PNWGal's Profile

We just have a basket where we keep all the legos. My daughter contributed her pink box to the bin and they build happily out of there. My son likes to keep special creations in a box he made. We have just hit the time of more complex models that he wants to stay together - - and so we were looking at installing a display shelf for him. I do like the hanging solutions for the ships that googerber presented. The x-wing would look cool flying around and hopefully it won't break if you don't touch it.

SwingNCocoa what a nice tutorial. You make it seem do-able for me. Thanks!

And Wow, Fred B, what a project--I loved watching the basement transform. Lovely work and nice documentation.

I don't think there is any thing more to add; but I can't resist. I remember sitting on Santa's lap while I was little; but we never bought the photo (I am sure my mom would said because we were too poor). I don't think I realized until I was working at a photo shop in the mall that the photos were the main purpose of the mall Santas. When my daughter was 6 weeks old, I was walking in the mall with a friend who had a 15 month old and she stopped and suggested a photo with Santa. I had the same reaction as the author of the article. And ultimately passed on the photo. My friend said she would get the photos to send to her husband's family in Germany. She told me they don't have Santas like these and would get a kick out of the photo. I didn't take my daughter until the year that her brother was born (she was 4) and we have gone every year since. It always yields a great discussion. Is that Santa or a helper or how can there be so many Santas all over when he's so busy this time of year? There is rarely a line (one of the malls here makes appointments) and I enjoy displaying the photos. It makes me a little wistful that I didn't get my daughter with Santa between 6 weeks and 3 years. Find traditions and pleasures where you can is my advice.

I made this when the recipe was posted and it was delicious; but after eating the first time I couldn't imagine why you want to do use shell on shrimp. I forgot to note that and just recently made it again tonight and thought I would note that folks should not use shell-on shrimp. It is too messy to eat. Overall, it is a delicious recipe!

Oooh, I like the coffee can/light trick.

We do an activity-a-day Christmas countdown and one of the items is to "pull out our Christmas books and read them". I usually add a new book to the mix and this year I picked Mr. Willowby's Christmas Tree which is totally delightful. I was sold based on a review by a young adult who still enjoys reading this one even though she's in college. My two loved the story and I have read it at least a dozen times since the first of the month. I am really amazed how many high quality Christmas books are out there. Although my kids still LOVE the Cheerio Christmas Book.... go figure.

Clever!

Both my kids told me they wanted to stop wearing pull-ups at night. My daughter asked right before a big trip where we would be staying in a hotel and my son right before a camping trip. For my daughter, we went for it and she never had a night-time accident. My son, we went ahead; but since we were camping I told him we would have no way to wash out accidents and so I wanted him to wear a pull-up during our trip. He didn't have any accidents on the trip and even though he doesn't wear pull-ups at night at home (for 2+ years) we still have the occasional night-time pee accident. Probably 7-10 in the two years he hasn't worn a pull-up at night.

I think moderation is the key and unfortunately my mother doesn't really appreciate my position. I had to talk to her and tell her that Grandma should not give more presents than Santa. Each year after receiving over 14 gift for my daughter, I tell her she has to limit it to five Christmas presents. She regularly gets around it by packaging a skirt, a blouse, tights, head bands and jewelry into a one box. I have pointed out that isn't within the spirit of my request. She says that she's does it because she is so far away. My mom also invests up too much money into gifts and too much emotion into them--did she LOVE the present I sent? And is a regular buyer of age-inappropriate gifts--expensive jewelry for little girls, books beyond their age, etc. I have had talks with her that are along the line of edava19 trying to explain my position. Gift giving goes both ways and that should be respected. If the parent's don't want licensed product the grandparents should respect that. However, there are times that as a parent you don't like a certain gift; but the child really really wants one and well....let's just say we have had Cinderella Tea Sets and Barbies because that is what the child dearly wanted and it thrills the grandparents to make their grandchildren so happy. My tips are: I have my kids prepare wish lists for the grandparents and I keep reminding my mother that I would truly like her to follow the boundaries I try to set, no more than 5 presents (including cash and gift cards). Cash and gift cards should be no more than $20 - - anything more should be given to me to put in their college fund. We are seven years into this and hopefully the message will get through sometime. :)

My daughter attends a Spanish Immersion Elementary school and I have been amazed how quickly she adapted to learning in and learning Spanish. They start formal English instruction in grade 3. We have met families who speak languages other than English at home too and almost all the children seem to thrive in the Spanish-only environment.

I remember my French teacher telling us that they used the one parent speaking English and one parent speaking French at home with success until the oldest child started kindergarten and then he only wanted to speak English at home and the little one wanting to be like his big brother followed suit. Both boys spent summers in France and so that helped them; but at home they had a harder time.