I love Hands on Learning Equations! We just refer to it as "hoels" around here. I never scheduled it -- just decided randomly that it was time to do some. Sometimes we'd just do one lesson at a time (later in the books), but the first few went really quickly. The first group I did it with were 2nd, 5th, and 7th, and that's when my "ah-ha" moment came! I did well in math in high school, but with no real understanding of the why of math -- hoels made it clear to me. My youngest 2 (now 4th and 7th) have enjoyed it and still ask to get it out on fun math Fridays (which we have occasionally in a non-scheduled fashion). I hope you enjoy it -- it's almost more of a game or puzzle to the kids.

NPR (radio and occasionally online) Local "big city" radio station, for more local news No TV at all if I can help it!

Definitely a classic! Make sure you write it down for posterity because I'm sure his future wife and kids will want to hear it!

In Western Washington, I'm paying $5.50 for 2 gallons of whole milk at our local 7-11 (very good-tasting from WA dairy). Fred Meyer whole milk is $2.49 per gallon. Butter is $2.50 and up per pound.

My feelings exactly! Just the thought of it stresses me. My husband is much tidier than I am and that's always been a sore point in our relationship -- I just can not seem to keep the house clean enough and organized enough for him. I've still got 3 more to homeschool--imagine if he were here all day, every day...... So, he just turned 60 last year and has enough years on his job to retire any time he please now. I asked him what he'll do when he retires: "I'm going to stay home and help you." Please, NO!

I'm ashamed to admit it, but ............... fruit snacks -- especially the My Little Pony ones, they're the best!

This post and its questions gave me a laugh! My 5th child (of 7), also a boy, chewed the front part of his shirt collars for, oh, maybe 2 or 3 years from about 4 or 5 to 7 or 8. I never asked anyone about it, just wrote it off as a slightly strange habit. I also remember being most irritated about not being able to pass those t-shirts down. I didn't say much to him about it, but his older brothers and sister teased and commented about it frequently. He doesn't do it anymore (he's 16) and we all just kind of joke about it when we have one of those "do you remember...? sessions. I don't think I'd make too big an issue out of it; just maybe save out a couple of shirts that aren't too chewed, to wear out in public.

No tattoos here (and as far as I know, none of my adult kids have them). I'm not a fan of them, certainly not multiple publicly-visible ones, but I'm not as anti-tattoo as my husband. I could never get one because I'm pretty sure it must hurt, and I don't think the tattoo would be worth the pain. I think an interesting sub-survey would have been to break it down by age; I'm betting us older types (I'm 50) would generally be less likely to have them than the "youngsters."

Oh, how wonderful for you! I hope you're enjoying every minute of your time in Turkey!! But, boy, am I envious!!!

Originally Posted by Scarlett I have a question for those of you who make tacos for company. What kind of shell/tortilla do you use and how do you prepare them? My mom makes killer tacos with corn shells but she does each one in the skillet with a little oil and stands at the stove dishing them out fresh and hot. VERY hard to do when trying to entertain. Tacos are one of our best and easiest company meals. I use one of the better local brands of yellow corn tortillas. We have an electric griddle that will hold 4 to 5 tortillas at a time (they shrink a bit as they cook), so I put 4 or 5 very light smears of bacon grease on the griddle on high heat, then wipe each tortilla through its spot of grease and turn it over (so both sides are lightly greased). When the top side gets kind of white and foamy (2-3 minutes maybe), I turn it over and cook the other side until it's as crunchy as the eater wants it. It does keep the cook in the kitchen, but I usually have the meat heating on the stove and the rest of the ingredients lined up buffet style. People are constantly in and out getting more tacos, so I get to do quite a lot of visiting. Sometimes we just do ground beef for the meat, but grilled steak (especially marinated flank steak) is very good, as is pork; everyone seems to like chicken best, though. One thing we've discovered is that red sauce/salsa goes best with beef, and green sauce/salsa (especially the Embasa variety that comes in small cans) goes with pork and chicken -- and you also "must" serve limes with chicken tacos to squeeze all over the contents. Tacos are a very informal company meal for us; also the only one where it's "acceptable" to lick your plate. :)

I voted yes, but it's not as if I go looking for good-looking men -- it's usually very unexpected! I like to think I'm this mature 50yo, but on occasion, I feel like a boy-crazy 14yo. A few months ago, I went to the pharmacy to drop off a prescription and a new pharmacist himself came to the counter to help me. I looked at him and, suddenly, I stuttered and stammered, got all sweaty-palmed, and flushed -- he was that good-looking! How embarrassing! Now I discreetly look for him every time I visit the grocery store, just to give myself a little lift for the day. :) Usually, though, it's a voice that will attract me -- say, maybe, Sting (although he looks pretty good for his age, so maybe it's his looks, too).

I want that!! If only we had a room that my husband would let me do that in...

I never did it as a child -- I guess I was around the wrong people. But somehow my kids have learned to, and all of them have done it. The older ones have outgrown it, but the 2 younger ones still like to climb the doorways and walls. It does look fun!

Definitely The Happiest Millionaire and Snowball Express (even my husband likes that one) and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. And no one's mentioned Condorman -- with Michael Crawford. We watched it again recently and the acting is pretty.....not particularly good. But there are some wonderful chase scenes which my boys really loved when they were little -- they still occasionally mention the bad guys in the black Porsches. Sheer escapism, but that's not always a bad thing, right?

I'm glad someone finally mentioned Mt. St. Helens! It's beautiful there, and definitely worth the trip -- especially to the Johnston Ridge Observatory. You can take short or longer hikes, depending on what you feel up to doing. Ruby Beach (and the numbered beaches) in the Kalaloch area are beautiful, as are the beaches around LaPush. And I second (third, fourth, whatever) the ferry ride to Vancouver Island. Have a wonderful trip -- it sounds almost like a honeymoon!