Happy Wednesday to you! It's time once again to post another WFMW tip!

This week I'm sharing a a gift idea.

This week was my nephew's 4th birthday. I really didn't know what to get him, he has more toys/books/clothes than he knows what to do with already. So, I decided to find a craft project geared towards his age group, print out the instructions, and purchase all the craft supplies to send him as a gift. The craft project I chose for him was a clothespin magnet. Take a look!

Clothespin Magnet

Supplies Needed:

wooden or plastic clothespinsbuttons
google eyes, beads, small silk flowers, etc
hot glue with parent's help)
magnet strips
posterboard (white is best)

Directions:

Begin by drawing the first letter in each family member's name on a piece of posterboard. Cut out the letters, they should be approximately 3 inches in height. I must confess, I just went to Michael's and purchased a thin wooden letter initial for $1.50 instead of using posterboard.

Next, glue together two clothespins in cross cross fashion so that both open at the same end (bottom). Position your letters onto the crisscrossed clothespin to make sure it will fit comfortably. Lay the posterboard letter onto the a flat work surface.

Have the children choose what they would like to use to decorate each letter with. One child may be very fond of the color purple and may choose a variety of buttons, pom poms, flowers, and beads, all in purple. Another child may have a liking for google eyes as one of ours did! Use whatever beads, baubles and items you like, as long as they aren't too heavy. Have the children arrange their "finds" on the letters (atop the work surface) the way they would like them to be on their magnets.

An adult will need to operate the glue gun. Apply glue to the items and affix them, one at a time, to the posterboard letter. Set aside to dry completely. On the back of the crisscrossed clothespin, attach a long magnet strip (these are self adhesive and available at discount and craft stores). You can also recycle old business card and flat magnets that you have lying around by cutting them to fit and gluing to the back. When finished, glue the letter to the clothespin and hang on the refrigerator!

Here's what the craft gift box looked like before I sent it to my nephew. I found the gift box on sale at Michael's for $4.00! Cute, eh?

I got a call from my sister telling me that the gift had been received and that my nephew was so excited to have a craft project to do. She's going to send me pictures of their completed clothespin magnet.

Creating a craft gift box for birthday gifts works for me. To find out what works for others, be sure to check out the other links at Shannon's, the creator of Works-For-Me Wednesday!

My past WFMW entries are found here.

Labels: kids crafts, Works-For-Me Wednesday

I've updated you on Baby Bug and Boo and now it's time to update you on Snuggle Bug. In specific, I'm going to share with you the effects I see that our fostering has had on him.

Snuggle Bug has had his life turned upside down these past few months! Having two little girls join our family has been quite an adjustment and one that's not easily explained to a 3 year old.

When Baby Bug arrived after Thanksgiving last year, he didn't seem to mind too much. She was a cute little thing and he was fascinated with having a 3 week old baby in the house. We explained that Baby Bug's mommy and daddy couldn't take care of her right now so we'd be taking care of her for a while. We were careful not to refer to her as his sister or say, "Our baby" as we weren't sure if how long we'd have her. We were trying to prevent him from getting too attached. That didn't really work.

Snuggle Bug has become very attached to Baby Bug, and she to him. He goes out of his way to help her. He comforts her when she cries, he tries to feed her (notice him practicing on his stuffed bear) and change her diaper. He tries to make her laugh and always succeeds. At five months old, Baby Bug seems to adore Snuggle Bug as much as he adores her. They most certainly have a connection and he's quite protective and possessive of her at times.

Snuggle Bug understands that Baby Bug has a mommy and daddy of her own. He has always gone with Oronzo to drop her off for visits with her parents. There are times when she's not at our home that Snuggle Bug will say, "She seeing her mommy and daddy" so we know he gets that.

I do worry about how he will handle the day that we have to send Baby Bug home to her parents for good. I know he'll miss her but how sad will he be? Will he worry that he can be sent away too?

Snuggle Bug's relationship with Boo is a bit more complex, because she's closer in age to him and mobile, not to mention that he never had time to ease in to a relationship with her. One day she just showed up and was in his space!

With the addition of Boo we've unfortunately seen behavior from Snuggle Bug that we're not used to. He's acted jealous, bossy, whiny, and clingy. His laid back attitude seemed to fly out the window for a time. We certainly understand why this has happened but that hasn't made it any easier to witness.

