Beautiful! Love the one of her with her big sister too!

I kinda think that a lot of the elementary years are about exposure, building layers of familiarity, but not necessarily complete retention. Kids remember way more than it appears that they've remembered; I'll often think my kids heard nothing about a subject, and then days, weeks, even months or years later, they'll start talking about it, and I'll realize that they really did hear it.

My 10yo: empties the dishwasher feeds the cats puts away her own laundry makes her bed tidies her room unloads and puts away groceries cleans up toys and stuff that she and her brothers get out helps with meal prep/cleanup sometimes. helps with getting us ready to go out helps with the little guys -- occasional diaper changes, helping them put on shoes, buckling/unbuckling carseats, etc. Occasionally, she sweeps, vacuums, or mops. I'm pretty happy with that. She doesn't generally consider helping with the baby or meals to be chores; she generally likes doing those things. I don't like other people doing the laundry; I have a system and prefer to do it myself.

Aww, how sweet! Congrats! And wow, you have some handsome boys!

They've been right at $3.99 for the past several weeks at most of the places around here; it seems that the places are really reluctant to flip to the "4." Then the place at the end of our road, which is almost always at least ten cents higher than anywhere else (because it's the only place in a 9-mile radius), flipped to $4.09 about ten days or so ago. Everywhere else still said $3.99. Two days ago, I noticed that the place down the road was below $4.00; I think it was $3.89, which means that hopefully it will be more like $3.79 everywhere else. I'm hoping it drops a lot in the next week; I've got gas points that will expire next week, and so far, I've got over $1.20 a gallon. I only ever fill my van completely when I have gas points, so the lower the better next week!

We generally have multiple read-alouds going at any one time, including one on tape/CD that is just for the car.

A toddler! When DS1 was 2, we couldn't find him one day. We'd only lived in this house for a few months at that point, and it's pretty big and convoluted, with a large yard as well. We looked all over for him and were starting to panic, because hiding is not like him. Finally, I looked in the laundry room (which is through a bathroom), behind the door, and there he was, flopped aross a basket of laundry, sound asleep. I have no idea why he thought that was a good place for a nap! (Another day, I found him asleep, flopped across his little ride-on toy. Boy needed his sleep, I guess. He still napped until about age 5.)

We have and like the Vos Children's Bible. I like that it has a lot of the major stories but is simple to understand without being too simple. You can almost use it along in church like you would a regular Bible, but it's not too overwhelming for little ones either. It also treats things like David and Bathsheba sensitively and appropriately.

Maybe it is different if there is a bit of a romantic interest vs. "just friends?" If she's paying for her dress and the tickets, I think he should pay for his tux, of course (and man, I wish DH had just bought a tux; we went to four proms in four years, his junior and senior and then my junior and senior -- that's a lot of tux rentals!), and it would be nice if he offered to pay for dinner, if he can. Technically, I suppose she's asking him out, and if they're really just friends, she probably should offer to pay for dinner, or they should split it, but I also think it would be really sweet if he offered to pay for dinner (or if he cooks, maybe he could invite her over for dinner before the prom). But they should talk together; she might have some ideas in mind.

Hahaha, I wish! That's what I was afraid of, that legacy status matters less now. I suppose that's both good and bad, though.

I'm late to the party and haven't read any replies, but I just wanted to say that you treated this family really, really nicely, and that meal sounds DELICIOUS! Pastured beef, from-scratch bean salad, AND you accommodated their food needs?!? I would be so grateful that you invited my family over, and "thank you" doesn't seem like enough for that incredible meal. I'm so sorry she was so rude.

I really agree with this, getting Dad involved. This is especially helpful with my boys; they are very sweet but can occasionally get in moods where they're miffed at me and express it inappropriately. Nothing gets them to straighten up faster than my husband getting down on their level, looking them in the eye, and informing them that that is not how they are to talk to their mother. Dad carries a lot of weight. (In my house, quite literally, actually; I'm tiny, and DH is 6'2" and big and muscular. I'm sure that physical size really helps back his emotional strength.) Also, can your DH spend some extra time with your DD? With three girls in the house, does he have someone who is his "buddy?" When DD was little, she was able to be both the girly princess AND Daddy's little adventure buddy. Now that she has brothers who are more interested in doing typical boy things, sometimes she feels a bit edged out because girly stuff isn't Daddy's thing. She gets the peer relationship with me that her brothers get/will get with Daddy, but it takes more effort for DH to meet her on "her" side, if that makes sense. So maybe your husband and your DD need to find some special ways to relate to each other.

Okay, while we're on the subject of college, is it still beneficial to attend a college that your parent(s) attended? DH and I are both Penn State alums, and I also am an alum of their honors program. I had assumed that that would look good if our children ever wanted to go there and join the honors program, but maybe not anymore? That has been one reason we've wanted to remain in PA, because of the benefits of in-state tuition plus honors scholarship, but maybe it doesn't matter nowadays?

