Auben (old french...a song sung at the first light of dawn) Nina Charlotte Magdalena Felicia

I'm a little amazed that people make such catch-all statements. For one thing, everyone has a different idea of what 'cooking' entails. Also, not everyone really likes the same foods. Some people have texture issues. Others don't have a good sense of taste (or smell). And then there are people that just give up easily. My mother does not cook. She tried for awhile. She's a picky eater. Most of her kids are picky eaters. It wasn't any fun. When she went back to work she started some kind of easy or frozen dinner thing and hasn't looked back. Thus I could not cook. I still don't consider myself a cook, although I am a great baker and I don't use prepared foods so I must be cooking somehow. I don't think I'm a good cook. I have texture issues so many foods I just can't/won't eat. I don't like strong tastes. That kills about 75% of dishes right there. Not tasting the food you make decreases your chances of success. Fear of spices, also decreases it. I can read. I can read very well, but that doesn't mean that I can cook. That doesn't mean my kids will like it or I will eat it. Whoever uses the words 'fool proof' is unintentionally insulting. There is no fool proof, only different people struggling to make things work and enjoying different things. And yes, am teaching my sons all I know. I hope they'll be more intuitive, joyful cooks like their dad. I struggle much more.

No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy Bread by Jim Lahey It by Stephen King

Yes, too much sometimes. Master classwork, reading, guitar, Trig-Calc, knitting...always something. This is one of the few things I want to give my children. Always growing. Always learning.

I heard Meryl Streep a lot (or even Melissa Ethridge) in Asia. My best friend says Ingrid Bergman though and that's why I love her.

Young dh would be played by Beck. Older dh would be played by Ewan MacGregor via Star Wars episode 3. I thought we'd be stopped coming out of the theater.

I have male and female cats. The female we've never had issue with. The male was good through several severe UTIs but when we got a dog he's steadily gone downhill with these issues. First it was defecating out of the box (we cleaned more, tried other litters, got another box, moved the boxes). Then urinating outside of the box. Now he vomits weekly. It seems to be stressed induced. We've given him medication to relax him and it works for awhile. We're looking for another, dog-free home for him.

Russia had a drought and has banned the export of wheat. There have been other droughts and the increase of foods grown for biofuels. Even the UN has issued a statement about a global food crisis. However, these will have little affect on folks in the US and other first world countries (other then some raised prices for foods imported). I don't think we need to panic (anyone remember the rice panic a few years ago?). Preparation is one thing (we don't assume our charmed lives will always be the way they are currently), fear another. Unfortunately things will be hard in countries with underdeveloped agriculture that depend on cheap import grains like wheat, rice, and corn. Perhaps a thread on how we can prepare for that would be in order.

I'm overextended currently and am trying hard not to start anything new until I finish some up. Cloudspitter The Secret Life of Houdini The Kings of New York Neverwhere A Thread of Grace The Mountain People something by Spurgeon The Shaman's Coat Mad Mary Lamb The Burgermeister's Daughter and The Return of the King with the boys and ds1 wants me to read the 2nd Hunger Games book I really hope that's it. It's crazy enough already.

It's a problem of balance, so many versions have perfectly good Rochesters or are accurate to the book BUT have terrible Jane's. Personally I like the latest Stephens-Wilson pairing. It was close to the book and captured much of the spirit of Jane and Rochester's love (and most of Jane's feisty personality as well). While it was not my perfect imagining it was good, and portrayed a believable version of both characters. I own the video. Not good: Orson Welles version (he's my favorite Rochester...all blustery perfect...but he directs Fontaine into insipid boredom and the book is entitled Jane Eyre, not Edward Rochester). I will watch the Rochester sections on tv every so often. William Hurt version (decent Jane, depressed Rochester) George C Scott (blah) Ciaran Hinds (see Welles' problem..and he's not even as good as Welles, ) I have not seen the Timothy Dalton version. No comment. Perhaps some day when dh has gotten over the 3 versions he's already watched with me. ;)

Nonfiction My Several Worlds (Pearl S Buck) Honeymoon in Purdah An Anthropologist on Mars The Breadbaker's Apprentice Sand County Almanac Coop Fiction The Moonstone How Green Was My Valley The Brothers K The River Why Til We Have Faces Interpreter of Maladies (short stories) Ursula, Under Peace Like a River The Diamond Age

:iagree:

Not scientific data...but over-correcting a prescription seemed to hurt my eyesight. Over-correcting means that the prescription was so strong it gave me weeks/months of headaches. When told the doctor said I'd 'get used to them.' Eventually I did. Surprise! They were worse next time, and continued to worsen until I got a new eye doctor. However, putting off glasses did not change my mothers nearsightedness in mid-age. She put it off for several years. It did not get better, only worsened. Now she regrets waiting.

Teens? Older or younger? Bang! (Western themed shoot'emup) Blokus Incan Gold Ninja Burger Pandemic (co-operative play fighting diseases across the world...everyone we've introduced to this loves it) Pit Tales of the Arabian Nights Memoir '44 Thebes Personally, we love Carcassone. You have to enjoy the puzzle aspect though. It's also not super-confrontational but neither is Ticket to Ride (we love Europe for multiple players and Scandanavia for 2...I find those maps more challenging then the US). A lot of game choice depends on what you like as a family. If you like Catan try Starship Catan (2 player) or the other incarnations. Or you might like Agricola. boardgamegeek.com is really helpful finding what's available, what they look like, and which games are similar.

