A nut? :D Hmmm, seriously... probably a nut (maybe a hazelnut or a pine nut), lol. Or coffee.

That's what I was just going to suggest, lol! Pippi is so fun. Also, I agree w/ non-fiction being a good option too. Many picture books also have higher levels of text, so don't discount good picture books. I'm thinking of various Cinderella tales from around the world, Robert San Souci books, etc.... If she likes unicorns, she would probably love the Unicorn's Secret series by Kathleen Duey. I know the Am. Girl historical character books have already been mentioned, but I'll also recommend them. My dd loved them & read them over & over. She also really loved the Welcome to _____'s World books from the Am. Girl historical series. Time Cat by Lloyd Alexander is good too.

What about creating an idea jar for her? Maybe the 2 of you could walk through each room together & create a list of ideas of things to do, from cleaning to crafty/fun stuff. Then, type up a list, cut the items apart & put them in a jar. When she can't figure out what to do, she can go pick an item out of the jar. Have a 2nd jar that she can put completed items in -- once she finishes everything in one jar, she can just start over again w/ the other jar. Ideas: - Any cleaning item (wiping cabinets, making beds, emptying trash cans, vacuuming, unloading or loading dishwasher, cleaning pet food bowls, folding or putting away laundry, etc...) - Any outdoor items that would be appropriate (wash front door, sweep porch & front walk, pulling weeds, picking up sticks/pine cones, playing w/ dog, etc...) - Cooking specific items (cutting/prepping veggies, organizing pantry or fridge, helping prep lunch or dinner, etc...) - Write a letter to a friend or relative - Do a page in a puzzle or activity book - Read a chapter in a book or an article in a magazine she likes - Any of the craft/activity items already mentioned - Any gardening/plant related items - PE type activities (trying to do a specific # of sit-ups, or push-ups, or so many jumping jacks, etc...) Also, is there a local charity or group that she could help -- maybe something like helping to assemble mailing materials (something you guys could pick up the materials, she could work on them for a few days or week, then you return them). Or, something like that for your church/Sunday school or senior center? I don't know what type of work they might have that could be done at home, but there may be something.

Just finished People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. Very well-written & fascinating, though some of the 'historical' sections were harrowing to read. If you like historical fiction, I would definitely recommend it. Product Description (from amazon): "From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of March, the journey of a rare illuminated manuscript through centuries of exile and war In 1996, Hanna Heath, an Australian rare-book expert, is offered the job of a lifetime: analysis and conservation of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, which has been rescued from Serb shelling during the Bosnian war. Priceless and beautiful, the book is one of the earliest Jewish volumes ever to be illuminated with images. When Hanna, a caustic loner with a passion for her work, discovers a series of tiny artifacts in its ancient binding—an insect wing fragment, wine stains, salt crystals, a white hair—she begins to unlock the book’s mysteries. The reader is ushered into an exquisitely detailed and atmospheric past, tracing the book’s journey from its salvation back to its creation. In Bosnia during World War II, a Muslim risks his life to protect it from the Nazis. In the hedonistic salons of fin-de-siècle Vienna, the book becomes a pawn in the struggle against the city’s rising anti-Semitism. In inquisition-era Venice, a Catholic priest saves it from burning. In Barcelona in 1492, the scribe who wrote the text sees his family destroyed by the agonies of enforced exile. And in Seville in 1480, the reason for the Haggadah’s extraordinary illuminations is finally disclosed. Hanna’s investigation unexpectedly plunges her into the intrigues of fine art forgers and ultra-nationalist fanatics. Her experiences will test her belief in herself and the man she has come to love. Inspired by a true story, People of the Book is at once a novel of sweeping historical grandeur and intimate emotional intensity, an ambitious, electrifying work by an acclaimed and beloved author." Don't know what I'm planning to read next, but I think I want something mindless & funny.

Thanks for updating us. I've been thinking about your mom. Hope she recovers quickly. Sounds like she's feeling good enough to have some spunk (and being able to make such a long flight).

I'm trying to think of things we've gotten for our nephew... A small backpack style bag for holding his Nintendo DS & games (prior to that, he just carried it around w/ the games in a ziplock; I never would have guessed that he would have loved it so much, but he does & has used for a few years now). The Dangerous Book for Boys -- nephew loved this book. Maybe get a few 'supplies' to go along w/ it. One time we took him to eat at a Fuddrucker's that is connected to a video game arcade. So, he got dinner & then a preset amount ($20 or $25) to spend playing games. Comic book subscriptions (he likes Shonen Jump & Sonic the Hedgehog). Something that could also be fun -- a nerf dart gun set. These are the ones that have the velcro or suction cup tips. There are a huge variety of sets, some of them for 2 players.

Ooohhhh. I'm so glad it's worth seeing. We really want to see it too.

My sister has a Toyota RAV4, but hers is from a few years ago (maybe 4 years or so). I don't know what design differences or changes there may be because of that. Whenever I drive it, I love it. She loves her car. And, it's amazing the amount of stuff she can fit in it (she is an event/wedding coordinator, so she's often hauling lots of big or odd-shaped pieces). Prior to getting her Toyota, she was one of those "Honda" people. ;) LOL. But, even though she was a huge fan of Hondas, she has absolutely loved her Toyota. Hey, please let us know if you find any good deals. We've also been pondering trading in our van for something smaller & I was thinking of a RAV since my sister's is so great.

