles and salad. Whatever you, do, just breathe. I have always been a perfectionist when it comes to holidays, and I have finally realized that there have been years where I've gone all out with decorations and homemade everything and there have been years where many things on my "to-do list" remained undone, but Christmas is always magical and beautiful with family and friends around, a lit tree, some beautiful music, and a bit of chocolate (and vino). Have a wonderful Christmas Eve.