:iagree: My DS is now getting past the negative number obsession and like the OP's child, he was setting up his mental math formula very similarly. Now he does a quick re-group in his head that from what he's said aloud to me looks like this: 62-38 12-8 = 4 50 - 30 = 20 answer is 24 Basically he'll take the tens place over to his subtraction in his head, leaving the rest in the tens place to subtract that after subtracting the ones. So far he can do it to the thousands place pretty well (shocks me), his latest was yesterday....2367-1658, which he orally did as: 17-8 = 9 50-50 = 0 1300-600 = 700 1000-1000 = 0 answer = 709 On paper he does the standard steps to figure out the answer - he only does this mental gymnastics approach in his head.

I totally forgot about that one! We went on vacation and were staying in a cute little cabin, DS was 18 months old and we'd started some potty training, but nothing intense. Anyway, we walked in - he walked around, inspected the bathroom and declared he liked the bathroom and was going to go....he proceeded to and then came out, took off his pull-ups and wanted to know where his underwear was - said he was a big boy now, he needed underwear, not diapers! LOL - they were pull-ups, but in his mind they were diapers.....so that first day of vacation, we headed out to buy big-boy underwear for him.....he never looked back and since then, he's just used the toilet and stayed dry overnight. Interestingly, baby-DS has had dry overnight diapers now for about two months - I was a little freaked out by that since older DS did not have dry diapers overnight that early. Doc said some kids just have really good bladder control early - if he's doing everything normal during the day, not to worry. Now I have to wonder if he'll potty train early too!

:iagree:

Amazing control of his neck from birth, rolling over at 2 months, sitting unassisted around 4 months, able to go from tummy to sitting on own about 5 months - he then skipped crawling and started walking around 8 months. Mastery of pincer grasp around 5 months...I had no clue how significant this milestone was at the time. This led to use of tools to take apart his toys well before age 2, probably around 18 months or so. Oh the joy! Arranging toys by color, size and other features before age 1, using blocks to build and do math concepts around the same age, explaining the math he was doing along the way by age 2....ie, "Mommy if I take four blocks and put three more on the stack, I have seven blocks stacked because four and three is seven!" Talking in complete sentences before age 1 with good articulation with well over 100 words in use. Well over 300 words in use, correctly, before age 2 (I stopped adding to the list when it hit 300 words and he wasn't yet 2). Very intent focus, very early, when read to or others were talking around him, would track back and forth in conversations, watching one person then the other as the conversation progressed - it is only in hindsight I now understand he was soaking it all in and understanding way more than we knew. Older members of our family would remark about his focus and seeming to know as an infant - we had no comparison to 'get' he was way ahead of some things. Along with taking apart his toys at an early age with tools, he also would remove all the tires off his cars and then line them up according to size, create patterns out of them, and use them to create new things that needed wheels. Our second, now six months old, is also using his pincer grasp routinely and well for very small items, has been sitting unassisted for well over a month, is crawling already and can pull himself up to standing. Maybe our babies are just physically ahead? I dunno? Like our first, he's also very intently focused, tracks back and forth when people are speaking, will play with a toy that has his attention for way more than I'd expect an infant to remain engaged, and has started playing with toys I have out, but didn't think we'd be really playing with yet, like blocks....which he's stacking at this point, then knocking down to stack again.

:iagree: I was going to say something similar - he's six, he's ahead and he enjoys math for the most part - right now, not so much, but in the past he loves it and likes doing the work. Perhaps lightening the load a bit might help some? Rather than do five days a week, can you modify your schedule to three days of math and then two doing something math related, but not "math" per se? Maybe one day is for math-based games and the other for math-based inquiry or reading stories about math concepts you're covering in the lessons that week? Maybe one day to make a project that visually creates a representation of the math concepts you're working on and another day for math games? Maybe one day for him to come up with something creative that's math-based and his own imagination and the other day for a game or story that's math related? Mix it up maybe?

