I handsewed a rag doll for this dd a couple of months after she was born. A few years ago she desperately wanted and got, summer clothes for Ruby Rose. Most of which I hand sewed also. Massively appreciated. Last year I finally gave in to ongoing pressure and Ruby Rose got a new face for Christmas. I had resisted because I was afraid of changing the doll's character with a different expression as the old one had nearly worn off with love and washing. This year the request from the girl becoming a woman is.... Please mend Ruby Rose from where the dog-we-sat mauled her and took out an arm (the one that hadn't been rebuilt) and part of her torso. While I'm pleased this doll is so loved, I really hope Ruby Rose learns to take better care of herself if she wants to retain any original parts. She has also spent all year using parts of this entomology set from last Christmas. http://www.entosupplies.com.au/equipment/field/beginner-kits/insect-collecting-%26-mounting-starter-kit-no.1

Why did the bicycle fall over? Because it was two tyred.

How wonderful. Congratulations. We've just spent great time with my sister and her house full of smalls and we miss the special chaos and cuddles. How clever of you to finish your studies first.

When did trying to live right, become 'self-improvement'? Dd is 'blessed' to have a parent who supplies both examples of correct behaviour and examples for her to notice and gently correct. Her gentle corrections are sometimes fruitful and received well. Other times not so much. If I was her only role model I think we'd be in trouble, but we have great others in our life. By the way what does it say when my child is often MY role model?? Small brag warning: Recently dd was invited in for a radio interview on Ethics after she coolly refused to answer a question in a quiz because they had tried to help her with a difficult question and she said she now couldn't answer because that would be cheating. They gave her a bonus point for that reponse.

That's an amazingly lucid reflection for a stoner Lucy. ;)

I prefer this one, "Hello! My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." . However it can get you into trouble trying to board a plane. http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-sideshow/inigo-montoya-shirt-leads-awkward-flight-220153812.html

Either that or he has been listening to The Parrot Sketch by Monty Python. He's only sleeping.

We set the table not just with cutlery, but also forklery and spoonlery.

In the same category as being 'ruth' rather than 'ruthless'. It has remained as a name but been lost as a quality. Yes we have been known to use it. Family and some 'old' friends pepper conversations with literary references, quotes and much Python. My kids friends miss much in their conversations. I retained some spoonerisms from past share houses and a sister was shocked to hear one of my daughters ask for a "tortoise and te$tical" instead of a mortar and pestle when she was cooking.

I had a nearly 9 year gap between my girls (same dad). When people ask if she is an only I have been known to say "Yes, and so was her sister." Nothing is black or white around here.

I didn't mention my avitar. It is our old pop-top camper van, bedecked with wheely-bin-sunflower-stickers. Young friends called it the hippy van so we went with it. The three of us could sit high in the front, the back had two more seats for friends but could pile more in on the bench or fold down to a big bed for three. It had full cupboards, stove, sink and 3 way fridge (for eldest daughter's medications) so we could take off when-ever we could. The photo shows the farming hill we later moved to and was taken after younger daughter and I returned from a fantastic trip around the western 1/2 of Australia. The trip was with two, rather than the originally planned three and closed a phenominally bad year. We didn't know if the van would make it but here it proudly sits on the hill top at the end of the odyssey. I guess for me, it looks cheery in spite of how rough it's running, shows its age proudly, is constantly loaded with much more than it should be, is bloody-mindedly persistant, and can take off at little notice for an adventure. So it sort of belongs as my avitar.

Thanks for explaining Lucy Stoner. A 'Stoner' in Australia refers to one habituarly stoned, as in: rendered glassy-eyed and stupid through inhaled non-legal tobacco. Glad to finally learn your forum name is not a celebration of that particular life choice. The other 'Stoner' of the Lucy variety appears neither glassy-eyed nor stupid. Thanks for the introduction.

My youngest is just getting right into these, so I am revisiting Pern too. Umsami, I would be umgirl, or Girl's mum, if I went by my eldest child's call sign.

