I always hope my broccoli doesn't have e. coli, which helps me remember it has 1 L and thus 2 Cs. Learning about open and closed syllables has really helped my spelling. So, you could think of how you would pronounce "vaccuum" (or "vaccum") - vac/cuum would have two short vowel sounds. You'd not get the "yoom" or "yume" sound that previous posters have mentioned.

My solution to this problem was to put my books in categories, and to set the Kindle to category view. The kids could still open the "House" folder and see what I've been reading, but I don't really think they're that motivated.

This was me when we lived in Phllly! We joked about going to the "good IKEA" or the "bad IKEA." Now that we live several hours from one, I'd definitely consider it a tourist stop. Plus, it's the nicest rest stop by far when travelling up and down I-95.

I understand why people do the gender reveal parties, or at least the types where even the parents don't know the gender. It's a fun excuse to have a party. I'm sure these disproportionately come from first babies, too. Don't you remember your first baby? There's so much waiting and excitement and planning. Planning parties falls right into that pregnancy mindset. Plus, Pinterest. So many new social norms are coming from Pinterest. Some people will bring presents whether they're asked to or not. It would be nice if the hosts had a way of communicating "how about something useful?" Because you know what a baby doesn't need? Nine copies of Goodnight, Moon.

This is why I almost never lock my car door. We don't often have anything of value in the car. It would cost much more to replace the smashed window than to replace our 10 year old iPod full of kids' books.

For this, absolutely. We returned a tent (two broken zippers) to REI without issue. The clerk pointed out that they know how to improve their equipment when customers return broken merchandise. It doesn't constitute abuse when the company welcomes it. On the other hand, using stores as a personal rental services is abuse. MIL will do creepy things like buy air mattresses, new serving dishes, decorative knick-knacks, then return them when she's had her guests or party or whatever drove the keeping-up-with-the-Joneses event.

I'm looking for a dishwasher on Craigslist, and I'm balancing disgust and amusement in my reaction to the many "like new" machines offered... ...like the one that was used for the year after someone bought a house (who knows how long it was used before that) ...or the one with obvious scratches/dings ...or the one in which you'd need to replace the silverware caddy. It's interesting to me because the opposite tends to be true (in my experience, YMMV) on Amazon. I've found that many "acceptable" condition books have been nearly new.

Do you have a Goodwill warehouse store near you? The clothes are priced per pound, making it real steal for baby items. I love the Breast Friend pillow for nursing during those first few weeks, when the baby still is learning how to go about nursing with a proper latch. There's so much maneuvering in those first few days that having a stable place to put the baby was so helpful. We used the baby tub from IKEA, which I liked because I didn't have to fill the full bathtub with water. We'd let the babies who liked water splash all day, and the babies who hated the water...well, they get a weekly wipe-down in the sink. We use the bath tub now as a makeshift water table - very handy. And you know about insurance-covered breastpumps, right?

The two stations we visited this past year have poles that the firemen use. I asked. They said that the poles are really useful BUT beware of sliding with shorts. To my DD3's disappointment, we were not allowed to slide down like real firemen.

So true, but that's how I know I like them so much. We're very much a household of reusable things. DD5 remarked the other day while at a friend's house that "they have the giant toilet paper that you can use in the kitchen." Even so, I'll shell out $$ for something that disintegrates before my eyes because they're just that darn helpful.

I am so thankful I parent in the age of the magic eraser. I could take or leave a dozen other modern inventions but this one? This one is essential. signed, owner of a house full of white walls

If they're unopened and you're pretty confident they've been adequately refrigerated, I'd go for it.

I feel so sorry for the generation growing up now, in which it's perfectly normal to post pictures all day long. I've seen the Facebook and Instagram feeds for my 18/22 YO cousins and it's nonstop. They feel so much pressure to look perfect all the time. They're constantly exposed to everyone.

