This makes me miss my grandma. My paternal grandparents were Slovenian. I was the oldest grandchild by 11 years, and the only one they taught how to make potica. There are only 2 Christmases in my life that I haven't had a potica. The first Christmas after my grandma died because I couldn't get the dough to rise, and…

I'm the only grandchild(or child for that matter) that my Slovenian grandparents taught to make potica. And I was stupid and didn't try to make it by myself until after they had both died. The first attempt was a complete bust because of a wrong word in the recipe. The base is a sweet yeast dough and her handwritten…

I fall into both the 5% number and the 43% number. Both of my children(and my current pregnancy) were conceived while using contraception. I was on the pill with my oldest. While I took it every day, I forgot to change the alarm on my phone when we went to a different time zone for vacation(and sometimes were in the…

At my son's school there is a limit of 1 book at a time in kindergarten. However the kids are allowed to go back to the library at other times during the week to return that book and get a new one if they finish the first one. We did have to fight a new "librarian"(she was not trained or certified as school librarian,…

I'm just naturally a really fast reader. I fully comprehend everything I read and do sometimes read passages more than once(even entire chapters). I still routinely finish 1000+ page books in a few days. 200-300 page books are an evenings read for me. This only applies to fiction. Non-fiction takes me about twice as…

My parents did the same thing. And I'm doing it now with my 5th grader. And kind of with my 2 year old. She can have as many books and stuffed animals in bed with her as she wants, but gets in trouble for any other toys we find when she's supposed to be going to sleep. It works like a charm. My son has read all of the…

At least in the large urban districts there is some choice. Especially for involved parents. In single school districts, especially in areas where there isn't any real choice in private schools either(only Catholic in my area), there isn't any kind of option. My cousin's son, who is the same age as mine with a…

But we do not educate "gifted" kids who live outside of large urban areas at all. Most rural districts have no "gifted" programs, no accelerated classes until Jr. High(if at all), and a strong pushback against grade skipping of any kind, even if its only in one subject. I live in a rural district with 1 k-5 building…

If you can get your kid into it. My public preschool was next to imp[ossible to get into because the school district I live in is 65% free/reduced lunch, and the FREE slots in the public school's preschool go to those kids who are "at risk"(low income or developmentally delayed). My son was too smart and we made too…

For baby #1, I was induced. The only people we told were my mom and dad, and they were only told because they were going to take care of our cats. No one else was called until after the baby was born. My parents showed up after with dinner for us.

Orange or yellow stripes usually

Her twin brother He-Man had the green tiger. His nemesis Skeletor had a purple panther.

OK, I won't talk her out of it. I'm just having a really hard time getting excited about this pregnancy. It was unplanned(I'm 11 weeks along), I told my verbally abusive husband that I wanted a divorce and he's making it as difficult as possible.

I'm so sorry. That sucks! Every baby deserves to be celebrated. It doesn't have to be a shower or any extravagant gift, but even when I've been at my poorest, I've always managed to get at least a board book for the babies that my friends and relatives have had. I have had 2 kids, and 2 showers, that I didn't ask for.…

It could be Illinois. The Illinois Senate has already passed it. If the Illinois house does, The governor will sign it.

I can understand that. I still do all of those things(I'm not in a band, but I do lots of community theatre), and I'm going to concerts in July and October in Chicago with a friend. But, I leave my kids with sitters. Some of them as young as 12 or 13(gasp). I spend plenty of time with my kids, and I'm a better mom…

I agree with some of the others. Be flexible. Go to the houses of your friends with kids. Do some things that involve their kids too. I'm almost 34. I have a 9 year old and a 2 year old and I'm expecting my third. I work full-time. My 4 best friends are all at different places in their lives than I am.

My boobs went up 3-5 cup sizes with each of my 2 pregnancies, and they neverwent all the way back down. I started as a 38C. I am now a 36I.

Thanks for the encouragement! I was the girl who never finished the mile run in school. I always blamed it on dancing(I took ballet from age 7-20). Currently a 12 minute mile is my best time. I'm usually in the 13-14(or more on a hilly or cross country course) minute range. I'm trying to keep it up. It's hard to fit…

I started running a year ago January. Even after all this time, I can't run more than a mile without a walking interval. I usually do straight 2 run/1 walk intervals. I've completed 4 5ks and am registered for another 5k and a 5k mud run in May and June. I was gonna run the Canal Connection 10K in my town this fall,…