Welcome to the Carnival of Family Life, edition 16!   Before we get started I must admit to all of you that this Carnival was in great jeopardy of being cancelled.   This afternoon, my 3 year old fell and broke his arm.  I spent the better part of the afternoon in the hospital.  Luckily, we were released with enough time to spare.  So, there you have it... the Carnival of Family Life almost got thwarted by ... Family Life. 

Get comfortable because we have lots of entries this week!  Without further delay, I present the Carnival of Family Life.....

Stories

At Creative Homeschooling, Jennie proudly announces her son's testing success in First Standardized Test.  

At Imagine Bright Futures, Amanda shares a short anecdote in which she swallows a child's bait "Hook Line & Sinker."

In Mommy, My Pants are Too Big!. Mommy the Maid shares photographs of some memorable moments with her daughter at Ramblings from the Not-So-Typical Stay at Home Mom.   Don't miss her "call-to-action." Post some of your own future parental "blackmail" photos for everyone to enjoy!

Kelly Curtis, of Pass the Torch, describes it best when she says her post Wish for You is a "philosophical look at my one-on-one trip to Mackinac Island with my nine-year-old daughter."  

Another touching family memory is posted by Samantha of Mommy Needsa Mai-tai.  Read her story in her Monday Memories.

In Snow White, Seven Dwarfs and PDD, Supermom recalls her memories and dispells some rumors, in "My Pregnancies."

Kids will be kids in any culture and in any language.  Read Christina's post, C'est Trop Bien, at Life in Arabia.  Christina remarks, "Bringing them up bilingual isn't always easy... but sometimes, it's well worth the laugh!"   

From Black Belt Mama, we have an adorable anecdote about Lil C's first attempts at martial arts in There's a New Karate-ka in Town.  

Got Dogs? Got Kids?  For a good laugh, go to Mad Kane's Humor Blog and read A Poodle's Tale.   

Kailani of The Pink Diary has yet Another Weekend with the In-Laws.  Visit her blog to read her her exasperating story. 

Bet you thought that pirates were only in the books, you'll be convinced otherwise after reading Tim Abbott's post Salty Dogs at Walking the Berkshires. 

From Pirate speak to Feline chatter... Visit The Zeus Excuse to read The Cat and the Coffee Mug: A Fable as told by the famous blogging feline, Zeus.

Thoughts

At Frugal Wisdom from Wenchypoo's Warehouse, Wenchypoo insightfully discusses the problem with super-sized stuff in My Big Fat Inanimate Object.  

On her blog, Susan Stephenson posts some funny and touching quotes that children have said about their own mothers.  To view the post, you must scroll down the page Tuesday August 22 2006. The post was part of Pass the Torch Tuesday. 

Stephanie, of Adventures in the 100 Acre Wood, recalls the realities of parenthood in "I thought I would Never.."  Don't miss her "call-to-action" and share your own "I thought I would Never..." moments on your own blogs!

At Almost Somewhat Positive, Mert comtemplates what "Love Is..." and comes up with some beautiful answers.

Here at Everything Under the Moon, I flirt with the idea of Letting go of Perfection - Something I have yet to master.

Tips & Advice

On My Search for Meaning, Money, JLDude offers 3 Cool Photoshop Projects for New Dads. You don't have to be a Dad to enjoy these suggestions. 

At Creative Homeschooling, Jennie offers interesting and fun home ideas including a Dining Room Chair Makeover for $21.00.  And, Making a Video Time Capsule of your family.  

Be A Good Dad offers What to Remember When Putting Your Kids to Sleep.  These are great tips for new parents and great reminders for the rest of us.

In her post Limited Time and Budget but Nourished Nonetheless, Joanne offers essential, useful and excellent nutritional information for the busy and budget conscious.  While at Nourished, browse around for more information on nutrion and natural well-ness.

From wellness to the sniffles... Over at Lil Duck Duck, Mama Duck offers 13 Ways to Soothe a Sick Child's Cold.  

This week over at Inventor's Spot, Amused and Bemused has some interesting suggestions on "What You Need to be Cool in College."   While you are there, check out Christian Hoopes article on War of the Off-Brand Sodas.

For all you pet owners, Joe at Help with Everything offers his experience with flea removal products.   Anyone who has ever had a flea infestation knows how terrible it can be.   This is good consumer advice to file away.  

Reviews

Over at Babylune, Kate contemplates the role of fathers in her post Another Look at Dads.  She introduces a book called, "Raising Boys Without Men" by Peggy Drexler. 

Ben of Pocket Change offers his suggestions for the Top Baby Books. 

On Generative Transformation, Brandon Peele records his experience with Gestalt Therapy and getting in touch with his inner child through memories.  

At 5 Minutes for Mom, Janice asks "Need to Spice up Your Play Life?"   She reviews several great sites with ideas to turn a boring play date into something magical.   With winter coming, we can all use a few new tricks.

News

And in the news... Jack Yoest provides a media alert and links for information on the hotly debated subject, Plan B.

Winner

For all the pet owners out there, this week's winner is Mad Kane with A Poodle's Tale.  Congratulations!  Please contact Kailani of the The Pink Diary to claim your prize of chocolates or coffee.

Goodbye 'Till Next Week

Next week's Carnival will be hosted by Mommy the Maid at Ramblings From A Not-So-Typical Stay At Home Mom.  You can submit your articles here.   All submissions must relate to Family Life.   The deadline to submit is Sept 3 at 10pm MST. 

Thanks again for letting me host!   Happy reading, happy blogging!