I've had some fun chuckles at this thread tonight! And geesh, people, I do know that dinner did at one time have 2 feet and a head, but I just didn't expect to see it in the bag! Raw meat is gross enough.

Noooooooooooooooooooo I did not read that.

I tried not to look. I don't think the whole chicken claw, but certainly long toenail things! ICK!

Educreations lets you record a lesson, records what you write on the screen and what you say, then save it. I don't have it set up so others can view what I do, but I know you can. So they could see it, just not live.

I grabbed a chicken from the freezer (processed, bought at the store) and started taking the plastic off. Got to the raw chicken (which grosses me out enough anyway) and there was still a foot attached!:eek::ack2: It took me years to be able to cook a turkey or chicken and be able to reach in the cavity and pull out the bag of guts. Now this!

:iagree: so I voted other. But he has so much squishy baby goodness that it almost makes me want another!

The FP Trios are a big hit he. DS will be six in the spring and he can build larger things quickly with them. They take up the bulk of his afternoons.

I've never heard of them, but they look interesting. I have a nice long thick wide scarf that my mom made for me some years back that I pretty much wear the same way.

Congratulations!!!!!!

Thank you thank you thank you!

I'm certainly hoping to see the lightbulb sometime. DS has been sounding out CVC words since July. It's my personal struggle to NOT get frustrated when he sounds out a word, then sounding out that exact same word letter by letter again when it shows up 2 words later. So far, for us, it's been painstakingly slow, but steady.

I just checked the size, they are 8 gallon. 19x15x9 approx. IIRC, I found those at Lowe's too.

I turn on the oven and let it heat to the lowest temp, 170. After it beeps that it is preheated, I shut it of. Then I mix up the bread and cover it and in it goes.

Well, it's not cleaned up right now, s no picture, sorry. Maybe later. We finally moved to a free standing hard plastic heavy duty shelving unit found at Lowe's that we shoved in a closet. Toys go in tubs that fit on the shelves. Theoretically, anyways.

Thank you. (And, just for fun - The uncle of DH/SIL made a blatant, obvious pass at me last Christmas. Dysfunction = a plenty!)

Bingo! There's a term for that? You speak truth. Thank you. We can certainly work on the mentality of "this is just how they are" and work to leave the irritation behind.

It took us 10 years to have kids, so I fully totally understand that side of things. I know that it is rough.

That's what I've thought of doing. And you know, it's hard to explain a person in a post or two. Truly, she can take any occasion or any conversation and manage to monopolize it. But both DH and I think that if you really want to give our kids a gift, and call it a birthday gift, at least try to show up around their birthday. (At least in our situation, when family is in the same town.) We do show our kids how to be polite when receiving gifts, and polite in general.

ETA: This turned out to be partially a vent, I guess. So JAWM? I am so very non-confrontational. I despise it. I am a people pleaser that is slowly learning to say no. We do have some crazy in our families, but it's nothing compared to some of the crazy family stories I see on here. All that being said, I need to handle and issue with my SIL. I hate to be vocal and voice opinions around her/that side of the family. She is an expert at passively aggressively making everything all about her, and after 15 years, I pretty much just ignore her, but I've had enough. Case in point: we live in the same town as SIL/BIL. They are late 30's, no kids (medical issues). We live less than 10 minutes from her. (Side note - other SIL, both DH's sibs, lives 5 houses down from us. She won't have anything to do with us.) SIL/BIL love to buy gifts for nieces and nephews. I don't encourage it, but I don't expect it from them. DS's birthday was over a month ago, and SIL has FB'd me a few times stating that she needs to come over sometime to give him his bday gifts. Fine, no problem, we are home most days. Just call/text when you want to run over so I can make sure we are home. Nothing yet. Again, so NOT a big deal about the gifts. But she does this - purposely deliver birthday gifts WAY late so she can make a big production of it and in the end all she does is draw the attention to her. Year after year. We are the only family in the extended family that is self sufficient/not needy (in an emotional way)/functioning normally. This extremely belated bringing over little gifts is so passively attention seeking. So how do I nicely tell her that, you know, if you can't bother to come over (again, less than a 10 minute drive, and she doesn't work a job) within a week or so of birthdays, to not even bother without her and other SIL resenting me even more? (seriously, they are still not over the fact that I "took" their brother from them when we got married. 15 years ago.) We don't go over there because of animal mess issues in the house/clutter/hoarding/general ick.

Tonight I am making bacon potato soup. And wow, is it good.

We live in small town Indiana. We do have a Nat'l Guard base about 30 minutes north and the boys like to rubberneck at the painted up old planes they have out on display. Occasionally we will hear a Guard jet or military aircraft of some sort and we love to spot them. Within the last few hours we've seen a few large (but normal looking) helicopters and 3 of those cool looking ones (that seriously I only see on TV) with blades on the front and back and they are really long. They were really low flying, so we headed outside to jump and down and wave like fools to them, just for fun. I wonder if they are being moved around because of the storm coming on the east coast, or maybe something to do with a presidential candidate visiting Ohio soon I heard? Who knows. But interesting for us!

Thanks for posting this. I've not considered TOG or SL but have debated heavily between BP and MFW.

I don't know what would be best for you, really. I also have MFW first grade sitting waiting to be used and wondering when to start it next year. So...all that to say, I say if what you have is working well, I stick with it. No use to rush things. Can you just take a bit of time off when new baby arrives, then pick up where you left off?

Sigh. You're right, I do know. I do know about prenatal alcohol exposure and the link to decreased impulse control. He is the kind of kid who will do great with a box of electronic junk to mess with when he is older! We have an indoor mini trampoline and gymnastics rings that get used a lot! He also usually has silly putty in his hands too. Just one of those afternoons.

And seriously, what person with a 3 yr old doesn't need help with their behavior?? DS5's behavior was HORRID when he was 3, but it was more about attitude and being a first time mom. DS3 is a difficult child, he has been since we met him when he was 2 days old. He's high maintenance, very defiant (and always has been), strong willed, etc etc etc. I've tried every way of discipline/whatever you call it that I can think of. Time out. Time in. Getting on his level, using few words, telling why we don't <fill in the blank>. I've even tried a spank. We use a lot of AP ways, though not all. Part of the issue is that he is smart. He is a natural problem solver (as opposed to my first, whom I need to guide through each issue) and will find a way to get what he wants without breaking my specific "don't do that" rule. He's started hitting again. I can handle 1's and 2's hitting. This, however, is a purposeful hit after him not getting his way. For example, he asks to go outside and I tell him that he can go outside after lunch, but not now. So he gets mad, screams, and throws a punch. Dude, so not ok. So I catch his hand, explain (and in my mean mommy voice) that we do NOT hit, even if you are not happy, and he has to sit on the couch or stairs. He has been a hitter ever since he was 1. And honestly, he has some issues. We adopted him at birth and he was exposed to alcohol and cocaine. He has some sensory seeking issues that we manage. I've read books and I've been around a ton of little kids. He's just honestly hard to manage. I've read attachment books, parenting books, adoption books, sensory books. Since he learned to walk, he's been intrigued by the computer. (desktop) For over 2 years, I have redirected (as a baby/young toddler) him away from it or given him a time out (now, being older) multiple times a day for messing with it. For over 2 years. He knows he's not allowed to touch it, but he just doesn't seem to care about the consequence. It's worth it to him to get to the forbidden fruit!:tongue_smilie: (I've seen that mentality come from him with other situations, too.) What do I do with this kid?