Do you happen to have membership at an ASTC museum? We usually make sure we buy a membership from one of our three local member museums before we go down to that area because my kids love The Cube, or Discovery Science Center, in Santa Ana. (The La Habra Children's Museum is also a member. It had a younger children feel, but was okay.) My train loving son thought the train at Knott's Berry Farm was way better than the one at Disney, because it's a real, full-size, steam locomotive, and they both liked the stage coach ride, but generally preferred Disney to Knott's Berry. My train lover also likes the Travel Town Train Museum on Zoo Drive (near the Los Angeles Zoo.) If you are heading towards the mountains, you could consider Barstow, where there is another Railroad Museum (yes, okay, our vacations do get a little train oriented) and a connected Route 66 museum. Both are very small, but if you are also doing the ghost town, it's not a bad day trip. The Calico Ghost town just out of town there is super touristy, but the kids think it's great. (The truck stop/McDonald's off the Main Street exit there is in an old railroad station and the McDonald's customer seating is in old train cars.) It's about two hours away on I-15, but if you are heading toward Lake Arrowhead anyway... (We get to So. Cal from I-15 since we come from Utah, and ALWAYS have lunch in Barstow, coming and going.) I'm sure there are tons more things to do, but our trips down there are usually centered around Disney. We just usually have a more leisurely, "what else is there to do" approach to Disney than our friends, spreading our trip out to last a couple of weeks.

Speaking just from personal experience, and not as any kind of expert. Yes, they can reach logic stage early and not necessarily all areas at once. For my kids, math was an area where they grasped the abstract especially early. (I think they were 4 and 6 when I introduced negative numbers on a whim trying to keep them quiet while we waited for our food to arrive. They totally got it and loved playing around with the notion.) On the other hand, the older of the two, now 10, has O.C.D. and prefers his reading material to be at grammar stage level, not for how well he reads (that's still levels ahead of his age), but because logic stage topics sometimes trigger his anxieties.

I had this problem ( just got an s3). make sure when you add it to your phone calendar that it's not going to "my calendar." it should be going to your Gmail address ( mine was going to my calendar by default and my Gmail address was second in the drop down list).

Thanks!

I'm looking for more like this: http://www.mensaforkids.org/school_template.cfm?showPage=school_poetically.cfm I like how it explains the poem and it's structure, defines difficult words, and provides activities to reinforce the memorizing. Anyone know of other sites that are non-subscription that have these sorts of lessons to go with each poem? Thanks

Derail away! I just needed to vent. Mostly better now, at least until the next time. :tongue_smilie: I love hearing that other people's IL's have annoying habits, too.

Thanks for posting! We weren't aware of this series and DD3 has watched several this evening and seems to like it.

There is quite a good possibility that the book is on the Mensa list specifically because it brings up a moral issue on a child's level. Mensa is for the gifted. Gifted children often have an earlier, stronger moral sense than their age peers, but aren't necessarily any more mature. this creates a dilemma for their parents, because showing the child a documentary on poaching, as an example, isn't going to be age appropriate and will cause nightmares, but a gentle children's book will satisfy the gifted child's need for a moral debate.

I'm sorry! My dad used to be like that. DH and I used to commute daily about 40 miles to the city. There is only one main freeway, and my dad was fond of listening to the local talk radio's traffic report. Every time there was an accident, he called to make sure we got home safely. (We don't commute anymore, so it stopped.)

There is something to that, I think. Early on in our marriage, I was usually the one who encouraged DH to attend his family events. Extended family is more important to me than to him, somehow. I just didn't get that, as it wasn't like they didn't get along. You'd think she'd get that I'd rather she talked to him, though, as I've always handed my phone to him when she called (unless he's at work), saying, "He's right here. You can ask him." And when we need to talk to them, I have him call or text. Now, there's an idea! I don't want to change my number, though! I've had it a looong time.... I do sometimes ignore the call and let it go to voice mail, which I then forward to DH.

...call DH directly to ask if he's willing to come to your event. He has access to the same online calendar I do to check availability, and I don't have access to his brain to check the willingness part. Thank you. -------- Can you tell I just got off the phone with her? I do think she's pretty good as far as MIL's go, so I really shouldn't be complaining about the one or two quirks that drive me batty....

