I don't see why you couldn't use an old mattress pad, especially with so much encouragement to go "green" and recycle these days. Why not? A lot of the quilt batting at the fabric stores is sized to go with a specific-sized quilt. Also, certain quilters may want a heavier batting, some want a lighter batting. It all depends on the quilter. Go with your gut. The placemats are very cute...and would be thrilled to receive some!:001_smile:

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission To Promote Peace One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin The Shack by William P. Young

My son was like this, too, but with beginning math facts. It took him a whole year to get through the first 10 chapters of MathUSee Alpha. I thought he had a major learning disability on top of his ADHD and OCD. I took off the summer and picked up it up again at the start of 2nd grade. It clicked! We did 10 chapters in eight weeks. He's been flying through math ever since. One of my homeschool mentors told me that whenever her children struggled with something (math, cursive handwriting), instead of making it into a big struggle, she would put it aside for a few months. Then she would bring it out again and...BOOM!! They were off and running with the subject. Maybe your son needs some time for his brain to mature in that area. Give him a few months' break and maybe just do review sheets to keep math fresh, but nothing new. Maybe he will be ready for multiplication facts by that time. Hope that helps! :grouphug:

Me? Annabeth Gish. My husband doesn't look like anyone famous, but my friends say he sounds like Arnold Schwartzeneger. :lol:

A nice, dry 86 degrees with a slight breeze. Very nice. But then again, we pay for nice summers in the winter!!:eek:

Our state requires all homeschooled students to take standardized tests every year. Yesterday my ds8 took his annual test and he did very, very well. If he was in a b&m school this fall, he would be entering third grade; the cumulative test showed he is at a fifth grade, fifth month level. So he looks good on paper. I'm not concerned about the reading, vocabulary and spelling portion of the test because I know he does well in that. I am concerned there is no testing of his grammar skills. I think having good grammar and being able to express yourself well in the written word is very very important! However, math is what really bothers me. Math didn't click with him until this past year. He is still on basic addition and subtraction, although he is good at figuring out how to manipulate numbers on his own now. The Peabody scores showed him at a fourth grade, six month level. Now, if I remember correctly, when I was in fourth grade, I was doing multiplication and division. How on earth could he test at that level if he hasn't even learned to multiply and divide? :confused: So these nagging issues make me think the test might not be a good indicator of his skills. Has anybody used the Peabody test and, if so, what did you think of it? I am thinking of switching to the CAT next year, but if there are others out there that you all have used and are good, I'd love to hear your responses. Thanks!

Pasta with chunky peanut butter and parmesan cheese. I can't say anything, though, because I grew up liking French's mustard on Wonderbread.

A lead crystal bowl with silver trim that belonged to my grandmother's grandmother. Considering my grandmother was born in 1893, that bowl is really old! I also have my great-grandfather's mantle clock that the jewler who serviced it said was from the late 1800s. My husband also have a piece of stone from an old Greek temple. I'm not sure where it was from.

I forgot. The American movie Three Men and a Baby was based on the original French movie. I remember seeing the French version and thinking it was funnier than the American one. I'm not sure what the title is (since I don't speak French!)

Own it free and clear. Just like both of our parents owned theirs outright, too.

Hate 'em. Which is why we moved to a rural area with land years ago.

Not strange at all. Mature and healthy. Good for you!

I LOVE the movie "Amelie" - it is very quirky and cute. However, there is a scene in there in a strip clup/sex shop where the shopgirl is putting price tags on, ummmm...."toys". :blushing:

I was diagnosed with Celiac disease recently, so I want to thank you about being thoughtful about what you are bringing! First of all, some grocery stores carry gluten-free products in their health food aisles that make for very tasty deserts. Namaste makes a very good spice cake, The Gluten-Free Pantry and Pamelas brand have very good mixes as well. Obviously, the things to look out for are anything containing wheat, barley or rye..and the jury is still out among doctors whether to keep oats off that list as well. Be on the lookout, also, for maltodextrin and modified food starch. Those normally are from wheat, and can cause a reaction. If you want to stay simple, buy some pure vanilla ice cream like Breyers or Hagan Daaz. A great warm-weather treat and kids love ice cream! Also, you can take some cut fresh strawberries or raspberries and sprinkle that on top. Hope that helps!

I bought Scaredy Cat thinking that it would help my ADHD son learn to read. I saw Joyce Herzog at our homeschool convention, and her system made sense so I bought it. I hadn't done any reading research before that, and it ended up being more of an impulse purchase. First of all, I found it was WAY too busy and convoluted. I'm not sure if they have changed the program, but when I bought it, a kit was $50 and you had to buy four of them to complete the program. My child may have problems paying attention, but he didn't have trouble learning to read. We used SWB's Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading. Simple and idiot-proof. He is eight years old and right now is laying on the floor reading an adult science book about space. HTH's!