I almost fell off my chair at that one! :D LOVE that answer!

:grouphug: Hope she continues to improve quickly. Let us know how she's doing & if she does indeed get to fly back home on Sunday.

:iagree: Sending some good vibes your way. I'm sure I'll think of you every time I drive by one of their locations in the next week! :001_smile: Good luck & don't sweat it -- I'm sure you'll do great during the interview.

Dd has said she wants to be a horse-trainer (or something working w/ horses like running her own stable & teaching lessons). Ds varies a bit, but it usually runs in the 'designing' category -- Lego designer, chess piece designer, computer game designer, chef (which I consider a designer of sorts...). When he was in the Lego designer phase, he even said that he would probably have to move to Denmark and was assuming the rest of us would move there along w/ him. He seemed rather put out when his sister said she wasn't planning on moving there (because she wants to go to KY -- horse country, of course). LOL.

Maybe the marketing department for Pepto Bismol? :D

Well, I don't think we've found the perfect one yet. I want something that is easy for the non-science type teacher (me) w/ all materials that you need with it. (If I have to hunt down & find a bunch of assorted stuff, it will never get done.) I'd like something rigorous (could be text or hands-on -- whichever is better suited to the study), but explained very well & clearly for the student; I guess I'm really looking for clear semantics, kwim? I want something engaging for my students, so that it helps spark a love of science & inquiry in them (not something that I feel like I'm personally doing as I'm not a 'science' person). I haven't found it yet. I'm floundering with things. I want it to improve. I'm going to try SL science for the upcoming year. We've tried Noeo, Exploration Education, various & assorted things I've pulled together on my own, Evan-Moor workbooks, etc.... And, I've decided that if I have to keep dreaming about it, I'm going to dream big: I want a science teacher included in the box too. ;)

:iagree: Ah, yes, those are some great resources too! Love both of those books! :001_smile:

:iagree: :D I was just going to post something similar -- I'm not a FL dropout, as I'm on the list & get all the emails. I'm just really skilled at ignoring all the suggestions. ;) So, can I still join the club? I need some motivation to tackle things around here. The playroom & my office are the first two items on my hit list.

What about a Mike Venezia book on each of these artists? Most libraries carry his books, so you could check them out & see if you like them. I'm almost certain he has books on all 4 of those artists. I'd say that the Mike Venezia books are good for early -mid elementary level. If you need something at a higher level, you may want to see if the "Artists in Their Time" series has books on the particular artists you want. Both Amazon & Rainbow Resource carry these book series.

You've gotten a lot of great suggestions already, which pretty much covered what I was going to suggest. Sometimes, depending on the vacation & the location, one day to just veg is great. (It always seems so luxurious to order room service breakfast, imo. Then, maybe hang out at the pool, doing a whole lot of nothing for the day.) Something else that might be fun would be something like a helicopter tour or hot air balloon ride or something along those lines -- something totally different that you're not likely to do at home, lol.

We have a few of the books & use them once in awhile for creating a drawing related to our history studies. My dc enjoyed them & made some lovely drawings. You can see a sample lesson of how they show drawing here. This is pretty indicative of the level & style of the whole program, imo. I would guess that at age 10, esp if you dd has some drawing experience, this would be too elementary (and the writing portion of it would be too). It would be more of a fun, on-the-side kind of activity -- that's just my opinion based on what you've mentioned. And, often you can find similar style step-by-step drawing books at the library. So, I guess to sum up my opinion, a couple of these books might be a fun activity/drawing book to have on hand (or just get similar type books from the library), but I'd look for a different drawing program if she's really looking to increase her (already-existent) drawing skills. Have you looked at Drawing with Children? I have this, but we haven't started using it yet. It's more teacher intensive than the Draw Write Now books, but there are free lesson plans (from Paula's Archives).

:iagree: I've never lived out there, but dh & I have have visited quite a few times (when he's been on business trips). We love it there & have spent quite a bit of time driving around all the different areas, dreaming about moving there, we even have done a little bit of house-hunting, etc.... There are many lovely areas, I love the 'vibe' of the area (happy, relaxed, smart). You have the water & the mountains (and unbeatable combo, imo). I love it for the trees (I would miss tress if I ever had to move to an area where there are not trees), the humidity (I'm from the southeastern US & dry climates are really hard on me), and the proximity of both the mountains & the water. My dh relishes the weather. I could adjust just fine, even though I'm used to hotter climates. Our dc would probably flourish in that climate, as they're both more like dh & less able to stand the heat where we live. The biggest factor for us is cost (home pricing, mainly, though overall prices seem higher out there than here -- 'here' being the southeastern US). But, it's definitely our dream to get out there. We actually talk about it fairly often. So, no practical advice, but I think you wouldn't be disappointed there. The few people I've ever known who have lived there love it, and it's really just a wonderful area. Can you guys manage to take a trip out there? I bet you'd fall in love with it! :001_smile:

You could further expand your study: Bumper Stickers Indicate Road Rage ;)

It is neutral; nothing offensive. (We've used levels 3 & 4.)

Oh, please remember to report back after you've had more time to look through & form an opinion! I would love to hear more about this program. :D Thanks!

No need to start at the beginning (we didn't). Just jump right into their first cursive book (starts at a '3rd grade level'). http://shopping.hwtears.com/category/cursive Everything is explained very clearly. Even though I bought the teacher manual, I very rarely used it because the student book explains everything well enough (imo).