LOL! :)

I think it varies depending on the orthodontic problem and the dr. We saw 4 orthos before choosing ours. They all recommended an expander but had very different protocols for both the expander, braces, and teeth pulling. The dr we chose will leave the expander in for 3 months and then place a small space-saving device for approx another year. (If ds didn't still have so many baby teeth, the space-saving device may not be necessary.)

Ds is getting a palate expander later this month. I can only assume that his mouth will be sore and that he won't want to bite down on anything hard. Other than having soft foods available, is there anything I can do to prepare for this? (His pain tolerance isn't the best, so I'm guessing that this could be a bit traumatic.)

Allergy testing is so non-invasive that it would be a good idea to rule out. Eosinophilic esophagitis is another possibility but would require an endoscopy to diagnose it (and is frequently diagnosed as GERD). Difficulty swallowing and/or food impactions would be a stronger indication of EoE, though many people with EoE won't experience them. But if your daughter has ever experienced them during these episodes, it's one clue that it could be EoE rather than GERD.

Thank you! The audio book sale is the one I remember. I hesitated and now regret it. Do you know if that is a recurring sale?

I totally agree! I compiled a list of scriptures about praising God that demonstrate the value of worship. That's what I hope to do--convey through actions, attitude, and looking at Biblical examples--that worship has tremendous value. Ideally, I would like to find a kid-friendly little study about worship--what it means, Biblical examples, relevant scriptures, etc. If I can't find something, then I may have to put it together myself. I think I've probably already done half the prep but was hoping to save time and find something already available.

I feel very convicted that I need to emphasize worship with my kids this year. When they were very young, we did a short morning worship session every day, and I am planning to start that again. I would also love to find a short Bible study resource for my oldest (4th grade) that has information and scriptures about the importance of worship. A Google search wasn't helpful in finding a Bible study resource for him. Any recommendations?

Ds *flies* through the textbook and workbook. It's the CWP and IP that takes up most of his math time. I have him do all the problems in both books though.

I've been intrigued by Lamplighter books for a long time and am thinking about ordering something if they have a sale. Any favorite titles? Are the audiobooks engaging? ETA: I believe they had an audiobook sale a year ago or so. How often do they have sales?

Has anyone used this? I'd love to hear reviews and which pieces of the kit were most/least worthwhile. ETA: Link is here-- http://brimwoodpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=22

You know, I'm not sure which I've been reading since it's just something I click on online. I would guess it probably is the concise version though.

Yes! You explained it so succinctly! That's exactly what I'm looking for! I'm looking forward to checking out your recommendations! Drifter, I do have a couple of Bible dictionaries that I reference and find them very helpful. I'm glad you mentioned Ryrie. I was given a Ryrie Study Bible when I was a child, and I've recently re-discovered it and now use as my everyday Bible. So often, I find myself wishing there was "more." I didn't even think to check whether Ryrie had written a commentary. I will look for it.

bolt, thank you for your response! You're right---there really isn't any way around someone else's perspective. I have a fair amount of Biblical knowledge but wouldn't consider myself a Biblical scholar by any means. I am familiar with the answers to the questions you posed. I think what I'm really looking for is that deeper level of understanding. As I'm reading through the Bible or doing a study, and a question occurs to me -- or perhaps a verse that seems like it has a deeper meaning. I don't just want to read shallowly. I do a lot of word studies and such, but he historical and cultural context is very helpful too. I like to cross-reference and proof-text. My perspective is probably best described as Messianic, Protestant (in a very general sense), leaning toward Old Earth. BUT I welcome other ideas--as long as they aren't presented in a manner that is one-sided and agenda-driven. I don't just want to hear from people who interpret the Bible the way I do. My understanding has changed over the years. Other perspectives make me think. Mostly, I am just seeking to truly read the Bible without any cultural or doctrinal lens--which, granted, is impossible--but I've seen some things in a new light since I've been trying to do this. So I prefer a commentary that would allow me continue along this vein but dig a little deeper.

I was expecting my sensitive son to be very affected by learning the details of 9/11. I remember that day, and it has a much greater emotional impact on me than it does on him. From his perspective, it falls into the realm of "before I was born" so isn't much different than learning that people died during the Civil War. As a general rule, we avoid learning very personal stories about tragic events until he's older. Learning about x number of people dying at some point in the past is very different from learning about a particular person who was tragically killed--whether it be in a war, from illness, accident, or an act of terrorism. He's never seen the live footage of people jumping from the towers, but he knows the general story and has seen footage of the towers smoking from afar. We checked out several picture books from the library about it, and I read them first to make sure they would be OK. All of them were fine for us, but all kids are different.

We *loved* CC Connected when we were in CC! So many people contribute that you can find songs for English, Science, and other subjects. The handouts were fabulous. So many of their published materials are available for download there that you can save a lot of money by subscribing and downloading files. After the first year, I realized that I didn't need to subscribe for a year. Instead, I subscribed for 2-3 months at various times through the year--downloaded the contents of the audio CD, most of the Foundations manual, memory work CD information, memory card files, etc.--plus a lot of things that CC doesn't provide (files uploaded by other users).

I typically use Biblegateway.com for Bible study, and it includes the Matthew Henry commentary. I'm starting to explore other online Bible study tools such as E-sword, Blue Letter Bible, and Bible Hub (any others you recommend??). Additionally, there are times when Matthew Henry doesn't answer my questions about a passage. I'm looking for another Bible commentary and am a bit overwhelmed by long lists of commentaries when I don't know anything about the various options. What I am *really* seeking is a commentary that doesn't seek to interpret scripture through a particular cultural or doctrinal lens. Of course, every author has their own perspective, but I'm trying to minimize it as much as possible. Given that background, which commentaries would best fit my needs? TIA!

I was still severely deficient after spending almost every day of the summer at the pool with no sunscreen and eating fish oil every day. Rx vitamin D raised my levels somewhat--but still not to the bottom of the normal range. I'm now taking 25K iu of OTC vitamin D3. Although I haven't had another blood test yet, I suspect that I might finally be in the "normal" range. If you are very deficient, sunshine and fish oil just aren't enough.

We found that changing bedding and even chux pads were extremely difficult when a person is completely bed-ridden. (It was just myself and an elderly person as caretakers.) The patient groaned and seemed to be in pain when we tried to move her around. Hospice ended up inserting a catheter which helped a great deal. (hugs!)

I haven't read other responses. A few years ago, I started having motion sickness--even when I was the person driving. It turns out that I had become near-sighted. After I got glasses, my motion sickness resolved.

I'll be installing this over a very old but undamaged laminate floor, so I don't think I'll need to use primer on it first. It never occurred to me to contact the manufacturer! I'll see what they say. If anyone has experience using the groutable vinyl tile (with sticky backing) on an already sticky floor, please advise me! TIA!

Help! I am removing old peel-and-stick vinyl tile and replacing it with groutable vinyl floor tile. After I remove the old tile, the floor underneath is still sticky. Do I need to remove all that adhesive? (If so, how do I do it?) Or can I just peel and stick the new tile on top before grouting it?

Magic Tree House and Andrew Lost.

Some Etsy sellers have downloadable templates for sale.

Oh, thank you! Somehow I didn't realize that all the videos weren't there. I'm *so* glad you mentioned that the whole course can be purchased for less $! Wow! That is everything I was hoping for and only a fraction of the cost I was estimating. Absolutely perfect!! You just made my day!

Did anyone attend Local Contest Day? How was it?