I did photo postcards for my wedding thank yous, just as they were becoming popular. Everyone loved them, but I did write an actual thank you note as the postcard message.

I like the idea of it, but then they'd have to change to play outside in the Georgia Clay. If they can't wear it the whole school day, it wouldn't be worth it for me. But my oldest is only 8. I could see an older kid needing to "get dressed" to be more productive. I do that myself.

I think it's the ages. The 6 yo is ready to move on to different types of games. I'm lucky in that my second child is pretty mature, and it doesn't take long for her to catch up with my oldest. Everyone except the oldest has the option to "play up" with an older sibling or "play down" with a younger one. But the only way for an oldest to play up is to go to the adult. So when we feel the maturity tension, DH and I try to make time to "play up" with DS8 when we can. Or give him a new privilege or something else along those lines. That said, once DH and I put in the effort, yes he has to go play on his own or with a sibling. Mommy has grown up stuff to do. But when I sarcastically say Would YOU like to vacuum, and the answer is an eager Yes, it's a win-win. ;)

I have the Usborne Illustrated versions of Aesops Fables and Andersen Fairy tales - the illustrations are engaging and the language is updated from the original stories so it's easier to read and listen to. We drill States and Capitals, which were doing for geography this year. I've tried Picture Study and Music Appreciation at other times - those are hard to stick with with the toddler. I also have a few books from the Poetry for Young People series that we read through about once a week. And of course, the glue that holds it all together, the children's lit read-a-loud. We're going through the Little House books right now (my oldest is 8). I save this for last because it's the longest and most desired segment of our Morning Time.

Honestly, I'd say to the the cinnamon and the freezer. No cinnamon because it's too messy, no freezer because of energy. There's no glitter in my house either. #notafunmom ;)

An other possibility: Catholic values don't fit nicely in either of the two mainstream political parties, which often makes it hard to choose which of the various candidates to vote for. In order to not simply choose the "lesser of two evils", some Catholics opt not to vote. I have done this before.

How big are you looking for? My first thought is reusable cotton nbreastfeeding pads.

I have food, toiletries, and household.

My baby (21 months) just stopped nursing thanks to a bad cold. I'm glad it happened "naturally". Oh, and, I had been nursing or pregnant since Sept 2008. So there. ;) 26 months nursing is 2 months past my longest. It's okay to be sad! It's a big change. And hooray for sleep!

Mass and pork with sauerkraut for dinner. Otherwise, just the regular Monday chores and planning. School starts Wednesday!

I keep everything on paper. There might be $5000 in savings, but my paper says $1000 is for dental expences, $300 is for car insurance, $150 for biannual septic pump... etc. One savings, one checking, two CDs which we count as our emergency fund (like, DH loses his job).

I used it a long time ago. Then I made a paper based system using the YNAB method. Last year I thought I'd try the computer program again, so I signed up for the free trial... I hate that they've gone to a subscription for payment. I'll pay the flat fee, please. And the newer version does not allow for negative Rollover within categories like previous versions did. I need that feature to deal with DH's work expenses/reimbursements. I did not subscribe when my trail was done. Back to my paper system.

O Holy Night Carol of the Bells O Come, All Ye Faithful What Child is This?

Yep, got them waiting in the fridge for tomorrow morning!

Pregnancy treats me pretty well, but I'll have contraction-like pain (esp while breastfeeding) for the 1st week, then lingering cramps for another week. And since I labor naturally, my midwife tries to boost the after-contractions by PUSHING ON ME SO HARD right after birth. Drives me nuts. They're always surprised when my body works without the help of pitocin... But yeah, after birth pains make my toes curl, literally.

Ibuprofen, 600mg doses. Still no fun. Nevet heard of the calcium thing. Hope the birth goes smoothly! And congratulations!

If your roasting cut up potatoes, throw them in with those. The sweetness really comes out.

Saturday evening Vigil for the 4th Sunday, Then Sunday evening Vigil for Christmas (Eve)

Does a White something count?

I got some really cheap wife-beater tank tops and cut the arm pit longer, so when I nurse, I pull that opening over my breast and everything else is covered. Of course, that cut tank top doesn't look very nice under thin clothes, so I also have two of these that snap into your bra: https://undercovermama.com/products/uc-mama-tank

Long long long, sorry. I have two Inboxes for bills and receipts: a wire basket on my desk for paper bills/receipts and a unique email that I forward online receipts and digital bills to (this is the ONLY thing I use this email address for. DH also forwards his digital receipts to this address). I am diligent about sorting mail and emails, so I'm confident that all the money stuff is in one of those two locations. Every Wednesday I sit down at my desk to do Money Work. I go through my wire basket and pull out all the bills and pay them. I also keep my checkbook, envelopes, stamps, and our car loan payment coupons in a zippered pencil holder (like that goes in a binder) on my desk so everything is there. Then I stick the payment envelopes in my purse so I remember to take them to the mailbox the next time I leave the house. Next, I log into that unique email address and tag all the bills. I go to the company websites and pay those by credit card (which is paid off monthly). I save the pdf bill and a "print to pdf" version of the payment confirmation number to my computer. Then I go through both the paper and digital receipts and enter those into our paper-based budget system. I try to do this weekly because it keeps the overall time-on-task shorter and ensures the bills get paid on time without tracking due dates. Also, if I MISS a week's Money Work, waiting until the next week to address it again is usually not a big deal. Most bills have more than 2 weeks of wiggle room. I just have to remember to not miss two in a row... so the goal of weekly works well for me. *Another reason this system works, and this is some thing I think everyone should do if at all possible, is to live off of LAST MONTH'S income. You don't have to worry about meshing due dates with pay days or emergency expenses busting your budget. I do understand not everyone can do this, but if you have money in savings that you can "sacrifice" for that initial month, I highly recommend it. Major stress reliever.

Real Sudafed. Ibuprofen to decrease inflamation. Hot tea. Hot shower. Sleep, prop head up with 2-3 pillows.

I literally just had sensitivity testing done on a tooth this morning. Bite test, cold test, and yes - a percussion test. No root canal for me, hooray! I'm sorry he wasn't a bit more clear about his purpose, but it is a standard sensitivity test. I'm glad he didn't find anything concerning and hope the soreness goes away. Is it near your ear? Sometimes my teeth hurt when I have an ear or sinus infection.

Right now, we all go shopping together, DH included. Usually we end up at Barnes and Noble because they have games, books, and toys. DH and I will split up and trade off children until each one has a small present for each sibling and each parent. The kids books help spread the average cost out, but I can see this becoming a problem soon. I really like the idea someone else mentioned about a name exchange among the children. Giving the opportunity for the children to GIVE gifts is important to us. We also purchase several gifts for our church's angel tree every year.

Help me help a friend! She's currently homeschooling in FL but will be moving to AL in December. She's trying to figure out the AL Homeschool laws. She told me: -- I called the AL Dept of Education and spoke with a lady who explained that I needed to contact the local board because the state "no longer regulates, certifies, or licenses homeschools. But when I called City School Board, they asked me which program I had enrolled the kids. I don't, I have made up my own curriculum. "Oh. Well then you don't have a school that can send us the forms. So... I guess just send us a letter that you're homeschooling and maybe tell us a little about what you're using." The County simply suggests that we come in and put a letter on file. Seems I have found a strange little loophole of no-man's-land.-- So, what IS the new law and what does she need to do to legally homeschool in AL? Thank you!