There's also a short book of poetry entitled The Adventures of Tom Bombadil. the title poem talks about a day in the life of Tom. If he likes poetry, all good, if he was looking for a further tale about Tom he should look elsewhere. My copy from the '80s has a cool cover though. Roverrandom (the adventures of a dog) or Farmer Giles of Ham/Smith of Wooton Major (other fairy tales not set in Middle Earth) might be fun. Both are older works by Tolkien that aren't connected to The Lord of the Rings.

I can't tell you what the job situation is like. Manufacturing took a big hit (and everything that supports it), but many of the other sectors are fine. One plus is that the cost of living, especially outside of the southern WI (Milwaukee, Janesville, Madison) is very reasonable. We live in central WI and even before the downturn housing was 'cheap.' The same house we live costs double in IL...and I'm being conservative with that figure. Closer to Chicago it would be 3x. When we moved here we could easily get by on one salary in the mid-40s. (However, this can mean that salaries are lower as well.) Green Bay is a wonderful area. I haven't tried to get a job there or buy a home, but it is not far from either the suburban shopping of Appleton/Oshkosh area or the wild beauty of northern WI.

We the People Founding Fathers More...http://www.boardgamegeek.com/geeklist/43314/american-history-in-a-day-of-gaming

I have a special needs son and sometimes the mornings are a bit hectic. A month ago my husband forgot to put the cans out (a common thing) and I didn't check that morning. My son noticed the lone garbage man walk up to the house, get the cans in the side yard, drag them and dump them, and return them to the side of the house. He didn't need to, that certainly isn't part of his job description but I appreciated it!

I find that a quick updo using a flexi-8 or a ficcare is sometimes a classy ponytail alternative.

Great suggestions! My 7 year old (boy) likes: Zooloretto Castle Panic Blokus 3D/Rumis Ninja Burger Bohnanza (his 8 year old female cousin adores this game) Claim It Metro Sorry Sliders Chateau Rocquefort Incan Gold

That's not guidance. That's feeling uncomfortable and stopping the thing (crying kid) that's making you uncomfortable.

I'm not an emotional person and I wasn't raised an emotional family. My mother is not very emotional and my father is from the west side of Chicago, definitely the 'man up' type. My closest brother was a very emotional child. Not in a manipulative way. He was always embarrassed by it, but he was a perfectionist...very deep feeling and deep thinking. If he felt hurt, it came out despite what others said. He wasn't stupid. He knew if he cried he would be commented on, told to 'man up,' laughed at, bullied, etc. At that time (2-13) it was not always controllable. Men like my father and the coach in the first thread, women like my brother's 5th grade teacher who made fun of him in front of the class are what caused my brother to not just learn to control his emotion but to refuse to have ANY emotion. About anything. He doesn't trust anyone with anything deep...including his family. He's divorced because he can't let go and show how he feels. Fast forward. I have 4 boys. My second son (10) is just like my brother. He is extremely emotional. When he is upset it all comes out. The anger. The sorrow. Everything. He is still working on holding it back. He does not want to be this way. My husband and I are working hard on helping him connect with socially acceptable ways to deal with his emotions. He walks. He runs. He beats on the punching bag. He lays on his bed and yells into the pillow. It's a process. So no, I wouldn't appreciate what the asst. coach did in the first post. Nor would I appreciate a 5 minute pity party (although I would appreciate the attempt to help him work through emotion rather than tell him he's a wuss). Emotional kids need their emotions verified ('that's tough' 'man, that's so disappointing!' 'I bet that hurts' 'I can see that you're angry'), then they may need some direction ('why don't you go get a drink of water and take a walk around the field' 'would you like to take a break?' 'can you pack the equipment for me?'), and some time to work through the feelings. Some kids like to do that in private, some with friends. No one needs to be told that the way they feel or the fact or that they can't control those feelings is less-than-masculine. Period. A coach's job is to help kids learn and grow. That means encouraging them and pointing them toward a better way, not judging them and then trying to embarrass them into more comfortable behavior.

