What an amazing website! There is so much to look at and read!

I couldn’t find any garage sale info. I clicked on several links, but either it is well hid or I’m missing something!
Can you help me find it?

Thanks!
- Jill

Hi, Jill.

I’m glad you’re enjoying the site. You’ll find the link you’re looking for right here. At the top of the page are tips on shopping other people’s garage sales. Scroll to the bottom for pointers on holding a successful sale of your own. In the meantime, happy spring cleaning! I’m feeling inspired to clear some of the stuff out of my garage now, too.

Blessings,
Jennifer

They can undoubtedly relate to Anne’s knack for getting into trouble, but part of their interest stems from the amazing job actress Kate Burton does reading. She uses such a variety of voices and affects that it seems as if the action is being played out before our very eyes. One of my guys told me, “There’s no way I’d ever have chosen to read this book myself, because the language is so flowery, but she reads with such expression, it’s easy to follow and understand, so listening has been fun.”

If you are unfamiliar with Anne of Green Gables, I highly recommend this unabridged audio version. I bought our copy used for under $10. However, you may also want to check out the free downloadable versions (presented by other readers) available through LibriVox.

Here’s a sampling of some of the things our family has enjoyed doing on a seasonal basis (plus a few new ones we plan to add in the future). Feel free to use it as a checklist for your own merry memory making or as a starting place to come up with a more personalized list. Either way, you’ll want to print out your final version and post it in a prominent place, because with kids, anticipation is half the fun!

For a free printable version of ideas for January through December, click here.

What about you? How do you communicate respect to the young men in your family?

• Paddy’s Punch (mix 1/2 gallon lime sherbet with a 2 liter bottle ginger ale)
• white grapes (they look green)
• sugar snap peas (raw)

The rest of the menu varies a little from year to year, depending on the age and pickiness of my little eaters and my own current stage of pregnancy or post partum-ness. On years when my energy and the children’s enthusiasm are high, we’ll round out the meal with:

• spinach wraps (use the green tortillas)
• split pea soup
• broccoli salad
• key lime pie

If either of those factors are waning, I’ll opt for convenience foods:

• bite-sized spinach quiche (Nancy’s frozen hor d’oeuvres)
• a tray of broccoli florets, zucchini rounds, and celery sticks w/ranch dressing
• guacamole dip with tortilla chips
• store-bought clover-leaf cookies with green sugar sprinkles

Of course, we’re always game to try new dishes…. So tell us, what do you feed the leprechauns at your house?

What is the correct answer to this problem, and why?
- Stumped Mama

Dear Mama:

If customer #149 and #201 and everybody in between were waited upon, that would total 53 people. Think about it this way: If ten people are waiting in line at Andy’s for frozen custard and numbers 1 through 10 are served, that isn’t just 9 customers (1+9=10), it’s actually 10 customers, because you count the first customer, too. They serve him, plus the nine people after him. Expand that to your problem. 149 + 52 = 201, but if they are serving #149, also, that would be a total of 53 customers who are waited upon: #149, plus the 52 people in line behind him. You have to count both endpoints. Doesn’t that make sense?

Tell your son not to get discouraged. That kind of question trips up a lot of students, but once you know the trick, it’s easy!
Jennifer

My early risers can help with some party decorations. A festive banner and some bright balloons a la Nesting Instinct should set the theme. I don’t have a tank of helium handy, so we’ll just blow them up and hang them upside down from the ceiling.

Then we’ll wake the rest of the crew for a breakfast of green eggs and ham. Instead of food coloring, I’ll use spinach juice to dye the eggs, as so brilliantly suggested by Itsy Bitsy Foodies.

After a quick kitchen clean-up, we’ll snuggle on the couch and re-read a few of our favorites: Green Eggs and Ham, Mr. Brown Can Moo, Yertle the Turtle, and The Cat in the Hat.

We’ll then head back to the table for craft-time. My kids love making puppets and marionettes, so these Thing 1 and Thing 2 puppets from Crack of Dawn Crafts are right up their alley. It’s a good thing I have an ample supply of brads for the movable arms and legs.

