Thanks! Good words of advice. halfdecaf - I love that you repeat your vows on your anniversary. That sounds like a very worthwhile tradition and one I might copy for us. I know the "good cop/bad cop" role is pretty tricky. It's not really how we intended it, but it's how I feel usually. My BF's own father abandoned the family when BF was at a very young age and his mother essentially detached from the family as a result of her husband leaving. As such, BF had no healthy parenting images to look up to so he leans toward parenting out of guilt or giving in too much to his own son. I come from a fairly strict, but caring, family so I've tried to share my own parenting examples with them. The result is that BF's son now has a normal bedtime (when we met he would let his son stay up until midnight! And he was 5!), he cleans up his own plate after dinner, he's not allowed to throw things or act physically in anger, he's not allowed to hit his dad or be disrespectful to us without consequences, etc. So I feel like the "bad cop" because I implement/encourage a lot of the discipline and a lot of the rules about what's acceptable and what's not. The only reason it's working is b/c BF currently backs me up on the decisions and is actually a little grateful that I know a little more than he does about general parenting, while he knows more than I do about his son's specific needs. So I think we make a good team. Of course, if either one of us ever stops supporting the other, I can see how that might cause some mutiny... We are also considering premarital couseling. One of my biggest challenges is learning to bite my tongue and not constantly tell him what to do. I was single for too long and have lots of rules in my own head about the way things "should" be done. On the flip side, he was single too long with a young son - essentially living the bachelor life with a kid tagging along (have you seen the Adam Sandler movie, Big Daddy - something along those lines, but not as extreme). So figuring out when my comments cross over into "nagging" seems to be a fine line. I never want to be the "nagging" wife.

I don't believe it based on the blood type. I think as soon as you start avoiding certain foods anyone of any blood type is going to lose weight. I went on a one month milk avoidance diet one time to see if I was allergic to milk. I had to avoid so many of my regular foods that I lost weight. I suspect it's that change in calories from what one normally eats that affects the weight loss. I also think genetics would have an affect. Our genes are both dominant and recessive. We get so many different variations from our ancestors. My parents are A+ and O+ blood types. I am A+ and my husband is B+. My children are B+, O+, and B-. I'll base this off of my children's blood types since I know three generations of blood type for them. None of my children are A+ like I am, but I would think that they had some of my characteristics.

1) bake 2) buy the turkeys (we're doing two small ones) and a few other things 3) pack up all of my lotion/soap/etc making supplies from the small multi-purpose room that is off of our dining room (we call it the cozy room because it's so small) so that it can be used to set up an extra (small) dining table to seat a few extra people. I did schedule a vacation day on Wednesday next week, so I can have a little prep time. I always find it really difficult to prepare for a holiday that doesn't have a free day ahead of time (meaning a non-Sunday or Monday holiday).

Well Mel your mother may get her wish as Richard Branson said he will have flights into space in 2 years time. So start saving for the birthday present. As for me well Ive just come back from Europe and Canada so its really just more travel for me.Eastern Canada Africa Eastern Europe and down south in America, that lot should keep me busy! cheers pam