I am strangely fascinated by tiny houses…but with four kids, it will likely remain a fascination.

We used http://www.upack.com for two moves and they were great. They bring an ABT trailer to your home, you pack it (we hired local help via http://www.uhaul.com/MovingHelp/) and then they deliver it. You unpack it and call them to pick it up.

Quote from somebody who may delete it later: " I'm mostly amazed that he had the self control and courage to do it. Some of us haven't found that yet." I used to feel that way when I read about people who committed suicide. I finally did seek out help. It took some time, but things really did get better. I am so very grateful that I never found the courage to kill myself. I would have missed out on so much. Please know that you can get anonymous help 1-800-273-8255 There are online forums/chat rooms where you can go. http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org If you can't get a babysitter to watch the kids to see a therapist, you can also do counseling online. Edited for privacy reasons.

No, he went to my school in Michigan. His Dad was an auto exec, I think. It was, at the time, an all boys prep school, and they say he drew upon that for "Dead Poets Society." No idea if it's true or not. Edited to add: Yup, it was true. Never knew Mr. Campbell was fired, though. He was a great teacher. http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20115677,00.html

Oh no, first I saw. He went to my high school. I remember when he came back when I was in middle school. He was nice to everyone…really tried to let all the kids meet him and stuff. Lots of prayers for his loved ones. :(

Growing up, our chores were always tied to our allowance. Don't do the work, don't get paid. The thing is I saw this translate into an expectation of payment in order to do things which I consider being a responsible family member. So, for us, we've asked our kids to do basic things and it is not tied to an allowance. Extra chores can mean extra money, though. How do you handle things? What are your "basics"(daily chores) and for what ages?

Call the office and ask for the numbers. Don't wait. They might only be slightly high..or they might be very high. Because of your family history, I would ask for a referral to a cardiologist. Don't assume that meds will be suggested. Most physicians are not comfortable putting a teen on statins for a lifetime. BUT, if medication is the best solution, than s/he will suggest that. You can ask….when….why…..how long….how much….what are the alternatives, etc. They also may suggest trying metformin vs. a statin as it has an effect on insulin resistance. They may suggest a daily or alternate daily low-dose aspirin….or fish oil or other things.

I would check and see if there are any Egyptian or Muslim doctors on staff at the local hospitals….or professors at a local college. Egyptians tend to be everywhere. DH was in the UP at a restaurant, and found that somebody had marked visiting there from Cairo. They or their wives might help. You might be able to get somebody who will roast a lamb in a pit…kind of like they do pigs in Hawaii. If it's going to be anytime soon, one favorite Egyptian thing is called mashi (which means stuffed, I think). They stuff any and all veggies….but zucchini is a favorite. There is a special tool for coring out the zucchinis, but you can also slice them lengthwise, stuff them, and then put the tops back on. (Note; I do not recommend paying $19.00 for one. I want to say there are typically $4-5.) http://www.food.com/recipe/cousa-mashi-arabic-stuffed-zucchini-363420

Mulukhiya is an acquired taste. It is really slimy like okra. Most non-Egyptians that I know do not like it. You can buy it dried or frozen. Usually you make a kind of slimy soup with it and serve it with chicken and rice (or rabbit my DH would say. Umsami won't cook Bugs Bunny, though.)

I've yet to see GF pita, but my DS wants me to try and make some. Found this: http://www.thebakingbeauties.com/2014/04/gluten-free-pita-bread.html :)

This seems to be very common where I am. It never happened when I was a kid that I remember. Fees for classes and for sports…which excludes kids who can't pay them….and thus, makes a "free" public education for all not the reality. The uniform fees for some public schools and charters can be ridiculous too. One charter near us requires their own embroidered bottoms (just navy/khaki…but they have to have their logo) as well as a logo'd fleece/sweater. So each kid, can cost upwards of $125.00. I know that parents will often spend that on a normal school wardrobe, but to me, it's one thing to require one $12 polo….and quite another to require an entire wardrobe. Of course….yes…then there's the paper towels, baggies, Clorox wipes, etc. that are required. Add another $100/kid.

