We received my son's school report on Thursday and i am pleased as punch, he done exceptionally well in his sats, only problem is he battles with his handwriting ...other than that....passed with flying colours......

One Proud Mom!!!!

:cloud9: :cheer: :cloud9: :cheer: :cloud9: :cheer:

Does anyone have any info regarding really cheap accomodation for two SA males in Amsterdam during August please!

WHY GOD CREATED CHILDREN

Again!!! But still will bring a smile to the face of any
parents or
grandparent.


WHY GOD CREATED CHILDREN
(AND IN THE PROCESS GRANDCHILDREN)


To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are
our
own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students...here is something to make you chuckle.

Whenever your children are out of control, you can
take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and
Eve. And the first thing he said was

"DON'T!"


"Don't what?" Adam replied.

"Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said.

"Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve..we have
forbidden fruit!!!!!"


"No Way!"



"Yes way!"



"Do NOT eat the fruit!" said God.

"Why"


"Because I am your Father and I said so!" God replied,
wondering why
He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants. A few minutes
later,
God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked! "Didn't
I tell you not to eat the fruit?" God asked.


"Uh huh," Adam replied.



"Then why did you?" said the Father.



"I don't know," said Eve.




"She started it!" Adam said



"Did not!"



"Did too!"



"DID NOT!"



Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that
Adam
and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set
and it
has never changed.




BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY! If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be
hard on yourself.
If God had trouble raising children, what makes you
think it would be a piece of cake for you?


THINGS TO THINK ABOUT!


1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to
walk and talk.

Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and
shut up.


2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own
children.

3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.


4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat
word for word what you shouldn't have said.


5. The main purpose of holding children's parties is to remind
yourself that there are children more awful than your own.


6. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in.




ADVICE FOR THE DAY:
Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day.

AND FINALLY:

IF YOU HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE, DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE:



"TAKE TWO ASPIRIN" AND "KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN"!!!!!

Wondering if this is a good thing or not??

These days most tickets are e-tickets, okay a fantastic idea for those with internet access....:thumbs:

But i was looking thru our tickets for our trip on the 19th July - now we are doing a total of 7 flights to Canada-Alaska and back...so i counted 21 pages of e-tickets :eek: they are bulky -

I think the old ticket system was much neater and compact - why the idea of e-tickets - trying to fit 21 pages of A4 paper in your bag is no fun - besides i do not carry a huge bag...

Pmbok - help me out here??

How do I find out who hosts a particular web site ?

Hi All,

Any advice on the best way to tranfer pounds over to SA?
(best exchange rates/ lowest cost)

Also, any legal restrictions / tax implications on transferring money to SA?

Thanks,
Tink

Full article : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3871545.stm


Baby boys should be treated gently, says Dr Sebastian Kraemer
Men treated with kid gloves as young babies are more likely to succeed in work and relationships, according to a UK psychiatrist.
Baby boys who are taught to be tough are less confident and more aggressive, says Dr Sebastian Kraemer from London's Whittington Hospital. He told doctors at the Royal College of Psychiatrists' annual conference in Harrogate boys were naturally fragile. Parents should treat boys as gently as girls to compensate for this, he said. In his lecture, The Fragile Male, Dr Kraemer said if boys were treated more like girls as young babies they would develop better social skills.

If you want a real man treat your baby boy as weak not as strong Dr Sebastian Kraemer, child and adolescent psychiatrist at the Whittington Hospital He said newborn baby boys lagged behind baby girls in most respects. Boys were more likely to experience reading difficulties and develop autism, Asperger's syndrome and disruptive behaviour. They got poorer examination grades, were more vulnerable to depression and were more likely to commit crimes than girls, he said.

"If parents know that boys are a bit behind in their development and generally weaker in every way except muscle then they will do a better job than they are doing now," he said. "If you want a real man treat your baby boy as weak not as strong, then he will become strong." Dr Kraemer said, by looking at research, the critical period appeared to be in the first month of life when the brain is still developing. This is when parents should pay extra care, he said. "It means looking after your baby like a fragile creature not a little lump of muscle.

Tough love
"If boys are treated in a tough slugs and snails way they are more likely to become football hooligans than generous, strong, courageous men."He said mollycoddling hardwired self-confidence that was not based on bluster, but was genuine and did not need to be constantly asserted. Dr Nick Barlow, consultant paediatric psychologist at Leicester Royal Infirmary, said: "We know that boys who are brought up to be macho and to overcome anything that threatens them are more likely to get into trouble in adolescence and adulthood." He said this was because men were more competitive and single-minded, and less likely to appreciate the other side of arguments. "They go straight forward for doing what they believe is right in their own eyes and they can't be seen to back down. "That is a dangerous, anti-social and not very understanding view of how to get your own way," he said. "The attitudes of the parents when the child is born are extremely important on how the child is going to integrate during school years and later on."

Despite my pansies not doing too well...my Oriental Lilies have now bloomed and still blooming, they look stunning...

Some of their colours are divine, some are deep orange with yellow, really gorgeous..i am so tempted to take some into the house, but i got pink Tiger lilies inside....i will just enjoy watching them bloom nicely.....

Thank goodness i am here this yr to see them bloom - they have definitely bloomed early - as they normally bloom in August....

:daisy: :daisy: :daisy:

Folks, as you may or may not be aware, I have been working on the idea of buying a property to rent and/or run as a guesthouse in Italy for a few years now.

Well, there has been a few breakthroughs in information gathering over the past few weeks.

Firstly, two properties are available:

1) in Abruzzo - 18 Bedroom property. Buying price is €15,000.
Restoration cost is €200,000. Half of the restoration cost will be covered by the local council if the property is developed as a guesthouse/B&B.

2) in Le Marche - Property with 3 structures on it, one a fully fitted house ready to move in. Buying price is €80,000. Restoration to guest house standard about the same. No local funding available.

In both instances it is possible to borrow money from a local bank to 75% of the value of the restored structure. Money is also available from lenders within Ireland.

Now, on the face of it, both have an upside and a downside. Funding as you can see is not really the problem.

My questions are -

Does anyone have any idea what legal implications there are for purchasing a property in a country other than the one you are resident in?

Also, will I be double taxed on this because I am resident in Ireland?

What would be a feasible repayment period on a loan of say €150,000 as a business startup?

Does anyone know of any English speaking agencies who can give advice and guidance on all aspects of finance and business startup?

It may seem a bit wishy washy, but this would be a dream come true - to have a small property I can run as a guesthouse/B&B, plus maintain a small organic farm at the same time (there are tax breaks for doing this in Italy).

I have in my hands two boxes,
Which God gave me to hold?
He said, "Put all your sorrows in the black box,
And all your joys in the gold."


I heeded His words, and in the two boxes,
Both my joys and sorrows I stored,
But though the gold became heavier each day,
The black was as light as before.


With curiosity, I opened the black,
I wanted to find out why,
And I saw, in the base of the box, a hole,
Which my sorrows had fallen out by.


I showed the hole to God, and mused,
"I wonder where my sorrows could be!"
He smiled a gentle smile and said,
"My child, they're all here with me."


I asked God, why He gave me the boxes,
Why the gold and the black with the hole?
"My child, the gold is for you to count your blessings,
The black is for you to let go."


We should consider all of our friends a blessing.
Send this to a friend today just to let them know you
are thinking of them and that they are a joy in your life.


A ball is a circle, no beginning, no end.
It keeps us together like our Circle of Friends.
But the treasure inside for you to see,
Is the treasure of friendship you've granted to me.

:cloud9: :cloud9: