Mine shows how spelling/Latin/whatever subject they're doing together devolves into a brawl. http://chaosandwine.com/2014/09/10/wordless-wednesday-starting-the-fight/

Many people were told via text this time around, due to their craptastic responses in the past. I let DH tell his family at some point toward the middle of the 2nd trimester and I wasn't on the phone, so that way I didn't lose my temper. Some people found out the last few times when it became obvious in pictures on FB.

But if they do bring you down to dip your feet in the water, do NOT lift your legs up avoid it! You'll just end up with a reeeeeeally uncomfortable wedgie. Hypothetically speaking, of course. :leaving:

ILs live about 16 hours away, we see them maybe once every few years. The last time we saw them was in 2011, they've seen DS2 once and have never seen DS3. My parents live on the other side of the country, we see them about twice a year.

This is the kind we get too. We'll get Tidy Cat if we aren't going to Costco, but prefer this kind.

I would all and ask, if you have that option available with your doctor or local ER. If it didn't bleed much and is a deep puncture, then if it were me I would be heading in for a tetanus immune globulin shot.

I've used this on the top of my stove before after a cooking attempt gone horribly wrong (lots of spills + gas stove = disgusted flambeed mess), just made sure to use fume-free, avoid the fumes anyway and use gloves.

DH got me one for Christmas last year, at my request. He ordered everything off Amazon but then after a week or two realized that he wasn't going to have the time to install it himself (as he originally planned) and ended up having it installed at Car Toys. I'm so glad I have it!

My older 3 kids (6, 8, and just turned 10) are still in boosters. My 10 year old DS1 tried the 5 point test that Matryoshka linked a couple months ago and is not ready yet, at least not in the captain's chair in the van. (Possibly in the 3rd row, but he doesn't sit back there.) He's in a backless booster and the girls are both in high-backed boosters. On short trips in DH's car my 8 year old DD1 will ride in the extra backless booster. Luckily none of them feel any pressure (from friends, etc., because all their friends are still in harnessed seats or boosters also) to move out of their seats. Just this morning DS1 was explaining to the other kids in the car that DS3 (19 months, rear-facing) was the safest in the car. I think I love you. :D

I need some accountability too! I'm interested.

I've flavored it with raspberry in the past, but I'm looking for something else to try now. I've had some storebought with mango that was good, so I may try that.

DS1 liked GWG but had no retention. We did FLL for a bit and then switched to Junior Analytical Grammar.

No, under the sink is already full plus we need a larger trash can than would fit. I hate having it out, but it's the best option we have right now.

Do you uncover the entire word at a time?

The public schools here start after Labor Day. DS1's birthday is that week, so we usually start back after his birthday. We do some subjects (occasionally, less than intended) over the summer so for the most part we never really fully stopped. September 1st is when they switch to their new grade, though it doesn't affect their curricula as we just switch whenever we're through with one. This year we started at the beginning of August. With music camp coming up, family visiting for a week, and then a baby break around late Dec or early Jan, I wanted to not feel like we were behind. (I know, I know, we can't really be behind, but it's just some feeling that I get and I hate it.) Building up a buffer for life events.

It's chaos here too. I'm purging as much as I can, but honestly I dread gift-giving events because I know that always means another influx of stuff. I'm so tired of card games and stickers. Yes! I mean, seriously! What do you mean you LOST your toothbrush? When?! You've been using your brother's? Gahhhhh.

SOTW audio is a big hit here. Whenever we're in the car the kids usually ask to listen to a chapter, they love listening to it in the car but didn't care for listening to it at home. I'll supplement with some library books. For spelling, we switched from AAS to something that wasn't quite as involved. I'll do spelling with DS1 (10) and DD1 (8) at the same time, they're just at different levels in Sequential Spelling.

I'm not using it. I went to a neighboring county that has a much larger library system, got a library card there since they have a reciprocal agreement with our small county one, and enjoy their larger selection of e-books.

I sell on Etsy and I've happily done custom orders in the past. I say it's fine to ask, just be understanding if the seller is closed to customs.

We're finishing up FLL here (we weren't consistently doing it last year) and have Junior AG on the shelf to use next.

Yes, definitely check with your carrier. With ours we can turn off data and text when we log into our account, which we've done with the new iPhone we got to be our house phone. (The number was recently recycled, so I've had enough of the spam texts. :glare: )

Since I can't like it, add another "this" from me. I liked the friendship that Donna & 10 had. I think Clara has overstayed her welcome, she wasn't interesting enough.

I would also stay put for the year. Yes, you're going to have less money, but traveling for a year or moving temporarily is just going to add to that. Maybe plan a few trips out, either to visit family or to places you'd like to visit with the kids, but I wouldn't leave my home, I would want to have that home base to return to. I traveled last summer for a month with the kids to visit family on the other coast (DH couldn't come) and was very glad to get back to my own home. Having 4 young kids by yourself can be stressful, but for me it was even moreso when I was staying with family. I felt like I was always "on", so to speak, there was never any downtime where the kids were just playing in their rooms or I could just hang out by myself in the living room after bedtime. Then again, my DH just retired from the military 2 years ago, so he has been gone for long periods of time for most of our marriage. So I'm coming from that viewpoint.

I have it to use with my 5th grader but I'm not using it with my 3rd grader, definitely not with my 1st grader.

Our basement family room is also our theatre room. We have a ceiling mounted projector and screen paint on the forward wall, that we will finish painting around the edges of at some point. There are two narrow windows on the side that have dark blinds, and a sliding glass door in the back. Seating is our biggest issue right now, we have 5 (soon to be 6) kids and a sectional sofa. The house was built in the 70s so there is the original dark wood paneling down there which looks horrible but we'll redo the walls at some point. We have surround sound installed and we can really rattle the house when we get a movie on, unfortunately the bedrooms are right above the family room. It could look really nice down there if we put some money into it but the budget doesn't allow that right now, besides we've been too busy enjoying it as it is. :) We also have the Wii and PS3 hooked up to the projector.