It’s now time for the 12^th edition of (insert trumpet sound)… the Carnival of Family Life. First, I would like to thank all of the submitters for the time they took to share their thoughts and stories. We’ve got a great round-up this week! So sit back, relax and take a look around. And, remember, if you enjoyed one of the posts; don’t forget to leave a comment for the writer. Without further ado…

HELP!

I must begin with Kailani at The Pink Diary who desperately pleads: Attention Target Shoppers - Have You Seen This Cat? Any parent who reads her post will empathize with her cause. Let’s try and help folks!

    STORIES

In Happy 4^th! A Family Tradition, Marti describes how a “mischievous” Uncle creates memorable holiday outings and lasting family memories. And, while you are at Because I Said So, check out Funny’s Video.

Monica of The Girl Who ponders one of the great dilemmas of married life in To Pee or Not to Pee.

Dana of Principled Discovery shares her children’s ideas for the ideal birthday celebration in Celebrating Birthdays.

Not all family stories involve misbehaving kids. In his Live Journal, Chris Dolley tells the story of his temperamental horse named Rhiannon, who presents problems for his wife and dogs. You can read about their first adventure riding in the woods in Animals Behaving Typically (i.e. Badly): Part Eight (A Gelding Too Far)

In a sentimental post that will ring true in every parent’s heart, MamaDuck shares her favorite things about Lil Duck Duck in Cheerful, friendly, sweet and mostly innocent...

Supermom writes about a nerve-wracking experience about Little One and The Fountain. Read about the encounter at Snow White, 7 Dwarfs and PDD.

Here at Everything Under the Moon, I humbly offer you story about a boy and his worm in The Beauty of a Worm.

   THOUGHTS

In The Game of Life as a Mother, the Womom shares her thoughts on motherhood in a unique and interactive format. Don’t forget to click on her links to get the most out of this post!

Erica at LittleMummy simultaneously puts things in perspective, shows us how to transform our thinking and offers some great playtime ideas in her post How to Live Like a Tourist.

Christine Kane offers 21 Ways to Be More Creative. Take a minute to read through them all! Try one. Try them all. You never know what her suggestions could unleash…

In Notes on Motherhood from Elsewhere, Kate at Babylune “notices some [very interesting] differences in how mothering is done where she's visiting in Bulgaria.”

Amused and Bemused, a writer at the American Inventor’s Spot, offers a humorous and honest look at how we can and do spoil our children in the post 11 Foolish Ways We Spoil Our Kids. While your there, check out the posts by HotSpotMama. She writes reviews of unique and innovative children’s products. I particularly enjoyed the one about the little urinal.

In the Play Library, Hsien-Hsien Lei reports that India Rejects Laptops for Children. The article comments on the OLPC (one-laptop-per-child) initiative and provides links to find out more about this program.

Kim of BlogFabulous offers a sympathetic call-to-action in her post All We Are Saying.

In the Ramblings from the not-so typical Stay at Home Mom, Mommy the Maid posts Thirteen Things I never thought I would say till I became a Mommy. See how many you’ve said!

   REPORTS, REVIEWS & SUGGESTIONS

Karen of Postcards from Nowhere carefully reviews the book and website “Beyond Consequences” concerned primarily with childhood behavior. She adds an amusing twist at the end!

At Pocket Change, Ben comments on the benefits of playing with a ball and offers a suggestion for a great toy purchase in Everybody Ball!

Over at The Motherload, Amy has the recipe for fun. In Broken Crayons Equal Good Fun, she gives exact instructions on how to turn toddler trash into usable art tools! I’m getting out the bake ware tomorrow.

“Hey everyone, good news! America is rated #1 in satisfying physical relationships.” Read more about it at Jack Yoest.

   ANNOUNCEMENT

Congratulations to Bryan and Cathy Biermann on the birth of their son, Gavin! And to Rick Sincere, of Rick Sincere News and Thoughts, who just became an Uncle. See his reaction and photos in his post I’m an Uncle.

   PLAYING FAVORITES & THE WINNER:

Both the writer of my favorite post and winner of this week’s Carnival is Lorri of the Mac and Cheese Chronicles. She writes about the Lessons [that she learned] from Coconut Syrup. The article inspired me to start lighting candles again. Thanks, Lorri! To claim your prize, contact Kailani at the Pink Diary.

   NEXT WEEK

• If you have a post that relates to family life, please consider submitting it for our next edition. New friends are always welcomed!
• The next edition will be held at The Pink Diary. Deadline is Sunday August 6 at 8pm Hawaii Time. Send submissions here.
• All submissions must be related to Family Life.
• Still looking for more people to host the carnival on their blog. For more information or available days, please go here.

Thanks for letting me host! It’s been fun. Keep thinking, keep living, and keep writing!!