There are days when I want to pull my hair out with the refereeing I have to do because Snuggle Bug is snatching toys from Boo and telling her what she can't do or because Boo is plowing through toys that Snuggle Bug is playing with as she tries to play too.

I often have to stop, take a deep breath, and remind myself to be patient with both of them. They both have had enormous changes in their short little lives and they deserve some patience and understanding. I know that, if we're allowed to adopt Boo, things will get easier as they get older. We're already seeing great improvements just in the two and a half months since Boo joined our family.

There are some very sweet days too. Just the other night we went out for pizza and Snuggle Bug, Boo, and even Baby Bug were playing, making each other laugh, and having a grand time together. Snuggle Bug was helping Boo with her dinner and I sat back and soaked up the happy display of camaraderie. It felt like we were truly a family. For that brief period of time I was able to let go of the worrying about if/when we have to give the girls back. For that moment in time, all was right with the world.

In addition to the adjustment of fostering, I can't help but wonder when the light bulb will go on for Snuggle Bug becoming aware of the fact that he was adopted? I talk to him about his adoption in a very basic sense. I read him adopted related children's books (his favorite is "A Mother for Chaco"). I add his birth parents into our evening prayer routine. I do these things because I want him to grow up knowing he was adopted. I want that to be a natural part of his life, something he can feel comfortable talking to us about anytime he has questions. So far, he doesn't seem to have any inkling what adoption is all about and I'm sure that's because he's only 3 years old.

I still have a good relationship with Snuggle Bug's birth mother, Giselle. I send her updates and pictures by mail and we exchange emails from time to time. I actually got a treasure trove of pictures sent to me by Giselle's grandmother (Snuggle Bug's great grandmother). They're pictures of Giselle from infancy through high school. It's amazing to see how much Snuggle Bug looks like her at the same age! I'm thrilled that I have these pictures for him. Now I just have to get some of his birth father, if possible. We never hear from him.

Other than coping with the effects of our fostering and me wondering what Snuggle Bug will think of his adoption when he's old enough to understand, I'm truly relishing being this precious boy's mother. He's smart, has a great sense of humor, he's compassionate, and he's quite handsome. He loves baseball, cooking, art, music, outdoor activities, taking walks around our neighborhood at dusk, and so much more. Thankfully, he's still willing to give his mama hugs and kisses, he still looks to me to kiss his boo boos to make them all better, and he still thinks the world revolves around Oronzo and me.

We are so blessed to have been chosen to parent this amazing little boy and I thank God frequently for that blessing!

Labels: adoption #1, expanding our family, family, fostering, parenting, Snuggle Bug

As a contributor over at BloggedIn- News & Networking, I just highlighted an excellent post entitled, I Love My Job.

Please, go check it out and leave Donetta of My Quiet Corner some comments to let her know what you thought of her post.

Twice a month I search through the posts of bloggers who are part of Family-Friendly Network looking for a special one to highlight. If you're not already a member, you might consider joining! It's a great group of bloggers!

If you are a member and have a post you'd like highlighted in the near future, send me an email with a link to that post and I'll check it out!

Labels: BloggedIn, BloggedIn Highlight

Sarah from Child's Play Communications emailed and asked if I'd be interested in reviewing a K'NEX product sample. Since I have a little boy who loves race cars of any kid, I asked her to send me the Dueling Racers set!

What I didn't realize until we received the product was that this set is geared for children 7+. Snuggle Bug is 3 years old. Believe me, this was no problem.

Ends up, Oronzo is a 7 year old boy trapped in a 40 year old body! He was really excited when this product arrived and he had these motorized race cars assembled in no time flat! He waited until Snuggle Bug was in bed to get started and then spent a considerable amout of time "testing them out" for Snuggle Bug.

The next morning, Snuggle Bug discovered them sitting on the kitchen table and jumped up and down with glee, asking to play with them. He and Oronzo had a blast playing with these battery operated race cars, inside and outside the house.

I'd highly recommend this product to any of you with children 7+, or with husbands who like kids toys as much as your kids do!

K'NEX has a lot of other neat educational products for kids. I encourage you to check out their website to learn more.

Labels: product review

A blogger whom I admire, Barb from A Chelsea Morning,  has just opened up a new online shop and I'd like to encourage you all to go take a look!

At A Chelsea Morning's Little Shoppe you'll find all sorts of wonderful hand made items like burp clothes, sock monkeys, fleece blankets, and more!


