Doran, YOU ROCK!!! When I first saw this post yesterday, I was wondering, "what the heck is Doran?" But hey, I love games... I'll play. My dh is now playing, hehehe play on people....play on :D

ahh the pleasures of nursing.... I remember that all too well. This is my experience, if one of my nurslings (I had four) bit me, I pulled them off, firmly said, "no bite!", if they wanted to continue to nurse I allowed. If (and it usually happened again) they did it again I again pulled them off, firmly said, "no bite! (and would add) that hurts mommy" and then put them down on the floor. They usually didn't like that part. After a minute I would offer the breast again. It didn't take long for them to put two and two together, they bite...they don't nurse. At six months they are teething like a fiend. Offer a wet wash cloth frozen from the freezer, that was a trick of my moms.

Ok, now I'm REALLY confused Join the club, honey Common Sense Yes, please!! Testing is done. bring on the margarita's!!

It's 5pm somewhere, right?!!

I just got a bonus year! Geez! I'm trying to get rid of few myself. :D

What do I do with Swedish style meatballs? string them up and whola! a necklace!! (my son's idea) MEATBALL MAN!!

When we got our blue ray player, we were able to hook up to the internet and it has Pandora. WE have so many stations: The Cure Depeche Mode Mozart Bach AC/DC Enya just to name a few. We have a station for what ever mood MOM is in :D

Help! I ripped a page in a library book! OOOOOOOhhh!!!!! I am sooo telling mom!!

I just spent an unseenly amount of time reading this entire thread. I can't wait till dh comes home. Brava to helena in starting a wonderful, insightful thread and brave to the many thoughtful and interesting view points. Bravo to Bill for his contributions and bravi to the many gentlemen that clarified or added to this awesome subject.

We are using Saxon 1 at the moment and there's a facts practice sheet along with her 2 sided worksheet. The 2 sided worksheet has maybe 5-6 of the facts on it. The facts practice sheet has 20 of just her facts. I thought about splitting and having her do half now and half later but later never comes, something always comes up. I would like her to master this but not frustrate her, ya know?

Maybe, I'll try that. It just seems like a daily battle when it comes to these darn facts practice, ugh! Thanks.

if I allow dd to do her math facts by just doing the flash cards and not the worksheet? What I mean is, am I just being stubborn and pushing my dd? For some reason I have it in my head that she MUST write them down for better retention, is that wrong? Am I am just a meanie?

And I mean that in the most possible nicest way :D. It was like I was typing your delima! Well, after much thought I am starting to do what the OP is doing. I will only have 3 to HS next year and will have all of them at the table with me. While my boys are doing their corrections, facts practice, reading over their lesson or reading a book, I will work with their younger sis which is mostly one on one. When she gets to the point of independent work, I switch over to one of the boys and then the next. When math is complete by all we move on to another group subject like, history or science. So basically the mornings are group study and after lunch is independent work. Of course it sounds good now, because I haven't applied it yet, but for the OP it seems to work for her family so there's hope for me....and you.

I was brought up with not calling after 9pm or before 10am on weekends. It's a guideline I'm teaching my kiddo's.

LOL!! maybe if you sorting the clothing in *piles*, children, women's, men's,ya know? that might work for them.

I don't see why not. I know that the thrift store I was near, had a dumpster for trash and a dumpster for cardboard boxes. You could check there for boxes.

I love hillbillyhousewife and I adore going through the stacks at the cookbook section of the library. At the moment, I have been finding a series called $3meals. I'm currently making meals out of the $3meals kids will love and $3lowcalorie meals. There are a few more in the series. Another book I like is Miserly Meals. Check out your library, there are so many cookbooks that could help with making cheap meals, extending meats and such. Hope that helps.

Although I haven't read the entire book. My dh was reassigned and the move was hectic. In saying that, what I did read my take on Quixote the man was egotistical. Am I the only one to think so? This post is inspiring to read the rest however, egotistical or not.

grapes, carrots, bananas, and the such are fine. It's anything that is liquid and liquid also includes anything that can be squeezed out of a container. That includes peanut butter or applesauce. I found out the hard way. :D

Thank you, what creative ideas.

I gave my niece 1lb. of jelly beans in the colors of her high school contained in a jelly jar with a ribbon (also in her HS colors). I couldn't do the traditional cash gift and I thought this was "outside of the box".

I have a 6 1/2 yo dd. She is finishing up her 1st ZB at the moment. She does 2 pages a day. For some reason I have this expectation that her writing should be perfect. I do ask her to slow it down, be more careful and so on. I have this terrible fear that her penmanship will look like her previously PS'ed brothers which is just awful. Am I expecting to much? I don't want to burn her out on handwriting but it would be nice to be able to read her writing, ya know? Any suggestions from seasoned handwriting specialists :D ?

I remember putting up drywall, fun fun. My dh went to tech school for 4 months and I had to finish the basement so we could sell our house. I wished I was able to take a break from school while I did that. Mixing concrete, laying down carpet, the mudding, the sanding, the painting, UGH!!! All while trying to homeschool, cook meals, laundry..... That was an experience I'll never forget. Hopefully your construction endevor will be a happier one than mine :D

Rock on Lunch Ladies, rock on!!