We just bought it from Amazon. It's $32.97 so it qualifies for free shipping all by itself!

Since the dishwasher is fairly new, I probably wouldn't replace the it, as long as it works okay. I would replace the oven, since it's not fully functional and doesn't match the others. It would be worthwhile to spend the money for self-cleaning. Does the stovetop work well? If it does, I wouldn't replace it. Stoves can last a long time, so an old stove isn't a bad thing as long as it looks okay and works.

How scary for you! I do hope you're feeling better. Praying for you and your baby.

OH MY! :eek: That's a long time to be without power! How much snow did you get? I'm glad you have a place to stay. Hopefully you can do some fun things...in the long run it may be a great family memory. I have fond memories of the times we were snowed in.

It sounds like you have the "respiratory crud". :( Take whatever you need to feel more comfortable and sleep - Tylenol/ibuprofen for the fever, cough medicine, etc. If you have it, take echinacea/goldenseal and or garlic. Rest! I hope you're feeling better soon!

My older boys are 8 1/2 and 6 11/2. I would agree with what others have said about being consistent, not spanking, and the combo of giving consequence plus following up with talking about what's appropriate and why. I've found that it's easier for me to be consistent with giving consequences when I don't always have to be thinking up a consequence. I don't necessarily have a specific consequence for each specific kind of offense, but if I have a list of possibilities in mind or on paper it's easier. Some things we use as consequences: time in their rooms (they don't like to miss out on the action), loss of screen time, work, sentences. I find that when my boys are wound up, rowdy, or angry - basically the times that they're out of control (or borderline out of control), it works best for me to go to where they are and calmly talk to get their attention. If needed I will put my hands on their shoulders (or something along that line, but not a forceful action), just to help get their attention and help them calm down. I'm also working with them to respond to me the absolute first time I call their name (which they should be doing already, (sigh), but somehow we've gotten away from that). Hang in there - I think it's very important at this age for boys to start learning to recognize when they're getting aggressive or out of control and control themselves. And it's crucial that he learns to respect your authorities and boundaries at this age or it will be a huge struggle once you get closer to the teen years.

So glad to hear this - definitely cause for celebration!

That sounds like something my dh would say. He just does not have an appreciation for lots of books! When we moved, I wanted/needed to buy two additional bookshelves. He wanted me to get rid of enough books to just have two bookshelves total! :eek:

Wow! That is a LOT of stuff. I'll never have anything that extensive (!), but I love the way she organizes. And I really love the scrapbook pages hung from curtain rods. Storing that for future use!

I would so love to come, but this year I don't think it's going to be possible. SWB next year?!! I am definitely marking the calendar now! I'd really, really like to hear her speak at least once in my life. Although, "hanging out" with her on these boards is a good deal too. ;)

I've looked at the Sneaky Chef but not at Deceptively Delicious (ridiculously long wait for it from the library!). There seem to be more favorable reviews on Amazon for the Sneaky Chef, but I'd love to hear from the hive. Which one do you recommend?

You can also get it at Half.com.

The last time I was pregnant (4 years ago!), I had good success at JcPenney, Old Navy, and Motherhood.

These look interesting - I'll have to check them out. Where were they located in the store - by the drink mixes (kool-aid, crystal lights, etc), or somewhere else?

I just saw this updated post. Praying for successful surgery and recovery.

I use the library a great deal, but when I need to buy books, the first place I go is Half.com. They have many, many books at very low prices. And the best thing is, if you buy multiple books from the same seller, there is a reduced shipping cost.

How scary! Praying today for their safety.

Can I be your neighbor? Your meal sounds yummy! Does the pasta salad have veggies in it? If not, you could add some kind of veggies - fresh veggies would be easy. If the pasta salad already has veggies, I'd add some kind of fruit. Or to be really honest, since I love fruit, I'd probably add fruit either way. :)

This is a great idea! I think my boys (they're 6 & 8) will be getting some "teamwork practice" soon!

It sounds like a good opportunity and something that would benefit your daughter. I would not have a problem requiring it of my child if I felt she was capable and ready for the experience. I am wondering about the size of the group to which she would be presenting? If it is a large group, and she hasn't done that sort of thing before, you might consider finding a smaller "venue" to present reports to and build her confidence. We get together with two other families for history activities, and we added reports at our last meeting. My 3rd grade ds wrote a great report (surprised me, since he does not like to write!), but totally balked when it was time to read it! I was so shocked - he is very verbal and outgoing, and this was just with his close friends. It made me realize that I need to start having him do reports and perhaps reciting things we've memorized in front of our family, then perhaps for grandparents, just to build up his confidence.

I'm praying today for Annie and her family.

I ran across this quote on somebody's blog the other day and I love it: "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful." Carry on!

1. How often do you scrapbook? Well, ideally one or twice a week. But since we built a house and moved in the past year, it's been about once or twice the whole year! I hope to get started soon and make some serious progress. 2. How important is scrapbooking to you? Pretty important, but at this point in my life there's not a lot of time "left over" to devote to it. I love to see my kids looking at their scrapbooks, though. I also love the perspective I gain when I'm working on my scrapbooks. 3. How would you describe your scrapbooking style? Fairly simple. I love color and paper, but I don't have time for lots of embellishments, and I'm not terribly "artsy". Plus, I like to get lots of photos on a page! 4. What drives you crazy about the scrapbook industry? The overwhelming amount of embellishments, and the low quality of so many albums. 5. Which scrapbook magazines do you subscribe to? None! 6. Are you a digital or paper scrapbooker? Paper, although I do have the new Creative Memories software which I will hopefully crack open some time in the next year! If I was just starting out, I would probably just go with digital. But now that I have all of the traditional supplies, and I love working with paper, it would be hard to switch over completely. 7. Do you have a favorite scrapbook celebrity? I like Becky Higgins and Stacy Julian's books.

Yikes! My oldest turns 9 this summer. I'm starting to feel the same way....how in the world did that happen so fast! Happy birthday...hope it's a great day for him!

Oh, sadness and mourning. I would be so bummed if my flat stone broke. Most things are nice to have fresh and new, but not a stone! Better treat yourself with some chocolate. ;)