Veritaserum looks fantastically put together every time I see her, even for park day. I get "ready" every day, though my style is so uber-casual it may not look it. This is my morning routine: I change from pj's to workout wear, which includes socks and sneakers. I put in my contacts and brush my teeth. I comb and re-braid my hair. When I get back from walking, I comb out my hair again if I'm going to wash it. (I wash my hair every other day.) I shower, then comb and re-braid my hair. (Sometimes a pony tail if I have to leave the house before my hair is dry. I own a hair dryer, but the only time it gets used is when DH wants an extra shiny polish on his boots.) I put on jeans and a comfy shirt. (I don't like synthetics. Probably a mild O.C.D. thing. I also don't like "tight." Definitely a claustrophobic thing. So comfy usually means a men's polo. Sometimes a T; sometimes a collared, buttoned, short sleeve shirt.) For church, or a wedding or a funeral, a skirt and a collared, buttoned shirt or a silk T (I do wear a more fitted, women's shirt for these types of occasions). I don't wear makeup for any occasion. I don't have pierced ears and I don't wear jewelry, not even my wedding ring. (Which is very beautiful. Hand-crafted by DH's grand-father. But still makes me fidgety. DH understands and doesn't wear his either. They are nestled together in a ring box in my dresser, keeping each other company. :laugh: ) I do go for shaving and the use of deodorant, so, you know, I'm not a total slob! I also brush my teeth almost fanatically before I leave the house, even if I haven't eaten anything since the last time I brushed. I live bare foot in the house and keep a pair of Naot's next to the front door, which are my default shoes in all but the wettest, slushiest weather. (Another pair of Naot's with an ankle strap for church, so they don't slap and make extra noise.) Another claustrophobic thing. I tried really hard to make the Naot's work for walking, but they don't offer enough ankle support and I can't get up to a speed that constitutes a work-out.

Cool! I thought he announced a few years back that there would be no more updates. Glad he changed his mind. Just added it to my wishlist!

Interesting. DH is seeing a therapist for his depression, but had a discussion with him recently about his diabetes care. The therapist talked to him a lot about living in the moment, letting things be what they are, and doing what needs to be done based on what they are. For example, DH has had really bad blood sugar numbers, in the 400's. The therapist said he could get really focused on how the numbers are supposed to be 140 or less (focusing on the ideal), that he's a failure at not staying there, etc., but that isn't effective (and depression and other stress actually can mess up your numbers, making a vicious circle.) What has proven effective is just focusing on the now. Take your blood sugar reading. Notice the number. Don't assign value about whether it's good or bad. Make the appropriate insulin adjustment. Negative thinking, I believe (and my interpretation of what the therapist said), is overly focused on the past. Positive thinking is overly focused on the future. In reality, the past is what it is. It doesn't need to influence what we do now. The future can hold hope, but shouldn't hold expectations. Goals have a place as long as they are used to break things down into small steps to take now, but shouldn't include expectation. (It's realistic to say if I want $____ in 10 months, I need to save $____ per month, for instance.)

The thing is, the man in the yellow hat wasn't a bad guy, not by the standards of his era. He's quite typical of the adults from the 1940's. How many guys brought home German lugers as souvenirs from the war? They weren't getting those from the German Army-Navy surplus store. They were taking them off the guys they killed. Everyone back home knew that and very few people had a problem with it. People went big game hunting, just for the heads to put on the wall, and collected arrowheads at the National Parks. No one thought twice about it. When I read Curious George to my children, I used it as an opportunity to discuss that issue. We have to be careful about judging people from other eras (or other cultures) using our standards. We talked about how we would think he was a bad guy if he lived today and did what he did, but that because he lived when people thought and taught differently than now, we can't say that he was bad and be fair. Being a bad guy means choosing to do something you know is wrong. It's come in very handy when we've needed to discuss why my grandma died of COPD, for instance. Was she a bad person because she smoked? (No. She started smoking before they knew just how bad cigarettes were for you and got addicted before they knew addiction could happen. She did eventually quit once she knew, but the damage was done.)

as I recall, Penelope is correct. it was available only because of a publishing delay, and you had to send an email requesting it. the longer sample then came back in an email directly to each person who had requested it.

Yeah, it's the panic thing that makes me wonder if I've crossed the line from introversion to social anxiety. It seems to me that if I were just an introvert, I would just not cross the store and not think that hard about it.

"Emotionally ready," yes, definitely! That's a huge factor, because I can talk to a co-worker at work, because I expect to have to do so. I probably still have knots in my stomach, but I'm braced for it. And the context thing, too. (I once walked into a pole when I saw my across-the-street neighbor fifteen miles away on campus! He just wasn't supposed to be there!)

