Ingrid, I agree that 'Boscobel' isn't a terribly romantic name, but imagine how I felt when the first Austin rose I fell for was 'Mortimer Sackler'. Named for a wonderful person, I imagine, but not the most romantic-sounding name... Virginia

I agree with labmomma. I have thought about this for the last several years since my oldest started seeing his current GF. We have a small house and there isn't much space for entertaining friends that doesn't entail sitting right in the kitchen. By the time he was 18 we were allowing him to visit with her in his room. I know that they were having sex in there but this wasn't something that bothered me. For us it was a matter of pacticing what we preach. We have told our kids that sex is part of committed relationships and is a positive and healthy activity. We have discussed with our kids the need to be able to talk to your partner about sex before having sex with him or her. "If you don't know her well enough to talk to her about sex, then you don't know her well enough to have sex with." But having said that we know that it is also something that can lead to problems (like most other areas of human activity!) so we have warned them about the risks and how to minimize these risks. We have also said that, just like any other area of your life, if you get into trouble, come and see us. I know that this would not work for many people but for us it does. We expect that our kids will have sex esp once they are in long term relationships and I would rather they feel comfortable coming to us with questions and seeking any help they need. I think "forbidding" things can sometimes lead to children being afraid to come to parents when they screw up. I know that my parents thought that by forbidding me to have boys "upstairs" they were preventing me from having sex but I still found lots of time and lots of places to have sex as a teen. I would not have ever discussed it with them, though. Nor would I have told them if I had become pregnant or ... For me it came down to asking myself why I would I forbid them from doing this. I can forsee some circumstances in which I would not allow it. For example, if I thought the kids were too young or it was a relationship I didn't approve of for other reasons, perhaps. But given a committed or long term relationship and a reasonably mature teen, I do allow it. Guess that might put us in the minority but now that the oldest is away at university with the GF I have no regrets. They are both mature 19 year olds - hell I was married at his age. Maybe it just comes down to a different situation for each parent and for each child. Do what fits with your belief system and as long as you are open about your reasons and can communicate well with your kids it will all work out.

You bet he'll get extra hugs and kisses! When he heard us talking about it, he asked what we meant by saying the kids didn't have anything. When we explained that thier house had burned down and everything in the house burned too, even thier toys and clothes, he got real quiet for a few minutes. Later, when DD started cleaning the bed, he started looking thru his own things to donate. DD was only going to give away the 2T clothes, because he's wearing the 5's. He's a pretty special kid. A couple of years ago, his other grandma bought a toy for the not forgotten box for Christmas. He thought he was getting it. That was his first lesson in charity. He is learning by example. He even donated one of his extra winter coats, as we are supposed to still get some chilly weather. Tami

Thanks all! I let little man read all your comments this morning. He was blushing and saying to himself, "I didn't cook this all by myself and I am not that good looking..." but I saw the sparks in his eyes and knew he secretly enjoyed the nice compliments. LOL I want to take advantage of his new found interest and run with it. We have decided that he would continue to make breakfast for his dad when he feels like it then dinner once a week, mostly Sunday. If he's up to it, maybe one easy dessert during the week. I got hubby hooked on bread making and now little man cooking, think I am ready to retire! LOL Pat, I guess the Xpress is sort of like a grill with much less capacity. We like it because it's small and very portable, just about the right size for a 7-year-old to handle. Karen, thanks for the link again. We have it bookmarked and have been checking it from time to time. We haven't tried out any of their recipes yet but I am sure we soon will. Rusty, I believe you're right about soda crackers = saltine crackers. Here in Canada (at least the part where we live) soda cracker is an ethnic food that has a different look and taste. They are bigger, fluffier and have no salt on the surface. The recipe definitely calls for saltine crackers because when little man finished crushing the crumbs, it turned out just the right amount. If we had used the "soda crackers" found in the Asian store, we would end up having way too much crumbs. Chase, I noticed the difference too! LOL Thanks again everyone. Your comments definitely reassure his positive experience at first attempt. I greatly appreciate it.