:iagree: I have spanked maybe a handful of times during my years of child rearing and I know it has only been when I lose control of my emotions and the situation. Mine are 15,13,10,8,6,4,9 mos.

I would look for a small rock nearby. Last summer my husband was mowing and suddenly my front door shattered. The little culprit was less than an inch in diameter but it was flung out by the lawnmower and destroyed the door, it did look cool though!:D

Good for you, Dawn! Sounds delicious.:D

Two of my brother's are Silas & Jonah, unusual but nice. My sisters have used surnames for theirs: Avery, Jackson, Morgan, & Wynne What a list she'll have from the looks of things baby names have quite a following!:D

I would have to respectfully disagree with some of the posts. While I agree that it would be wildly inappropriate for any of your dc to openly approach this person and make comments, I also can see where you could and should discuss with them the relationship before or after the event depending on your dc. This is me assuming that with 9 children at least some of your dc are teenagers. I am also assuming from your comments that you and your dh consider this behavior not in keeping with the moral standards you have taught your children. Kids are not stupid, they are very perceptive, however, it doesn't appear that they need any special radar to figure out what is going on in this woman's life! In this case you would be remiss in not at least discussing the situation with older children, letting them know that it is not condoned behavior, but that you love this family member and will treat them with respect - Love the sinner, hate the sin. Secondly, I would talk with her about her use of language, and inappropriate subject matter at family gatherings. And if your dh is as close to her as you say he should let her know how he feels about her relationship.

Yeah, I just saw that. I could have sworn I saw him pitching those. I guess there are so many infomercials anymore one is the same as the next!:tongue_smilie: I'm glad I got rid of the television but the internet may be worse!:D

Man, does this mean I can't order any more ShamWow??? :lol: Sorry - it has been a weird week.

I totally agree with the above poster! All of it. I can't add any advice except work quickly! I have a brother who is now over 30 years old. His interest in "soft" porn began as a teenager, he hid it pretty well. He managed to serve a church mission, and go to college, but by his mid 20's he couldn't hold down a job for longer than a few months, or stay in a relationship. He always sought out the "bad" girls, ones with a past, lots of baggage, etc. A few years ago, still trying to hide his addiction, he finally met a great girl and decided to get married. He got his life together, held a job for over two years and got married. Fast forward to today and he is a divorced, father of two, recently fired from another string of jobs, trying to hang onto a college scholarship, not sure what is around the corner tomorrow porn addict. Porn addiction does not end pretty, I don't know when or if he'll get the help he needs. It's absolutely heartbreaking. Pornography will steal everything you hold dear and then it will take your soul for good measure. There is no soft answer here.

I know what you mean - we lost our microwave, dishwasher, toaster, and blender in the space of a week! AARGH! I realized I bought the three smaller appliances at the same time, nice! Have fun shopping for new ones.:D

:iagree: It is important to note the darker things in his life too. I loved him as a kid, I remember memorizing all of the lyrics on the Thriller record I had. He made a lasting impact on modern music that shouldn't be forgotten no matter how troubled he may have been, he had a great talent. We just have to keep it real.

I have seen a lot of favorite characters who are perceived as "ladylike" in the posts, what struck me is that we judge them as a package rather than for their actions in their particular environment. My favorite "lady" is Eleanor from Sense and Sensibility. She knew what she wanted though she couldn't act upon all of them. She was strong, she had courage, she was intelligent, she could cook, clean, and run a household while everyone else went crazy despite the social environment in which she found herself. I don't know how she would behave if thrust into Lord of the Rings or Gone with the Wind, but I would like to think she could hold her own! I think of a lady as someone who loves beauty, can carry on a conversation with anyone willingly, regardless of their perceived social stature, without making it apparent. A woman who can press on when the chips are down. An intelligent woman who seeks knowledge, is modest in dress and speech. A woman who expects as much from those she is around but leads by example not conscription. A woman as comfortable dealing with a ladies luncheon, a children's outing, or hauling/chopping the wood. Wow, what a list, it brings me to mind of that scene between Elizabeth Bennet & Mr. Darcy after he describes his idea of the ideal woman. "I am no longer surprised at your knowing ONLY six accomplished women. I rather wonder now at your knowing ANY." "Are you so severe upon your own sex as to doubt the possibility of all this? "_I_ never saw such a woman. _I_ never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, as you describe united." Boy, I've got a long way to go!:D

Blue, the kind of deep blue green that you see in the waves of the Puget Sound from the deck of the ferry! :001_smile:

I've had this happen before. I poured really hot water on it and let it sit a bit. It came off pretty easily if I recall correctly.

