No one really uses car seats here and there are no laws requiring you to do so. The only ones who use them are expats and even they generally stop using them after a short while. My daughter is still in a car seat at 3.5 years old. My ds was still in one at age 5.5 when we moved here but we stopped using it shortly afterwards. Living in the US, however, my oldest ds was in one until about age 7 but he was quite tall for his age.

That is awesome news!

I loved that book, too!!! This one is also really good so far.

38 out of 52 books Dewey Decimal- all but the 400s (languages) and 700s (arts) Continents- still need Asia and then I guess a book about Antarctica since there are no authors from there?

Thank you so much! It was a great day. I think 43 is going to be a good year. :)

Oh I missed it! Off to search... Thank you so much!!

Yuck. Terrible. But you may not want to listen to me since I don't like any of the books in that series. That whole spanking scene creeped me out... Among other scenes that I don't care to rehash.

Started Reading: Man Seeks God: My Flirtations with the Divine by Eric Weiner (American author, DD class 200) Still Reading: When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight for Joy by John Piper (American author, DD class 200) Finished: 38. Inferno by Dan Brown (American author, DD class 800) 37. That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo (American author, DD class 800) 36. The God Who is There: Finding Your Place in God's Story by D.A. Carson (Canadian author, DD class 200) 35. Sandstorm by James Rollins (American author, DD class 800) 34. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel (Mexican Author, DD class 800) 33. The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost (Dutch Author, DD class 900) 32. Bill Bryson's African Diary by Bill Bryson (American author, DD class 900) 31. The Millionaires by Brad Meltzer (American author, DD class 800) 30. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (American author, DD class 800) 29.The Sherlockian by Graham Moore (American author, DD class 800) 28. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (American authors, DD class 800) 27. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson (American author, DD class 900) 26. The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800) 25. Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Ethiopian author, DD class 800) 24. Having Hard Conversations by Jennifer Abrams (American author, DD class 300) 23.The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe (American author, DD class 600) 22. The Infernal Devices #3: The Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800) 21. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (American author, DD class 800) 20. Why Revival Tarries by Leonard Ravenhill (British author, DD class 200) 19. The Infernal Devices #2: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800) 18. The Infernal Devices: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (American author, DD class 800) 17. God's Big Picture: Tracing the Story-Line of the Bible by Vaughan Roberts (British author, DD class 200) 16.The Weed that Strings the Hangman's Bag: A Flavia de Luce Mystery by Alan Bradley (Canadian Author, DD Class 800) 15.The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World by Eric Weiner (American author, DD class 900) 14. Prodigy by Marie Lu (Chinese author, DD class 800) 13. Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand (American author, DD class 900) 12. The Disappearing Spoon: And Other Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements by Sam Kean (American author, DD class 500) 11. The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures by Anne Fadiman (American Author, DD class 600) 10. A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World by Paul Miller (American author, DD class 200) 9. Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (American author, DD class 300) 8. Ordering Your Private World by Gordon MacDonald (American author, DD class 100) 7. The Bungalow by Sarah Jio (American author, DD class 800) 6. The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 5. Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (American author, DD class 800) 4. The Next Story: Life and Faith After the Digital Explosion by Tim Challies (Canadian author, DD class 600) 3. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton (Australian author, DD class 800) 2. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (English author, DD class 800) 1. The Dark Monk: A Hangman's Daughter Tale by Oliver Potzsch (German author, DD class 800)

I am totally making these for dessert tonight!

I no longer felt like someone was "missing". Our family feels complete. And when I hold a baby now I think they are cute but I don't have that longing deep in the center of me any more. It feels nice to be done and just enjoying the kids we have.

I don't know what fiestaware is so I don't think I have it. We have a set of plastic dishes we bought at Walmart for everyday stuff and a beautiful set of white dishes with a gold rim from Mikasas for the nicer dinners.

I did it! Dh and I applied for jobs at an international school practically on a whim and a few months later we were living in Malaysia. Best decision we ever made! It is an awesome combination of normal, every day life and continuous adventure. If I'm not in the mood for adventure, I just stay home that day and life is really normal. But all we have to do is walk out our front door to experience something new and different all the time. It really is as awesome as it sounds (except the traffic...yikes).

Yes. It is professionally preserved in a box. It was gorgeous... My dream dress!

I am still slogging my way through "Inferno" by Dan Brown. It is bad... Like a B movie bad... But I'm nearly done and I feel a strange compulsion to finish it. It's like I am laying him to rest as an author in my head and finishing his book is my way of giving him his last rites.

Chicken or turkey, chunked or shredded (my kids prefer shredded) Onion Celery Dried cranberries Mayo (not miracle whip) Salt and pepper to taste The key is to mix this all together then put it in the fridge overnight so the favors can mingle then serve it the next day.

