I'm boycotting Sears for anybody who cares. My washer has now been fixed 6 times in the past 12 months and it failed me at a most crucial time in our lives.....when Eden wet through at 3:00 this morning and we had to wash her blanket, hand wring it out over the sink, and dry it forever, all while listening to her cry for it. Then, we had to get up and get ready for church. The crazy thing is, they refuse to replace it, sighting various reasons, depending on which person you get on the line. It's still under warrenty, and the repair person has put well over $1000 into parts, plus $600 in labor to continue to fix it, but Sears will not budge. In the meantime, I have to wait 2 weeks for parts every time it goes down, and then wait for the following Wednesday to come, which is the only day he's in Bridgeport. Therefore, I'm boycotting Sears. If anybody knows anybody who knows anybody in the higher ups there, please tell them I said so.

On to more important things: Lars is teething. I fear this will go on for quite some time.

Here are a couple of pictures from yesterday's warm weather...well, 40 degrees anyway.

And finally, the following is a list of rules to live by if you have a toddler. Now I realize this list is incomplete, so please, add to them via the comments. I know enough of you have toddlers and can help me re-create the perfect family by sharing your thoughts.

Top Ten ways (give or take a few) to avoid a temper tantrum,

in no particular order

• Let your child flush the toilet as often as she likes.

• Do not physically remove her from any room she doesn’t want to leave

• Let her wear her swimsuit to the grocery store in 10 degree weather without a coat

• Let her go naked all the time if she wants

• Buy cheap toilet paper so that you don’t become angry when a new roll ends up strewn all over the house.

• Believe her when she tells you she needs the whole box of Kleenex to blow her nose

• Simply avoid nap time all together if she’s not interested

• Never try to convince her that she doesn’t want the same story 6 times in one night

• Serve cottage cheese and gold fish crackers for every meal, every day of the week.

• Let her sing during the sermon from her own hymnal as loud as she'd like

• Don’t put big girl underpants on her if she’d rather have a diaper

• Don’t take the phone from her when she’s having an important conversation with grandma

• Don’t wash her blanket in a clear-view front load washer while she’s awake

• Let her eat dog food if she’s in the mood

• Make your margaritas weak so she can have as much as she wants

• Baindaids are cheap. Give them freely.

• And always remember, potty training is optional until kindergarten