This is one of those situations where I've just happily been assuming that what goes on in my head is "normal". DH and I somehow got talking about it this morning, and our internal dialogues are so different that I just have to ask, because it could be a male vs. female thing.... (He and I are both introverts, so I assume that's not the difference.) I'm guessing, though, that I have some degree of social anxiety. Imaginary, but realistic, scenario. You are at the grocery store on a normal occasion (dressed normally, with make-up, no huge blemish, etc. :laugh: ) You look across the store and see someone you know. Not your best friend, but someone you get along with and like well-enough. Maybe a co-worker or a neighbor or a fellow homeschooler or something. You know he or she hasn't seen you yet. What is your reaction? What are you likely to do, and what thought process goes along with it? My dad, who is an extrovert extraordinaire, would holler the person's name from across the store and head straight over. DH said he would move across the store so that the other person had a chance to see him, allowing the other person to pretend not to see him if they weren't inclined to talk, but hoping to create a chance to visit for a minute. If they look in his direction and don't look away, he'll say, "Hi." My instinct would be to panic and duck. I would fight the instinct to actually hide or leave (well, now I would -- fifteen years ago was another story), but I would not cross the store. I would continue my shopping, bracing myself to say, "Hi" if we happen to end up on the same row. If we do make contact, I'm fine after, and am usually glad we talked. I have, very rarely, if my kids are with me and know the person, braced myself to do something more like what DH does, but I have to make a very conscious, "I can do this" decision to be able to do so. It's like I can do something for the kids that I can't do for myself. What does the Hive think? Garden variety introversion? Extreme introversion? Social anxiety? Not all that unusual?

Completed: Book #44 - "The Gifts of Imperfection" by Brene Brown. Loving her books. I'm now re-reading "Daring Greatly" (but I won't count it again) and DH is listening to the audio version, so we will be able to discuss it. Book #43 - "I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn't)" by Brene Brown. Book #42 - "Be Still: Using Principles of the Gospel to Lower Anxiety" by G. Sheldon Martin. Book #41 - "Daring Greatly" - by Brene Brown. Book #40 - "The New Testament" - Authorized King James Version (1611). (Inspiration) Book #39 - "Teachings of Presidents of the Church - Lorenzo Snow" Book #38 - "The Red Badge of Courage" by Stephen Crane. (WEM) Book #37 - "Recovering Charles" by Jason F. Wright. Book #36 - "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain. (WEM) Book #35 - "Maphead" by Ken Jennings. Book #34 - "Portrait of a Lady" by Henry James. (WEM) Book #33 - "Earthly Deligihts" by Kerry Greenwood. (Australian author, Australian setting.) Book #32 - "The Year of Learning Dangerously" by Quinn Cummings. Book #31 - "The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #30 - "The Forgotten Affairs of Youth" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #29 - "The Charming Quirks of Others" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #28 - "I am Half-Sice of Shadows" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.) Book #27 - ""Brainiac: Adventures in the Curious, Competitive, Compulsive World of Trivia Buffs" by Ken Jennings. Book #26 - "Because I Said So!: The Truth Behind the Myths, Tales & Warnings Every Generation Passes Down to Its Kids" by Ken Jennings. Book #25 - "A Red Herring Without Mustard" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.) Book #24 - "The Case of the Man Who Died Laughing" by Tarquin Hall. (British author, Indian setting.) Book #23 - "The Lost Art of Gratitude" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #22 - "The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.) Book #21 - "Academic Homeschooling: How to Give Your Child an Amazing Education and Survive" by Tracy Chatters. Book #20 - "The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #19 - "The Return of the Native" by Thomas Hardy. (WEM.) Book #18 - "The Careful Use of Compliments" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #17 - "The Right Attitude to Rain" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #16 - "Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder" by Shamini Flint. (Singaporean author, Malaysian setting.) Book #15 - "Friends, Lovers, Chocolate" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #14 - "Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley. (Canadian author, English setting.) Book #13 - "Portuguese Irregular Verbs" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/]Scottish author, German character, German/Swiss/Italian/Ireland/Indian settings.) Book #12 - "In Cold Pursuit" by Sarah Andrews. (Antarctica setting.) Book #11 - "Anna Karenina" by Leo Nikoleyevich Tolstoy. (Russian; or WEM challenge.) Book #10 - "The Sunday Philosophy Club" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, Scottish setting.) Book #9 - "The Limpopo Academy of Private Detection" by Alexander McCall Smith. (]Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting) Book #8 - "The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting) Book #7 - "The Double Comfort Safari Club" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting) Book #6 - " Tea Time for the Traditionally Built" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting) Book #5 - "Crime and Punishment" by Fydor Dostoevsky. (Russian; or WEM challenge.) Book #4 - "The Miracle of Speedy Motors" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting) Book #3 - "The Good Husband of Zebra Drive" by Alexander McCall Smith. (]Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting) Book #2 - "Blue Shoes and Happiness" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting) Book #1 - "In the Company of Cheerful Ladies" by Alexander McCall Smith. (Zimbabwe born/Scottish author, African setting)

