I store the 'off season' clothes in boxes in the kid's closets. My kids actually enjoy going through the clothes and trying them on...it's like getting new clothes and they love to get new clothes. I keep two boxes oer child, and we do one box one day and the other on a different day. That way they're not overwhelmed.

We have a family games night and eat junk food....no trick or treating, or even answering the door.

No dancing here, but we did have a couple sing "Always" by Atlantic Starr. I suppose that was our wedding song. That was in 1987.

My dd says everything is 'random'...it drives me nuts! We have a three parter too...if someone says "too bad", someone else will chime in "so sad" and that's inevitably followed up with "your dad". Not sure why...it just is.

We went in early Feb and it was awesome. There were no lineups (never waited more than about 10 minutes) and it was still warm enough for us to swim at our hotel and even hit a water park. That may not be the case if you're from somewhere warm though...the staff were wearing heavy coats. It was mid 70's the whole time we were there. I would go again at this time in a heartbeat. I couldn't imagine having to spend most of the trip standing in line!

Ditto here!

Love this!

It's a hard age when you don't want them reading certain types of books...it seems like that's what most of the books are geared towards for this age. My dd12 has been reading a lot of the older classics and historical fiction novels. Also, she's really gotten into good old fashioned mysteries.

You can add chocolate syrup to milk and warm it up in the microwave. Then make a cup of strong instant coffee and add the hot milk. Works for me!

Mine is my hobbit name. I thought it was pretty, so I use it everywhere now.

Our kids are old enough now that we can go out and leave them on their own. We go out once a week, just for coffee, but it's a great (and important) time on our own, just to hang out and talk. When the kids were younger, we'd either swap babysitting or hire a sitter, but just for an hour or so. It kept costs down. We still just went out for coffee then too. We can't afford to do dinner all the time.

We do...not just for school, we review chores and rules as well. It's our annual 'house rules' meeting. It's always light hearted and we ask for input from the kids, which they appreciate. It helps bring them on board with any changes.

You go Mom!! Just stick with it and don't forget to balance the strictness with lots of love.

I was having this exact issue with my dd and my dh pointed out that I shouldn't be arguing with her. I should just tell her what was expected and that was it. If it wasn't done without arguments, there would be consequences, period. We sat her down and explained what was expected, from this moment forward. We even made a written statement of consequences (so there'd be no misinterpretations) and hung it right on the fridge. Nothing long, just short and simple. It was so freeing for me! I was free to stop arguing. I just cut her off, reminded her of the consequences, and if she continued, I handed them out. Period. That was it. If she still continued, I sent her to her room until she was ready to comply. If her work wasn't getting done, she'd have to do it at night with Dad. She really hated that because the rest of us were free while she had to continue working. She'd have to sit there until it was done. We would be very pleasant during the evening 'sessions', we were available if she needed help and we wouldn't argue. If she started we'd just walk away. It took about a week and a half, but she realized that I just wasn't going to argue with her anymore and she stopped. That was the year before last, and she just does her work now, now problem. Our consequences were extra math drill, housework, no screen time and early bed. But that would really depend on what hits home for your child.

Mine is "You Keep Me Hangin' On" by the Supremes.

We just finished doing this. 5" Mahogany hardwood throughout our whole house. We bought an air compressor and already had a nail gun. We rented the nailer (this came with a rubber mallet, I think we paid $60 for a week) and we borrowed a table saw. Here's our list: Rosin paper (definitely worth putting down - helped find bits that might keep a board from sitting flat and it made it easier to slide the wood across the room while nailing); staple gun for the paper, variable speed drill and assorted drill bits, hammer, crowbar (or prybar), Chalk line, Tape measure, Pneumatic Flooring Package (air compressor and hose, nail gun, mallet and staples), Table saw, Nail set, Hardwood flooring wood putty, Gorilla glue (for the edge pieces that we had to nail, to give it extra hold), palm sander, Earplugs , and safety goggles. I think thats about it. Once we got the old flooring and baseboards out and got going, it was pretty easy, except for the tricky corners. Just take your time and make sure it's right before you cut. Make sure your dh reads up before he does it, and let the wood sit for at least a week in your house to acclimatize. Like someone said, leave a gap at each end for movement. We didn't put down another layer of plywood. The jury is still out on whether or not we should have. So far, no issues, but we JUST finished. Once you rip up the flooring, bang down any screws/nails, then make sure your floor is level. Use a palm sander to even it out. Staple in the rosin paper and then start with the wood. We chalked a line for the first row, in case the walls were uneven, using the 3-4-5 method (Squaring a room is as easy as 3-4-5. The best method to squaring your room is using a 3-4-5 Triangle. Measure three feet against one wall, four feet to the center of the room and connect the two lines to make a triangle with a five foot line. If your room is larger, use six, eight, and ten foot lines. If it's smaller, use 18", 2' and 2'6." Mark off all lines by snapping a chalk line along your measurements. This was very helpful! Maybe this was waaaaay more info than you wanted, but since it's still so fresh in my mind...well, I thought I'd share.

Me too, thanks!

Very cool! Once I started homeschooling, it became very apparent to me...one of my goals for my kids (and myself) is to never stop learning.

Okay, so I'm replying just to find out what my "level" is....I have no idea!

My dd (12) just got the Meningococcal vaccine. I didn't give it a second thought.

This is what I do...I also toss any that have had meat in them. When you turn them inside out, be careful not to split the sides right by the opening. I tend to do that often!

All of the episodes are available to watch online. If we miss one, we watch it online.

We moved from Canada to the US...similar Countries, but believe it or not, there are many differences between the two. We love it in the US but have no plans to become citizens. As for the health care discussions, there are positives and negatives to both sides. We've also looked into moving to Europe. You can't just pick up and move, there's always immigration requirements (having a job being one of them - one of you would have have a job secured in the country first, unless you have X amount of money at your disposal). We moved away from all of our family and friends, to a city where we knew only one person. I have to tell you, I've made better friends here than I ever had at home.

After 21 years of marriage, I've learned that respect is one of the most important components of a great marriage. In how you treat each other, in how you speak to each other, in how you respond to what the other thinks, feels and does.

Here's what we do..nothing fancy or time-consuming, but necessary, fun, fellowship and support for all those who attend: we use the gym and one or two other rooms of a church; we meet twice a month at the church and plan at least one other outing somewhere each month (bowling, tours, etc.). everyone takes turns planning one outing; we split the kids into two groups...the older group has PE for an hour and the younger group play games, do puzzles or crafts (we all bring games/toys to share and the kids play together); then the two groups of kids switch places. No time consuming agenda, no pressure...you come when you can and don't when you can't. We all enjoy it because everyone just gets to hang out and enjoy each other's company. We have an optional book report group (once a month) and an optional art class (run by a paid teacher). Again, no pressure, you join only if you want to. It's a great format, no one person has too much responsibility, and we've all made some great friends.