We do a lot of salads; we lean mostly toward the paleo/primal side of things. Lots of homemade Caesar salad (minus the croutons); I like it with a lot of fresh garlic, and that packs a punch of flavor. Add chicken or shrimp or chickpeas if you need some protein. DH prefers balsamic vinaigrette: 1 part balsamic vinegar, 2 parts extra virgin olive oil, chopped fresh garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Greek salad with balsamic vinaigrette is delicious and can make a full light meal -- greens, dressing, feta, cucumbers, red onion, tomatoes, black olives, pepperoncini. I myself like bleu cheese dressing; I use a mix of sour cream and mayo, plus some minced onion if I have it, and a splash of milk, plus a chunk of bleu cheese. I love throwing chickpeas in salad. Hard-boiled eggs go well, and I like beets too. On pinterest I found a recipe that uses greens, bleu cheese, chopped pears, nuts, and a maple vinaigrette; it's delicious and not *too* sugary! But I also often just throw the bleu cheese, greens, and nuts together with a balsamic vinaigrette and call it good.

Yeah, that sounds like the North End. Lots and lots of great Italian food there. I second the suggestion for Mike's Pastries; I think that was the place where we got the amazing cannoli. :) We spent our first two years of married life in Boston -- such a fun city!

I used to have to pay more fines in our local library system, but then they went to allowing you to renew the books pretty much indefinitely, as long as there is no hold on them (like twenty times, at three weeks a time). And it's only five or ten cents a day anyway for overdue books. I LOVE this library system! Unfortunately, their selection is smaller, and they don't have after-hours outside return bins into which you can put DVDs/CDs/tapes (if you put them in the regular after-hours outside bins, you're charged $5 per item), plus their hours are shorter. So I tend to use the system two counties up a lot. That system charges thirty cents a day for overdue books, which can only be renewed twice (total of six weeks out), and TWO DOLLARS PER DAY per DVD, which can only be renewed once (for a total of two weeks out per DVD). It got quite expensive the one time I took a bunch of stuff back and forgot a couple of DVDs. Two weeks per DVD would be fine, except that when DH and I are watching a TV series on DVD, our viewing can vary, depending on what else happens that week; we might watch ten episodes in a week, or it might just be two. So I order a bunch of DVDs, and it's frustrating that we have to return them after two weeks, even if nobody's requested them.

:iagree:Andrew is a great name, and Andy is a cute nickname, though my Andrew has always chosen to be Andrew. (The first disciple called by Jesus, and it means "manly," IIRC, which is particularly appropriate for my Andrew, the oldest of three brothers.) Andrew Jeremiah is really nice! I love Alexander as well!

Another vote for The Care and Keeping of You by American Girl! Also, Kelli Dunham (I think) has a similar one called The Body Book for Girls. DD likes them both a lot, and I appreciate that there is plenty about puberty, menstruation, etc., but it's lighthearted and also includes general hygiene stuff, and no sex. I looked at some of the Christian books, but they all seemed too focused on sex, love, and marriage, without the facts about puberty that we wanted. I have no problem with teaching "sex is for marriage," but I don't even want any of that sort of thing on her radar yet; I don't want her thinking in terms of love and boyfriends and all yet.

DD (10, finishing 5th grade math) finds the fraction circles useful sometimes, so I'd keep those.

My DD was present at the births of DS1 and DS2 (she was 3 and 6), and DS1 was at DS2's birth (he was 3). They were fine. We talked about the noise and blood, and we watched some births online, and it was really just no big deal. They were in and out during labor but were thrilled to see the birth. We intended to have all of them at the birth of DS3, but he came super super fast -- we went from "let's try the tub to see if you can relax a bit for the last couple of hours" to "it's a boy" in about a minute, while they were outside picking some flowers for me. DH didn't have time to get them; he almost missed it himself. But they were right there immediately afterward; DS2 (then 2y9m) parked himself next to me and didn't leave. They saw the placenta and all. We didn't freak out, so they figured there was no reason to freak out either. I do tend to be okay with DH being in and out during the labor, so it's okay for him to attend to the other children a bit. It's only the last little while that I've needed him right there with me, and they've been fine for those short periods. I also can yell or groan, but I don't say anything mean or anything like that.

We eat a lot of cherry tomatoes, red peppers, and cucumbers raw here. With dip, preferably. :)

Life in general? Usually DH, very occasionally my mother. Rarely anyone else. About DH? To nobody. Maybe the occasional random light eyeroll about him to my mother, but a real vent? Nobody. I'm very careful about what I say to anyone else regarding my husband. (Children, too, actually, but particularly my husband.) And via internet? Absolutely not. I think he is the same way, for the record, and I appreciate that.

If he's dairy intolerant, chances are high that he'd be intolerant of soy as well, even if she wanted to try that. I'd probably look into coconut milk formula, if that's possible. Perhaps the directions for homemade formula using raw milk that are in Nourishing Traditions, but with coconut milk, would be helpful? Not quite sure what would be the best option there, but I'm pretty sure he'd need some sort of breastmilk substitute, as he needs the healthy fats and proteins.

Same here. :) Though my 7yo is going to be thrilled to see a Lego Eomer. (DD wants to know why there is no Eowyn, though.)

Keep walking, and spend some time talking to yourself and the baby. Fwiw, none of my babies have dropped until well into labor. With my third baby, he was really high, and then my water broke. He dropped fast, and twenty minutes later, I was holding him in my arms. Sending good thoughts to you!