If she's anything like our spaniel, he can stretch the door (or sometimes even one of the sides) open enough to squeeze out. He needs only the smallest crack...and the door pops back in place. It's got to be painful but once they learn how to do it...wow. Our dog even does this with elastic cables in place. We don't bother with crates anymore. We were betting on how many minutes it would take him to break out.

Not Sesame Street but India.aire has a great song about this issue too (fine to watch with children).

I know this is a common feeling...especially with people who have been in the church a long time. Sometimes it's described as being 'repetitive' with the same issues coming up over and over again. It can be frustrating to hear very generalized sermons which don't help anyone progress. For me, it helps to remember that every sermon (or series) is not for every person. You have to remember that sometimes the pastor is at a different place then you, or that God has another group or person in mind with this message. What has also worked for me is that I've developed parallel means to learn and worship within a group, even when the particular message is not for me personally. When I sit in the service I can write a poem from the text. Journal about it. Draw an abstract of how it makes me feel. Be inspired by a song and search the hymnal for additional songs on the theme. Add a new verse. Pray for one (or several) members of the congregation. Reflect on the week. Finger puppets of Jesus and the disciples. ;) Etc. Our church bag includes sketchbooks and pens for every member of the family. We ask that the boys copy and learn the text, then we allow them to explore the sermon on paper in any way that appeals to them. While this may not be your permanent place, you can worship here for awhile. Stop holding yourself to being a passive listener to one person and move the sermon inside.

I would hesitate to report anyone just based on their clothing alone. Is it possible to do anything but strut in heels? I live in a very rural area. Our paper guy cross-dresses. He delivers papers all year round in heels (past several schools as well). He is the sweetest man. I know his choices have not made his life the easiest. I'd hate to see someone make them harder because he happens to walk by a school every day for his job. Your mileage may vary on this, but it's my opinion.

Our list tends to be: quesadilla (cheese, sometimes veggies as well) muffin and nuts whole grain crackers, string cheese, nuts waffles or pancakes

Very small, very frequent snacks. Baggie of Cheerios, yes. A pack of crackers..eating only 1 or 2 at a time. A mouthful of mashed potatoes (plain, with salt). What worked best for me was eating a tiny handful of cereal or 1-2 crackers every 15 minutes. If I waited even 30 minutes I would feel nausea. Peppermint. Loved peppermints. Tea. Stay hydrated. When you do feel hungry eat, but don't overeat. Load up on protein then if your stomach can handle it. If the smell of meat bothers you...yogurt (especially solid Greek yogurt), almonds, even ice cream! can help. I was pregnant 4x. The first time I had severe morning sickness...so I didn't eat. It got worse. Slowly through the next 3 pregnancies I developed what worked for me. Listen to what people say and then try little things...adapt it to work for you. And don't be afraid to just say nothing works! See your physician for some relief. I have at least one friend where nothing worked for her but medication.

When my 5 year old wanted to do that we had a talk about practice and how practicing every day or a few times a week equals stronger arms. Every time we went to the park he did the hand-over-hand bars...at least 2-3 times each visit (sometimes more). By the end of the summer he could do them easily. By the next year he could do any set of bars. I made a commitment to get him out to a playground at least 3x a week (although sometimes we got busy). He committed to practice. That's what it took.

I love pizza dough, so handy. I love to make extra and make flour tortillas for lunch during the week. Definitely one bowl. Proof if you're unsure of your yeast, otherwise everything at once is fine. It doesn't need to raise but I like to let mine rest for 30 minutes before using. I use a little more olive oil in the dough too.

My oldest looves food. He will eat anything and he's getting to that age where it can pile up a little (10-12) before he hits his big growth spurt. What has helped him: *DAILY activity. An hour at least. *Sharing food. When he makes things he has 1 portion and then he gives to his family and his friends. It's become fun for him to find opportunities to give his creations away or be involved in group preparation. He's still a little chunky but I've noticed in his face that he's firmed up a bit and he's taken a more healthy approach. Best of all he seems to have taken responsibility of it on himself.

