I rarely tip less than 20%; the service would have to be truly bad for that. I often find myself tipping more than 20%, but many of my dining out experiences include an inexpensive breakfast or lunch with small children in tow. If a waitperson has put up with us (mostly) politely and is left with (at least some of) our resulting mess, I usually tip more. Also I consider that my little ones split meals, so if we're taking up a table for four, we're on average a low tab for that table. It feels wrong to leave a $3 tip, even if that would be 20%.

Pesto pasta salad (I make pesto in large batches and freeze - or buy ready made from the store) - I add peas and shredded chicken (again, I poach a bunch and stick it in the freezer for later - or buy rotisserie), diced cherry tomatoes if you like. I make enough for 2-3 days, but we don't mind eating the same thing for a meal or two. I know you said no raw tomatoes, but this is pretty fantastic if you can... - halve/quarter cherry tomatoes (1 pint), mince 2 cloves of garlic, chop or tear as much basil as you like, and tear 8 oz of brie into bite size pieces. Marinate in ~ 1/4-1/2 c. of olive oil for as long as you can (I do this in the morning and leave it on the counter under saran wrap all day. Toss with 1 lb of your favorite pasta. Amazing! Leftovers are great. Use your crockpot on a day your are going to be home and cook some chicken breasts in either bbq sauce or salsa. Shred and freeze in 1 cup portions. Perfect for sandwiches, quesadillas, burritos or whatever quick. Also great served over a (microwaved) bake potato.

We didn't even have a cake! We served brownies and milk shooters while people were dancing. My mom ordered us a brownie dessert at the restaurant we had dinner in for our one year anniversary :-) (I have no special love for brownies - aside from an eternal devotion to chocolate. I'm a lemon dessert kind of girl. But the brownies were fun to serve, people loved it, and it was sweet of my mom to remember that for our anniversary .)

Is that the one by Hartman? I believe there is a sequel coming next March.

I'll second Kristen Cashore's series, and in a similar vein, I would add Rae Carson's Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy as another YA series that finished strong IMO. Plus, it's complete, so no waiting for that third book!

I'll second the All Souls Trilogy by Deborah Harkness, even though the third novel isn't out yet (but it's actually coming out... unlike the multi-year wait for George R.R. Martin - whose books I ended up hurling across the room - or Patrick Rothfuss). The second book in the trilogy actually stood up to the first, which I agree is rare. I have grave concerns about Patrick Rothfuss' Kingkiller trilogy. I LOVED the first two books, but I'm just not sure if he can pull a third one out, and his premise doesn't lend itself to extending the series. I have read most of the ones you listed in your OP, and I completely agree. Daughter of Smoke and BOnes is sitting on my bedside table; now I'm not certain I want to dive in. I didn't actually know Unwind was a trilogy (the first was handed to me by a student a few years ago), and I have no desire to peruse the rest of the series. It didn't strike me as needing a follow up.

My 1 yo is loving Neo Tobbles right now (sorry, no link - I'm on my phone).

It's the text we used in high school (many moons ago), so I hope so! FWIW, I went through Ecce levels 1, 2, and 3, and then completed two years of AP Latin (back when there were two AP exams) with no extra supplements. Of course, this was a b&m school with an awesome instructor, but still Ecce can be a great Latin foundation.

Adorable! Congrats, momma! Enjoy your new squishy :-)

Thank you for all the advice, ladies! Keep it comin' :-) I've been constantly surprised how easy - and how challenging - breast feeding is. I'd always planned on breast feeding (my mom did, and so did her mom), but I never expected to love it. I'm definitely the odd one out in my family nursing past a year, but I just know that we're not ready to wean yet. It's so encouraging to hear others' stories and advice.

Thanks for this thread! I'm nursing DS currently, who is 14 months. I had always planned to nurse until a year, but he's still a baby. We're definitely not ready to wean, yet! Fortunately, DH is on board as well; he's pretty clear that it's my choice as long as it's what's best for me/our children. That being said, I'm now 12 weeks pregnant with number two. I had no plans on nursing through pregnancy/tandem nursing, but now I've no plans for weaning, so I'm heading into uncharted territory (for me - and I don't know anyone else who has done extended nursing/tandem nursing). 1) Other than LLL, are there any resources/books you recommend? 2) I'm finding that DS is nursing more frequently now. Normal? (and ow, my aching nipples!) 3) Can anyone tell me things I can expect from nursing in later pregnancy? 4) How did you balance the newborns needs with your active toddler's desire to nurse? 5) Have any of your LO's weaned themselves during pregnancy? Wanted to go back to nursing when the new baby came? My OB is super supportive, which is great, but my ped is not. He told me that I need to wean DS three months before the baby comes, otherwise the baby will have failure to thrive. (I just nodded bc I was in shock; I might have said something to him otherwise. I was also only about 5 weeks pregnant, so I hadn't had time to process.) At this point, my "plan" is to let DS wean himself when he is ready. I'm a little shocked he hasn't already, since I can tell my supply has dropped. He's never nursed himself to sleep (so frustrating when he was a tiny guy!), so I kind of thought he would wean when he started going on his own. As long as it buys me a happy almost-toddler, I'll keep nursing.

