What timing! DH told me about a local story two days ago, and yesterday, we took our cubs to the police station and the host officer sternly warned them about not playing with old cell phones unless the battery has been removed. DS, now 8, called my FIL long distance when he was about 2. They had caller i.d. so they knew it was him.

How do you type a long, drawn-out, reluctant "yes" sound? Yees... we do keep books in the car, but we also allow eating and drinking in the car, so after several disastrous mixes of the two recently, I'm trying to cut back on both. I also have the Kindle app on my phone with a bunch of children's classics loaded on it.

Both come in three sizes:We don't have any small Mega Bloks, but I've heard they do. The bricks that come in some K'nex sets fit together with Legos. The middle, 'Duplo' size are compatible. We have both, and you have to look close to even tell them apart. The baby-sized ('Quattro') Legos had a old design and a new. The Megabloks are definitely not compatible with the old. They might be with the new. I haven't had both in the same place at the same time.

My mom used to make what we, regionally, call 'scones' every time she made bread. It was just pieces of risen bread dough stretched out and deep-fried. While it's still warm, you slather it with butter or honey butter. There's even a Utah restaurant chain called "The Sconecutter" based on this kind of "scone." A variant, also regional, but known in several more states, is Navajo Fry Bread, often served as a Navajo Taco. (One of my favorite foods on the planet.) This bread is a baking powder bread, rather than a yeast bread, but the concept is the same.

It's a scam. DH had an alert about it in his data security newsletter. There is a phone version, too. It's usually a well-known bank. I got a call and almost bit because we have had a mortgage through the named bank. I actually pressed '1,' but when it asked me to enter the credit card number, it dawned on me that we'd never had a credit card there. So, I was saved from my own stupidity merely by chance. If we had had a credit card with the named bank, I probably would have entered the number.

I have two sisters-in-law who teach piano lessons. My kids take from one of them and they use Faber. (I'm impressed with it.) My other sister-in-law favors Bastian. Both will teach from almost any piano course if the parent feels strongly about it, but steer students to their favorites if the parent has no preference. It's really about appeal, for both the teacher and the student. I think most modern piano courses have a coordinating theory book. Well, even good old Schaum that I took from 40 years ago had/has a theory book, but most teachers weren't comfortable with teaching theory or something (I wasn't taught theory). Faber has free, online teacher guides: find them along the left here.

If you still have the insert, it may tell you what to do. Otherwise, the pharmacist can tell you. I doubt you are in any danger, other than maybe a headache or dizziness for the next 24 hours. My question would be whether or not to skip tomorrow's dose, or just to stay on schedule.

Have you looked through them on the Gravitas Publications website? (You can see every page.) We are only on Pre-Level 1, and my oldest struggles with writing, so we use the lab book oral, but we use it. There is some additional information in there not directly covered in the text.

The basic core is Primary Mathematics, workbook and textbook. You choose either U.S. edition or Standards edition. (The Standards edition is based on California's math standards.) The most popular "add-ons" are: 1. The Home Instructor Guides (I don't use them. I'm mathy, my kids are mathy, and we haven't needed them.) 2. Either Extra Practice (for struggling to average students) or Intensive Practice (for average to mathy students). 3. Challenging Word Problems The Teacher's Guides were available before the HIGs were written, but are more classroom oriented, so HIGs have mostly replaced them. New Syllabus Math is one of three choices for Junior High/High School Math. The others, I think, aren't as popular, as I don't hear them mentioned. It might be because I don't use the HIG, but I don't find there's much juggling really. On most math days, we read the textbook together until we get to the little box that assigns workbook exercises. Then I hand the workbook to the child with a post-it on the page where he or she should stop. If we use IP or CWP, it's instead of the textbook/workbook for that day.

I'd forgotten this one, but we had another strange grammar conversation today that reminded me: About a year and a half ago, I was driving along somewhere when DS (then still 7) pipes up from the back seat, "Mommy, did you know that 'verb' is a noun?" He really shouldn't say stuff like that while I'm driving. When I have to think that fast, my driving suffers.:D (We did conclude that 'verb' is indeed a noun, as are 'adjective,' 'adverb,' etc.)

