Miranda You appear to be making all the right choices in life. I will be a little bit presumptuous by offering some advice on helping you to raise your child in touch with nature in this age full of all the electronic lures that keep the kids indoors. or, when outdoors, glued to a small screen, rather than the glory that surrounds them. I am writing a book about landscape architecture and have a section regarding the importance of embracing nature in the preschool years. - which I would like to forward that section to you. However, my computer skills are limited to email and US Mail. I don't even know how to attach a picture to the text. If you would like to receive this draft from my future book, send me your email or postal address, and I'll get it right off to you. My email is cascio.offsite@gmail.com Good luck with your new challenges and opportunities. Joe Cascio

After my friend's dog stole my three year old's sandwich (out of her mouth!) I don't have dogs, cats are cleaner to have in a house as long as you provide kitty litter. A house with a dog smells so bad to us. My neighbour used her dog to clean up after her toddlers - licking the floor, the high chair tray, etc. and that was the wash they got. But I must say I do love dogs too - in the right environment.

apparently you have never tried public transport in my hometown. tampa, fl. it is hideous. max I have traveled is about 1.25 hours. worst trip and greatest was the 24 miles from crapo, say crepe o, to cambridge md. I once counted 49 hairpin turns, during that trip. all that on land so flat, you were lucky if it was not underwater.

Cleaning the bathroom is a breeze, I have a nylon scrubber that I buy from Coles or Woolies and the cheapest shampoo I can find, after my shower I put a couple of squirts of the shampoo on the scrubber, run it from top to bottom all round my shower ( I have a large double head shower ) and over the floor then spray clean warm water from the top of the wall and let it run down the walls and glass area till the soap has gone, the shower in our 2nd bathroom doesn't have a spray so I use an empty Peters 2 litre icecream container keep filling it up with warm water and run this down the walls, hop out of the shower walk away and let it dry by itself -- once it is dry I have a perfectly streak free shower, for the bath and the vanity basins I use the same method, wipe them over with the scrubber and shampoo, flush with the warm water and leave, wipe the vanity tops, the area around the bath and window area with a damp cloth and hey presto a beautiful clean bathroom, this all takes only a few minutes and I always have a clean bathroom.