The local homeschool group is MACHE (Minnesota Assoc. of Christian Home Educators) and their website is Mache.org We were just in DC last fall or I might consider the swap. However if Jo is really in Hawaii maybe she would go for a swap with us? Today? It is 16 below zero right now :eek:!!LOL

I'm not sure what a "glucose level of 6" means. Normal glucose for cats is very similar to ours 80-120. A stressed out cat could have a glucose in the 300's or 400's but it is transient. I would question your vet to ask if he definitely diagnosed diabetes in your cat or not. The other big reason for a 13yr. old kitty to be drinking a lot is kidney disease. Many middle aged cats have both issues. A chem profile (bloodwork) and a urinalysis would tell you exactly what is going on. He may not have liked the cat chow but you could try the Purina DM as it is a much different formula from the chow and might delay his needing insulin if diabetic.

Here's two I did not see on your list: Facing the Giants Man From Snowy River

My dd was 8 when we had the official sit down talk about birds and bees but it is an ongoing conversation. She learned about menstruation a little earlier than that. We have a very open relationship and I hope it stays that way through adolescence:eek:! Generations of Virtue has some good resources on these things.

Repent, believe, love God, love neighbor.

I second Chai on Cafe Latte, on corner of Grand and Victoria. Kid friendly restaurants around the Cities would include Rainforest Cafe (in Mall of America), Old Spaghetti Factory in Minneapolis, Perkins, Good Earth. If you go to the Mall of America on a weekday it is very doable and there are some interesting shops like Al's Farm Store and Legoland. There is a merry go round for the younger kids. The rollercoaster is too big for your kids but it is fun to watch. They also have a 2 story mini-golf. I also second Chai's suggestion of Como Park and Zoo. There is a free zoo, a conservatory, a lake to walk around. Very busy on summer weekends. A place you might want to consider staying if you don't like hotel chains is at a B&B in Stillwater - there are many there, right on the ST. Croix river. It is on your way to Ashland, about 30 minutes east of downtown St. Paul. Depending on when in June you are arriving, there may be outdoor art festivals going on. Another outdoor tourist attraction in the heart of Minneapolis is Minnehaha Falls, a somewhat large waterfall and park with bike/walking trails where you can rent a four person carriage that you pedal to move! Fun for families. Look on a map, decide where you are staying and I can probably give more specific recommendations if you narrow down which part of the metro area you want to be in. It is a big area.

I would say if two days of ice, elevation, and ibuprofen do not at least improve the situation then go see a doctor. They may want to x-ray it even if they suspect a soft-tissue injury only like a tendon or ligament strain. You can partially tear tendons and ligaments as well.

I would probably go. What is it Yogi Berra said, "Better go to other people's funerals or they won't go to yours". LOL

A Child's Story of America includes all of American History but there is a lot of good short chapters on the Revolutionary War. (McHugh). Haym Solomon, Liberty's Son (Milgrim) included a lot about the occupation of NY and PHilly. And a longer but wonderful historical fiction is Johnny Tremain (Forbes).

I have a dd9 and I am impressed with your dd9 artwork.

Hi Alice, We live in the Twin Cities so where would you like to start? What kind of things does your family like to do, we have it all here :D! We are the land of 13,000 lakes so outdoor water activities are abundant. Tons of public parks and playgrounds. How old are your kids? Museums are abundant here as well, the Children's museum and Science museum are very good and both are in downtown St. Paul. The airport is on the south side of the Cities, in Eagan. The Mall of America and IKEA are right there for shopping buffs. There is also the "Water Park of America" near the airport which is part of a hotel, never been there, but it is brand new. On the way to northwest WI (what town will you be in?) you may be able to go through Taylors Falls (canoeing) or Interstate Park (hiking, beautiful bluffs - not for toddlers:)) June is blackfly season in northern MN and WI so be prepared to be bitten. If you are looking for something specific let me know and I can find things for you. I'll check back after school today to see if you've posted.