:lurk5: I'm watching this as I would like to purchase something soon.:D

I just started this too.. a thread might be good for all of us. So far I've stuck with most of it pretty well. But, I am not a big meat eater or dairy fan. My downfall is sugar, I love my chocolate, milk chocolate, I can't stand dark chocolate, call me crazy. We had the bean enchiladas for dinner last night, I loved it, I added some couscous in. Today I added the leftover bean mixture to my salad. I also ate out at Chili's Tuesday, I ordered the Guiltless Grill Black Bean burger, and ate it with half the bread, no dressing. Can you tell I love black beans??:D I love that we can eat fruit- it helps me with my sugar cravings. Anyway, I've lost 4.5 lbs. since weighing myself on Sunday! I can do anything for that kind of weightloss. Anybody have a good recipe using Bok Choy?

:iagree: We've been under an excessive heat warning for two days now! The kids are going crazy, and so are the weeds!:tongue_smilie:

I love this sweet and simple poem that reflects the many desires I have for my children. For A Child - Fannie Stearns Davis Your friends shall be the Tall Wind, The River and the Tree; The Sun that laughs and marches, The Swallows and the Sea. Your prayers shall be the murmur Of grasses in the rain; The song of wildwood thrushes That makes God glad again. And you shall run and wander, And you shall dream and sing Of brave things and bright things Beyond the swallow's wings. And you shall envy no man, Nor hurt your heart with sighs, For I will keep you simple That God may make you wise. This one by Longfellow was my favorite as a kid. The Arrow and The Song I shot an arrow into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For, so swiftly it flew, the sight Could not follow it in its flight. I breathed a song into the air, It fell to earth, I knew not where; For who has sight so keen and strong, That it can follow the flight of song? Long, long afterward, in an oak I found the arrow, still unbroke; And the song, from beginning to end, I found again in the heart of a friend. i carry your heart with me by E. E. Cummings i carry your heart with me(i carry it in my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling) i fear no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true) and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant and whatever a sun will always sing is you here is the deepest secret nobody knows (here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide) and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart) I love Tennyson's Maud, a little long to put here. The Lady of Shalott too! I love Shakespeare's sonnets. Longfellow's The Wreck of the Hesperus. Edgar Allan Poe's A Dream within a Dream. Anything by Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman, Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Congratulations! It looks lovely, looks like it might be your turn to jump in! :D Gonna lurk for great suggestions on downsizing and storage.:lurk5:

Wow! Mighty words for a mighty purpose. Thank you.

Thanks for all the replies! I appreciate how everyone definitely has a unique experience in life. "Talking" on this board always helps me to gain insight and perspective. Conversations like these also help me to see all the possibilities, it helps me to help myself and others. There definitely is not any bashing going on here. And I am glad to report the people on this board are my friends. So thank you again!:D

Scary! I'm glad everything went fine. We had similar problems with our 4 year old only she was 3 before it was all discovered. She had to have half of her baby teeth pulled and the rest are capped. I am glad you guys caught it in time. Our three oldest had no enamel on their baby molars so they had several deep cavities as preschoolers. Our son also had enamel issues on his front teeth and they are capped. Our pediatric dentist has said there shouldn't be any issues on their permanent teeth and for the most part we haven't seen anything with our older girls as long as they take really good care of them! LOL. :D

No, he doesn't. But, I am hoping that if I do it for him maybe he'll recognize the need to reciprocate.

:iagree: And let her know why.

Maybe you're right. I started a couple of weeks ago making sure I thank him, tell him I love him, and appreciate what he does for our family. I guess maybe it takes time to see your efforts come to fruition. A frustratingly long time!

It's another Saturday morning and I am sitting here while breakfast makes itself and my DH is gone, again. I'm hoping you guys can give me some advice to resolve or approach this issue: My DH is a confirmed workaholic. He is a construction contractor and I am truly grateful for the work he has right now, things have not been so great the last few months and we pray daily for work. Anyhoo... He just can't seem to stop working. He isn't under any deadlines but he leaves between 6 and 6:30 am everyday and usually drags himself home between 7 and 8 pm. Right now there is no work after this job so I am trying to understand the urgency in getting it done. He also works Saturdays the same hours. I realized recently that this is not a new occurrence. I have been dealing with this in varying degrees for the 16 years of our marriage. I think sometimes he feels that as long as he is physically providing that is all that is required of him as a husband/father. Maybe I am not allowing him the credit he needs there. I guess what is really bringing it to a head for me,without going into details, is I am really feeling my responsibilities of late. The dc are getting older and their physical/emotional needs are changing. I guess I am just feeling a little lonely, and not very valued. Sometimes I feel like I am doing this alone and I don't want that. Please don't let this turn into a bashing the spouse thread. I would honestly like to hear if anyone has dealt with a similar situation and how it was approached and or resolved.