Notes to Self:

• Washing an empty bottle of cod liver oil in the dishwasher before tossing it in the recycle bin is not a good idea. I have set out a bowl of vinegar, fed the garbage disposal orange peels, lit matches...all to no avail. Just out of curiosity, is this a good excuse for chucking our prehistoric dishwasher and buying new?

• Never again assume that your children really are just going to great lengths to get their teeth sparkling clean when they are still in the bathroom ten minutes after leaving them to their morning routine. That peace and quiet you take for diligent brushing could actually be their speechless awe and wonder as they pull out every last item in the over-the-sink cabinet. Guess I won't be flossing again until I find another good sale on dental floss...

• Markers and children do not mix, plain and simple. It does not matter how "washable" the markers claim to be. Red ink will wash out of a child's ear but is it really worth the opportunity cost of thirty minutes from your day?

I am still learning.