Ah, I think I just found the answer on her personal blog (you can get to it by clicking her name on the "H & H" blog), Sept 2 entry: "*Alexis doesn’t consider herself a Mommy Blogger per se, even though other people may define her that way. She does have an actual writing degree from an accredited university...."

The blog has three authors. The plagarized food article was written by Lea and the homeschooling garbage was written by Alexis. She has plenty of issues of her own without being given credit for those of her friends. (I'd be rather frightened if my daughter drew me with my "head popped off.")

We haven't been to Lisbon yet, but we've had very good luck with recommendations from Rick Steves, the guy with the PBS travel show. Some of his hints that have worked out for us are: Pack light Stay hydrated (esp. on the plane -- juice and water are better jet lag fighters than soda) Try not to go to bed until a reasonable local bedtime the first day you arrive Try to sleep on the plane, if you can (I can't, but DH and the kids can) Attitude is everything (it's not a crisis; it's an adventure) Wear a money belt (for your passport, tickets, credit cards, etc.) and keep one days' cash in your pocket (so you don't have to fumble with the money belt every time you make a purchase) Let your bank/credit union/credit card company know you will be using your card there, so they don't block "suspicious" charges We'd add: Check current restrictions for the airport to save yourself time at security Take any meds in their original, labeled pharmacy bottles (DH is diabetic, so he has lots) That first day is best suited for light to moderate physical activities (walking tour, etc.). Jet lag makes you prone to dozing if you sit anywhere, and anything cerebral gets a bit fuzzy! :D

How big is the area? Could you build a bridge over it? (Just the height of a couple 2 X 4's laid flat and something over the top.)

Now that the olders are both reading well, we try to have our basic day include the following, from most important to least: math, handwriting, piano, history, science, grammar, reading, memorizing. On a day when we make it through those subjects, we add in foreign language or art history or cub scout requirements. On a rough day, we try to get at least the first three (math to keep up; handwriting because it's a weak area; piano, because I'm paying for lessons and I don't want them to go to waste.)

Anyone know in what field the blog author earned her Master's Degree?

My mother says, "No." We're all GT, but my baby brother was/is the one who causes that reaction for my parents the most. He's turning 39 in a couple of months! :D

I had a Polish friend named the equivalent of Katherina, not sure what it was. She went by "Kaska" (sounded like "Kashka").

My kids were asked by the teacher to practice 5-6 days a week, for at least 15 minutes. (Approximately the time it takes to get through each assigned song three times, so it's beginning to take my son longer.) Any week they practice less than twice a week, they don't usually make enough progress to pass off their songs and get new ones.

I use a folding crate paired with a luggage cart to haul gear to and from co-op, and I have a milk crate to pair with the cart for cub scouts. Just the other day, it occurred to me it would make the library easier to take a crate there. Up til now, I've been carrying the baby and filling her stroller with books! :D Silly me!

:bigear: bump

Disclaimer: we aren't using level 2 yet, my kids are younger. Dr. Keller is re-writing Chemistry 2. You can sign up to get the draft chapters as they are completed here: http://www.gravitaspublications.com/l2-chem Only the first two chapters have been completed, so far. In the meantime, there is a short errata sheet for the current edition here: http://www.gravitaspublications.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/L2-Errata.pdf

ninja warrior.Dh and ds like that one. I'm a die-hard Amazing Race fan. I'd love to do that show, but probably couldn't get medical clearance.

Except for the outgoing part, he sounds quite a lot like my niece, who is gifted and ADD. She'd do her homework, but forget to turn it in; she had to ask her mom what she needed to pack for a trip they took right after she graduated because she couldn't think through the activities they had planned to pick appropriate clothing, etc. Great kid and she just started college, but she struggles with all things organizational. She got through Jr. High with the help of friends who would check her backpack every day to see if she'd forgotten to turn in anything.

I was in 4th grade when I first heard it.