It all depends on my mood. Sometimes just butter. Sometimes just jelly. Sometimes just peanut butter but never combines

I pet sit for someone who has my dream house. The layout is perfect, the land it is on is perfect, and the location is pretty good. I desperately want out of my current home but refuse to move until we are ready to buy the house we'll stay in for the long long run. I pray that of and when they sell there house in the future we can afford it. If they did so now we couldn't but in a few years we may be able to.

Continue to get house back in order and new things away. Pack the kids for a 2 night stay with my parent's. Write out instructions for our pet sitter. Pack myself for 2 night away with dh! Impatiently wait for tomorrow afternoon so we can drop the kids off and go spend 2 nights together before this baby comes! This was dh's gift to me.

So much awesomeness!!! I have 2 very generous in laws who love giving gifts so they tend to go overboard and my dh learned from them! Fil and his partner got me; Rock Me Archimedes, Kitchen Table Math, another book of elementary math I can't remember the name Mil got me; a zester, coat to get me through the next 5 weeks with this huge pregnant belly, Forbidden Island, 2 volumes of summa theologica, book of sudokus, Small Steps for Catholic moms Dh got me; Agricola, book of expert level Sudoku, a 2 night stay away from the kids in 2 days I got many more little things from my family and a bunch of cash. I used to have such a hard time receiving gifts but realized it's their love language so I had to find a way to be comfortable being showered with things twice a year.

Yes, thank you! Although my son has played with a bunch of his other toys so far the Magnatiles he got are much loved all ready by all! After he was done with them at my mil's all the adults started playing with them

This is going to be mostly a day of decompressing! But we will get a good hour of organizing/straightening up new things that entered our house. -pet sit -deposit money -get all new board games in game closet -put all new clothes away - put all new books on shelves -put all my new things away -clean bathrooms! Toys can wait for another day.

Presents opened, I went and pet sat, dh made waffles, every present has been played with I think! We're all getting ready to head to mil's for more present opening, relatives, and lunch! Then on to my parent's house for more presents, family, and dinner. I love Christmas!! I think this is the best one yet(they get better every year.)

I was the first to wake up too!! My kids are young enough not to be able to set their internal clock to 5 am even though my 6 year old really wanted to wake up that early. Now they are awake and are trying to get dh up.

Merry Christmas all!! It's 7 am here and I was the first to wake up. All the kids are up to and ready to open presents but dh is still sleeping. My 2 year old is trying to shake him awake. If that doesn't work I'll instruct them to tickle his feet.

Oh no! Feel better.

Ds's 6th birthday was on Friday. At Mass on Sunday he put the normal envelope into the basket and $10 of his birthday money. I had no idea he had his money with himand had to ask where he got it. Melted my heart! Tonight at Mass he said, "darn I should have brought my money."

Oh I think a parent should let the child act as whatever gender they want but in the case of a kid just playing the parents have to realize the child is just playing. Sadly, I've seen parents who were very supportive of their child's gender identity but when the child was done playing the parents assumed it was because the child started realizing it wasn't normal rather than just a phase they grew out of. So I guess the harm comes from the parent pushing too hard when the child isn't actually transgender. Hence, my comment that the parent needs to know the child well and make the decision appropriately at the beginning and throughout (does that make sense?)

I think it has to be a decision made by the parents who know their child well. I've certainly known kids who wanted to be called the name of the opposite gender and acted like that gender who grew out of that phase of playing. But I also know kids who aren't playing and know something is off about them at a young age.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone! We start our crazy Christmas celebrating at 4pm today and it doesn't stop till around 10 pm tomorrow! So the few things I need to get done need to happen by 1 so we all have time to bath and get ready. - pet sit - return things to Lowes and target - clean entryway - clean dining room - make sure all dishes are washed and away - dh clean bathrooms - install dd's new car seat - quick straighten up of upstairs rooms - get all trash to dumpster - start the Christmas celebrating

I like reading this thread but 10 years ago i was finishing up my first semester at college so I can't contribute!

Even my almost 2 year old would not play with the trains as much as he does if they were glued. He plays with them daily. He has a hard time putting them together but has gotten better over the last few months since he's had the opportunity to keep trying

Canned broth is disgusting to me and always has been. In order to get away with avoiding it I roast a chicken weekly and use the bones to make chicken broth.

Ravioli constructing is done! Now dad is making us fresh pasta for dinner from the left over dough! My back is killing me so aside form getting outfits in my closet when I get home I'm calling it quits till the morning.

The one in the shopping center under refurbishment. Both are great but that is the one where I usually get all my really awesome scores! Like over the summer I found a wooden marble run that runs roughly $200 new and it cost me $10. That marble run is currently waiting to be wrapped and put under the tree for ds!

So, I couldn't resist going into Goodwill when I was dropping stuff off and I'm so glad I did!! I found a $50 erector set unopened for $2. This will be for my nephew who I was having the worst time trying to find something for so I was just going to give him money. I also got 4 summer dresses for $5 for my dd. They will be a birthday gift for her in May and it rounds out her summer wardrobe nicely, everything else is hand me downs from family and friends. My sil found a complete Snap Circuit set for $3, which she'll be giving to her son for his bday(very jeaous about that find!) I heart Goodwill! ravioli constructing will be starting soon!

I have an aunt who is like your brother but rants about her religion and a cousin who rants about what your brother rants about. I happily smile and leave the room when my aunt starts, as does everyone else, so she has gotten the idea and tones it down to appropriate discussion of religion. Many years ago I flat out told cousin to shut up or leave, it was not a holiday just gathering at my house. Since then he saves his rants for friends and one on one convos at non family events. In a family of people who don't argue and generally respect each other's difference there was no room for them to continue to behave that way and they realized it thankfully.

I am going to your neighbors house and stealing that adorable little creature!

hehe. That picture is from a murder mystery my dh and I hosted. He wrote all the character descriptions and story, all I had to do was provide the food and play in the murder mystery. The setting was zombie apocalypse. I was a soldier. Many of my family members also participated! I've really been blessed with a family I not only love but also like very much!

hehe. I'm 34 weeks pregnant so I don't even think prep h will help me with all my puffiness! Not that I care too much. I've learned that its more about how you act then how you look. No facial in the world will help me not look as tired as I am but coffee and the excitement of Christmas will do that for me! I'll be running on Christmas excitement fumes until the 26th. Then I'll sleep for a day while the kids make a mess of the house playing with all their new toys!

Jean, that sucks. Lucky, feel better My day is going to be chaotic yet productive. I've got a lot I want to get done before our Christmas celebrations start tomorrow at 4 so to time to enlist the help of all kids present, including my nephew. I may even pay them to help! -clean computer room - clean computer room closet - clean entryway -clean dining room - clean living room -make sure all outfits for Christmas eve are located and put in my closet so no one can lose them. - load van with Christmas gifts to go to my parents so I can put them under the tree today - drop stuff off at goodwill - return things to Lowes and target maybe - pet sit - head to parent's house to help dad construct the raviolis for Christmas dinner ( making these with my dad is the best thing about Christmas and easter for me!) - surprise load of laundry that accumulated as I cleaned yesterday! Ready. Set. Go.