Oh, if you don't have coriander, I've seen it in the Badia spices at the store. You could also just omit it and use just cumin.

It serves our family of 6 (2 adults, 4 kids) with a little leftover. To be on the safe side, I'd make a double batch. It does freeze well. :) I like to have an extra container of chicken broth on hand when reheating, in case it got too thick in the 'fridge. Really good with pita chips. You can buy them at the store, or just split pita in half so that you have two circles, and put it on a cookie sheet at 350 (or whatever temp your oven is at for another recipe). Remove when crunchy. Break up, and put into a ziploc baggie until ready to serve.

Oh, one wonderful appetizer is to make meat pies. You can make it super easy on yourself and use either canned biscuits rolled out as the dough, purchased bread dough, crescent roll dough, or purchased pie dough. The yogurt/lemon juice mixture really makes it good IMHO. This is close to what I use…..http://www.chucklingpigblog.com/2010/03/lebanese-meat-pies Hummus bil tahini! It's authentic. Everybody loves it. I think I usually use the ATK recipe, but I'm not sure. (There's one that adds a little cold water, and IMHO, it really does help make it smooth.) If you're going to be needing a lot of tahini, buy it on Amazon. Usually grocery stores only carry the Joyva brand, which is expensive. Fried cauliflower is a favorite appetizer…but I"m not sure if frying is reasonable. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fried-cauliflower-egyptian-style/ Baba ghanoush is a great appetizer and can be made ahead too. Red lentil soup is easy to make and cheap. Buy the lentils in a Pakistani/Indian store if you have one near by. You can also buy them at Trader Joe's and in the bulk bin of health food stores. 1 large onion, chopped 3 T olive oil 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed 1 - 1-1/2 tsp cumin 1 - 1-1/2 tsp ground coriander 1 3/4 red lentils 1 stick of celery w/ leaves 1 carrot finely chopped 2 Quarts Chicken Stock or Veggie Stock (I use the Swanson giant cardboard container... but I've made this with bouillion cubes before, homemade as well) Salt & Pepper Sautee the onion in the olive oil in large saucepan until soft, but not browned. Add garlic, cumin, and coriander. Stir and saute for a minute or two. Add the lentils, celery, and carrot... saute for a minute, then add the stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 30-45 minutes until the lentils have disintegrated. Add salt and pepper to taste. At this point, I like to puree it with an immersion blender... but you don't have to. You may need to add some more stock/water at this point (or when reheating) if it's too thick. DH's likes to squeeze in a bit of lemon when he eats it. I'm usually too lazy to do that. I serve it with my version of fattoush salad (chopped salad w/ pita bits.) Dressing is from Claudia Roden...so it's traditional... I just don't add all of the variety of greens (usually because I can't find them.): 5 T olive oil 1 to 1-1/2 lemons (juiced) 2-3 cloves garlic, finely diced salt & pepper Whisk together in a small bowl. I usually start with juice from one lemon, and add more if needed. Salad Bit: 1/4 onion, 1-2 shallots, or a few scallions 2-3 tomatoes 1 cucumber (I usually use two small Israeli or kirby cukes) 1 carrot or handful of baby carrots handful of parsley (flat leaf, if available) Hearts of Romaine Lettuce Pita Chips (see above) Salt Pepper Vinegar Slice the onions very finely and put in a big bowl. Sprinkle with salt (1 tsp or so) and pepper. Then add one capful of vinegar. Dice the tomatoes finely and add. Dice the cucumber finely as well. (You can peel and de-seed if you like. I'm usually too lazy.) Finely chop carrots and add. Finely chop parsley and add. Finely chop romaine lettuce as well. (Think of chopped salads you've had.) You don't want to use too much... want relatively even amounts of lettuce, tomato, and cucumber. Mix with your hands. Add pita chips and mix again with hands. Pour on the dressing...mix again. Enjoy! You can make a normal rice pudding and then decorate it with a mixture of any of the following….chopped almonds, pistachios, coconut, dried apricots, and dried dates to make it look more Egyptian. You can also make a simple vanilla cornstarch pudding called mallhabaya and do the same with decorations. If you want, you can try and make mammoul. You can ignore the rose water…and just use vanilla. No need to use a mould, you can just use a fork to kind of make a design. http://www.theglobaljewishkitchen.com/2012/01/15/mamoul-cookies/ An easier cookie to make is called ghorayba. Some recipes call for clarified butter (semna/ghee), but I've used normal butter just fine. (Most Egyptians have a big can of the stuff….it's kind of like Egyptian Crisco.) http://www.foodofegypt.com/08/01/butter-cookies-ghorayeba/ Basboussa is a favorite dessert too. It's a semolina cake. Serve it with whipped cream. http://www.nestle-family.com/recipes/english/by-method-baked-dishes_Basbousa-with-Almond_9457.aspx Another famous Egyptian dessert is called Um/Om Ali. It's basically a bread pudding made with puff pastry. You can make it with the frozen stuff, and some people say you can just use croissants (like buy a big box at your warehouse store). This recipe is good, but you don't need to do the whipping of the cream, just add it to the milk as it heats. Use whatever nuts you can find easily. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/om-ali/

