I love Christmas, am agnostic and feel in no way conflicted about this. Sometimes my kid goes a week without a bath because it is such a pain to get her into and then out of the tub.

I have never been so quoted lol.

This thread is making me like you all so much more than I did before, everyone on it has become so much more real. This is even for those of you who are just wrong, wrong, wrong.

Hurrah for me, a really unpopular opinion.

Most husbands would be thrilled as long as they get to join the fun.

I love, love, love Bottle Caps candy. I would take it over the world's finest chocolate. I love our little lap dog who has no purpose other than loving us, snuggling and consuming some of the earth's scarce resources.

I hate last names as first names (Madison, Jefferson, Morgan...). Pot should be legalized.

Ryan Gosling is not hot. He looks like he should live in a really trashy trailer court with his fifteen year old pregnant girlfriend. God was created by man, mostly because death is scary. I also had to google Paul Walker. Socialism is better than capitalism in many, many ways. Starbucks coffee is fabulous (and I am shocked at finding that this is an unpopular opinion, what is the matter with you people?!). Hairy men are sexy ;) and hairless men look like boys.

Hurray for you, what lovely news. I would be good with the extras as long as they bring gifts ;)

I am finding this interesting. I would find it really strange to go to that type of event and not have access to wine or a cocktail. I might expect a cash bar since it is for charity. This was the case for a museum fundraiser and auction I attended most recently. I am also most familiar with denominations that do not prohibit alcohol so maybe that is why. I would never be so rude as to complain but I wouldn't really want to go. If it was a cause I cared about I would probably just make a donation and pass on the fundraiser. I mean, sorry but not much fun to sit around with a lot of people I don't know in formal clothes even with a cocktail or glass of wine. And dh would be even less interested than me. Call us a couple of drunks I guess lol.

I waited for his next business trip. Then I emailed him a picture of his adorable child with her new adorable puppy. He was over the shock by the time he got home. A couple times he has tried to make an issue of some puppy behavior and "see I was right blah, blah, blah, something or other." But that's it and he has even bitten the bullet and picked up poo in the backyard.

Lol, one of the reasons I liked the cav when we were deciding about the best breed for us is because it does not have high exercise needs. We walk him twice a day for twenty or thirty minutes and have a fenced back yard. And that is just about right. Ours likes fetch but mostly what he loves is tug. Animal planet has shows about different breeds that you can watch on YouTube, Dogs 101. Dd and I must have watched them all. My second choice was the havanese.

I don't know Shelly. We have a cat and our cav seems very different, other than the wanting to curl up in my lap lol. I remember seeing somewhere (dogs 101 maybe) that the shiba inu is most like a cat. My dd has extreme anxiety and our cav will actually run to her when she is having an anxious meltdown and lick her until she starts laughing. I will love him forever just for that! He is a black and tan. Which color do you have?

Our cavalier turned me from a cat to a dog person. He is so fricking sweet. I want a second one now.

Yes, they are cute. But how can anyone resist a cavalier king charles spaniel? Those eyes, those floppy ears, the velvety muzzle... And they want only to love and be loved lol. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cavalier_King_Charles_Spaniel

http://www.slate.com/blogs/how_babies_work/2013/04/10/parental_ethnotheories_and_how_parents_in_america_differ_from_parents_everywhere.html I found this very interesting.

I love, love, love my Le Crueset. The oval is great for chicken. They do need to be hand washed but cleanup easily. Tuesday morning is a great place to get them. I got my round one there.

We found a mice one on sale at Pier 1.

I use corn starch for thickening. But it doesn't take as much as when you use flour.

http://www.amazon.com/Allergen-Free-Bakers-Handbook-ebook/dp/B004445968/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382276398&sr=1-1&keywords=allergen+free+bakers+handbook

When my kids went to school they had teachers outside before school to make sure the kids stood in orderly lines. The playground was right there, while they stood quietly in line. When I was a kid we were all over the playground before that first bell rang. The kids in k-2 did get a mid-morning recess though, and lunch, and mid-afternoon for kindergarten. I am betting the charter schools feel just as much, or even more, pressure to get good test scores so I am not surprised there are no breaks. I assume that good test scores will lead to more charters. Who gives a youknowwhat about the kids when better test scores will mean more schools and so profit? They can also try to avoid taking or boot kids who can't keep it together for that kind of structure.

Maybe take away the dresser and have her live out of the baskets. That is what DH had going when I met him lol. He never needed to put laundry away at all. He still likes to keep his gym clothes in a basket in the laundry room.

So sorry you are going through this and best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Here is one teen girl's take on it; http://bedaonline.com/mixed-messages-teens-bodies-stigma/#.UmCdccu9KSO

I did it and it was fine until they started having marital problems.