Hated the side by side, for all the reasons stated previously. The only side by side I would consider in the future would be a Sub-Zero, but even that would be iffy; my ILs are constantly having issues with theirs. We replaced our side by side with an LG armoire with a bottom freezer *drawer*. I think this may be the key. My mother used to have a bottom freezer with a door and that was a giant pain. I don't think she could put a turkey in hers. Our drawer pulls way out and the handle part tilts forward for additional access. The bins in the bottom level are deep, and then there is a slide out shelf above that is not so deep, but holds a number of things. (Just looking at it, I could very likely put an 8-10 lb turkey in that, too.) Our ice/water are in the fridge door and really, the only thing that we lack in space is additional door shelves (there is one under the ice maker). I really like LG appliances, too. They are a very customer-service oriented company and my appliances are great.

I am notorious for the same thing: obsess, spend all my time cleaning... burn out, spend NO time cleaning. A couple of years ago, I fell into a good routine (and for the life of me cannot remember how I got there) where I really had a handle on things. I would even look for laundry to do every day and took to changing the beds a couple of times a week just to keep my laundry routine flowing. Then, we remodeled the kitchen (where the laundry room door is) and it became a pain to drag the laundry through the construction zone and, frankly, I had other projects... like remodeling the kitchen. I have never gotten back to it, though I have tried. A bunch of us have started (or restarted) Motivated Moms. I am liking it because the chore lists should keep me on task, but also keep me from going overboard. As long as I discipline myself to no work ahead, anyway. You might want to look into it.

You think tranquil thoughts and breathe. I'll turn on channel 4. ;) Congratulations!

Oh, ek! Yep, two four year olds of the same variety here. I am so sick of running in and sitting on a "sprinkled" seat. :ack2: I agree - I'd just get rid of it, if it's the kind that goes around the toilet.

I donated when I was in high school. They told me. And, I've been typed every. single. time. I've been pregnant. Seems like a waste of resources, since it's been there in the chart the whole time. :glare: I'm O+

OK, I voted Yes and find nothing wrong with it. But I will add this disclaimer: when I judge somebody based on their initial appearance, it is by factors that they choose to send a message about themselves as a person, not physical characteristics. Ergo, I may base my expectation of what a person is like on a vulgar t-shirt or that they are habitually snot-slinging drunk, waddling down the street enormously pregnant (sorry, neighbor trauma)... not because of their physical features. Does that make sense?

Creams and milks seem to be used interchangeably in quiche. If you want it a little lighter, you can thin it with some milk or water.

I would think you'd be able to be a staff teacher at your local community college. My husband was just hired by a university to teach fire department classes and, aside from his department certifications and experience, he only just got his master's.

You should be almost to "worker bee", I think... isn't that 10 posts? or 20? Or maybe that's some sort of larval bee form.

Didn't I reply to this earlier? I remember typing... :001_huh: Coconut oil works well, has essentially the same melting point as butter (a little lower, but it's solid at cool room temp). Earth Balance is vegan margarine that tastes like butter and, more importantly, cooks / melts like butter. I'm not sure I would use it to, say, finish a sauce or make a buttercream, but I have used it in all other butter-related applications to my satisfaction.

This is me, too. It's sad. I think actually making the list somehow gives me permission to be "done". :glare:

Nope, when I worked for an internist 15 years ago in MD, it was the same. If somebody wanted to charge me $100 for records, they would have to simply release the originals and make copies for themselves. But, then, I'm not nice, particularly when it comes to hospitals that have STAFF specifically to deal with medical records. Sorry, that's one of the many things they pay them wages for.

"Dirty Ethel Rackham on Respect and Honesty"?

Gee, Aubrey, I got through the first part of your post thinking "Gee, Aubrey, you're old enough to read Austen!" :D I'm not sure I would do it for school at this age. The relationships and customs and symbolism are too complex, at least for my almost 8 y.o. to grasp. I think it might be an enjoyable read-aloud, though. I just wouldn't expect too deep a grasp. It certainly can't hurt to try and see how they do.

We printed ours out this morning and got to work so we can actually DO some of the dailies... like I've been clearing off the counters this afternoon so I can actually wipe them down this evening. So far, I've inventoried the fridge - easy, since I should clean it out on Mondays for trash day on Tuesdays - and checked off the toilet paper restocking (did that last night). My 7 y.o. cleaned the toilets (her favorite chore) and changed the hand towels in the bathrooms. My husband is clearing the floors in the living room and foyer so we can vacuum. Dinner is planned and cooking... Yeah, so far, the checklist is going well. We're really feeling good about it. A lot is getting done, especially since we started school again today, and I scheduled the car maintenance for this morning, so there were a few hours of hardcore multitasking. I may actually pick off a couple of other things from tomorrow, since we'll be out in the morning. So for the Day 1 assessment, I would say this is MUCH better than being spammed with crap I don't care about or cryptic subject lines... "Do you know where your laundry is?" "Why yes, I do. It's hard to NOT know, when you climb over it in every room." Woohoo! :cheers2:

Huh. I hope so. I just hacked up the rest of the Christmas leg of lamb for stew. :D

I have never incurred a fee if the request for records was initiated by my new doctor, only if I requested the copies myself. Odd.

