I don't get it either. I've read it to my kids a few times but it is definitely not a favorite. But then again, I also don't get why most classics are recommended for reading and how they got to be a classic or why the Oscar awards choose the winning movies that they do LOL.

Fighting Gravity....I'd totally pay to go see them.

My girls are not the messy and dirty type LOL. So they do not get baths every day. Now, if they go outside to play, the do get a bath....we are down here in FL and it gets hot. But because it gets so hot, we don't play outside a lot during the summer because it is miserable. So if they have just played inside and gone swimming for a while, no bath. If they've played outside, then a bath. I'd say maybe two times a week.....could be more depending on our activities though.

That's the kind of taco sauce we always buy. Our Wal Mart sells it. It's Taco Bell brand and tastes exactly the same.

LOL!!!! I love it! Yes, I think that's how I'd like it with my girls. Gosh, girls grow up so fast! I didn't get my period or breasts until 13 years old. My DD is 6. Please don't tell me there's only 4 years left!

LOL! That's what I was thinking!!

Have you read anything by Karen Kingsbury? She has tons of Christian fiction books. I devour anything she writes in about 24 hours. They are all about love, family, God, etc.

Sorry, I forgot you said that you already checked eBay. Other than the Disney store, that's the only place I know of.

I just went through this not too long ago. DD6 loves Pooh and Friends. I know that the Disney store had Gopher not too long ago. Not sure if they still do, but he's on eBay: http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m570.l1313&_nkw=pooh+gopher+plush&_sacat=See-All-Categories

It kind of sounds like allergies to me. I don't think it has anything to do with pregnancy.....well, for me it didnt. I felt like this off and on for a year or more. It ended about a year ago. I would feel like I absolutely had zero energy. I'd feel achy, have a stuffy nose, feel flu-ish (yet never get a fever, although I'd take my temp about a zillion times during the day). I have LOTS of allergies. We finally got rid of our cats and I've felt progressively better since then. I'm wondering if that wasn't it. My allergies actually came on during my last pregnancy. Do you have any allergies that you know of?

Way to go mama!!! You are doing AWESOME!!! And the results are showing! I hope that if I should ever need to tomato stake my kids, I can be as calm, cool, and collected as you are!

And I would put all of the new stuff up, if you purchase any. I'd sit down and make a rotating plan sheet so that she has scheduled things to do. That way she can look forward to upcoming things and plus, she won't see all the new things at one time. You can gradually introduce them so they will interest her. I think a plan is key in a situation like this. Start rotating her toys too....she can play with a new set of toys every week.

Wow, that would be difficult. Stock up on new craft supplies....lots of them. Michaels has some great do it yourself hand puppets for cheap. You could get supplies to make those. Do you have a video game system? If not, maybe you could invest in one....either handheld or otherwise....or borrow one? Netflix is good, like you said. New board games, get a jump on making Christmas gifts for family members, moon sand, some PlayDoh kits. Does she like to play with little figures and animals? There's some cute new types of those out in stores now....new Christmas items that have recently been released. Magnetic dolls, paper dolls, computer games (pbskids.com, disney.com, nickjr.com, webkinz.com are all good and free....well you do need a webkinz for the last one). Workbooks, coloring books, maze books, hidden pictures, kids magazines, learn to draw books, extra school work LOL. I hope it goes well, I can't imagine trying to keep a kid calm for that long.

Ditto what someone said about concentrating on distributing the weight. Today was my first day doing Level 2. Oh. My. Word. I thought I was going to die.

No, sweetie, chocolate milk will never come out of your boobies. No, not even when you are a mommy. Because God didn't want babies to drink chocolate milk. No, you won't want to push your boob all the way up to your mouth and drink your own chocolate milk. Well, for one, that's just ummm, strange. And for two, your body will NOT make chocolate milk. Yes, I know chocolate milk tastes better than white milk.

Just curious.....are microwaves not allowed? LOL

No sweetie, you don't really need to look at your poop each time before I flush it. Yes, it is big, I know. No, you won't get boobies until you get older. That's not how it works, you can't just exercise them to make them grow bigger. But, you don't need a bra, you are flat. No, you don't need a bra because yours don't jiggle when you run. Why? Because they are FLAT. Sweetie, that's just how God made a girls body work....you only get them when you are OLDER. Baby, you are not a llama so you DO need to wear a jacket. No, I really don't think the puma ate your fur. You don't have fur to keep you warm so you really do need to wear a jacket....you'll get cold. Baby, did you and your sister really have to bring the whole bin of blocks and people to play with in here together.....while you poop? Please come back inside since you do not have any clothes on. Yes, just go stand in the grass to pee. There are no chipmunks allowed at the table anymore.

I don't attach a grade to DD6 based on academic capabilities. I only attach a grade to her so that she will be in a class of same aged kids at church, and I will tell other people "1st grade" when they ask, because what they really want to know is how old she is, not what grade she's in. I honestly think that grades for homeschooling children are sort of crazy. I mean, for example.....if my DD excels in math, I may have her doing second grade level math. But if she's behind in reading, she may still be reading kindergarten level books. So what grade is she really in? Most homeschoolers that I know operate like this. I do know someone who always seem to say that her children are one grade higher than their age.....yet when she tells me what sort of work they are doing, they all seem to be on the level as their age....know what I mean? I never understand why she says they are a grade ahead.

I love this site....it tells every single questionable thing there could be in a movie. Here's the one for Dear John: http://www.kids-in-mind.com/d/dearjohn.htm

Loooooove it! That color is awesome. I love Ikea too. Our closest one is 3 hours away though.

We picked up some of those a few weeks ago. They are awesome!! DD6 just loves them. I need to go back and get some more to stock up for future use.

This is my second year homeschooling in Florida. I sent in a letter of intent. And you have to do a standardized test by a certified teacher at the end of each year, but that's it. They say to keep a portfolio, but I don't know of anyone who has ever been asked for their portfolio. I keep all my kids work anyways, so if the need ever arises, I can throw something together quickly.

Whew!! I am so glad to hear that everything is okay! I was worried!

I admit, I use it occasionally, but not often. I have never thought of it as a sexual connotation.....umm, I think I'll refrain from using it now. We don't curse around here, nor say vulgar/crude sounding words. My children honestly think that bad words are "stupid" and "hate." They have no idea that real bad words even exist because they have never heard them before. But we don't say stupid, hate, shut up, crap, etc. I don't think they've ever heard me say sucks either. I wish people would refrain from using crude sounding words though, or at least watch whose company they are in. My sister uses a lot of crude sounding words, but not cuss words.....she says things like "the dog took a crap" or "it pissed me off." Sorry, I don't want my children picking up words like that. Plus, it makes her sound immature and uneducated. I think there are many other vocabulary words to choose from in order to get your point across.

Praying for you and Zee! Please keep us updated about the MRI. Is your son under and stress lately? Any big changes? Any you may not even realize that is stressing him? Is anything worrying him? As I'm sure you already know, tics get worse under stress. I have a tic disorder (not Tourette's....I've never been diagnosed but I'm leaning towards chronic motor/vocal tic disorder.....just like transient tic disorder but extends into adulthood). I know that my tics get worse at times, especailly when under a lot of long term stress, or when I'm worried. But then again, there are times when they get worse for no reason at all. I'm praying for your son. I'm glad you are trusting your mama instince....God gave it to us for a reason.