Hello I've just rabbit-trailed onto a great site, "Skills You Need", which claims to help you "Develop The Skills You Need For Life." Includes: life skills, personal skills, employability skills, developing commercial awareness, interpersonal skills, communication skills, presentation skills, leadership skills, writing skills and....study skills! It is a British site, free and I'll be working through it and later get my girl reading through it. She can read and absorb. I need to work at it. Unfair, but that's life. (I found a reference to it at 'Layers of Learning' which I was led to by Hunter's resurected 'good for tablets' list.) http://www.skillsyouneed.com Quite possibly this has been shown before, but if I missed it others may have too.

These are very similar to rules I've set my kids, without the dog element, Child must be bathed AT LEAST twice a week, prefer at least every other day, Child should refresh bedding weekly Child should wash if (OK-when) it gets into something gross. This clause tends to help keep child over the bare minimum two weekly washes. (With these conditions I do let child share my bed on cold nights. )

One warning. When my parents married, dad had a dog. As a pup it slept on his swag. Dog got bigger and on cold nights kept trying to creep up towards the opening (top). Dad got married. Mum was woken on her first night of shared bed by a whack from her sleeping new husband and, "Get off!" Took a bit of explaining. Boy and pup will become man and dog.

Baby Joey was held in love as you carried him, held in love as soon as he arrived, and held in love as he died. He will remain held in love by his family. Tears and prayers for your family Emily.

Bored a swear word in our house that is rewarded with dishes. If you are too bored to find something to do then I ALWAYS have dishes that need doing. A friend recently took this back to her house. Her kids have not been bored all week. ;) Not that I'm suggesting the OP should take a tub of dishes with her in the car.

For what it's worth, I didn't think non-English/American from the posts, what I thought was strong vocabulary, very busy mind, and fingers racing to keep pace.

Erin our 'Orion' was a donkey that was caught wild as a young foal when I was 5. It moved across the country with us, grew up with us and had foals of her own. We all considered her an extra, equally grumpy, sibling. She was shot by spot-lighters when I was in my teens. If dd started nagging me for a donkey, I think I'd fold.

My kids were/are told they can have a horse...as soon as they grow up, have their own property and buy it. I hadn't thought that dd still might not be 'allowed' to. Her father's betrothed is not permitted to replace her current bird and dog when they die and the current dog is only occasionally allowed to stay with them. DD's conversations about this make me fairly confident that she will retain her voice. She thinks it deeply unfair. (Even though her mean mum won't let her keep the pigeons she keeps catching. We do currently have a sheep, lambs, cat and chooks.) I guess this is one of those how important x (having a horse) is to you vs how important y( NOT having a horse) is to your spouse issues. And if very important to you and you can afford it, house it and care for it, what will it mean he will have to give up for it. (Or what does he get if you get the horse?) Then it's a straight forward equity issue. Yes I am single. Does it show? Good luck with continuing family harmony.

This takes me back to my Brownie days where we finished each meeting with, "...and do a good turn every day." Again if the child already is, then then no real change, but for others it is a conscience process towards what will hopefully become natural and eventually part of their character. But I agree, change the random part.

Don't believe me about the top-enders? Check out some of their newspaper headlines... http://www.buzzfeed.com/copyranter/the-seven-best-nt-news-front-pages One of our game shows, Spicks and Specks even had a segment where people had to guess if a Darwin headline was real or made up.

I see a few snakes (nearly all poisonous) every year and some quite close. They are common in the country and outer suburbs. But I do not know anyone who has been bitten by one. Most snakes are scared of people, and they only have small fangs, so even jeans would protect you if you accidentally stepped on one. [ETA - Most Australian snakes have small fangs, very strong venom but not good at getting it into humans.] Or just walk with a noisy child to give them a chance to exit first. (If you don't have one I know where you could borrow one.) Red-back spiders are very common but no-one has died from a bite since the 50's I think, when they found an anti-venom medicine. And given that those weird Aussies do like to provoke dangerous animals and are still mostly unscathed, it must be fairly safe to wander around. Crocs are different, they are NOT shy. But they live up with the top-enders so they are well matched.

The donations are much needed, thank you. I believe ignorant classist stereotypes are both genetic and contagious. Often whole families and communities are sadly afflicted. Edited 'cos I can't spell.