PancakeSyrup

Name: Goober Gender: F Breed/Species: Queensland Heeler mix Age: 6 Likes: Treats. Tennis balls. Belly rub. Having her back scratched. Licking people. Burying bones. Stashing dog food in random corners and inside the sofa. Dislikes: Strangers. Her tail. Boy dogs that try to mate with her. [attachment=15293:IMG_20120413_191922.jpg][attachment=15294:IMG_20120528_212032.jpg] This is actually my boyfriend's dog who I adopted. You all have cute pets by the way.

You've never had white chocolate macadamia nut cookies?! Try them. They are to die for.

I love all types of nuts. However, I am sad, because I have a wisdom tooth coming in and it hurts to eat the hard ones. Pistachios have to be my favorites, because they have such a unique flavor and color and they are fun to crack. That is the nut I never tire of. Cashews are my second favorites. They are like peanuts, but like...ultra. They are also nostalgic for me. They remind me of outings with my mom when I was little. And peanuts are good, too. (Peanut butter ftw.)

First, teach by example. Talk about the challenges you face and the decisions you make with your children (after the fact). Explore their thoughts on the subject, asking them what they would do in that situation. A parent's job is to prepare her kids for adulthood. If we explore as many possible situations with our kids as we can, when they face those situations, they will have a tool belt of options to choose from. It sometimes isn't what people want to hear, but one of the most important aspects of parenthood is spending time in meaningful conversation with your kids, which means giving up something else you might like to do. As far as sexuality is concerned, the topic will inevitably come up in conversation, and all a parent needs to do is answer the child's question honestly and appropriately without showing that you are nervous. I also agree with DeathKnight's statement about the stage of development. Research stages of development, and make sure you are not asking a child to understand something that is beyond them. For instance, 5 year holds do not understand abstract terms like "how would you feel if you were in their shoes?" So the concept should be explained in concrete terms. That said, you can't control your children, you can only guide them, and hope that they retain the morals you have taught them. Children are more likely to retain a parent's morals if that parent has a trusting relationship with the child and if the morals are instilled from a young age using rules, rituals, and traditions. If you find that a bit manipulative, which I admit it is, then you should find out what is important to your child, and develop a tradition based on that. For the record, I am not a parent. I recognize that this is easier said than done. I do work with kids, however, and take parenting classes weekly. Actually the parenting classes I take are free to the public, offered by the local community college, so if you are interested, you might be able to find something like that in your area.

I'm currently on ep. 23/26 of Guin Saga. I'm watching it, because I'm a huge fan of the book series of the same name by Kaoru Kurimoto, and I am also a long-time fan of composer Nobuo Uematsu best known for his work on the Final Fantasy series. I am delighted that the anime delves much further into the story than I have been able to read. (I was only able to find 5 books, and the end of the fifth was a cliffhanger. And yes I am aware of the manga, though I have not read it.). I was gravely disappointed, however, in the quality of the English dub, and the translation, for that matter. It is so out of context and just almost embarrassing. I feel really sad about it, since I love the story so much.

[quote name='AirOfTheSky' timestamp='1287071001' post='701087'] [b]Clannad[/b]-Because of the genre drama and romance Thought i would hate it but after i watched season 2 It became the best anime i watched. [b]Air-[/b]Because it seemed very boring did not have high ratings First couple episodes seemed bad but turned out to be a great anime. [/quote] I just finished watching Clannad and Clannad: After Story. I am more into sci-fi and action when it comes to anime, so I really wasn't interested based on the description, but there was nothing else on. I was blown away by this show. It has some very funny moments, but also some interesting themes, such as family and dealing with change. It makes you think about what's really important to you.