Perhaps its harder for you to see, but often a 9 year old has more in common with an 11 year old then a 7 year old usually (I have 11, 10, 7, and 6 year old boys). My nephew (9) prefers my 11 year old over my 10 year old. They all know it. They're both similar personalities. Personally, it's worked better for us to deal with the 10 year olds feelings (and make sure there are lots of inclusive things on our side) then to try to change my nephew. There are always going to be preferences. We teach our children to respect everyone, but we all have people we 'click' with. That's okay. And it's okay to feel left out. We focus on finding those people for each of our kids. If nephew is not one of them maybe this friend or that cousin *is* the one.

Some of the new catalogs have email notification. Ask your librarian. Limiting books per child. Putting them in charge of finding them with consequences (less books checked out for youngers..paying fines with chores or money for teens). Having a basket or box in a central location. These have helped us.

Clothesline with clothespins...each guest attempts to grab as many as they can with 1 hand Diaper pins...each guest gets one. The first person to say the word 'baby' (or something else equally difficult) looses their pin to the person that hears them (first claim). Person with the most pins at the end wins a prize.

Leftover homemade tortilla from last night. Layer with: spinach red sail lettuce a twirl of olive oil a dab of real red wine vinegar So, so, so, so good.

This. Sort of. If human beings can live in harmony and communion with God and each other, we have to have a connection with each other much like we do with our family and spouse. It isn't that I don't think my family will be there, it's just that I don't think that our connection will be as unique as it is here. And because of that we will not seek each other out in the way we would here. Most people find that a little too weird. I also don't think we'll be sitting around either, but that's another thread.

Four boys here. I understand. We have ideas of what we want or how our family will be and it hurts when we see that it won't be the way we wanted. Pregnancy is a wonderful time to get those feelings out..mourn a little..and then get excited about the new little one. Sometimes we need those 9 months, emotionally as well as physically! If it becomes more then that, if you can't let go, just remember that we can't really control much of what happens in our lives. We imagine what our new little ones will be like and what our lives will be like, but the reality is that they are their own people. In the end we end up loving them for who they are...not who we want them to be. This same scene plays out over and over whether we have all boys, all girls, or a mix of the two. You just get that experience a little earlier than most. ;) I love my boys. I was a bit disappointed that I didn't have a girl, but I am the Queen of this house. And if dh's aunt is any indication (girly girl who had 3 boys and now has 3 granddaughters) having granddaughters can be amazing! All the pink dresses and fun without the whining and PMS. :tongue_smilie:

Alora Ava ++ Cora + Skye - Kiya - Bella + Grace Addison - Samara Bliss -- Mirabelle - Piper Bree - Halo -- Brooklyn - Ella + Sierra Gem -- Holly Ember -- Ellis -- Johana + Adalyn Emmalyn Eva + Sofie + Kenzie - Calla + Rose + Kayla Kamira - Kailyn -

Forbidden Island In a Pickle Loot Favorites in the 8-12 crowd. Slamwich...not so much Toss Your Cookies...enjoyed by the younger kids more then the older, only okay

Not my style but dh would love it. He loves the nickname Zeke though. I say go for it, as long as you keep one of the names semi-normal (for sensitive children) and allow them to choose to go by their other name...I don't see why not. We used Axel and Sverre for middle names. ***I also had a vivid dream during my 3rd pregnancy that I passed out during the birth and dh presented me with a 20lb blond-headed boy named Hezekiah (nickname 'Zekiah) when I woke up. In the dream I started screaming that it was not my baby.*** Oh, and I think Hezekiah Douglas doesn't quite work together.

Keepers I use all the time: cast iron skillet saucepans (at least 2 with at least 1 lid) vegetable knife, slicing knife, bread knife, scissors mixing bowls (at least 2, small and large...lid for the large) baking sheets vinyl sheets liners (2) for pizzas (my silpat is unraveling after less then a year but my cheap one is not), french rolling pin tong, large scraper, big spoon, flipper (I know, such technical terms :tongue_smilie:) measuring cup/spoon (adjustable) small bread pans, stone or clay tile for oven, scale 9x9 glass pans with lids (works for everything from cake to casserole) I would get rid of in a heartbeat: dutch oven (the cast iron taints my chicken stock and I only want 1) microwave (keep the toaster oven) KA mixer (I know, I know...but the lock broke three years ago and it flops around...I need a new mixer with more bread capacity) hot chocolate maker (what was my husband thinking?) blender Things I don't need but I enjoy: electric griddle (the boys eat pancakes soo fast) crockpot whisk wooden spoon large pasta bowls for serving

ELO--Out of the Blue The Jayhawks--Tomorrow the Green Grass Over the Rhine--Drunkards Prayer Ray LaMontagne--Gossip in the Grain Richard Swift--Atlantic Ocean Sufjan Stevens--Seven Swans