You're not alone....I'm about half way done with Christmas shopping and hope to be done before November (other than a few things I'll likely wait on until Black Friday and then get those things online since I don't do the stores anymore on BF since most things can be purchased for BF online).

I don't have a comparison between having babies younger and older - both of mine were after 35....first DS I was 37 when I got pregnant and 38 when I delivered, second I was 44 throughout the pregnancy, turned 45 a few months after he was born. I wouldn't say I was exceptionally tired during either pregnancy - I was blessed with uncomplicated pregnancies both times - only in the last month or so was I tired, but I think that's expected? I can only imagine the pregnancies would have been different if I were younger, but who knows?

Totally not true. A child's SS# is not required for medical services - an adult responsible party is needed for payment of anything not covered by insurance (or if there is no insurance), and even then, if payment is made at time of service, even the adult does not need to provide a social security number. And when there is insurance, the adult party does not have to provide a SS# - the practice simply verifies insurance with a phone call and photo ID to verify the adult is the person on the insurance card. The only thing a child's SS# is required for is your tax filing if you claim them as a dependent on your taxes.

I have a reading list of books we'll do throughout the year - about half are just stories to read at some point, the other half is tied directly to what we're doing in our lessons throughout the year. We also wind up doing more books than are on the list I make with our trips to the library, bookstores and/or my seeing something online that I buy and add to the list as the year progresses.

I remember the gathering at our house more than the actual event - but that memory is of the first walk on the moon, I'd just turned three a couple of months before that. All the adults gathered at our house were very excited about it and glued to the television. I vividly remember the re-election of Nixon, mostly because in elementary school we were all chanting a variety of political slogans as we learned about the process electing the President. So I'd say that is the first real memory of a national headline since the walk on the moon is more a memory of the event gathering than the event itself.

DS is soon to be 7 and when I looked at AAS 1, I too thought, wow, this is going to bore him to death because it's easy. First lesson the program actually identified some sounds I didn't realize DS didn't know! The next couple of lessons we breezed through, reviewing the sounds from lesson one as we're supposed to....and continued along, moving fairly quickly - DS is a "do" kid, so he is enjoying the tiles on the white board approach and finds the program fun. We'll likely wrap up level 1 sometime before September at the pace we're going and then move onto level 2 - we started level 1 on July 1st and DS is an emerging reader. What I really like about the program is you move at the pace you need to move - if you need to slow down, you slow down...if you can cover a couple of lessons in a day, and pace more quickly, you do. That said, it looks like you have a nine year old too - I'm not sure how a nine year old will like or dislike the program starting at level 1?

Language Arts FLL WWE AAS Horizons Phonics 2 Handwriting Lots of Reading Math SM 3A/3B History SOTW 2 HS Days at History Museum Social Studies World Geography US States State of MO Science CPO Earth Science HS Days at Science Center Foreign Language French (still TBD for program) Music Piano Lessons Music Appreciation Activities Art Meet the Masters Religion CCD Activities Swim Team Jujitsu Cub Scouts

We opted for the 3G on the iPad so that when we're traveling, if we don't have a WiFi connection, we can order the 3G on an as needed basis. So far, since December, when I got the iPad for Christmas, we've used it twice (so paid for two months of service) - and I was glad we had the option.

For distance use 'feet', for size use 'foot or feet' based on grammatical structure Distance: That yacht is forty feet long. Size: That is a forty foot yacht.

One 12" measure = a foot More than one 12" measure, like five = feet But... Context of the entire sentence structure matters. Case in point - about a yacht for example: "That is a forty foot yacht" is correct, not "that is a forty feet yacht." Just as "That yacht is forty feet in length" is correct, not "that yacht is forty foot in length."

Jeff Volek and Cassandra Forsythe have also published data that includes exercise and endurance in the mix with low-carb diets. They're both out of UConn.