Before her shop even opened, I ordered a set of three burp clothes from Barb, to give as a gift to Baby Bug's parents.

Paying Barb was made simple by using Paypal.  Once my payment was received, Barb shipped out my order quite promptly.

I was delighted with the quality and style of the burp clothes and I loved the adorable way Barb had packaged them.

I would highly recommend any hand made item that Barb has to offer!  She is a pleasure to do business with!

Labels: baby products, bloggity goodness, product review, shopping

Good Friday to you all! It's time for another Favorite Ingredients Friday recipe exchange!



Now, I look forward to seeing your Favorite Ingredients Friday recipe! I won't be able to visit your recipes right away but fear not, I will stop by to visit your recipe as soon as I can!

Don't forget to link your specific recipe post link on Mr. Linky so I can see what's cooking at your house!

Oh, and be sure to put the title of your recipe in parenthesis! It makes it so much quicker for me to go back and search for recipes as I build my weekly menu.

For guidelines and my past Favorite Ingredients Friday recipes, click here.

Thanks so much for your participation. I do appreciate it!

Labels: cooking, Favorite Ingredients Friday, recipe exchange

Sorry I've left many of you hanging as to how Baby Bug is doing.  She's doing better...sort of.

Labels: Baby Bug, foster children, fostering, illness

I saw this over at A Foster Mom's Journey and I couldn't resist sharing it on my blog as well.

Apparently, Steven Curtis Chapman is a Christian musican/singer and is both a biological father and an adoptive father. He has an organization that helps people adopt children.



Beautiful, isn't it?

Labels: adoption, bloggity goodness

Baby Bug has been sick recently.  She started feeling warm yesterday afternoon and we gave her a dose of infant Tylenol at around 4:30 PM.  Her fever continued throughout the night, despite the additional doses of infant Tylenol every 4 hours.  She started to have projectile, watery diarrhea and she became listless and agitated.  She even started moaning in her sleep!

Labels: Baby Bug, foster children, fostering, illness

It's time to pick a winner for my April Pay It Forward Book Exchange. I've used Random.org to find my winner.

And the winner is...

# 8- Swapna Krishna a non-blogger who wins Creations In Death by J.D. Robb.

Congrats, Swapna! Please email me your mailing addresses so I can send out your book! If I don't hear from you soon, I'll have to pick another winner.

And for those of you who didn't win my giveaway, check out the additional books still up for grabs this month!

My next Pay It Forward Book Exchange will be held on Thursday, 1 May.

Labels: books/reading, giveaways, Pay It Forward, winners

Happy Friday! It's time for my Favorite Ingredients Friday Spreads & Dips Edition!

We attend family-oriented gatherings quite often and I'd love to have some tried and true spread and/or dip recipes to make.  I can't wait to see what you all come up with.

The recipe I'm about to share is something I found on Kraftfoods.com. It's quick, simple, and yummy. Enjoy!

Labels: Favorite Ingredients Friday, recipe exchange

I've been meaning to update you all on Baby Bug's frustrating situation that I blogged about here and here but I needed some time to cool off and see how things played out. I'm ready now. And while I'm at it, I'll update you on Boo and Snuggle Bug as well, but in separate posts in the very near future. This post will be devoted to Baby Bug.

The short of it...CPS got their way. They are no longer providing any transportation for Baby Bug and Baby Bug was enrolled in a nearby daycare this past Monday. I'm less than thrilled!

Now, for the details (fair warning, this is going to be a long post!).

I will give Baby Bug's CPS worker (and her supervisor) credit for being quite clever. Not only did she successfully maneuver out of transporting entirely for this case, but she also presented the daycare situation to Oronzo in such a way that he couldn't help but be swayed to her way of thinking! I was at work the morning she came to discuss it with him.

Here's how things now work:

1) Baby Bug is enrolled in a nearby daycare. CPS is picking up the tab, entirely. We're not sure if they have her enrolled PT or FT but since we're not paying I guess it doesn't matter.

2) Three days a week, Oronzo (or myself) is responsible for dropping Baby Bug off at daycare by no later than 9 AM. The daycare opens at 7:30 AM so in theory we could drop her off as early as 7:30 AM. That will happen over my dead body. She will arrive at around 8:45 AM-8:55 AM.

