In my case, Thou Shalt Not Murder trumps everything else. I absolutely can't stand before God one day and justify voting for someone who would try to maintain the status quo or even increase the number of abortions. So for me, a pro-abortion candidate is never an option, regardless of other views. Same goes for someone who's pro-euthanasia or pro-"assisted suicide" -- both issues fall under the same commandment. If someone is pro-life, then I will look at his or her other views in order to make a decision. I won't automatically vote for someone because he or she is pro-life, but I will NEVER knowingly vote for someone who is pro-abort/pro-euthanasia/pro-assisted suicide.

I guess today is my day to come out of lurkdom!! I just got the Shark Steam Mop from Costco yesterday. So far I LOVE it. It won't clean grout, but worked extremely well on my wood and tile floors. No streaks and the floor dried almost immediately, too. It was literally squeaky clean! Can't say enough about it! I bought it after reading reviews on GardenWeb for months... :) The Costco package comes with 5 microfiber mop heads which you just toss in the wash. Be sure to launder them separately to keep them in the best condition (microfiber picks up other fibers and becomes less effective if you launder it with other things). The mop itself is about the size of a Swiffer Wet jet and not much heavier at all. I recommend getting it from a brick and mortar -- I have heard the occasional report of one conking out on the owner, but Costco is great with returns, so I figure it's no risk. HTH!

You might get around the peeling by chopping them into quarters or slices. That's what I do and I've never had a baby choke on the skin. Also, if I'm giving the baby something with a peel, like an apple or a nectarine, I slice it into very thin strips and score the peel so there isn't a long continuous strand of peel to gag on. HTH somewhat!

I like to roll things like slices of bananas and nectarines in wheat germ so they're easier for the baby to pick up. I actually mix it into a lot of things, like applesauce and yogurt. It thickens them up (makes less of a mess) and adds some extra nutrition. All the children seem to really like it. As far as "real food" goes, I EBF my little ones and don't introduce solids until they're almost a year. At that point, I give them pretty much anything we eat that's safe for a baby. We don't eat processed foods (uh, except when I'm pregnant and buy something weird!) or anything with food coloring or HFCS, and we stick to organic where it really makes a difference (berries, bananas, meats) so generally what we're eating is healthy for him/her. For example, the other night we had pasta with meatballs, garlic bread & salad. The only thing that would have been difficult for the 13 mo old to eat was the salad, so I shredded some carrot and chopped up grape tomatoes and she ate them both happily. I do limit citrusy or acidic things in her diet because too many can give her a diaper rash. But other than that, she eats anything, including at restaurants. FWIW, whether as a result of this method or just personality, we don't have any picky eaters in our home. :)

Well since you said money is not an object ;) ... An indoor two-story play structure. With shredded rubber instead of pea gravel or sand. Yes, this is a homeschool help!! A homeschooling room that encompasses the whole 3rd story. It would be brightly lit with natural light and have several dormer windows with window seats. There would be an art area with a tiled floor & a drain, and a small kitchen for washing up, which includes an oven for projects and most importantly a COFFEE MAKER. It would have built-in shelves and computer desks and a corner with a half-wall surrounding it. I'd fill that area with beanbags for reading and it would be a great place to corral toddlers too! When we're not homeschooling (and after the children have graduated) it would be a wonderful guest suite. Our house would be located on at least 40 acres with a stream and lake. That's not too much, is it? We could afford to fund certain friends to spend time teaching our children about their areas of expertise. For example, we have a very close friend who is a Prof of Christian History for a major university and writes for backpacking magazines. We'd love for him to be able to take our son on adventures and teach him about Christian history. We would rent or buy a huge sailboat and travel all over the world to visit our friends. And lastly: Chefs to cook ethnic specialties for us a few times a week: Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese, Greek, Ethiopian etc. :) I'd never do laundry or mop floors again, which would make me a much better homeschooler. :D And a trusted nanny on call for date night, appointments, and to travel with us on vacations. Preferably a college-age daughter of one of our homeschooling friends.

Does anyone know Bobby Jindal's stance on abortion? I won't vote for anyone who supports it. I don't like McCain -- he's no conservative-- but he IS pro-life and he's not a Marxist.

Measles used to be considered one of the common childhood illnesses, like chicken pox. But of course as soon as a vax becomes available it's a dreaded deadly disease! For those interested, here's the chart of reportable diseases thru Aug 16: http://wonder.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_reps.asp?mmwr_year=2008&mmwr_week=33&mmwr_table=1 Here's the original article from the CDC on which the news article was based: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5733a1.htm And here's an excerpt: Additionally, we do know that many of those infected were vaccinated. Length and "strength" of immunity from vaccination varies by individual and is lifelong. Natural measles immunity, however, is lifelong. Of the 131 infected individuals, not a single one died or suffered any lasting effects. As far as hospitalizations (15 cases), I wonder how many of the patients were treated with fever reducers. Tylenol is an especially bad offender, as it not only suppresses fever but greatly stresses an already taxed liver. Most physicians are no longer familiar with Measles and I wonder what course of treatment was taken. It wouldn't surprise me if Tylenol was recommended for the fever, especially since it's commonly recommended for vaccinations (which is the WORST thing you can do). Most complications of measles here in the US (and of Chicken Pox, and I'm sure many/most illnesses) stem from suppression of fever. Severe vitamin A deficiency can lead to complications as well (this is rare in developed countries). If you or your child contracts measles, treatment should be food-sourced vitamin A, lots of fluids (to help the liver function) and NO fever reducers. Interestingly, here's what the CDC said about measles in 1967: So, what changed? Well, in 1967 researchers discovered how to isolate the measles virus and decided to eradicate it: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/picrender.fcgi?artid=1919891&blobtype=pdf This article first explains how measles is usually harmless but then proceeds to detail an intent to eradicate it. BTW, measles parties are still common in many 1st world countries. The mentioned "outbreaks" in Europe are not problematic for the citizens. The US stands alone in its excessive vaccination "requirements". Isn't it interesting that you can't sue a vaccine manufacturer? Convenient, don't you think?

I saw they've added Peppermint! Wouldn't it be great if Smencils came out with special Holiday editions? Pumpkin Pie, Spiced Cranberry, Gingerbread? mmmm. Mr. Sketch needs to come out with some markers like that too. :)

Smencils! :)

We read the ESV at breakfast and supplement occasionally with Bible Stories for Children (Vos), Leading Little Ones to God (Schoolland) and The Children's Illustrated Bible (Hastings/Thomas).

Our favorites are Calzones (they're still really good at room temp), pasta salad, or hummus with pita and veggies or a salad.

Your doctor is misinformed, and I would do some of my own research so that I could be armed with facts before going back to the office. Shingles is on the rise, especially in children, BECAUSE of the vaccine. Since the wild strains of varicella are becoming more rare, people are not getting the regular natural "boosters" that they used to (i.e. asymptomatic infection). Regular exposure prevents shingles. Additionally, the efficacy of the vax is highly questionable. The reason more and more boosters keep being added to the schedule is because we are finding that the vaccine immunity lasts much less time than hoped. Also understand that the weaker the immune response, the more likely one is to contract shingles at a later date. Natural infection nearly always elicits a stronger immune response than a vaccine, even though the Varicella vax contains the live virus. Natural infection is longer lasting, as well. There is also the ethical issues of aborted fetal cell lines, and the toxicity of the vaccine ingredients, but those are topics for another time. HTH someone! :)