I typically cook 3 meals a day and yes it's a lot of time spent in the kitchen, but there are definite ways to cut your time down. I do a lot of my "prep work" ahead of time on the weekends. I'll chop onions and peppers or juice limes or whatever in big batches on a weekend afternoon and then freeze them in small usable batches. I cook beans and saucy soupy type things also on the weekends when they have all day to cook then I just freeze them in batches that are good for a meal or two. I'll buy meat and clean it and season it and separate it into ziplocks that are enough for a meal or two do that kind of work on the weekends. Then during the week when I'm busy, a lot of the time I just have to bring something down from the freezer like for example a ziplock bag of chicken that is already cleaned and seasoned and a tupperware container of black beans say. I take those down in the morning before school and let them defrost during the day and then I just have to make breakfast and lunch, usually something simple or something that is leftover in the fridge from the day before like pasta or something like that. And then for dinner, I just have to cook rice to go with the beans and toss the already seasoned chicken in the pan and cook it and heat up the beans. And I have a whole homecooked meal that doesn't take too much time to make since the prep was already done. That's typically how I do things. It really helps a lot during the week when I'm busy. :) HTH. :)

Wow, your house is huge! Beautiful pic. I can't even imagine it. :)

Cool!! Pics??

:lol::lol::lol: you can make sweet potatoes and put the pineapple on top with some marshmallows. :) It's yummy. :) Or mix it up in yogurt. :)

I can see why that would be hard. I mean a teacher of all people. I'm sorry that you had that pain. I guess I was just lucky then because I can't honestly say I've ever heard anyone actually say that in actual conversation.

That's wonderful news!! Thanks for the update. :)

Thanks for the definition. :) Yeah both of my parents worked so we basically fended for ourselves until they came home at 6pm. :) I don't think there is much judgement anymore against kids with divorced parents, but I live in a pretty liberal town and a lot of people here are having kids without ever getting married in the first place and everybody is divorced. There are so few actual families that I can think of that have both "original" parents. Most are blended families.

I personally don't even hear people actually use the words "broken home". Everyone just says that their parents are divorced. I've never actually heard a kid say "I come from a broken home". I don't think I've ever heard adults use those terms to talk about children from divorced parents either. My mom has been divorced twice and remains single to this day. I grew up with her and my step father. I never knew my real dad. I can't remember anyone saying I was from a "broken home" when I was growing up, but I do remember some neighbors calling me "a latch key kid" whatever the heck that means. :confused:

pics, pics pics please! I wish I could see snow too. :) It sounds so pretty.

Merry Christmas to you too. :)

:lol::lol::lol: Smart boy. :)

:crying: I can't believe it. This is so so horrible.

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: Praying that it is nothing serious. How scary. :(

Glad you had fun. Sorry it was so cold. I just wanted to give you a head's up about October though. It's still within hurricane season and it's not uncommon to have a hurricane in October if it's been an "active" year. Just so you know. :) November is actually the best month to go to Disney IMHO. The weather is perfect. :)

:grouphug::grouphug::grouphug: I am so so sorry. Praying for your mother and for you. :grouphug:

But didn't they go out west because of the homestead?? I remember them leaving the Big Woods in Wisconsin because there were too many people moving in and I guess it was scaring off the animals. I think Pa was a trapper too so I could see how that would impact his livelihood. I think the whole point of going out west was because the Government was offering the homestead claims, no? It's a funny thing because I've read every book in the Little House series and The Long Winter is actually probably one of my favorites. I don't know why, I guess it's just how strong they were or how hard they worked together to survive through really difficult circumstances. I just think it's an amazing read. It's just one hardship after another and yet they somehow make it through. It's really interesting to see how the townspeople show their true colors as circumstances get worse. I liked the book. :) I know where I live we have to prepare for hurricanes every year. They always tell us to have at least 2 weeks of supplies on hand for every person in the household in case of emergency. I cannot even imagine the kinds of preparations one would have to make in order to have 7 months of provisions on hand. I guess that's another thing I admire about that story. The people were strong and self-sufficient. I just can't help but imagine if something like that were to happen today and things were disrupted for 7 months, what it would be like. It would be utter chaos I think.

:)

Your mom must have been very beautiful indeed. That is a lovely painting. :)

Thank you. :) As for my ear, I have the same cold as Josiah and Saturday night I just felt it moving into my right ear. I'm pretty sure it's an infection because the ear is oozing (sorry to be gross. :( ) It hurts pretty bad and I'm just waiting til the doctor's office opens tomorrow to see him and get some relief.

:iagree::iagree: Some of them look like they are about to faint. Yeah, they actually jiggled a little bit. I really came across it quite by accident because I just happened to be watching videos on youtube from fashion week to see what was new and I clicked on the 90's one just for fun and I couldn't believe the difference after having seen the Valentino one. Really shocking to see them in contrast like that.

I saw these recently and was gobsmacked by the difference between the two shows. And I thought the models in the 90's were skinny. :svengo: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKiT52hAnis

Oh my gosh that had me in stitches. :lol::lol::lol: What creative minds you have there in your house. :) I like how my son calls french fries "french frogs". :)

OOOH I hope so too. That sounds so wonderful! Praying for you. :)

The comments under the image are hilarious. Someone says Santa is not naked, he's had a full body scan by TSA. :lol::lol:

Oh Heather! That is just so awesome! I'm so happy for you. Enjoy your beautiful girl. :grouphug: