There is a slideshow on the MSN website. One of the pictures shows a view of this nut job's backyard from the neighbor's backyard. I may be an uppity suburban gal, but NO WAY would I think anything about that guys back yard looked normal. Aren't there city ordinances about nuisances or some other law that prevents a person from having a compound in an urban backyard? Shame on those neighbors for not repeatedly reporting suspicious activity. I really can't imagine one of my neighbors having a back yard like that and not getting reported repeatedly. Seriously. Eighteen years and no one intervened? I don't get it. At all. We had one shutter fall off one of the buildings in our condo complex and the city sent a letter demanding it be fixed because it was a community eyesore. Is the culture in CA that much different that people really just mind their own business no matter what??

Our Y is that much too. And that is mainly for the use of the facilities, not for classes. Classes are extra. We want to join, but keep putting it off because of the cost. Our Y allows you to suspend your membership temporarily if needed without having to pay the joining fee a second time when you resume your membership. A lot of families suspend their membership during June/July/August because the weather is nice enough to exercise outside. It does cut the annual cost considerably.

Hubby had the type of eczema Tap linked to. He assumed it was ringworm & tried natural and OTC ringworm remedies for 2 years. He finally went to the Dr, was properly diagnosed, and cured within a day.

I did experience a decrease in supply about mid-way through my pregnancy. But that was normal because I was slowly weaning my firstborn. My milk would have been drying up anyway. DD was 10 months old & nursing 12 times a day when I conceived.

Did you use a credit card? If PayPal won't refund your money and you used a CC, the credit card company will.

My own washer & dryer. After using icky community washer & dryers my entire adult life, I would *love* to have my own.

Awww!! Sounds like you have a great husband and lovely children.

Congratulations!! What a great accomplishment! We're counting down until we have our day next year! You know, many years ago, when people actually paid off their mortgages and didn't just keep upgrading houses every decade they did have 'burn the note' parties.

Same here.

Yes, I really never leave my children in the car alone. Here I don't think it's customary for 5 or 6 year old kids to walk to school alone. I know I never see kids that small alone. I wasn't allowed to walk to school alone until I was in 6th grade, and that was only because my mother was on bed rest. My parents weren't over-protective either. When I finally started walking to school on my own several parents & teachers expressed their concern for my safety.

I'm actually amazed that anyone would think it's safe to leave 5 or 6 year olds in a car alone. I'm not thinking about heat or cold, I'm thinking about criminals. I wonder if it's a regional thing. I don't make any assumptions about our safety, but I'm from Metro Detroit.

Another vote for anything but carpet. Laminate is cheaper and virtually maintenance free. No sanding or refinishing needed. Even nice vinyl tile is better than carpet.

I understand Tara's posts. I have learned to interact with my husband in the same way. Now when he says something outlandish, like "Put honey on a baby's pacifier and they'll stop crying." I ask him to go google his 'fact.' It's not disrespect when you are right and armed with information, your husband is wrong and armed with disinformation, and you ask him to research his opinions. When or if hubby does research the topic of contention, it's not that "I won the argument" - it's "we made an informed decision."

I would call the police. I've only noticed an unattended child in a car once. It was outside of a laundromat. I pulled out my cell phone to dial the police and the mother instantly appeared. A small child's safety is more important than worrying about embarrassing the mother.

I agree with your second assertion that the Bible is clear about children being a blessing from the Lord. All children are blessings, but that doesn't mean all people should have an unlimited amount :tongue_smilie: I don't agree that we ALL should be fruitful and multiply. The times God said that waere specific commands to specific families. God told Adam & Eve to be fruitful because they were the only people on the planet. He told Noah's sons the same thing for the same reason. I think God has a unique plan for every family, and you have to follow his instructions to YOU, not other families.

My faves: Home Alone It's a Wonderful Life Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

:iagree:

I've spray painted furniture, and used regular paint and foam brushes and rollers. Spray painting is much easier, and it can look great. I usually buy the most expensive Rustoleum spray paint Home Depot sells. It's on the top shelf, is almost $7 a can, and has an ergonomic nozzle. I can't remember the specific type, but it's the only one with the ergonomic nozzle. Yes, I would definitely sand your piece. I've never spray painted over veneer, but on regular stained wood I've never used a primer and I've never had the paint chip. I also have never had to seal the furniture in polyurethane using this paint. In order to get the piece of furniture to not look splotchy you will need to do several thin coats of spray paint. Also, reposition the piece between every coat so you are making the strokes in different directions. Unless you are only painting a chair, any piece of furniture will need at least 2-3 cans of paint. You make long, light sweeping strokes with the can. You will need to do a minimum of 4 or 5 coats, possibly more, depending on what you are covering. Despite all this, I still think spray paint is easier than rolling.

We want a bigger house and have forgone vacations for years, and will for the next few years. But by bigger I mean anything bigger than our tiny 2 bedroom condo, probably something around 1500sq feet. Once we buy a 3 bed home with space to homeschool, we'll go on vacation! The thought of living here for 20 more years makes it easy to be frugal and go without some luxuries for the time being.

Sanford Magic Rub erasors. I have these.

Blueberry Buckle! http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/blueberry_buckle/ Double the "buckle" or topping in this recipe and it is wonderful!

My house is pretty clean and organized most of the time. But I'm no superwoman. 1) I only have 2 children. Big families have a much bigger workload. 2) I live in a condo, so I don't have outdoor chores. 3) I'm neat by nature, so cleaning isn't as painful to me as it is to others. 4) My oldest child is 3, so I only spend a couple minutes a day homeschooling :tongue_smilie:

We don't participate in a co-op.

I agree wholeheartedly. Your MIL has completely crossed the line. Despite her warm, sweet, or sing-song tones, she is clearly expressing disapproval of your parenting choices in front of your children. Do you really want your children repeatedly grilled as to whether or not their mother is acting in their best interests?

Pencil leads can also break from firm tapping or rapping on the desk. Are your kids habitual pencil tappers?