These handprint Things from Little Kinder Warriors are simply adorable and super easy. They’d look great painted on some lime green T-shirts, too!

I’ll let the children do some Dr. Suess themed worksheets while I work on lunch. Bing Images has a whole slew of free printables that fit the bill.

And while I can’t promise we’ll eat lunch on a boat or with a goat, I do think I’ll pack it to go, with strawberry-yogurt parfaits, bright blue jello, green boiled eggs, and “Pink Yink Ink” lemonade using the recipes I found at How Does She?

After lunch, we’ll read Gertrude McFuzz. Then I’ll let the little ones make these paper bag puppets from Free Kids Crafts, which remind me of Gertrude. Then it’s off to bed for the babies. While they’re napping, the rest of us will make like the Cat in the Hat and clean up the place, including putting away the laundry that was neglected yesterday while we spent all afternoon and evening at a track meet!

If we hurry, we’ll have time to get out the hot glue guns before naptime is over and let the middle kids make these fluffy-topped pencils that remind me so much of truffula trees, especially when we use striped pencils. Visit 4 Crazy Kings for how-to instructions. We’ll be sure to make enough to share with younger siblings.

When the littles wake up from their naps, we’ll let them snack on Goldfish while practicing a few math facts with these placemats from obSEUSSed.com.

Dad might not be too happy with more green eggs for dinner, so we’ll make spaghetti tonight (his favorite). He’ll be thrilled with our Suess-themed dessert, though: Yertle the turtle caramel turtles from So Wonderful, So Marvelous. I bought the rolled Rolos, not the bagged, which will save time when assembling them. Even Abigail can get in on the action making this fun treat!

If Dad is up for it, we’ll go head to the theater to watch The Lorax on opening night. If not, we’ll pop some corn and watch a few classic Seuss videos right here at home.

So what are we to do when our stuff goes AWOL? The strategies I’ve found to be most effective are as follows:

1. Retrace your steps – If you’re the one who’s lost something, think back to where you last saw it, then check there and everywhere else you’ve been since you misplaced the item. If it’s your child who is missing something, walk him through these same steps.
2. Pray for God’s help in finding it – This should really be what you do first, but if you are anything like me, you may not remember to do it until you’ve already tried step #1 without success. The advantage to praying straight off the bat is that:
• Nothing is hidden from God. He already knows where to find what you are looking for, and it’s a small matter for Him to steer you in the right direction.
• Prayer has a calming effect, which is especially important if you were running late already.
• Voicing a prayer keeps your tongue busy, so you are less likely to chew out the (ir)responsible party or to say something you’ll later regret.
3. Solicit help from family – The more people searching, the faster you’ll find it. You might even offer a small reward to the child who can locate it first.
4. Straighten as you go – Instead of ransacking the place, use the opportunity to tidy things up, and teach your children to do the same. If there are clothes or towels on the floor, don’t just leave them lying. Pick them up and put them on a hook or in a hamper while you are searching. Same goes for toys, books, coats, caps, pillows, blankets, etc. As other items in the room are picked up and put away, it will be easier to tell whether the lost item is there. If it isn’t, go to the next room and repeat the process. If you’re lucky, you won’t find what you’re looking for until the entire house is in order!
5. Buy duplicates – To avoid unnecessary delays in the future, you might also consider keeping extras of important items. That way, if your child can’t find his shoes or you discover a missing set of car keys on your way out the door, you can use the back-up pair now and search for the lost ones later.

What about you? What do you do when you can’t find something you need? If you’ve got other search-and-rescue strategies, please share!

Fortunately, What About Kabob soon set up shop and saved us the trouble. Which is great, because they really know what they’re doing. Their menu is varied and everything on it is delicious, although my personal favorite is still the OG (Original Gyro). Doug likes the chimicanga gyro and drops in to eat one whenever he’s in the neighborhood. I’m hoping he’ll start bringing the rest of us along, as well, now that Kabob’s is letting kids eat free all day on Tuesday. One kids pita and fries per adult meal purchased, dine-in only. Come check it out! Maybe we’ll see you there.