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I don't even measure the ingredients, but I'll do the best I can to estimate. When I make mac & cheese, I usually make about 4-6 servings. Here are the step-by-step directions: 1. Bring approximately 1 quart of water to boil over medium-high heat. 2. To boiling water, add: - 1 1/2 cups of dry macaroni or pasta shells - approximately 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil - 1/2 teaspoon of salt Return water to boiling, and boil for 10-12 minutes or until pasta is done. 3. Drain water. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add: - 2 tablespoons margarine or butter - 4 slices American cheese (or other processed cheese of your choice, such as Velveeta or processed Swiss or a mixture) - 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese (or other shredded cheese of your choice, including colby or monterey jack or a mixture) Stir constantly until cheese margarine/butter and cheeses are melted and thoroughly mixed with the pasta. 4. Serve immediately, or if desired, reduce heat to lowest setting and let the macaroni & cheese cook for up to 10 more minutes to thoroughly mix flavors. I came up with this recipe on my own in desperation one day when I was out of the boxed macaroni & cheese my kids loved. I have never gone back because this homemade version is SO much better, not to mention cheaper.

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The only time I use it is when I mean "caught in the act" or something similar, and only in a light-hearted manner. I don't use it to mean "broken".

:iagree: The sitter was a bit presumptuous; she should've asked before allowing someone else to come over while she was babysitting. However, to a great degree, my reaction to all of this would depend on whether the sitter & her boyfriend were doing or saying anything inappropriate. I mean, were they making out on the sofa or watching dirty movies, or were they just sitting there watching television or studying? The OP said the kids were in bed and the house was in order when she & her dh arrived back home, so apparently, the boyfriend didn't keep the sitter from doing what she was supposed to be doing. The OP said that one child was already in bed when the boyfriend arrived, and the other child went to bed less than an hour later. The OP seemed to indicate that the boyfriend wasn't there when she & her dh came home, so maybe he left soon after the second child went to bed--in which case, he would've been there only about an hour.

You're welcome. :)

Yes, I would.

You sound like someone I would love to know IRL. :)

I got married in my mother's wedding dress too, except it was 21 years later, and I got married on my parents' anniversary. I was a public school teacher too, but for only 7 years. I also wear glasses/contacts, but only since I was 12. I'm enjoying this thread, and finding that I have things in common with so many people here. :)

Same here, except it was a single birth instead of twins. I had no problems after my first baby, but the PPD was bad after my second.

I'm a trekkie too, but the original and TNG only.

1a. I am the oldest of three children, ages 50, 49, and 29; my sister & I were both already married when our brother was born. 1b. My mother was 16 when I was born, so I am closer in age to her than to my brother. 2. When I was 25, I was involved in a head-on crash with a loaded 18-wheeler gravel truck. I had multiple broken bones and my face was crushed. I spent a month in the hospital and went through reconstructive facial surgery and orthopedic surgery (femur broken and partially crushed) as well as physical therapy 4 times a week for 2 years. 3. Dh & I were married when we were both 19, but did not have our first child until we were both 29. (Part of the reason we waited was because of the incident described in #2.) 4. Each of my chlldren was born prematurely because I had Group B Strep. 5. I do not have stretch marks. 6. I cannot remember a time in my life when I did not want to be a teacher; I have a master's degree in education, and taught every grade except 1, 2, 3, & 4 professionally before becoming a homeschooling mom. 7. I have never smoked a cigarette (of any kind) in my entire life, nor have I ever been drunk. 8. I am right-handed, but I play pool, deal cards, and open jars left-handed. 9. You know how some women think you can never have too many pairs of shoes? Well, I tend to be that way about school supplies, art/craft supplies, and books. 10. I love history, and my dream vacation is to travel to historic sites in Europe with dh; I especially want to visit Ireland, Italy, and Austria.

I'm not a writer, but dh is. He writes character curriculum and Bible studies.

Me too.

We had read some of the books before we read it, but not all of them. My kids were probably no older than 10 & 15 when we read it. The younger one enjoyed it more, but then, she always loved read-alouds more than her older brother did. The reviews do sound bad, but we liked it. EK especially liked it, and she wants to read it again.

You wanted to know what was the connection between naegleria fowleri and garden hoses. I made the connection in a previous post, which I quoted in the post you read: If you're wondering where I made the connection, it was from online research, which included: To prevent infection: avoid jumping or diving into bodies of warm fresh water or thermal pools keep your head above water in spas, thermal pools and warm fresh water bodies empty and clean small collapsible wading pools and let them dry in the sun after each use ensure swimming pools and spas are adequately chlorinated and well maintained flush stagnant water from hoses before allowing children to play with hoses or sprinklers if you are using unchlorinated water: don't allow water to go up your nose when bathing, showering or washing your face supervise children playing with hoses or sprinklers and teach them not to squirt water up their nose potentially contaminated water should not be used for any form of nasal irrigation or nasal lavage including Neti Naegleria fowleri is an organism known as an amoeba that lives naturally in warm freshwater bodies and soil. It can grow in warm, stagnant water bodies including lakes, hot springs, warm water discharge from industrial plants, poorly maintained swimming pools and spas and garden hoses or sprinklers containing stagnant water. Dirty swimming pools, spas, rivers, ponds or garden hoses holding stagnant water are all breeding grounds for Naegleria fowleri. Flush stagnant water from hoses before allowing children to play with hoses or sprinklers if using unchlorinated water etc.

That's it! Thank you, thank you, thank you! :hurray: And now we all get to see how well my memory served me on those details! It's 199 pages. Reading Level: 7th The author is Anne Spencer Lindbergh, daughter of Charles & Anne Morrow Lindbergh. From Amazon: This story takes off into flights of fantasy when Owen, 12, and his cousin Parsley, 9, visit children's books. The two are thrown together when, over his protests, Owen's mother moves them to Vermont where she plans to marry her brother-in-law, Parsley's father. Owen resents the fact that his divorced mother, a prolific children's book author, is marrying her deceased sister's husband. Leaving Boston, starting junior high in rural Vermont, and soon having weird cousin Parsley, age nine, as a sister requires considerable acclimation. The equally displeased girl secretly schemes to stop the impending nuptials. From Amazon: When Parsley tells Owen, a reluctant reader, about her "travels," he's incredulous, until he too is transported to stories such as Alice in Wonderland, Little Women and The Yearling. ...Despite his misgivings, they visit several books and the boy finds himself eager to read the books he has visited. He becomes interested in helping the young deer in The Yearling, while Parsley collects diamonds in The Twenty-one Balloons and tries to ride the Goose Prince in The Fledgling.

No, but that one sounds good!

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One more detail: EK reminded me of this part. The Yearling is mentioned. The kids feel sorry for the deer and decide to go into the book to prevent it from being killed.

Another detail: in the book, the girl loves to read, and she & the boy talk about parallels between books they've read and what's happening in real life. They could go into books and bring things out with them, such as animals, but once they brought them out, those items were no longer in the story. I think they had to try to figure out how to return these things to the story. A lot of actual books, mostly classics, are cited, but the only one that stands out in my mind is The Twenty-One Balloons. My recollection is that the girl is the main character, but EK says she thought the boy was.