:grouphug:

I am always surprised at how even though I feel like I have changed (in some ways changed a lot!) over the years, I am always an ISFJ. I took the full test on a high-school science retreat and tested as an ISFJ at 16 years old. Took it again in a college psych class - still ISFJ. Another opportunity to take it as part of a workplace enrichment course - still ISFJ. And out of curiosity, took the mini-quiz linked here and once again, ISFJ. If I look back at my 16 year old self vs my 38 year old self, I feel like I am practically a completely different person. My views on so many things have changed, but I guess my core personality has really stayed the same over all this time. Just interesting to contemplate.

I'm not sure if I would want to live there forever, but I would love to live in Singapore for a few years. I worked there for a couple months and absolutely loved it. Great mass transit, tons of culture, great people. Would love an opportunity to explore it in more depth.

This one? http://www.thephonicspage.org/Phonics%20Lsns/Resources/letter%20sound%20read%20new%202011.pdf You can also find it on ElizabethB's thephonicspage.org phonics lessons. The link is found under "Phonics Lesson 28".

My girls are really favoring the Pentel Energel pens right now. They don't have a ton of colors, but we like the 5 pack that includes pink, purple, orange, green and turquoise. I think the reason they keep going back to those ones is that they write really smooth and work well when writing in cursive (unlike our InkJoy and Flairs).

We also had this problem. Ours was terrible! The sulfur smell was so bad that we couldn't take showers in our attached bathroom in the evening, because you wouldn't want to sleep in the bedroom for hours afterward. We switched the magnesium rod to the aluminum rod and it did nothing. We then tried a crazy expensive mixed metal (can't remember exactly what it was called) that was supposed to be amazing for those on well water and barely noticed any improvement. The next plumber just told us to remove the anode rod completely as "that was what everyone does" but it voids your warranty. We were tempted to forget about the warranty but then we did further research and for those that have the "smell issue" the anode rod is even more important as it essentially sacrifices itself, rather than corroding the hot water heater itself. Since we have a finished basement, we really didn't want to take a chance since one of the likely effects of removing the anode is premature leaking of the hot water heater (as in like within 2 years!). We then, based on another plumbing recommendation, had someone add straight chlorine to our well tube (the one outside). It took DAYS to clear out the chlorine smell with water running nearly around the clock. It did work and we didn't have an issue with the smell coming back for 13 years except for a light odor each year during period of about 2 weeks right after the spring thaw and 1 week when it gets super warm in August (supposedly due to some other components that enter the ground water during those cycles). Fast forward to last year and we had to purchase a new hot water heater. The smell came back and came back with a vengeance. I didn't want to go through the whole chlorine thing in the outside well again, but was willing if need be. We did some more research and some sites were saying peroxide does just as well without the health concerns, etc. Also, wanted to do just the hot water heater if we could, rather than the whole well system. So we had a plumber come and follow the below websites instruction but used 3 - 32oz bottles of 3% peroxide (the standard drugstore kind) in place of the chlorine and we didn't switch out the anode tube this time either. We haven't had the issue return in the year and about 3 months since. The key is step four where it states to pour into the hot water outlet opening, if you do into the other (which would be much easier - but it will not work due to some check valve thingie or something preventing the peroxide from actually dispersing throughout the system according to the guy) and also letting it sit for awhile. I think we let it sit for about 8 hours and then pulled hot water through every faucet so nothing was lingering in system. We did have a plumber come out and do this, as my husband was working a ton of hours at the time, but after watching him do it realize it was something we could easily have done ourselves. I am sure it may be different based on where living and which bacteria is causing issues, but this is what worked for us. Plus the peroxide doesn't void your warranty. So just another possibility to look into! Good luck! We were to a point that we couldn't invite anyone over because the smell was just terrible when someone walked through the door, especially for those that hadn't just grown accustomed to it. Embarrassing! http://www.bradfordwhite.com/hydrogen-sulfide-odor-and-chlorinating-water-heaters-109

Love all of the Peggy Kaye books!

Does anyone have any recommendations for a non-subscription, one time purchase educational computer game - preferably with heavy emphasis on math that allows kids to buy/win accessories for their character, pet or home. My girls loved Always Ice Cream that we had the free trial of over summer but I just can't justify the subscription cost. We also had a subscription to Reading Eggs that they loved decorating the house and collecting pets. They are getting understandably disgruntled that just as they start doing well and creating their homes just the way they like them in a game, the subscription ends and then we don't renew. So, I am hoping to find a game that is just a one-time, lifetime purchase that will allow them to work on their math facts (and any other subjects) and allows for customization of a "world" based on rewards from completion. I am primarily looking for my 8yo dd, but I am sure her 6yo sister will want to play as well. We have an ipad, but am looking for something that can be done on the computer. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I keep checking as well. I was hoping by now we would have seen something besides the " Site is currently being revised for the new school year" statement that has been up for the last few months. Has anyone heard anything?

Does anyone know if there are any free lesson plans (or extension activities) that match up with Liberty Kids episodes similar to ones available for Magic School Bus?

Did you happen to copy a space at the end when copying and pasting? I did that before with another rebate program. The numbers appear 100% correct, but the computer deems the space as a character and it no longer matches up to its authorized rebate code.

Oh my goodness... This is sheer brilliance. Guess I know what I am doing for the rest of my Sunday. I keep trying to use the pre-fab cutlery trays, but always have one or two items as well that are too long/wide. Thank you!!