I don't prefer the food at Chik-fil-a, but I do love the fact that it's such an easy place to take my kids. Vacation = a milkshake and their indoor playground on a quiet day. Cheaper than therapy! I like Chipotle, but don't love it. My kids will eat their weight in beans and rice there, though, so I'm glad to have it as an option when we're on the road. Panera used to have a sandwich I loved (beef and Gorgonzola cheese, I think?), but I don't really go there for food any longer. We realized a few years ago that we could go to a "real" restaurant for the same price (not including tip, though). I avoid Panera now because every time we stop in someone (ahem...me) wants a cookie as big as her head.

For a few months my kids were fascinated by frozen raspberries in seltzer. Science and a snack :) We do herbal teas mostly. Sometimes I make them a very weak coffee (80 percent milk, 20 percent coffee), but with discretion.

No one has mentioned Muir Woods yet, just north of San Francisco. To visit you'd get to cross the Golden Gate Bridge, always a fun experience. You'd get to see redwoods there, too. If you're here for a week and planning to visit at least one city, I'd probably stick to the coast. Yosemite (and Sequoia, my favorite by far) are great parks, but it would add significant driving time to your trip. Santa Cruz has a fun beach boardwalk, and I've found that the beach there tends to be what people from out of state are looking for when they ask for a "good beach" - calm, lots of sand, not so icy cold. Ahh...the wrong questions :) It's not "how long is the drive?" It's "how long could the drive potentially be?" Written by someone who last weekend spent hours sitting on 101 in LA. I personally would give it two or three days. It would open up flexibility for you in terms of traffic (getting caught in LA or SF, plus we've run into some delays near Monterey). Plus, you'd be driving past a great part of the state :) (I'm a little biased - it's where I live.)

My dad has all of these silly sayings that we call his "bad math advice." Stuff like: "when you give up a basket in basketball, you've lost four points -the two you should have had, and the two you gave your opponent." Also: "you're late if you're on time." I tell my kids the second one all the time. Punctuality is a learned habit from my father, and I'm thankful for it.

Father's Day is always around DH's birthday, so we combine celebrations. Ice cream is required. We don't usually do gifts for adults for any holiday (even Christmas, anniversaries, etc), but DH just finished a pretty taxing teaching semester and has been feeling left out of the family loop, so I got the silly idea to dress him and the kids in matching Superman t-shirts, so that he can remember that he's our Superman. (Awww....)

#2 How long would you be staying?

We do a four-day week, and it works so well. One benefit not mentioned yet is that you give yourself days off during the school year, so you can avoid holiday and summerime crowds at places like parks, zoos, etc.

Could it be the brand of salt you're adding to the softener? Have you tried different brands? Do you have to add all of the recommended salt? Could you partially soften the water? My parents have softened water and it's really gross. Even if I could get over the taste, it has a weird mouthfeel, to say nothing of how it feels when you're showering. Slime! Just slime!

Papyrus is a great font. It suffers from being a good font, because it makes people want to use it...and use it poorly. I've seen it used in a number of bad settings, including the logo for a Thai restaurant. This led to dinner conversation about a proposed "bamboo-rus" font, so perhaps it was a win? It's like the Yesterday of fonts - overusued, used in the wrong context, and seen so often that you forget how good it is.

Another observation for boys drawing with motion. I'm trying to think of what DD7s people look like, and what comes to mind is a lot of articulation and bodies in motion: bent knees and elbows running, kicking, jumping, attacking dragons, etc.

I know from experience that I don't reply when I'm called "doctor." It almost makes me feel like I've faked my PhD :) The culture at DH's new university is to call all professors "doctor." Every time I hear one of his students address him, I laugh a little inside. It sounds so absurd to my ears. (Now, in the right circumstances I am quite fond of adding those three hard-earned letters after my name...)

I'm interested in EIE, but was turned off by the fact that it's made for 30 students. I should think of it as being for multiple years. The sticker shock is !!!