Oh no! I am so sorry!!!

I have a question about the men and women not touching each other custom. I am a principal of a school in Malaysia and yesterday three Muslim men on vacation from Saudi Arabia (who work at a school there) came into my office asking for a tour of the school. Yes, I know I am not supposed to touch them. But it was one of those super busy moments in the office with a ton of parents and teachers in and out, they showed up with no appointment, the admissions coordinator was at lunch, so the secretary interrupted my meeting to see if I could show them around. So when I walked out I introduced myself as the principal and did the American business greeting... I put my hand out to shake theirs. It was one of those moments where, right when I put my hand out, it registered in my brain "oh, right, I'm not supposed to touch them" but it was too late... My hand was already out. Awkward. So I start to pull my hand back but the first guy shook it anyways. But then he wiped his hand off on his shirt! Three times! I'm sorry. I know he is not supposed to touch me but I would rather him have just refused to shake my hand then to shake it and then wipe it off like I have some kind of disgusting germs because I am a woman. He was visibly surprised that a woman was in charge as well and actually questioned me about it. So I have to ask... Is that what a Muslim man is supposed to do if he touches a woman? Wipe it off on his shirt? Is that the expectation? It's just different here. Even though Malaysia is a Muslim country, I think it is more easy-going. I have shaken hands in business interactions with plenty of Muslims here and no one has ever refused or wiped it off. And women in positions of authority are fairly common so this interaction definitely took me by surprise.

Yikes. Ok. Time to break the news to dh. :)

These are awesome suggestions! Ok, give it to me straight... How much should I expect to spend on this not including plane tickets. Assume staying on site in a moderate hotel for one week. I know it is hard to be exact but maybe just a ballpark figure?

I first heard about it around 1993 I think. I had it in my home in mid-1996 and I have had it ever since. It was originally dial-up. I got cable modem in 1997.

Cows roam freely up and down the roads. They are considered holy here.

Month you will be visiting- mid to late June. We are flexible. # of people traveling with you and how many adults vs. how many kids Me, my dh, and 3 kids (ages 16, 10, and 4 at that time) Do you want to stay on property (I recommend that...others don't) I don't think I have an opinion on that. :) I guess it depends on how much it jacks the price up? If you don't stay on property, do nearby hotels have shuttles to the parks? I'm not really sure what to do about this. Will you have a vehicle? Probably not. I think we will fly there. Type of resort you like (Deluxe, moderate, value) Affordable but not yucky. How many days you'll be there. I'd like to go for a week. Is that the right amount of time? Do you all like amusement park attractions and rollercoaster type rides? Actually we don't do true rollercoaster rides, the scary kind. My dh can't because of his neck injury. But we can do the movie rides that are not rollercoasters. We love the shows! I still remember this batman show on water and this Indiana Jones show that was really cool. How do you like to eat when you travel? Do you enjoy sit-down restaurants? (Disney's are wonderful!) Sure! But we aren't picky. I'd like to do one of those Princess character breakfast things for my daughter if possible but mostly we want to eat economically.

Lol. You missed it a little. It's on a thread called "I'm Alive!" :) There is so much to tell. Even that post doesn't tell it all and I have great pics but I don't know how to share them here. They are on my FB page though. If you want to friend me to see them just let me know. Your support and your words were in my head the entire time I was in the air. Thank you!

We are going to the states next summer to visit. We will be there around 6 weeks. I'd like to include a trip to Disney World for my family but the mere idea of trying to plan it gives me anxiety! They have actual DVDs you can order to help you plan it!!! That is crazy! Why is it so difficult? We went once before but it was 10 years ago and we put very little forethought into it. I went online and booked a random hotel nearby, got some park hopper passes, a few plane tickets, and that's it. But then I read about all of your Disney planning and the months some of you put into it ahead of time and I realize I must have done something wrong! So I need help. We loved the Magic Kingdom, that big animal place, and the one area that was called MGM but I don't know if it is there any more??? I remember it had a lot cool shows based on movies. We never made it to Epcot but I assume that place is cool too. I also want to add a day at Universal Studios to the trip. I really like that place. Tips? Tricks? It will be our last time going as a family before my oldest goes to college since we don't get back to the states that often so I want to make it good without it costing the GDP of a small country! Also, as stress-free as possible. Not too tall of an order is it? :)

I am totally fine with being an introvert. The only time I wish I was more extroverted is when it comes to school events for my job. As principal, there are a lot of events I have to be at or speak at, etc. I dread them. I love the events themselves. I just wish I could sit in a corner and watch it all from afar. Instead I must mingle and speak with all the parents and it takes a lot out of me. But I do it because it is my job then I go home and sleep. :)