Just kidding. :D If you come this way before the end of June, it would be fun to meet.

We are in 1st this year. We are using FLL, SWO, and finished OPGTR in the fall. My girls love FLL and after taking a break from SWO while we finished OPGTR, they love that now, too. I look forward to seeing SWB's writing program.

Thanks, Ladies, for all the suggestions. I will check out the websites you have linked. Ya'll are the best. Brigitte

Sounds like we need a WTM East Tenn. (Tri Cities) gathering. I will still be close when we move to Va.

What area of Va? Brigitte

I'm moving to Va. in June - probably SWVa. My family is in C'ville.

I'm in NC, but I am very close to the Tri-Cities area. I pass through there with some regularity, in fact.

I am in the western portion of the state, for the time being, that is. Brigitte

((Jennifer)) What a great post. Sometimes we need to lose ourselves in order to find out true selves again. Brigitte

Thanks, Ladies. A BIG thank you to who ever recommended http://www.Kayak.com. I signed up for their email alerts and that is how I found the fare. However, instead of buying through the Cheaptickets website that Kayak directed me to (it wasn't coming up the same for some reason), I went directly to the airline and got the tickets for $70 less a piece than what Kayak reported. It has been ages since we have been in Belgium, so it will be nice to go "back home." My girls had their 2nd birthday in Provence, but that was the first and last time they were in Europe. So, this will be an incredible experience for them. Thanks again for sharing in my joy! Brigitte

Toooo funny! Brigitte

How exciting! Congratulations to you and your family. Brigitte

Congratulations! All these baby announcements are giving me baby cravings.... Brigitte

I don't think the prices are going to come down, because the price of everything is going up. However, I did notice that difference between the price of regular milk and organic milk has lessened. For instance store brand lactose free milk was priced at $3.68 for a half gallon. Lactaid was on sale for $3.64 and Organic Valley lactose free was on sale for $3.74 (neither was a significan markdown). The store brands was less than $3 last year. Brigitte

Actually, the fact that everyone here is asleep (including dh) is something to get excited about. But, what really has me cheering is that I was able to get tickets for us to go to Belgium in August for my young cousin's wedding for only $648! Now, that is not quite the deal I found, but lost, last week ($681 with business class on the return), but I am thrilled that I got something for less than $1,000 a piece. Here are a few of the reasons I am so happy to be able to make this trip: 1) My family in Belgium has not seen my twins and they will be 7 when we get there. Oops, my cousin saw them when she visited a year or so ago. 2) The cousin getting married is from my father's side of the family. My dad and his sister are 17 years apart in age and the only two children my grandparents had. (I think it took them 17 years to recover from having my dad before they dared try again! He was a naughty kid.) Since we are in the States, my cousin has grown up with no cousins, one sibling, and just a bunch of aging grandparents (she only has her paternal grandparents living). Her fiance is an only child and her brother's s.o. is also an only child. So, she has very little family to help her celebrate this event and now we can be there for her. 3) My daughters immediately bonded with my cousin during her short stay with us. They often talk about her and now they will get to see where she lives and where my parents grew up, etc. 4) My cousin has asked for my girls to be in her wedding. I did not want to disappoint her by not being able to come because the tickets were too expensive. Wow, did I ever rattle on. Of course by now noone is "listening." :p If you have stuck with me this far, thanks for sharing in my joy! Brigitte

When my twins were toddlers I did FlyLady. I liked the "unpredictability" of the tasks that would come in some of the emails - what would she throw out there to clean up that day??!! When we moved, I did not sign back up for the emails and fell off the wagon. I tried to get it going again last year, but I was really annoyed by the emails. So, I never did them. Then I found Motivated Moms and really like the planner. I put mine on the fridge where I pass by frequently and I will pick a quick thing or two to get done. I like that there are check lists for the things you need to do everyday. I simply find it easier to keep up with. I do think the FlyLady 27 Fling boogey is helpful though in clearing the clutter. HTH's Brigitte

After I saw you posted, I thought "Oh, no! SWB is going to know I am an A.G. slacker. :o" I feel much better now. Brigitte

That would probably motivate me! Okay who wants to come over???!!! I hope when we move there are some WTMers nearby. Brigitte

You are not the only one who has trouble getting to them. We do the map and coloring page and on a very rare occassion we do a craft. Since we are behind where I hoped to be, we are having to cover a two chapters a week right now. I guess what I should do is look ahead and see what my girls might just love doing and plan what I will need and when. But, I know myself and that will likely not happen. My other thought was to look for all the cooking activities and fit those in with our meal one day during the week that section is covered. You know...two birds, one stone. My final option is to get more Usborne books and kid kits that relate to the topic - a pyramid excavation kit is coming out (still not in stock, even though it is in the catalog) and I just saw the See Inside Ancient Egypt and it was great. Crafts just are not my strong suit. :( Brigitte

I wear wool slippers, long pants, and a fleece pullover and still feel cold. This house is just plain, old cold. My nose is cold, if that tells you anything. Fortuately we don't pay for the heat. The benefit of a cold house, of course, is that in the summer the a/c almost never runs.

That fruit did not fall far from the tree.

What has changed during the day? Is there a major source of stress in your home right now? Think back and you might find a cause of the change in sleep pattern. Do they nap during the day? What is your bedtime routine? What are you doing to get them back to sleep? Are they still in cribs? My twins have gone through phases of not sleeping well and I have usually been able to find a cause. Frequently it happened/happens when they are over tired. Making bedtime earlier has solved the problem or "forcing" them to nap (ie. long car ride) after they "gave up" naps helps, too. Brigitte

I didn't realize there were so many multiples on the board! I have 6 y.o. fraternal twin girls.

I tend to do more book fairs and booths than home shows. The income depends on the amount of effort I put into it, not so much how much time I put into it. The school and library end of the business is great because it is a matter of follow-up and repeat business rather than generating new leads, etc. I am not a great salesman and have a hard time standing up in front of a group of people, but I find Usborne to be pretty easy since everyone loves the books. I did Mary Kay, a tough product to sell when you don't wear much makeup, and Tupperware, hard to justify spending that kind of money when Rubbermaid is cheap and available. If you want more info, particularly the ups AND the downs of this type of business, email me. getfunbooks@hotmail.com Brigitte