Yep. And, I wouldn't have had any problem with the teacher advising the child to not use the phrase while in co-op, but that's where it should have ended, imo.

So, a grown woman is deeply offended by an 11 yo child's use of the phrase "what the," and that makes it ok for her to use a blatantly vulgar word in front of the child to "correct" her? Talk about being offensive!

1000 Bulbs looks like a good place to me :)

I believe the co-op teacher was way out of line. It's one thing for her to pull your daughter aside and tell her that particular phrase is not permitted in her class (and I wouldn't take issue with that), but, for her to insist that it means something it obviously does not to your daughter, is ridiculous. As others have expressed here, "what the" is an ambiguous expression. I certainly wouldn't want someone imposing their own interpretation of an ambiguous (and innocent, to many of us) phrase on my children. And, for her to actually use a vulgar (an definitely NOT ambiguous) word in your child's presence pushes it beyond appropriate. I have two older kids, and around here "what the" IS the full expression. Used to express surprise, confusion, or incredulity. Honestly, if the "F" were intended, kids today do not stop at "the." I'm very sorry your daughter experienced something like this. :grouphug:

Haven't read Dracula yet. But, now I really want to read the biography you linked, and have added it to my list. It looks really, really good, albeit sad. (I will never get through my wish list, Stacia, if you keep linking all these compelling books :)) I've always been so fascinated by the ties between Mary Shelley, Percy Shelley, Lord Byron, and some of the other young writers of their time.

I finished Mary Shelley's Frankenstein this week. Like Robin and Stacia, I found it to be different from what I expected. But, of course, I grew up with "The Munsters," and Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein :) (a fun movie, btw!) I was shocked to read Mary Shelley was just 19 years old when she wrote Frankenstein; the broad range of themes covered seem beyond the scope of the average teen----Nature vs. nurture, good vs. evil, blind ambition, rejection, revenge, science and technology being just some of them. While I found the book interesting, I also found it a bit depressing. I did, however, chuckle a bit when reading the monster educated himself by reading Paradise Lost and Plutarch's Lives. TWTM (The Well-Trained Monster?) :D For a complete change of pace, I'm now reading Bella Tuscany: The Sweet Life in Italy, Frances Mayes' follow-up to Under the Tuscan Sun.

Yep. We have no intention of throwing ours out of the nest at the stroke of midnight on their eighteenth birthday (or even afterwards ;))

Lots of good dining recommendations so far! One thing I would add: Don't hesitate to try some of the resort restaurants just because you're not staying onsite. It's very easy to take the monorail to The Contemporary, The Polynesian, or The Grand Floridian from the Magic Kingdom. And, if you're in Epcot, you can walk to the Epcot resorts---The Yacht and Beach Club and The Boardwalk to dine at their restaurants using the back entry/exit of Epcot located just past the United Kingdom pavilion in The World Showcase. One of our favorite new restaurants is The Wave in Disney's Contemporary resort. The focus is on seasonal, fresh, local (when available), healthy (but delicious!) ingredients. The vegetarians as well as the meat-eaters in my family love The Wave. I love the Grilled Tenderloin and the Avocado and Citrus salad there. My vegetarian daughter always orders the Seasonal Vegetable Stew. Another favorite is The Flying Fish at The Boardwalk. My not to be missed dish there is the Potato wrapped snapper. The best burgers and milk shakes, imo, are at Beaches and Cream, located near the pool at Disney's Beach Club Resort. If you enjoy planning ahead, here's a link to menus from all (or at least most :)) WDW restaurants.

Thanks for posting your wonderful news! I'm so relieved and happy for you!

Well, I would have preferred for my son to take piano first, but he wanted to go straight to guitar. So that's what he did. Two and a half years later, he is able to read music as well as guitar tabs, and is acquiring a good bit of music theory thanks to a wonderful instructor. You could ask any prospective instructors how much theory is incorporated in their lessons. For me, it was important to find an instructor who focused on theory.

Oh, you've got to at least look at it! :) I haven't gotten the new catalog (hoping it's in today's mail), but I'm guessing the two new historical dolls are in it--Cecile and Marie-Grace from 1853 New Orleans. They look wonderful and I'm looking forward to reading their stories with my 7 yo.

YES! You know, I had this on my B&N wishlist a couple of months ago, but, I guess it was deleted somehow. I had forgotten all about this book. Thanks for mentioning it again!

I believe I learned about Ishiguro from you in a previous thread, Stacia. I haven't yet read Remains of the Day, but it's on my list. BTW, I've also added Map of Time to my list. Victorian London, historical fiction, steampunk? Sounds like a great read!

I read When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishiguro last week, and have moved on to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which I've never read before.

We are just finishing The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly. Calpurnia has become one of my favorite literary heroines in juvenile fiction. She is endearing, spunky, and intelligent. It's been a great read aloud! Humorous and thought-provoking.

I was just coming back to post how my teen daughter and I loved your home and the segment! We really enjoyed watching.

After re-reading the Harry Potter series (I had just read them for the first time last summer!), I read When We Were Orphans by Kazuo Ishikuro, an oddly compelling story of a man who attempts to discover the truth about the disappearance of his parents when he was a child.

Or, you can order some Strappys!

I LOVE hearing success stories like that. Congratulations to Molly!

How fun! The onion soup sounds yummy. My daughters made Harry's First Birthday Cake:Chocolate Layer Cake from The Unofficial Cookbook. It turned out really well.

Cecile and Marie-Grace, the new historical dolls from American Girl, are now available (along with their books, of course!) on the American Girl site. The dolls have their own special site right now at American Girl. New Orleans 1853 is the setting!

Anytime! I enjoy guitar/music chat. PRS makes some really nice guitars. Glad to hear your son is enjoying his!

I've had both the old and now the new version of TT Algebra 1. The new version's text still has the written lessons, practice problems and problem sets.

I agree with all of this. I love my B&N educator card. I've never encountered a problem, even when using it out of state. I do also have a B&N membership, only because I spend a lot of time (and money) at B&N, and I use the membership card for discounts on magazines, DVDs, and the cafe (no educator discount for these items), as well as for the free shipping without a minimum online purchase.

Eh. Pretty much the only crazy thing here is my teen's hair color(s) ;) And, I'm ok with that.