3) On those three scheduled days, Baby Bug's parents are responsible for picking Baby Bug up at the daycare no later than 9 AM and they must have her returned to the daycare by 4:30 PM. Oronzo or I have until 6 PM to pick Baby Bug up from daycare. Again, I can assure you she will not be languishing in daycare until 6 PM.

4) I demanded some guidelines of my own in this less than desirable situation. First, I informed the CPS worker that I would be calling the daycare center each morning at 10 AM to make sure that Baby Bug had been picked up by her parents, so that she wouldn't be sitting in there all day, unbeknownst to us if her parents didn't show up. If they hadn't arrived by 10 AM, I told the CPS worker that Oronzo or I would go pick her back up and it was to be understood that her parents had then forfeited their entire day's visit. Second, if Baby Bug's parents were going to be late in dropping her back off at the specified 4:30 PM time, I expected them to call and let the daycare center know so that we could be warned. I made it clear to the CPS worker that if Baby Bug was not there when we arrived to pick her up and her parents hadn't called the daycare center, then we were going to call the CPS hotline, which involves the police going out to her parent's house to retrieve Baby Bug. Baby Bug's parents haven't done anything thus far to lead me to believe that we'd have any problems but I wanted it to be made very clear that if problems began there would be consequences and I needed to make sure that CPS would back me up. I needed to do my best to look after Baby Bug's interests since it seemed as though no one else was doing so! The CPS worker agreed to my stipulations and conveyed them in a letter to the parents.

Although I hate the idea of Baby Bug in daycare, her parents seem to hate it as much as I do and so far this week she's not been in daycare for more than 30 minutes each day! Yes, our tax payer's dollars are being wasted in such a way as this, since CPS (the State) is picking up the daycare tab. It's a joke, really!

We started this on Monday. Oronzo arrived at the daycare with Baby Bug at 8:45 AM and found Baby Bug's mom already there. Not only that, she had been there for an hour waiting! She was so nervous about the chance of being late and so excited at the thought of being allowed to have an all-day visit with her daughter for the first time in four months, that she left their house really early and got to the daycare an hour before Oronzo arrived! What a way to start things off on the right foot. My admiration for Baby Bug's mom increased even more that day! Monday afternoon, she had Baby Bug back at 4:30 PM on the dot and I picked her up on my way home from work at 5 PM. Baby Bug's mom arrived early the next two mornings as well and has been very punctual in returning her.

I feel bad that her parents have been left holding the bag as far as transporting for visits, especially since they have to travel across town, but they don't seem to mind one bit. They are just thrilled to have more time with their daughter.

Baby Bug's visitation with her parents is going to be increasing steadily over time. If this three days per week schedule goes well, after a while it'll be increased to four days, then five. Eventually they'll get some overnight visits and then weekend visits. The ultimate goal, of course, is reunification and her return home to her parents on a full-time basis.

I have such mixed feelings about all of this. On one hand, I'm happy that her parents are getting more time with their daughter and I'm very hopeful that they will continue to do well and do what they have to do to get her back. I really do think this is a good thing.

On the other hand, the more time she spends with her parents, the less time she spends with us. So far, the increased visitation doesn't really cut into my time with Baby Bug because it's mainly while I'm at work. But it won't be long until I see less and less of Baby Bug. I know this case has absolutely nothing to do with me but it's going to be emotionally hard for me to let go of Baby Bug, little by little.

I love this child as if she were my own, knowing full well that she's not. I "know" her and she knows me. Her face lights up like a Christmas tree anytime she hears my voice or sees me walk into a room. I know what each of her cries mean and how to comfort her. I know exactly how to hold her when she's over-tired and needs to get to sleep or if her tummy is hurting her. I love buying her cute little outfits and making her hair bows/clips to match! I love holding her close, rocking her, and surrounding her in song and prayer. I love caring for her and keeping her safe.

Baby Bug's next court date isn't until mid-July and even then it's uncertain as to whether or not the judge will consider Baby Bug's parents ready to get her back but by then she will have been with us for 8 months and I think, if they continue to do so well, her parents will have a very good shot at getting her back at that point in time.

So, our time with Baby Bug is dwindling. My heart aches at the thought of it. But, while she's still with us, I will be the squeaky wheel advocating for her best interests. Obviously I'm not going to win every battle, but I won't go quietly. She deserves the very best and I intend to do everything in my power to see to that while I am able.

That's all for now. I'll update you all on Boo and then Snuggle Bug very soon, so stop back again. As always, your prayers and your support are much appreciated!