Like your daughter, I taught myself to read just before my third birthday. I was reading the Secret Garden (and comprehending it) at age 5. My mother didn't know what to do with me. My younger brother didn't start reading at all until six and not fluently until 7. (The school I attended used the WRTR, so the story is exactly the same.) He didn't LIKE reading until high school, at least. He is currently less than a semester away from finishing his JD/PhD at an ivy league college. IOW, I'm sure your son will be fine. Keep lessons consistent and short and know that 5 is still early for reading. It is completely developmentally appropriate for children to BEGIN reading anywhere between ages 4-7 (notice I said begin, not achieve fluency). Certainly you'll want to keep your eye out for signs of reading challenges, if you are concerned, but with what you described and his age, I would not be concerned yet.

My only experience with middle schoolers is as an 8th grade teacher, but I loved the age. (I might feel differently about parenting it - they definitely saved some of their more charming attitudes for home!) I definitely did NOT slow them down or keep them in a holding pattern during the year. I was teaching in a private school that terminated after 8th grade, and the kids scattered to half a dozen high schools, each with very different expectations and styles of teaching. My job was to prepare them all to be successful in whatever environment they landed in, and the biggest compliment I got every year is when students would come back and let me know that 9th grade was easy because of what they did in my classroom. I did find it a funny mix in terms of giving the students increased responsibility and them needing extra handholding. I stressed study skills, but more importantly, I stressed that each student needed to find the skills that worked for them; i.e. I demanded flash cards or outlines but gave several methods of completing them that I would accept. It was also a year where many students were in the midst of transitioning from black and white thinking to more abstract thinking; there was a range of concrete to abstract thinkers, but I constantly pushed them to broaden their perspective (and their new brain skills). They wrote A LOT. A minimum of two paragraphs a week, plus many five paragraph essays, as well as a longer piece of sustained writing each quarter (varying in genre). We read "Great Books" (Macbeth, Beowulf), and some challenging young adult novels (Ender's Game, The Book Thief). I required a variety of independent reading across genres. I know my class was a lot of work. I look back and wonder how I kept up with the grading! But, almost every student who left my class would tell me that it was the hardest class they had taken to date (a group of my honors kids said it prepared them for the AP Lit exam better than their sr year teacher), but that they were so proud of themselves when they finished. I think middle school kids NEED to be challenged and to feel like our expectations of them are real and serious; who wants to waste time being spoken down to or pandered to all the time? The pride is in the accomplishment and the feeling of meeting a challenge.

Yup, I was homeschooled from 6th-8th. I attended a small (fabulous) private school for elementary, and then we moved after my 8th grade year, and I attended another private school for high school. (I actually "repeated" 8th grade, but not for academic reasons. My mom didn't want me to graduate at 16). It was a pretty radical choice for my single mom, and I remember my dad not really being on board but not having a lot of say at the time. Later my mom's brothers chose to homeschool their children - all for religious reasons, unlike us - so it's become the norm in my family. My cousins have had a variety of homeschool experiences, which has been interesting for me to watch and taught me a lot. My DH attended public school K-12, and every single female member of his family is a public school teacher or a retired public school teacher. One of his cousins sends her kids to a private school, which has been received with much distaste among the family. They are not going to take our decision to homeschool well AT ALL. But we'll cross that bridge when we come to it, and my DH is on board and supports me, which is the only thing that matters.

Chop it up, add beans and sauteed onions (and maybe diced, cooked carrots or other veggies that meet your family's approval) and top it with a cornbread mix - instant tamale bake.

I voted that I re-wear some/most things before washing, but I currently have babies/toddlers. If I make it through the day in a single outfit, it's amazing (or I just didn't leave the house that day). I keep telling myself that these days will pass eventually, or at least they will be better at keeping the mess contained on themselves. In my "old life" all jeans (most pants), sweaters, and blouses got reworn at least once or until dirty.

Thank you all for the advice. I knew I could count on the Hive! I have no support locally (yet), and my mom is supportive but neutral. She weaned her children around 8 months and doesn't know why I wouldn't do that if it was easier. Don't even get me started on my MIL... Fantastic! Looking it up right away. I do wonder if he'll wean himself over the next nine months, but I'm hoping to let that be his decision not mine. We'll see if my supply holds out (and my nipples!) I have already re-attached myself to my water bottle; staying hydrated is a challenge for me. Thanks! I can still remember the breast tenderness that hit around week 8 or 9, which is why I thought I'd get advice now. It was no picnic before, and I didn't have anyone dining multiple times a day! It sounds like finding a lactation consultant might not go amiss. My little lazy latcher is not going to improve nipple sensitivity (nor are his teeth, which, fortunately he has learned NOT to use - ouch!). A distraction like checking the Hive on my phone? :coolgleamA: And I love the stories about tandem nursing. No idea if we'll make it that far, but I would like to think I'm up for the challenge. If nothing else, I'm going to at least prepare myself as best I can to be up for the challenge! Again, thanks so much! Keep the advice rolling in. It took almost a year to get pregnant with my 10 month old, and this one happened right away, so I'm a little mentally unprepared and totally over the moon. (And bless the internet, so I can tell someone!)