Steve Phinney has done some incredible research with endurance athletes - both lean and overweight. His data supports the idea that adaption to a low-carb diet takes a few weeks for those engaging in athletics at levels seen in cyclists and runners. Some critical points to keep in mind - one can and will adapt to a low-carb diet if they truly get to a level which induces ketosis as a means to tap into body fat stores regularly for energy. Whether doing any exercise or not, that means no more than 60g a day for at least a month to keto-adapt and burn fat. Adaption to burning fat preferentially takes a few weeks and can be miserable and make you tired. It's one of those, just do it things because once you adapt, odds are statistically in your favor you'll feel you have more energy than before you got through the adaption period. While oatmeal, breads, etc. *can* be part of a low-carb diet long-term - as part of your maintenance strategy - it is best to eliminate the foods that drive blood sugars up, and keep insulin up concurrently. As above - the threshold for ketosis utilization in most folks is less than 60g a day....the vast majority of which should be non-starchy vegetables - one can't get fat eating lots of salads (even with full-fat dressing), broccoli, etc. Make sure you're eating adequate protein for your current body weight - essential amino acid requirements are based on your body weight, not some arbitrary chart saying 5-oz a day. A good rule of thumb when low-carbing to allow for EAA needs is for every 20-pounds of body weight, eat 1.5-ounces of protein (meat, cheese, chicken, etc.) - so if you're 180, that's a target of about 14-ounces a day....sounds like a lot until you realize it's really only about 91g of protein (average protein sources runs around 6.5g per ounce), which is about the 0.8g/kg recommended to meet EAA needs. Carbs are not necessarily *evil* - but restricting them to lose the weight works if you really do restrict them and then slowly re-introduce them back into your diet slowly. Based on Phinney's research, you also want to make sure you're getting in enough sodium each day - especially at the start of a low-carb diet....and plenty of potassium.

I'm a native NY'er, so it's mayo...or a schmear....any deli in NY, they know what a schmear is --- in the am with a bagel, a schmear is cream cheese....any other time, with a sandwich, it's mayo. If you want mustard, you have to say mustard. No one in MO seems to know though, so you have to say mayonnaise - though 'mayo' they get, but that too often means miracle whip, not real mayonnaise, so you have to define which you really want! Odd thing here is margarine is also called butter.....ugh.....no butter, is butter....margarine is margarine, don't give me margarine when I asked for butter!

That comes with time - there are so many "flavors" of what is low-carb....really, it comes down to what you like, what you'll be able to stick with long term and what tastes good to you. You're the one eating it - be it regular higher fat bacon or lower fat turkey bacon....both are okay on low-carb.

The organic, VAT pasturized, non-homogenized milk I buy is $3.79 a half gallon, so $7.58 a gallon.

Either is fine - regular pork bacon or turkey - whichever you prefer for taste.

Oh yeah - bag to the hospital with DS...total waste - didn't use what I'd packed and I'd packed way, way too much stuff. With baby-DS, I was more picky about what I packed.....baby outfit to go home, winter bunting since it was darn cold and he'd need it in the car.....for me, a pair of socks with rubber thingies on the bottom for walking around on slick floors and keeping my feet warm in bed, my iPad and iPad/iPhone charger, my iPad and iPhone....toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, ponytail holder (because, let's face it, I wasn't going to do much more than pull my hair back anyway)....and my own robe since the whole hospital gown on right then one on backward thing looks cheesy. The outfit I went to the hospital in was the one I wore home....worked just fine since I'd just put it on to go to the hospital, arrived and had to change out of it anyway. Oh, I did pack a pair of clean underwear for going home and a nursing bra. I knew the food would suck, so packed a couple of snacks and bottles of water (chlorine taste in hospital water is strong) and some iced tea "sticks" of drink mix to make the water into iced tea....knew they'd not give me any vitamins to supplement the crappy food, so I packed my multi and some b-complex and D (doc was fully apprised I was taking my vitamins and okay with me doing it) and my one 'medical food' prescription I take so as not to be charged ridiculous $ for it to be dispensed by the nurse (seriously - one tablet costs me $2....it is were dispensed on my chart, it'd be $25) that doc knew I was taking (he prescribed it) so he didn't add it to my chart of meds to dispense, but knew I was taking my supply. (helps that doc is a friend too). I did bring 3 of my own pillows - with colored pillow cases to be sure they didn't get mixed into the hospital supply of cases - because hospital pillows stink - plastic covered and thin....DH was in charge of those when we were heading in for the delivery. We had the car seat and base into DH's car about a month before I was due so he'd not have to worry about it if I went in early or have to remember it when I was released after having baby...it was just there.