Labels: adoption #2, Baby Bug, foster children, fostering

Happy Wednesday to you! It's time once again to post another WFMW tip!

I don't know about you but as much as I love participating in this WFMW exchange, sometimes I can't think of any decent ideas. So, unless Shannon requests a specific theme, I've decided to focus my efforts on offering craft ideas. And I'd love it if you'd leave me a comment with some craft ideas of your own!

This week I'm sharing a butterfly craft idea. It's a bit messy because paint is involved but making a mess is half the fun! You can lay newspapers down before beginning the project. My 3 year old son LOVED this one so I'll bet your kids will too!

Coffee Filter Butterfly

Supplies Needed:

Wooden Clothes Pins
Round Coffee Filters
Black Sharpie Marker
Watercolor Paints
Pipe Cleaner
Glue Gun

Directions:

Take the coffee filters and spray them with water till they lay flat but aren't drenched (it should only take a few short sprays, I use warm water). Now, go nuts blobbing the watercolors on the wet coffee filters, it will run and smear but don't worry.

When you are happy with your design on one, repeat this process with another coffee filter. Put the wet filters in a safe place to dry.

Use the Sharpie marker to draw eyes and a mouth on a wooden clothes pin.

Wrap a pipe cleaner once around the top of your wooden clothes pin (I added a dab of glue to the back to hold the pipe cleaners on tight) so that you have two antennas poking up. Curl the ends of each pipe cleaner to make the antennas look more realistic.

When they are dry gather up the coffee filter in the middle, trying to keep the outside edges flat, and clip it into the clothespin (I put a dab of glue at the bottom of the wooden clothes pin to hold the coffee filter in). Spread the wings out and you are done.

I put a strip of magnet on the backside of clothespin and stuck them on the fridge. My son made 5 of these and we're mailing some of them to the grandparents as little gifts, just for fun!

Creating coffee filter butterflies works for me. To find out what works for others, be sure to check out the other links at Shannon's, the creator of Works-For-Me Wednesday!

My past WFMW entries are found here.

Labels: craft ideas, kids crafts, Works-For-Me Wednesday

As a contributor over at BloggedIn- News & Networking, I just highlighted an excellent post entitled, Be Gentle...With Your Spouse.

Please, go check it out and leave Gibee of Kisses of Sunshine some comments to let her know what you thought of her post.

Twice a month I search through the posts of bloggers who are part of Family-Friendly Network looking for a special one to highlight. If you're not already a member, you might consider joining! It's a great group of bloggers!

If you are a member and have a post you'd like highlighted in the near future, send me an email with a link to that post and I'll check it out!

Labels: BloggedIn Highlight, bloggity goodness

Good Friday to you all! It's time for another Favorite Ingredients Friday recipe exchange!

Labels: cooking, Favorite Ingredients Friday, recipe exchange

So, in this post I complained that Baby Bug's CPS worker was trying to pressure us into agreeing to covering return transportation for Baby Bug's visits/appointments with her parents, which by the way are currently at 3 times per week. Unfortunately things are only getting worse!

Labels: adoption #2, Baby Bug, foster children, fostering, Oronzo

Ugh! We are so frustrated right now. The CPS worker and CPS Aide assigned to Baby Bug's case are ticking us off!

Since the day Baby Bug's parents received supervised visits 4 months ago, we've had transportation problems!

Although not required in our state, we offered to be responsible for transporting Baby Bug to her visits (45 minute drive each way) in the mornings, as long as CPS would transport her back from her visits. We didn't want to be the type of foster parents that refused to be helpful.

From the beginning, Oronzo would arrive with Baby Bug on time for the supervised visits but the CPS aide assigned to supervise the visits would inevitably show up late, so Oronzo would have to sit around with the kids in the car and wait for her arrival so that he could pass Baby Bug off to her. And even though we'd be given a time that she would be returned back to us, again the CPS aide would show up much later than expected.

The latest is that CPS is trying to pressure us into being responsible for picking Baby Bug up at the end of her visits so that they don't have to. We've told them from day one that this will not work for us, as the return time is always either during nap time for the other two kids or during dinner time and my work schedule changes from week to week so I can't commit to being available either.