If I can weigh in, though I don't think that was addressed specifically to me.... No, I don't think it's a matter of not wanting it. This is something I've been thinking a lot about, and discussing with a dear friend, because of the juxtaposition between DH and his niece. Somehow DH got lucky. Somewhere in his life, he experienced the possibility of change, and, with help and support (and the right combination of meds), he was able, finally, to tap into that and is now recovering. This did not come from his family of origin. They, DH's family, do not believe people can change. They are really, really stuck in their thinking. I really want to explain that, and have rewritten this several times already, but I can't find a way to do that without being bitter or snarky. Let's just say, the niece can't change because she has been taught repeatedly, though unintentionally, that she can't change. Not one of them were among those able to make connections with DH when he needed it.

OP, be a "move a body" friend. Real connection helps. I hope I can do this. It's still pretty fresh, but at least all of you are "out there" and not here, and won't see me if I start to bawl, again. All the meds and therapists in the world won't make a difference unless the person comes to believe that change is possible. Then, and only then, it is possible to recover. My DH started an anti-depressant one year ago last Friday. A lot of things seemed to get better. He started losing weight because he wasn't self-medicating with food; he dropped other bad, self-medicating habits, etc. Despite all that, because stress happens, and because he'd never addressed what was going on inside his head, four months ago, he had a serious bout of depression. He concluded that the meds weren't helping, that he'd never get better, and that he might as well quit. He quit his anti-depressant and he quit his diabetes meds, blood pressure meds, etc. He assumed that he'd slip into a nice, quiet diabetic coma and that would be it. Well, he's lost weight and his diabetes isn't as bad, so that didn't happen. Instead, he started having convulsions from quitting the anti-depressant cold-turkey and collapsed on our kitchen floor. I called 911, he ended up in the hospital, and they weren't going to release him because that's "passive suicide." (Where, rather than actively trying to kill yourself, you put yourself in harm's way.) Because I had realized something bad was happening and had insisted earlier that same day that he make an appointment with a therapist, they did agree to release him. He was pretty much on suicide watch from the day of release until his appointment four days later. Bless our move-a-body friends, who came over and connected with him! The therapist was a really good match. That's key, because DH did quickly come to believe that change was possible. That had to come from inside DH before it really helped. He is now on a second anti-depressant in addition to the first. He sees his therapist regularly, and has learned to change his self-talk. He is doing really well. We still have bad days, but less and less frequently. In contrast, DH's niece, who was admitted to a psych ward almost the same time, does not believe that change is possible, and she is not recovering. So, the belief that change is possible has to come from the inside. From the outside, the only helpful thing is to truly be present for your friend. No judgement, no conditions. We were surprised at who made these connections for DH. Some of his friends weren't capable of it. Some of the people who connected hadn't previously been more than acquaintances. The key thing was that they were able to ask, "How are you doing?" and really mean it. They were prepared to hear that things were not good, and DH felt it was safe to tell them. They didn't really say anything beyond, "I'm here, man," but they didn't get uncomfortable, and they didn't walk away (literally or figuratively). A couple of people did the same for me to help me cope.

When I was young (college age) and thin and lived in Austria and Germany, I adopted local dress and blended. When my husband and I have traveled back, we haven't particularly tried to blend. (It's a little harder to hide our Americanism now that we are, uh, plumper, and anyway, DH is part Native American.) We do follow local customs and we try to behave and have the attitudes of guests, not tourists. We've tried to describe it like this: tourists tend to look for differences and celebrate sameness, where guests try to look for sameness and celebrate difference. DH's grandma came home from a whirlwind tour of Europe on a tour bus, full of stories of rude people and toilets that weren't "American." We come home talking about how our son has a whole bunch of new "Oma's" and loves his new backpack that's both more comfortable and better built than anything American. Does that make sense? Grandma was overwhelmed by differences and stubbornly believed American is always better. We found friends who were basically the same as us, raising kids, solving similar problems, and found that their solutions to life are sometimes better. Our being American wasn't an obstacle.

When I lived in Austria and Germany, I bought comfortable local shoes. I had a pair a lot like these: http://www.bavarian-...chuhe-damen-c-6 I also had a great pair of basic, black, flat boots that had a similar sole. (Something like this, but without the tassel: http://www.vamos-schuhe.de/index.php?&product=362724&group=231479&id=a174&artnumber=696070&refID=Vamos_DE/shopwahl/Stiefel/Stiefeletten/69607/00X&emsrc=Produktportale) When I've gone back as a tourist, I've worn Naots or Birks. Makes me look like a shop girl, but my feet were comfy.