Thanks for the wesites! I watched the Instead video and I have now been reeducated in the area of feminine hygiene!:o

My husband is taking Thurs. afternoon off so he can come play hockey with our co-op. We have an hour and a half of indoor ice weekly at a local high school for very cheap. When he is home he gets to do math and science, right up his alley. As an aside, I am drooling over the original post on this thread talking about golf and baseball. It is below zero here this morning. What does grass look and feel like again?:)

I am a vet but I am not an expert on homemade diets for cats. I will just give one caution. Some raw diets can harbor salmonella and E. coli so use judiciously. For diabetic cats in my practice I recommend Purina DM, and maybe that is the one your cat won't eat. But I have actually had many cats come off of insulin after 2 or 3 months on the Purina diet. I am also curious about the "borderline" diabetic diagnosis. Usually one either is or is not a diabetic given the appropriate tests. Occassionally a cat will be stressed and have a high blood glucose but urine is normal and when retested a week later is no longer hyperglycemic. In that case, the cat is not a diabetic, just stressed out, and no need for special diets.

OK, I'm still lost...in the dark ages?...I don't know...What is a diva cup? I've never heard of such a thing. Is there a better alternative to the standard tampons and pads? :confused:

I realize homeschool kids can get lice too. It just seems that the less involved you are in large group settings the less likely you will get it. That's all. Thanks for the recipe, abbeyej, hope it never comes in handy:D!!

I met Sara Lee, the baked goods queen. My mother bought a used Jaguar from her about 14 years ago in Connecticut. Sat with her in the DMV going over the title. Used to see Paul Newman quite often at horse shows when I was a kid. I competed against his daughter, Clea. In evangelical circles, I've met with a few "famous" authors including Don Richardson (Peace Child).:)

OK, now I am really embarrassed to not recognize that it was a tampon:o. You mean Tampax isn't the only thing out there?:D

:eek:!!My best friend just called (two kids in PS) and canceled our playdate this afternoon as she is doing mounds of laundry and spending most of her time combing nits out of dd9 hair. Guess it was going around the class. Her ds7 also got it. Needless to say I went and thoroughly checked all heads in my house as we had seen them very briefly last week! I feel so bad for her.

OK, I am lost, what is "Instead" that comes in a package? Hey, Anne, we have some things in common (I checked out your blog). My husband is also Dan and we are in Minnesota, using Saxon 5/4 (I split it in 2 sessions a day, like half the mixed practice to finish in pm), R&S grammar, SOTW. Are you a broomball player or a veterinarian? If so then things would be really strange:eek:!

Our IEW class recommends the Synonym Finder by Rodale. I found one at Half Price books for $7.

I agree with you and it was not your post that I was referring to when I said I was personally attacked, for the record.:) Are we cool?:cool:

This is a great site for those of us who are agriculturally challenged.

Cool website. We have a big dogsled race in Minnesota, the Beargrease, which I believe ran a couple of weeks ago. I volunteered one year to bring dogs up to the start line. It required eight humans to hold back eight dogs as we, or rather they, brought the team up to the line! Lots of power in those paws!

I'm a tad bit confused. I made a comment about one of the candidates on a previous thread (that was closed two posts after mine) and was personally attacked by one of the posts. One of the posts alluded to the "rule" of not talking politics. So I went and read the board rules, again, and found there is no such rule and this thread confirms it!:) So does this mean I CAN give my opinion about public figures running for president? :confused: If so then my hope is renewed that we do live in a free country. :D I would caution ALL of us though, and I haven't seen it yet on this thread, to NOT attack eachother over our political choices. I like Huckabee, as a person, I agree with a lot of what Ron Paul has to say, not everything and I would never vote for Obama due to his radically left ideas (voted most liberal senator) and lack of experience. I would challenge any one to name three things either Obama or Clinton have done to improve life in this country while in the Senate. I wish there was the perfect candidate but alas there is not.:(