I will be praying for her son, the surgeons and nurses attending him, and the whole family.

You can also make fattah….which is a traditional Egyptian celebration dish. It can be made with beef or lamb. Often times people will make a soup with the broth called bird tongue in Arabic. (That refers to the fact that it uses orzo, which is called bird tongue in Arabic.) It's simple…the broth is seasoned with cardamom….and there is usually just the pasta. If it's a chicken broth, a lot of lemon is added. The Egyptian version of fattah uses a very garlicy tomato sauce, a lot like koshary. This is a basic recipe http://www.wasfasahla.com/cooking_recipes.aspx?section=ck1513&recipeId=124 but they like tomato paste, we always use tomato sauce. To make the sauce…..sautee in olive oil 8-10 cloves of garlic chopped….with salt and pepper….then add in the can of tomato sauce…..cook for about 5-10 minutes, and then add in 1/3 cup of vinegar. You want it vinegary/garlicy. PM me if you need help. I've been married to an Egyptian for the past 12 years, and have been working on Egyptian cooking for that time. "Dining on the NIle" is a good cookbook geared towards AMericans. "Nile Style" is also great. If your library has Claudia Roden's "New Book of Middle Eastern Food"….anything in there would work. :) Amy Riolo wrote "Nile Style" and has some good recipes on her blog. http://amyriolo.com http://amyriolo.blogspot.com/?view=classic

Every Egyptian's favorite is something called macarona béchamel. It's a lot like pastito. Here's a basic recipe. You can also add some cinnamon to the ground beef/tomato mixture. Claudia Roden has a good recipe. Mine is: Sautee one chopped onion in some olive oil. Add in 1 pound ground beef(well, actually I use 1.25 pounds), salt, and pepper and cook until well browned. (Can also sprinkle in cinnamon…but that is really optional.) Once brown, add in one can of tomato sauce and let cook for about 5 minutes. Taste….adjust salt/pepper. Meanwhile start some water boiling….and start on your béchamel sauce. Melt 5 tablespoons of butter in a heavy bottomed sauce pan, and when melted add in 5 Tablespoons of flour. Stir/whisk the flour in the hot butter until cooked for about one minute, then slowly add in 4-1/2 cups of milk. YOu can nuke the milk first to make it faster…or just add in about half a cup at a time…whisk….add more. Add salt, pepper, and a dash of nutmeg. Many Egyptian women will add a beef stock cube to the béchamel. Continue stirring and take off the heat when thick. Boil one pound of penne….and undercook it by one minute. So 8 minutes if it says 9-11 on the package. Drain. Now add about 1/3-1/2 of the béchamel mixture to the penne….and stir to coat. Take a nice large foil pan (we buy them in bulk at Sam's)…or a Lasagna pan….and spray with Pam. Put half of the béchamel coated penne in the pan, and then spread the beef/tomato mixture over the top. Then add the rest of the béchamel. Add a beaten egg to the remaining béchamel, and then pour that on top. Ideally you want to cover everything….and push down as best you can any penne guys who stick up. Bake in a 400 degree oven for about one hour…or until very nice and golden. Serve with salad. For salad….make Fattoush…using Claudia Roden's recipe. (Google). You can also make fasoulia wa row…..green beans in meat sauce with rice…which is very easy/typical Egyptian family meal. Here is a typical recipe http://abissadacooks.blogspot.com/2011/11/dinner-fasolia-wa-roz-beans-and-rice.html Koshary….if you try it, the key is in making the onions nearly black. You need a ton of them…. double whatever you think or any recipe suggests…..and they have to be so deeply caramelized that they are almost black. You also need to make sure that the tomato sauce is very vinegary. Most Egyptians I know don't make it at home….it's one of the things you usually buy outside. It's Egyptian fast food, for lack of a better term. Ful Medames is easy to make, but it's an acquired taste. If you have an Arabic grocery store, you can buy canned fuul. You then want to sautee onion in olive oil….add in some chopped seeded tomato…..sautee some more…. add in the drained fuul, but keep the water. Mash them in the pan with a fork into the hot oil….. add in a swirl of tahini, salt, pepper, cumin, and some more olive oil. Serve with hard boiled eggs, and bread. For dessert, kunafa if you can find kunafa (Shredded phyllo) is easy. The cheese filling can be hard to duplicate, so make a vanilla pastry cream. You can also do the same thing with baklava (phyllo). Egyptians call it gollash, though….not baklava.