With DS (almost 7) we waited and then it was the mad rush to get everything done in the month before he was due. We used hindsight for baby-DS who arrived in January though - here are the things we realized in looking back: 1. We didn't need a high chair right away - not for at least six months....so with baby-DS we didn't bother with one until recently, and it's still to have him sitting with us than to use for feeding him. 2. For us, a nursery was a total waste of space with DS. Until DS was ten months old, he was in the bedroom with us anyway, co-sleeping and nursing on demand. Then he started sleeping all the way through the night, so we moved him to his crib in the nursery (room across the hall from our bedroom) and he made it through the night without nursing - so that worked out well since he didn't need to nurse at night, so that's when we started to actually use the nursery. With baby-DS, we just didn't set up a nursery - just the crib in our bedroom, which still is really just holding stuff since baby-DS co-sleeps with me still to nurse on demand overnight without totally waking me up. DH and I figure at some point in the ocming months he'll go to the crib, but we can keep him in our room until he's ready to go to his own room rather than furnish a nursery to have to change it to a toddler/kid room shortly thereafter. 3. Wearing baby - awesome option, highly recommend having some type of carrier or sling. 4. Never did use the baby-bop with DS, so with baby-DS didn't get one this time - a regular 'ole pillow did it for me when I was nursing and needed some relief on my arm. But that's just me....if you want a boppy, they're cute. 5. With DS it seemed we were always running low on diapers (we use disposables), so with baby-DS, I started the diaper ordering early - I think around 28-weeks.....case shipment of newborn, then changed that to size 1 for a couple of cases, then to size 2 by the time baby-DS was born....and then changed it to size 3 deliveries and now size 4 is arriving even though baby-DS is really a size 3 adn I'll switch that to size 5 in another month after this last delivery arrives. I have NEVER had to buy diapers since baby-DS was born and have only had to put away like a half-dozen of the newborn size, maybe a dozen of the size 1's and none of the 2's. I also have more baby wipes than one can imagine since I had them delivered along with the diapers in cases - in another month or so, I'll likely stop the wipe shipments since I'll know when I'll be good until baby-DS potty trains I think! Diapers and wipes are a lot cheaper to order by the case, on auto-delivery online, than trying to buy as needed IMO. 6. I had way too many clothes for DS....everyone gave me clothes and I bought many too. You really can have too many! I kept all the good outfits though, so with baby-DS, I haven't had to buy any clothes yet (other than baby-DS's going home outfit), even though DS was a summer baby and baby-DS was a winter baby....just had way too much that it worked out anyway! 7. Barely used the "baby gym" mat with DS....he was rolling and moving on his tummy pretty early....so with baby-DS, we opted just for a big blanket and lots of little toys to pick up, hold, look at and play with. Worked well, he's already almost crawling now, so the baby gym thing would have had a really limited shelf-life - glad we opted not to get one for baby-DS!

:iagree: We had a cockatiel (sic?) when I was a kid - I'd never have a bird now knowing what I know! They're messy, noisy, needy and live for what seems like forever. They're not cuddly, they're not cute and they're very fickle. Too much work if you ask me!

A cousin of mine is Katy, with a "y" not an "ie"....and her full name is Kathryn. Sometimes we'll call her "Kat" - other times it's Kathryn - and rarely, but now and then, "Kay"....mostly Katy though.