As if that weren't bad enough, Oronzo tells me that the visitation times change on a weekly basis. He's looked back at his calendar over the past 4 months and there's not been two straight weeks of the same visitiation schedule. CPS keeps changing it and usually with very short notice! Baby Bug's visits with her parents are increasing in length and frequency as they prepare to eventually transfer her back home so this is a good thing and we want to help where we can but we've got two other children and our work schedules to factor in as well!

And then there are the required monthly visits where CPS comes to our home to check on Baby Bug. Baby Bug's CPS worker has changed the visit for today twice and then didn't show up at the appointed 8:30 AM time. She emailed (not a phone call, an email) Oronzo minutes before the scheduled time to say she couldn't make it and that she'd need to reschedule for today at 1:30 PM. Oronzo is really ticked off, since this isn't the first time she's pulled this on him, and is emailing her back to say she'll have to pick another day because 1:30 PM won't work for him!

I understand that CPS is understaffed and overworked but do they have to be so discourteous to foster parents in their efforts to juggle all of their responsibilities. Their inconsistencies and lack of common courtesy is frustrating!

At least we've had no problems with Boo's CPS worker thus far! I guess that's something.

Labels: adoption #2, Baby Bug, fostering, Oronzo

Last week I posted about how I was leaving on a business trip and stressing about the fact that our foster daughters were going to be placed in respite care.  I wanted to follow up and let you know how it's going.

Oronzo dropped the girls off on Monday afternoon.  He told me that initially Boo seemed un-phased by being at Barb and Jim's house (the respite care providers) again.  But when Oronzo started heading for the door without her, she started to cry.  Barb picked her up and held her on her lap to comfort her as Oronzo said his goodbyes.  Baby Bug didn't protest but she's only 4 1/2 months old so I wouldn't have expected her to.

I've called Barb every day, since leaving for Vegas on Monday, to check on the girls.  Barb told me Boo was anxious most of Monday but on Monday evening she seemed to loosen up a bit and started playing with the toys they had.  She slept through the night that night and has every night since.  Each day Boo has gotten more comfortable with Barb and Jim and now is to the point where she's actually having fun.

Baby Bug has had troubles with her morning naps at Barb and Jim's house, so she's been a bit fussy in the mornings but other than that she's doing fine too.  She started sleeping through the night for us last Wednesday and she's continuing to do this for Barb and Jim.

Barb tells me she's enjoying her time with the girls and she's been so suportive of my phone calls.  She doesn't seem to mind taking the time to chat with me each day and share what the girls are up to.

I'm flying home tomorrow but I won't get in until after the girls are in bed.  I'm tempted to go in, pull Boo out of bed, and to sit and rock with her when I get home.  I've miss holding her (and Baby Bug) in my arms!

In other related news, Oronzo got me a MacBook last month and I've been using it to do video iChats with him and Snuggle Bug while away on this trip.  This is the first time we've done this and Snuggle Bug was a bit confused.  He kept looking at the computer monitor and then our front door, asking, "Mommy home?"  I explained that I was still at work in Las Vegas.  He told Oronzo, "Mommy in puter (computer)!"  For me, it was so wonderful to see his sweet little face and to be able to hear his voice.  I showed him a gift that I got him (a little stuffed, white puppy to add to his puppy collection) and he was excited to see that!

I really love my new MacBook!  It's got a built in webcam and microphone and I'm amazed at all the neat features that this laptop has (iPhoto, iTunes, iCalendar, neat email templates, etc) and I love how integrated all the software applications are.  Having been a Windows PC user all my life, I do feel a bit drunk trying to maneuver around this Mac but I'm learning fairly quickly and I'm loving it!  And any laptop that allows me to easily see my little boy while I'm away from home gets an A+ in my book!

I can't wait to get home tomorrow!

Labels: adoption #2, Baby Bug, Boo, foster children, fostering, Oronzo, product review, Snuggle Bug

Happy Wednesday to you! It's time once again to post another WFMW tip!

This week Shannon has asked us to post our Greatest Hits Edition, in other words she's asked us to re-run one of our favorites of our own WFMWs. I know just the one to share again!

I posted this tip back on 20 September 2006 and was surprised at the great response it got! Here it is again.

This image isn't expanding as I had hoped when you click on it so if you'd like me to email this list to you in a Word document so that you can read it and print off a nice copy, just leave me a comment with your email address and I'd be happy to do so!

Don't worry, if you leave me your email addresses, I promise I will not try to get rich quick by selling them to a mass marketing firm. :) I'll use them just to send out this list.