Are these crumbly? I'm looking for a go-to recipe and most tend to be cakey or crumbly. The King Arthurs and Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe are both dense but crumbly. I don't mind dense but I can't even keep them together when I'm eating! And I also want to hear the cake recipe!

Definitely go for organic over he standard Walmart fare. There's an actual coconut aroma and light taste. It is strong and will change the flavor of baked goods so be aware (if you don't like the light taste of coconut).

Seev here. I also a large reading-only vocabulary but I would swear I've heard actual people say /seev/ and only heard /siv/ in movies. I live in the upper Midwest though and my mother says borrow instead of lend and washclosh. Who knows what kind of bad habits I've picked up.

I've helped run a few. First I get a little background and author's biography together. Sometimes there are some interesting questions there. Then I see if there are any discussion questions available. Finally I think about what I thought about the book. A lot can come from that. How did I feel about the characters? The situations? Have I ever been in something similar? Does it seem realistic/unrealistic? What was the theme? Problems? Are there any parallels in the story line? Foreshadowing? Does the structure contribute to how the book makes us feel? Is the book based more on plot or characters?

Pre-60s science fiction is usually fairly clean. Even Heinlein's early work is pretty clean (my father remembers his Have Spacesuit Will Travel phase fondly). It may be worth searching out a Nebula Award book (Asimov edited quite a few of these) for each year. Read some short stories or novels and see what he likes. He may want to look at: The Martian Chronicles or Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury The Foundation series or I, Robot by Asimov Ender's Game by Card The Time Machine or War of the Worlds by Wells A Wrinkle in Time by L'Engle the short stories of Cordwainer Smith

Fun games with kids (some are repeats): Pandemic...very good cooperative Dominion...if they can shuffle cards, we usually shuffle for the younger kids but that can hold things up Stone Age...a bit more complicated but fun Metro Chateau Rocquefort..for younger kids mostly, mine like to drop each other down the holes Coloretto..very simple set game Chinatown...good negotiation and trade game Bohnanza...love the trading Blokus Incan Gold..easy, press-your-luck kind of game Ubongo...if you like Tetris this is great 10 Days in the USA (or Europe, Asia, Africa)...light geography game, you can also add multiple versions together Zooloretto..fun zoo game for kids

Either that or the less-serious students hear about him and don't take his class, and the more-serious students remain. Personally I think the problem is that the US has developed a teen culture that does not value education. Parents, grandparents, guardians have given up trying to teach consequences to actions (we protect them rather then letting them trial and error). Most no longer take the time to find out their children's dreams and then help them find step by step ways to reach those dreams. Education is simply a means to an end. Most students are drifting in an extended adolescence. Real maturity doesn't seem to take place until they've supported themselves (and all that entails) for 2-5 years. Parents simply don't understand that teens need frank discussion and then hands-on trial and error (consequences, etc.). Parents who teach this sense of responsibility and forethought tend to have kids who 'get it.'

I think the 1950s have reached a legendary status (either good or bad). Sometimes I wonder if we're so disconnected from our grandparents that we don't know what it was like? I've visited with both my grandmothers many times and there were things they liked and didn't like about that time. They both stress that it was a learning time, knowing what society expected of them and finding what worked for them. I have one grandmother who 'served' her husband and children. She considered it a small part of the freedom she had the rest of her day. Freedom to learn, and make friends, work, and do things inside and outside of the house. She said my grandfather had to serve his customers part of the day. His day was not totally his own...no one's is. My other grandmother had a workaholic husband she rarely saw. The television image just wasn't here for her. I see the same thing played out in my mother's life (starting at society's expectations and learning from there) and in my own life. I have several aunts that made it through the sexual revolution and still aren't happy with their relationships. I really don't see much of a difference--other then that society is constantly changing and therefore our expectations change. People expect me to use my expensive degree and get a job. People expect us to own a house, have our children in several activities, public school, pay for their college educations, dress well, have a clean house, make healthy meals, own 2 cars, go on vacations, not have long hair after 30, shave my legs every day, make a big deal out of Christmas, blahblahblah. We make fun of an era we don't even understand outside of television and movies. We do that because it makes us feel better about our own lives and the way we give in to society's dictates.