Wow, thanks, everyone! I must be doing something wrong, because even paused, my kids will drop the mushroom if someone is set on top of them. Or maybe I'm accidentally clicking on them and picking them up--my computer's mouse (it's a laptop pad, actually) is a bit erratic, and might be causing me to do something like that.

30-40 mushrooms at once! Whoa!! Thanks for the tip on their picking the mushroom even if it has technically "disappeared."

The food shortage is ended, I think--they have crops, and they are less than 5k short of Farming 3. They're ALL on research and as soon as they hit 50k, I'm buying Farming 3. Then I guess I have to do something to get them fishing, but I think I can figure it out fairly quick (I cheated a bit, tee hee) and soon they'll have plenty of food, right?

Thanks again SO much. It's so nice to have all the help. The mushrooms really make a big difference!

Heather