My 10 month old is still nursing, and he's only just started eating (some) solids recently. I'm definitely not planning on weaning any time soon, and it's clear at this point that the bulk of his nutrition is still from breast milk. I just found out I'm pregnant, so I'd love any advice from btdt pregnant and nursing mommas. We've had a decently smooth nursing relationship. His latch is so-so, but obviously effective (he's a chunky monkey!).

Thanks, all! If we ever get a nap time around here, I'm going to enjoy spending time previewing some new music. This is more or less my definition of success, too. A few more options will also help!

... that don't make you completely crazy? Looking for suggestions to keep in the car and for around the house play time. (And if you have a magic CD that will keep them asleep all night, I'm all ears!)

- dishwasher! - storage near the dishwasher so I don't have to traipse all over the kitchen when unloading the dishwasher - garbage disposal (in BOTH sinks, if you get to have two!) - plenty of upper cabinet storage (I only have one - this means pretty much everything in my kitchen is at toddler height and requires lots of bending from me) - prep space near the stove top (I DESPERATELY want this) - at least six burners - dream kitchen? two ovens, side by side, not stacked, so I don't have to reach high/bend low when pulling heavy, hot pans from the oven - kitchen stools that are NOT in the workspace at all

I'll add the millionth vote for a gift certificate (Starbucks and bookstores were my favorite, and small $$ cards to either location are useable without spending any/much additional money). Thank you notes (from the student OR the parent) are also good, although I traditionally received more of those at the end of the school year. An all time favorite gift of mine was a small plate of cookies with the recipe attached. These cookies were famous around the school, and you knew you were a favorite teacher when you got the recipe! I also loved receiving pens with the silly flowers on top (usually made by the students - fake flowers + florists tape). I kept them in a flowerpot painted by a former student for all those kids who "forgot" any writing utensils when coming to class. ("But I didn't KNOW we'd need something to write with...") A single cupcake or a small box of chocolates from a local bakery (we had one student that brought candy apples... loved getting one of those!).

The sweet treats for the holidays thread reminded me of my annual holiday question... For those of you who bake cookies for gifts and freeze them, how do you freeze them? As dough? Already baked? Which cookies work best for freezing? I've baked cookies for years, but it has always been a three-day bonanza of cookie making/baking. That just can't happen this year, and I hate to give up the cookie-giving tradition. Tips? Advice? Favorite recipes?

If you are interested in Indian, I highly recommend the 660 Curries cookbook. It is not paleo, but many of the recipes are easily adaptable if they don't fit the guidelines. The recipes are not overly complicated, although there's a bit of a ramp up as you get used to cooking with whole spices. There are some particularly lovely veggie recipes, both as mains and sides. Chilis - my family jokes that I have a chili recipe for every week of the year - Cincinnati style, buffalo chili, white chili, vegetarian chili, pumpkin chili. I always leave out the beans bc my husband doesn't eat them, but I also add extra veggies - red peppers, zucchini, and corn have all been nice additions to more traditional recipes. I also always keep what my family calls "beef shreds" in the freezer. Basically I use my food processor to shred veggies (great for bottom of the fridge veggies that are almost done) and saute them with one pound of beef plus seasonings. The best ratio seems to be 5 cups of shredded veggies and 3-4 tbsp seasoning to a pound of beef. Divided in half, it fits perfectly into two quart size ziplocks for the freezer. Vegetables that work well shredded have been zucchini, sweet potato, carrot, parsnip, any kind of squash. I will add mushrooms, onions, or peppers, too, but these work better chopped by hand. I vary the spices based on what veggies I'm using. Serving suggestions: - topped with eggs and baked as a frittata - as a taco salad - stuffed in a pepper or an acorn squash - topping a sweet potato - mixed with tomato sauce for topping pasta (your family) or spaghetti squash - baked topped with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower (or a combo) similar to a shepherd's pie I also use the leftover shredded veggies to make veggie fritters. Even my pickiest eaters will eat their vegetables fried in pancakes!

Pumpkin Vanilla Pancakes: http://www.feedmeseymourblog.com/2013/10/03/vanilla-pumpkin-pancakes/ Pumpkin Mac n Cheese: http://brooklynfarmgirl.com/2013/09/09/pumpkin-macaroni-and-cheese/ Pumpkin Chili: http://thescrumptiouspumpkin.com/2012/10/24/drunken-pumpkin-chili/ I put pumpkin in everything that'll hold still long enough this time of year :-)