I'm terrified of paper bags in the road or in parking lots. I will do almost anything to avoid them. We had several small bombs set off in our little town when I was young, and one was placed in a paper bag next to a car in the town's high school parking lot during a basketball game. One of the parents kicked it away from his car and lost his leg. I've never gotten over it. I am fully aware that this is an irrational fear, but I have it nonetheless.

The motion has been made and seconded. All in favor say aye...

I see this mindset all around me as well. It's not the case in our home, thankfully. I'm fortunate to be able to stay at home full time, but dh still does a lot around the house and always has. I truly have a gem of a guy. When the kids were babies, even though I breast fed, he always got up, changed them, brought them to me and put them back into the bassinet. He did bath time because he was gone all day and wanted that time with them. He does household tasks as he notices a need, cooks about half the time, and lots of other really nice things. I occasionally have the opportunity to have a weekend or even a week away with friends, and he encourages me to go. I've done this throughout our marriage. I'd do the same for him, but he really would rather take a day here or there and play a round or two of golf or do a little fishing. While I'm gone, he keeps the house tidy, and the kids clean, happy, and fed. I'm not really sure what my point is, but I guess I just wanted to agree that I see the same things you mention all around me, I'm not sure why this exists, and I wanted to say that it's not the case in our home. Oh, and even dh will correct others if someone mentions that he's "babysitting."

I would definitely return them. NYDJ are my favorite brand, and I have several pairs, but I have never experienced any type of odor. I'm hyper-sensitive to smells, so I know I would've noticed. I'd send them back without question.

Is he active? If so, pogo sticks are so much fun. Ds broke his a couple of months ago due to,excessive use, and we've yet to replace it. However, he loved it. He could pogo no hands, backwards...and the normal way of course. He was like the Energizer bunny.

I agree, when they are cooked, mustard greens are unpleasant to me. However, I think they work just fine raw in green smoothies. Of course, they aren't the only ingredient. :D

We literally have almost no toys, but my youngest is always playing. Before I go on, I want to acknowledge that my youngest is the only one who is still at an age where "toys" would be an issue. However, it has almost always been this way with all of our children. Ds has matchbox and hot wheels cars, 2 or 3 Tonka trucks, a Fisher Price camper and a Fisher Price castle (circa 1970 something - belonged to me), and a camouflage Build-a-Bear that he sleeps with. Aside from arts and crafts supplies, that's it for inside toys, and it's more than adequate for his needs. Oops, I forgot that his half of his bedroom is overtaken by the enormous fort we made him for Christmas. For outside, he has a bike, a scooter (boy powered), roller skates, sidewalk chalk, a shovel, a few hand tools, scrap wood, a flashlight, and toy night vision goggles for after dark hide & seek, camping, etc. We do have a betta fish, a freshwater aquarium, two hamsters, and two anoles, which aren't toys, but do entertain. Looking at what I typed, it still looks like a lot to me. He's always engaged in something, so he doesn't appear to be lacking anything. I think paring down is a great idea. :)

I scored a 27 out of 200 on the first one, and a 2 on the second one. The 2 seems a little low...maybe I botched it.

I have so many crazy neighbors, I am bound to sound like a troll. We live in a nice neighborhood that happens to have its fair share of crazies. Every once in a while, on trash day, the cans sit in front of our house for four hours or so. When they do, I am guaranteed to get "white trash" yelled at me when I go to bring them in by one of the two women who live three houses down. They have self-proclaimed issues with anyone who doesn't race to the curb the second the trash truck arrives. Lovely. Another neighbor, in his sixties, was caught trying to break into dh's vehicle and regularly rollerblades in full hockey gear up and down the street while walking his dog. He does other more bizarre things but these are the nicest I could mention. Still another prays loudly for our souls whenever he sees us, due to the fact that we decorate the house for holidays. Yes, he has told us this. It is especially comical because he prides himself in looking "exactly like Santa Claus." We do have sane neighbors as well, thankfully. :)

Insurance pays a little, then we pay the balance in monthly installments. Our eldest needed retainers with adjustable spacers only. Younger dd needed extensive orthodontia which lasted almost five years and cost close to $6,000. Older ds needs some, which we will start soon. The jury is still out on youngest, but I suspect he'll require some as well.

It's a positively brilliantly sunny day with Carolina blue skies, even if it's cooler than usual for this time of year. I am about halfway through organizing and purging the master closet, which is a Herculean task. Dh and our sons were finally able to ready the raised beds and plant more hydrangeas. Older dd was well enough today to participate in a cancer walk for her school. All in all, it's been a lovely weekend. Asparagus is the first spring food that pops into my mind too, but I don't want to be redundant, so how about the earliest baby sweet peas? Oh, and I love to sing, but I never sing in the shower. It's one of the only times I can be alone with my thoughts in blissful silence.

I have no words. I'm just so sorry. I'm also angry at the idiotic bureaucrats who are withholding access to vital care. Hugs to you.