This chore list works for me. Maybe it'll work for you too! I'd love to hear about some of the age appropriate chores that your children are doing!

To find out what works for others, be sure to check out the other links at Shannon's, the creator of Works-For-Me Wednesday!

My past WFMW entries are found here.

Oh, a quick note:

Labels: Works-For-Me Wednesday

It's time for another one of my free Pay It Forward book giveaways!

For those who may have missed out, please read about the guidelines right here.

So, I have one book to give away this month.

1) Creations In Death by J.D. Robb.

This book was sent to me by Anne with Authors on the Web. Thanks, Anne!

Editorial Review by Publishers Weekly:

At 27 books and counting, Nora Roberts is more prolific under her Robb pseudonym than most authors manage in a single career. Yet the latest in her not-so-near-future detective series featuring New York Police Det. Eve Dallas offers a satisfyingly novel mélange of suspense, sex, forensics and heroics. It's 2060, and the serial killer nicknamed The Groom is back in town after an absence of nine years, resuming his horrific run of kidnapping, torturing and killing young women. Dallas, who served as a detective in the frustrating first investigation, assumes lead role in this one. This time, not only do the killer's chosen victims have ties to Dallas's husband, Roarke, but Dallas herself may be the killer's ultimate target. Swiftly paced, the story cuts frequently from the investigation to the killer's progress with his victims. Dallas works to outplan, outfight and outsmart the killer; to keep her handsome, rich husband happy; and to be ready for the next round after a good night's sleep. Robb's latest is bound to please Dallas fans.

I love Nora Roberts and this book was an excellent read. It kept me in suspense the entire time I was reading it. I think you'll enjoy it!

If you'd like to this book, here is what you must do:

1. On your blog, write a post about this giveaway, using my "Pay It Forward" button, and then link back to my post. I am sure your readers would appreciate learning about the chance to win a book. You must complete this step to be put in the drawing, unless of course you don't have a blog!

2. Sign the Mr. Linky (the Mr. Linky is that list of names at the end of this post - just type your name in the box) with your name and the specific URL of your PIF post. Note: If you are not a blogger, you may still enter to win. Just sign your name on the Mr. Linky without a URL and then email me your contact information. Please note on your email that it is for the PIF book giveaway.

I'll announce the winner on Saturday morning, 19 April, so be sure to check back.

Best of luck!

If you have any books you'd like to Pay It Forward yourself this month, please leave me a comment and I'll link you in this post!

Additional Pay It Forward Giveaways:

1) Caroline at food for thought is giving away two more books, The Friday Night Knitting Club, by Kate Jacobs and Shopaholic & Baby, by Sophie Kinsella on 18 April. Stop by her blog to enter to win. Thanks, Caroline!

Caroline at food for thought gave away two books, Mothers Need Time-Outs, Too by Susan Callahan, Anne Nolen, and Katrin Schumann and I Married My Mother-in-Law edited by Ilena Silverman on 5 April. Thanks, Caroline!

Jubilee at notes of jubilee gave away two books, The Door In The Dragon's Throat by Frank Peretti and Improving Your Serve -- The Art of Unselfish Living by Charles Swindoll on 14 April. Thanks, Jubilee!

Heather at Production, Not Reproduction gave away the book, Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood on 15 April. Thanks, Heather!

Tamy at 3 Sides of Crazy gave away the book, Lakeside Cottage by Susan Wiggs on 23 April. Thanks, Tamy!

Cynthia at Springmont Cottage gave away the book, Puttin' on the Grits by Deborah Ford on 21 April. Thanks, Cynthia!

Forgetfulone gave away the book, Garden of Beasts by Jeffery Deaver. on 30 April. Thanks, Forgetfulone!

Labels: bloggity goodness, books/reading, giveaways, Pay It Forward

As a contributor over at BloggedIn- News & Networking, I just highlighted an excellent post entitled, The Bully and the Bear?

Please, go check it out and leave Christine of Serenity How? some comments to let her know what you thought of her post.

Twice a month I search through the posts of bloggers who are part of Family-Friendly Network looking for a special one to highlight. If you're not already a member, you might consider joining! It's a great group of bloggers!

If you are a member and have a post you'd like highlighted in the near future, send me an email with a link to that post and I'll check it out!

Labels: BloggedIn Highlight, blogger friends, bloggity goodness