:: ED PO WARNING :: How old is oldest? So I know this won't work for tomorrow, but these are fantastic classes and cheap if you do it without teacher feedback (though the feedback is nice; but you have to wait for feedback classes to be offered). There's even a free one available right now. The instructor is a Christian, a children's novelist, and really connects well with kids' imaginations. I can't recommend it enough. Ds12 did Playing with Words this fall and had a blast with it.

I was holding your hand in spirit, Jeannie. 💞

Is it Monday? It sure feels like one. Pizza for supper. Then older ducklings and dh to church. BFF may be coming over as my house will have fewer rugrats than her house.

Bah. Didn't quote the post I was replying to. Feel free to fill in the blank however you like.

Same here. 😅

I know, right?! DH takes over MY office when he’s WFH. Which is basically our bed in a room that has barely enough room for our bed, but is the only room in our ranch house away from noise .

ITT needs a critterfixerfixer. (((critter)))

I am officially out of chocolate, unless I raid the kids' candy tubs. Which I won't, as they keep a close eye on their inventory, and their chocolate standards are rather low anyway. (I'm a bit of a dark chocolate, Ghirardelli snob.)

This is us. Screens just create so many problems that I limit them severely. Short shows after school while I cook dinner (which really only happens about 3x/week lol), and the older kids use an iPad for quizlet and spelling practice . That's it. No games because that produces more arguing than tv. Even a kindergarten math book recommended by WTM (that came with a computer game on cd) was such a problem I've boxed it to sell it. The second grader still teases me incessantly for it. Ugh.

We finally finished school, really late today, and everyone cheered about the hour of free time before track/choir. How is free time being spent? DS12 is writing DD10 and DD9 are fighting over who gets the piano for extra practice DD7 is reading and DS5 dragged his Miquon math and the c-rods over to me and begged to do "just one more page."

I'm back from my all-day meeting, it's dinnertime, and the kids and dh are not here. Hoping that means they come back fed.😎

Whoa....hold on just a minute there. You haven't read the whole thread yet?!?!?!?!?! That's a rule, you know. Better get cracking, Sforkster!

I'm slowly thawing after a long afternoon in the park in bitterly cold and unceasing wind. But the kids are now tired and happy. It's pizza night and, for dh and myself, also movie night. Wonder what we'll watch. It's his pick (because he makes the pizza, from scratch, faithfully every week).

(((Krissi and everyone impacted by fires)))

Happy Friday!!! Coffeeeeee....... Ds5 is coughing but fever is gone. We have a piano lesson makeup marathon today, followed by the park with friends. It'll be coldish (50s) and windy, but at least there's sun for the first time all week. 😎

Happy Wednesday! Kid #5 is still sick, but everyone else is at church. I may make myself a bowl of popcorn.

Littlest duckling is sick. Low fever, head hurts. 😥 Comfort food is in order. Methinks we are having Mac and cheese with a side of peas and bacon tonight.

Try the above. My kids love it with a side of peas and bacon (Brown chopped bacon, about 4-6 slices, for a couple minutes, then throw a chopped onion in the pot and sauce it in the grease. When onion is tender, toss in a frozen bag of peas. Cook until bright green and tender. Season with salt and pepper.)

Here's our fave Mac-n-cheese recipe (the kids love it). The nutmeg/cayenne gives it just a bit of a kick. The only change I make is to add crumbled Ritz crackers on top, then drizzle on a little melted butter and bake it about 5 minutes to brown the topping. https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/macaroni-and-cheddar-cheese-recipe-2131153#reviewsTop

LOL -- I guess it's all genes then. I had slight graying before menopause, but nothing anyone could notice. After menopause? Gray. To the point where it was the first thing mentioned by an acquaintance I hadn't seen in a long time. (A tip: don't let the first words out of your mouth be "Hi So-and-so! You're Gray!!!!")

One thing to add to the age discussion: The older I get, the more every.single.weather.person on tv looks like they are 12. So there's that, fwiw. Maybe all those pre-pubescent meteorologists think I look like I'm 82.

Bed is calling. Sleep tight, all! And Coffee!!! in advance since vacation is over and my mornings are back to chaos. Happy Tuesday!

We are in the same boat. I'm in the "menopause + 5 kids 12 and under" group. Menopause = gray hair and BAM. All the assumptions. Dh is 14 years older than me so he's had comments ever since our oldest was born. And older parents are so common now! I just can't understand voicing a "guess" that, if wrong, makes for an awkward situation.

No girls’ sizes at our CVS, but I think a women’s small will work for today, at least. I’ve ordered some girls sizes from target for the next concert.

Coffee in a quiet house. 😊. The girls have a concert so the best we could squeeze in today was Sunday school for them; no church service. Dh took them and will return home in about an hour. I need girls’ black tights/stockings. Does the drugstore still sell such things? Target and Afsa are far away.