Could you pre-boil some hardboiled eggs or make deviled eggs if you like that? I'd also consider a quick scramble or omelette. One of our favorites is just GF bread toasted, spread with peanut butter and a nice glass of milk. Costco carries super large loaves of Udi's for about $6-7. Do you like nuts? A handful of nuts is a nice snack. Cheese…cut up, on Nut Thins or other crackers or one of my personal favorites, Laughing Cow cheese triangles spread on rice cakes. Sliced salami, rolled with cream cheese mixed with some banana peppers. You can make these in advance.

This may sound weird, but if she has sensory issues can you roast two or three chickens for her and take the meat off the bone, and bag/freeze the meat for her? Most ovens can handle two chickens side by side as easily as one. I think most warehouse stores carry two packs of large chickens…although sometimes it's just as cheap to buy the Rotisserie chickens already cooked. Here, they're around $5.00. So maybe buy 2-4, remove the meat, put it in freezer bags….and let her use it up? Then take the carcasses and make some broth to freeze.

Frequent chore….folding and putting away laundry. Occasional chore….the 'fridge.

First I heard of the term "bone broth" was after "Nourishing Traditions" became popular. We've always made broth from turkey carcasses after Thanksgiving or rotisserie chicken carcasses. Just never called it bone broth. The only thing I've changed is that I had a splash of vinegar because of the whole calcium/mineral thing. I have no idea if it makes any difference. I often do mine in a pressure cooker..and let it go for an hour or two. I've also been known to add a Knorr chicken broth cube to the pot near the end to give it more of a chicken-y flavor. (I know…msg…sodium..who knows what else.)

In my area, it would probably be around $135-150 for regular service….but I don't know of any services which would wipe all of your doors. Spot wipe any smudges? Yes. As for windows, that is usually extra….although most would do sliding glass doors or a glass front door type thing. If it was a one time deal, they would charge you more as a deep clean. (Note: This is going through somebody who has their own company/works for themselves. If you use Merry Maids or something similar, you pay a lot more.)

I had surgery five days from when DD turned one. She was still breastfeeding….and breast milk made up probably 90% of her calories. I was in the hospital for two days. What I did was pump before so that there was some BM at home for her. Pump and dump right after surgery. Then, DH brought her to the hospital twice each day to nurse. My breasts were a little sore, but she was fine. :) She did eat more normal food then. Once I was back out, she went back to nursing normally….and didn't wean until she was two.

We have six or so. Lipton, Brooke Bond Red Label which is an orange pekoe, Tazo Earl Gray, Tazo English Breakfast, Trader Joe's Mint, and Green Tea from Costco.

Thanks for the post. We've never been. So, we have to buy a regular Disney admission plus pay $65 or so for the party? Am I reading the site right?