We're buying mostly* pre-made food this year, but in past years I have cooked everything ahead of time except mashed potatoes and gravy. My family is crazy about mashed potatoes and I never trusted that they would stay out of them. :) *I am making a veggie tray and sweet potatoes, both of which I prepared tonight (the night before Thanksgiving.)

This. Too many people, not enough dishes. :)

Ronia, the Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren and Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin were two favorites here.

Usually 2 to 3 times a week, but it really depends on the kid, the season, and the day's activities.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: I would do the same.

Exactly! My kids have always chosen or made their own (with help from me when needed.) It they pick out something tacky and horrible, it's on them. :D Dd picked out a broken-armed tomato man dressed as a farmer when she was 3.5. It was 99 cents and she HAD to have it. We get a kick out of it every year when we pull out the ornaments because it is so bizarre and tacky.

I usually don't go out Friday, but there is a $27 Dutch oven calling my name. :D It depends on the weather. I won't be out at 6AM, but I might go out at 8 and see if there are any left. ETA: No way am I going anywhere Thursday!

I only have 2 kids, so it's not really an issue here. We do throw out ornaments occasionally, as many of our handmade ornaments start to fall apart after a few years. I take pictures of them when we make them, so I don't feel bad about throwing them in the trash when the time comes. :)

I'm probably stepping into the "none of my business" zone, but I ask with genuine curiosity and nothing more (feel free to ignore:) Why do you keep cheap, unattractive, unused things that you hate?

I love this!

I get it, and I don't think you're a scrooge at all. The ornaments that my kids pick out or make each year are for my tree. If they want to take any or all with them when they grow up and move out, they are welcome to do so, but I don't buy anything with the intentions of "saddling" my kids with unneeded/unwanted stuff. As a personal rule, I don't keep anything solely because it has sentimental value to someone else, and I hope my kids will be the same way. Dh and I both have grandparents with a history of borderline hoarding tendencies. If we kept everything they wanted us to have, we would need a TV crew to come dig us out.

Is it hard or soft? Is it something you put on top of a chair? I checked them out on Amazon, but I still don't really understand them. :) Thanks, but unfortunately, I think you're right. She has been on a ball for a couple of years and it has not gotten to be less of a distraction over time. I fear having her on a removable ball and a wheeled thing? Would send me over the edge. I'm pretty sure there would be even less sitting and more fidgeting. :D

We've done this for years and it's always fun to look back on previous years' ornaments and remember why we picked out a particular one. In past years, I've made them but this year I just let the kids pick out one each from the store. Ds picked out a wooden bird because he loves birding and dd picked out a cupcake because lately she has been obsessed with cupcake making and the show "Cupcake Wars" (on Amazon Prime.) Tell me about your ornaments this year and/or ornament traditions!

:grouphug: I'm sorry. Renovations are messy and stressful; maybe they've just had a tough year and aren't having a big dinner this time?

We ordered the pre-made Thanksgiving dinner from Bob Evans. ;) I've never done that before but it's been quite a year. No one is cooking anything unless they want to.

I color and I wouldn't have even considered that my "unusual hobby." That's hooping. :D Your friends sound like they need to get a hobby.

Does anyone have a Kore or Hokki wobble chair? Dd prefers to sit on a large ball, but it's really difficult for her to *stay* on an object that is so much fun to bounce against the wall, floor, her, and her brother. :glare: I wondered if anyone here has had luck with either of these products (or something similar) for a child (or yourself!)

We are stretched but okay, working towards comfortable. Dh was born to a teen mom who was born to an orphan. No one in his family has (or ever had, to my knowledge) a legitimate and legal job. No one taught him job skills, no one helped him navigate high school in a way which would prepare him for college or even adulthood. He was born with a moderate physical disability (scoliosis, missing half of his forearms, and wrists and upper knuckles that do not bend) so he was put on SSI at age 3 and taught that he would never need to work, and could just "live off the government." He now has an accounting degree, works his tail off 60-75 hours a week as an office manager for a home improvement store, and has a fantastic work ethic... but it has been a LONG road. We are in our mid 30s and I think he's still learning life skills. We're making progress every year. We paid off our student loans earlier this year and had no debt until 2 months ago when we bought our first house. Our cars are 10-15 years old, most of our clothes come from Goodwill, and we've never been on vacation, but we're okay. 2013 was the first year since we've had kids that we've made too much to qualify for assistance of any kind. While it's tough being on that border, it's also very satisfying to know we're making progress.

Does anyone have a Kore or Hokki wobble chair? Dd prefers to sit on a large ball, but it's really difficult for her to *stay* on an object that is so much fun to bounce against the wall, floor, her, and her brother. :glare: I wondered if anyone here has had luck with either of these products (or something similar) for a child (or yourself!)

I have read the 3rd edition several times, skimming through the rhetoric stage. I think I've read the rhetoric stage in its entirety once. I can't remember which I came across first, WTM Forums or book. I knew I wanted to give my kids a classical education and WTM (book) gave me a really accessible route to achieve that goal. I think I heard about WTM (book) online and had to wait for it to come ILL, so then I started lurking on the boards. However, it was a few months after I read the book that I began to post here.

That is AWESOME. :D

My son was like this at 6, so most of his clothes came from Goodwill. If you lose the nice Gymboree jacket that fits (from Goodwill) you may not be able to get another nice Gymboree jacket that fits (from Goodwill.) You'll get what you get. IMHO, It's not something to be upset about. I think they usually start to take better care of things/ lose fewer things as they get older.

:hurray:

^^ This, exactly. I'm so sorry your daughter has to deal with flaky daughters of inconsiderate moms.

Honestly, the tub and shower don't get cleaned very often. Probably about once a month. We all shower, so it doesn't get very dirty. The rest of the bathroom gets cleaned once or twice a week. I sweep the floor every day or two when I sweep the hall in front of the bathroom. We have dark wood laminate which I am forever and always sweeping. ETA: I have a basement bathroom that I remember to clean about every 2-4 weeks. I think I've used it twice since we moved in two months ago, so I just don't ever think about it.