My boys like to knit too! And sew. They just like to MAKE things, whether it's wood, yarn, etc. I never discourage them from activities that are considered 'girly'...if they like it, they like it. (And homeschooling makes that easier). Now if I could only remember how to cast off......

All of my kids have been different. But basically at 3 yrs old they stopped needing diapers altogether. I never pushed the issue. I noticed ds3's diaper was dry after his naps, so he started wearing underwear all day. Shortly after that, he told me he wanted to wear underwear to bed, and that was the end of diapers. I just made sure he used the bathroom right before bed, and as soon as he woke up.

I think this is a good idea. Or watch them a few times a year, but make your limitations clear. I also think your DH should tell her, or at least be there so that it's clear that it's a joint decision for your family.

I agree. Challenging Word Problems books are wonderful for us.

We love to go to the mountains (more peaceful) or to historical sites.

The Living Math website. http://www.livingmath.net I discovered how to make math FUN and more meaningful for myself and my kids. Her lesson plans for Living Math through History are our next venture.

We've only had fruit flavored chapstick go through the washer/dryer-everything smelled fruity but no stains. Did you try just washing the load again?

Thanks for the link Gailv. Now I'm interested..I read a lot growing up and I can't believe I've never heard of these books or the movie (which I guess we'll skip)

We also all like Boca Burgers. I just heat them in the microwave. (Thanks for all the ideas for us, too!!)

Scary is ok. (And for my boys scary is good!) A friend had recommended them, and I found them in the section of our library which is middle school and up. At 8 yrs old we have to choose carefully from that section. Thanks.

:iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree:

by Susan Cooper. Is the content appropriate for an 8 yr old?

We found ours through our pediatric dentist. She had previously worked for the school district before becoming frustrated at the lack of progress.

That's a great idea! I remember reading a large variety of French texts, books and magazines in school. It was fun, and almost like a reward for all those years of studying.

Wow, congratulations! You are beautiful! You must feel great.

Congratulations! !!!!!!

We don't have any....they're illegal to ride off your own property here, or something like that. I know my kids would love one though!

I think Singapore is a good curriculum to try out. We use it, but we're only up to 4A. We really enjoy Singapore's Challenging Word Problems, and are also going to try the Intensive Practice book in the Fall. We prefer the mastery approach and the less-than-busy pages in the text. We go quickly through some topics and spend a bit moe time on others as needed. So far, I plan on using Singapore's NEM series after the Primary series. Have you looked at http://www.singaporemath.com There is also a forum there where you can ask questions. If you're looking for other fun math ideas take a look at the Living Math website (http://www.livingmath.net) We've discovered many wonderful math readers from her website, and are going to use the Living Math through History this Fall. (And-welcome to the board!!!)

We are using Lively Latin and we love it. I'm learning along with the kids. (We started with Prima Latina but didn't like it.) I'm not familiar with LC1. Could you use it for a few weeks and then decide? Also, Lively Latin Big Book 1 is $55 if you don't buy the hardcopy. I just print the pages out as we need them...and then I can use it with my youngest ds when he's older too.

Just wanted to give you a :thumbup: for stopping the mower. I can't tell you how many times we've had to cross the street on a walk to avoid blowers/mowers/bug sprayers!

We're having to use the 'Divide and Conquer' strategy today!

We have this Alice in Wonderland pop-up book. It's very detailed. http://www.amazon.com/Alices-Adventures-Wonderland-Pop-up-Adaptation/dp/0689847432/ref=pd_bbs_11?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213818581&sr=8-11

I use Singapore as our main curriculum (w/CWP) and use a variety of other resources. (Right now we're trying out MEP, math readers, etc) We basically do 40-90 minutes of math/day. If we have a shorter lesson with Singapore, we do some of the alternatives after. I try to pick lessons/activities that are very different--I'd never do a Singapore lesson on fractions and then follow with another similar lesson on fractions. And we usually do Singapore 4 days/week and something else on the fifth day.

I let my kids assemble their own sandwich. I just put out some sliced lunchmeat and cheese, some lettuce, tomatoes and pickles, whatever they like. Then they use bread, pita, or crackers-whatever I have on hand. For some reason they're more likely to eat it if they made it themselves-even ds3 makes his own. Sometimes I make the individual microwave mac n'cheese, because it's easy and not everyone likes it.

I have some areas next to my house that I want to change...I just don't know what to do yet. I was thinking of your possible new roof and damage to any new plants....I just pulled out the stuff I hated, put down a weed barrier cloth and a thick layer of mulch. Then I bought some large decorative pots and planted some easy flowers in them, and placed on the mulch. I've also given my kids a small patch of our back garden. They keep it weeded and are growing easy things like marigolds, zinnias, cosmos, basil, parsley. They are totally in charge of their area-they really like that. I agree with the other posters about walking around your neighborhoods and seeing what looks nice and seems to thrive in your area. Our neighborhood is fairly new, so I look around some of the older neighborhoods. Good luck! Don't try to tackle it all at once right now.