Ew. I hear ya. My ILs offered us "coffee bags" as we were leaving and intending to stop at Starbucks on our way home last month. :ack2: I do occasionally nuke a leftover cup in the morning - because I can't stand to waste it - but it's not good. I'm a big fan of Coffee Beans Direct. Their organic, fair trade, dark-roast Sumatra is fabulous.

It could be your water. It could be the amount of coffee you're using. Mostly, I think people tend to use too little coffee, which makes an insipid, acidic pot. You should be using one heaping scoop of coffee per two cups. As a general rule, darker roasts tend to be lower acid than lighter roasts, too. It's generally not the method itself, but rather using the amount and appropriate grind of coffee appropriate to the method. Percolators use coarse grind, cone filters use fine, flat bottom drip filters are usually medium. It has to do with the amount of time the water stays in the grounds. Or, like I said, it could be your water. If your water sucks, your coffee will, too.

Would he (you) be interested in something like the Roots & Shoots service projects?

Yes to the above comments re: needing a pressure canner. Also, with the amount of heat/pressure/time, canned leftovers (i.e. items that are mixed and fully cooked already) would have definite quality issues, in my mind. I mean if you think about, say, green beans, they're raw when I put them in the canning jar and essentially overcooked coming back out after 15 or 20 minutes (which is fine for the ones I can because I use them in applications where I really like them that way). Can you imagine what they would be like if they were fully cooked, then pressure processed for 45 more minutes? :ack2: Some things - like chili - can be pressure canned. Most everything else, leftover-wise, I would freeze and be prepared to get a bunch of ice to throw in the freezer in the event of a long-term power outage.

:iagree: We usually send plants, maybe with a few cut stems tucked in. There's something depressing about having to clean out a bunch of dead flowers after a funeral. At least, in my mind. If they have mentioned it, though, it seems like the donation to the charity of their choice would be the way to go. When my grandmother passed away earlier this year, we preferred donations to hospice, as they played such a huge, positive role in the comfort of her and our family in her last weeks.

My experience has been largely what you described - the children are self-motivated, ask for a "lesson" when they need it, learn skills/information quickly when they need to... That said, I would personally worry myself bald. I have control issues, though.:tongue_smilie: Seriously, I said - waaaaay back 2 years ago - that I would think about unschooling once Bailey could read (and, thus, seek information she wanted)... yeah, not so much. We're still fairly structured and she seems to thrive on the structure, so we're sticking with it. As far as non-"coercion" (and I hate the way that term is used pejoratively by parents who do not feel they should have even minimal expectations of their children), there are many levels. Some families' attitudes of teamwork and coming together as a group really negate the need to specifically require things of the kids. Most of the time, when I hear the "coercion" word thrown around, it's in a context similar to "if my two year old doesn't want to ride in their carseat, then I just call the doctor (or whatever appointment being canceled at the last possible second) and tell them we can't come today... I would never *coerce* my child to sit in the carseat if they didn't want to." Uh-huh. That is usually followed by the claim that, as adults, we do not *have* to do anything... paying taxes and filing returns is done because the individual "chooses" to do so. As opposed to, say, going to prison. :glare: Of course, these are usually the same people who then also claim that Classical homeschooling is elitist and serves no purpose but to further the conservative Christian worldview. :confused: I was under the impression that "elitist" would imply that it is not an option for anyone to choose or reject. And, also, I am not a conservative (or any other form of) Christian. I will take my payment for furthering your worldview in Rice Crispies Treats, thank you.

I keep a day planner and a Google calendar (my husband also has a Google calendar and we can see/update each other's). It's nice because I get a daily agenda, including both of our commitments, in my email every morning. My paper planner travels with me so I can jot things down pending confirmation by the "master" calendar (Google) or record my 7 y.o.'s piano homework or whatever. For school assignments, I use Homeschool Tracker +, but I don't print them off unless the kids are going to my ILs for a week or something. We have our weekly school schedule printed out and posted (and, uh, laminated - but I'm not a total nerd or anything) so we have a visual reminder of how our week looks. Generally, I don't need to look at "assignments" except to mark them as complete because everything is generally the next page/lesson/whatever. know what I mean? If your son can read, then there is something to be said for giving him a weekly assignment sheet. If he can't, then it's sort of moot, unless you want to see what you have planned for the week and work from that.

Darn, Jill! I just ordered this morning and had no idea there were affliliates. I totally would have gone through your blog if I had known. :glare: I know there are at least a few of us around here who have been looking into MMs. I've tried to get on the FlyLady bandwagon several times over the years... I just can't hang. I just need a checklist, not a million emails a day telling me to put shoes on my feet or how the system has changed someone's life, followed by "comments" that are essentially plugs for her products. Ack. Sigh. Anyway, between Jennifer'sLost's "Halving It All" blog for inspiration and Motivated Moms for a daily check-off, I'm hoping to whack this place back into shape. I brought up the possibility of a weekly check-in for MMs users, so we can all see how we're doing, and I know there was at least one other person interested...