Thanks, Jean. We finally went to bed around 11:00 this morning. She's feeling better, but our schedules are certainly wonky today. Thank goodness it's spring break, and we don't need to worry about school. :)

Prayers and hugs!

We're home. She started vomiting on the way there. She was having contractions, but they weren't changing her cervix. They checked her urine and it was clean. She was dehydrated, and they think she has a stomach virus. She got a bag of fluids to which they added phenergan (sp?). They released her with instructions to call the ob in the morning if she's still vomiting. She's currently vomiting even after the meds. Baby is doing well though. Thanks everyone. :)

Dd20 is 22 weeks pregnant and having contractions. The on call dr said if she has 6 in an hour, we're to head to labor and delivery. She's had 4 in 17 minutes so I'm nearly certain we'll be heading that way soon. I'll check in and update when I can.

That was really great. Thanks for sharing! Y'know, I feel as though children who must undergo difficulty either come "pre-packaged" with extra amounts of grace, kindness and the gift of focusing on positives, or the difficulties help develop the gifts. Since my dd had all of her most serious difficulties from 3 months to age 4, I'm not sure which way it is, but I know that this dd always finds a way to almost not even notice "unfairness," and she is so kind and empathetic. Your son is too, and it sounds as if your other children are just as sweet. Such blessings! :)

I wouldn't dare because the very thought makes me shudder, lol, but dd had some somewhere and said they tasted exactly like chicken and artificial maple syrup. She didn't care for them, but obviously they're selling. People's sense of taste is so interesting to me. Dd has done quite a few labs on the topic in her AP bio class. In one, the students were asked to place a piece of paper which was coated with a specific chemical component of brassicas on their tongues. Apparently, not all people have receptors for all flavors (which is probably the wrong way to describe it). Those who could taste it were less likely to "naturally" enjoy the taste of veggies in that family. Those who couldn't were more likely to enjoy eating them. Dd could taste it....for hours. Interestingly, out of the brassica family, she will only eat raw broccoli, and roasted Brussels sprouts. Both raw and roasted preparation results in a more mellow flavor. It's fascinating to me, and helps explain why one person's yum is another's yuck. ;)

The suspensions really bother me too. If the school suspects a problem at home, then that should be investigated, but it sounds as if that was done and no case was opened. A doctor was seen, and no medical issue was identified. So now, the little girl is continuing to be denied an education through frequent suspensions? That just seems illogical to me...not to mention unfair to the child. Fwiw, my ds7 had a shower before bed last night. I just asked him when he last showered. He replied, "I don't know. You know I can't remember stuff like that, mama." So, it's definitely possible this little girl is being bathed regularly.

I 100% agree with you on this. However, ydd will not be persuaded. She says red velvet cake has its own delicious taste that is nothing like chocolate cake. I say, she's just tasting the bottle of red food coloring. Blech.

My girls did Singapore when they were homeschooled, and I think that Challenging Word Problems would be an excellent solution to my fear that RS doesn't provide enough in the way of word problems. I'm unfamiliar with both Zaccarro and Dreambox, so I still need to explore these. It's been a hectic time with fil so sick and other family obligations, so I still haven't had an opportunity to do so. Thank you all for your suggestions. I'm taking each one into consideration.

We are just beginning B. I know this is behind the recommendations, but I can be a bit of a box checker, so I didn't want to "miss" anything. We do certain subjects, including math, year round, so I don't think it will end up being a problem. Overall, I'm happy with what I have seen with RS, and ds loves it. I agree with some of you that it seems light on word problems. Having never used RS with another child, I want to make sure I'm not missing a weakness in the program. I'll check into Evan Moor Daily Word Problems and Zaccarro. Thanks!

Thanks for sharing your experience. We love the hands on, discovery aspect of RS too. Maybe I'll just bring out Miquon now. I still wonder if adding Singapore next year would make for a stronger student. That's my insecurity talking. Thanks again for replying.

What program would you pick as a secondary program? I am almost sure I will be ordering LoF, but that would be as a fun thing, not really as a secondary program. Oh, this is for my rising second grader, so by "secondary," I simply mean complementary, I suppose. I own Miquon, but we didn't touch it this year. So, I could add in Miquon, or Singapore, or Math Mammoth...or...? Would you suggest I use one or more of what I've listed, or something else entirely? Ds loves RS, so I'll keep that, but I feel as if I want to hit things differently by using another program as well. Do any of y'all have comments or suggestions, or would you discourage me from this idea entirely?

Hear: harp music from oldest dd's iPad mixed with rain. Ordinarily we would celebrate Easter with church, a big brunch (with mimosas!), and later a big dinner. However, today we haven't celebrated at all. I'm glad the chat truly is virtual and wouldn't dream of subjecting you to any food from this household today, because my father-in-law is ill with a nasty stomach virus. Dh and I are being kept busy with caregiving and lots of Lysol, as well as prayers that our quarantine efforts will be successful. The last time a stomach virus entered our home was,about 12 years ago, so I really should feel blessed. However, since I have OCD, I actually feel panic-stricken and stressed. Ridiculous, I know. I truly hope everyone else is having a happy, healthy day! :)