So, MIL placed an order at Amazon for the kids for Christmas. The bulk of the order arrived yesterday, and everything was there that should have been there, except two of the items were wrong. The packing slip said 2 Bunny necklaces and we got 2 butterfly necklaces. Small thing, but one dd already has the butterfly and we wanted both girls to get a Bunny this time - just 'cause they're cute. I tried the "return a gift option" and after going through the process was directed to contact a customer service rep to continue. I tried emailing, but that led no where. So I tried calling them and after almost a half hour on the phone (probably not long compared to some places, but most of it was spent waiting for the rep to do whatever he was doing and then repeating and confirming my address and email address - over and over again). I finally got done and from the sound of it he had our address and email correct (there was a major language barrier). I specifically told him it was a gift I was trying to return, yet at different times he said: - the order was placed using a different email address - our Amazon account had been deactivated - we never placed that order so why / what ... ? The return slip says "Item sent by mistake". The only option for this item was a refund. With that reason, will they charge us to return the item? It was their fault - the packing slip says one thing and we got another, but I have no reason to think the guy had any idea of what was going on so I have no faith that he'd have figured out it was their fault. Maybe I'm being a bit pessimistic.... :001_smile: Also, what are the chances that we'll get the correct item if we try to reorder it? If you search Amazon for a Bunny Necklace it comes up as the only option for that item. If you search for Butterfly Necklace it's a totally different item. They messed it up once already .... Is there a way to contact Amazon customer service to complain about their pathetic customer service? They're usually great and we've never had problems with them before. We've even returned a gift without problems. But this time it's just been a pain from start to finish, and I was not impressed at all by the way it was handled. Dh and I both went online after I got off the phone to make sure our account was still active, and it is! :001_smile:

Okay, this! That's good to know! :-)

If you've used Penske to move ..... Do they charge a per mile fee on top of their truck rental? I looked at their website, but wasn't able to figure that out. Thanks!

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good cake recipe book? The "these-recipes-never-fail" type of book? Something with all kinds of cake flavors, methods of mixing, etc. Oh, and they have to be made-from-scratch recipes. We don't use cake mixes, so anything that uses a cake mix as a base won't work (nothing against those who do use mixes, we just don't so a book with those kinds of recipes doesn't work for me). Thanks!

Thanks!

We started watching the webcam in time to see a couple run out into the middle of the street for a photo (while kissing). Then got to see a lady run across the street, narrowly being missed by a bicycle that wasn't slowing down. Ds12 is curious - why the crooked white lines on the street?

After thinking about this for a few days I have another question..... How does the time requirement play out in your homeschool? Do you keep track of the hours each day/year and give proof of that, or is it just an honor system? To get the 900 hours, do you divide by days, actually work so many hours per day, or what? I have an idea of what I would do, but am interested in hearing what other people do. Thanks!

Thanks for the links! I found what I was looking for.

Does anyone know of a good source for science kits? Eta: looking specifically for anything insect/bug related. Thanks!

I prefer anonymity online so I don't feel comfortable sharing specific locations, but we wouldn't be near Cincinnati. It's good to know that there are various opportunities for homeschoolers throughout the state though, so thanks for this info!

Thanks, everyone! The more I read about homeschooling in Ohio, the less troubling it is. If we did move there we would be leaving a very homeschooling friendly state. We have very few regulations and requirements to follow here, so when this move was first mentioned the thought of trying to homeschool there was rather daunting. It's sounding a lot more feasible now, and I have a much better idea of how it works/what we would need to do. Sherry in OH, thanks for the explanation of what needs to be done each year. I was wondering if it all had to be done each year, but if not, then the workload isn't so daunting! Again, thanks everyone! Anything further anyone has to add, I'd be glad to hear it!

Thanks for the replies! There's a lot to consider, but it doesn't sound too bad.

What would I need to know or do to homeschool in Ohio? We've read the laws, but how does that play out in everyday life? Is the sentiment towards homeschooling favorable? Exactly what subjects need to be covered? Fine arts is to include music -- does that mean the child has to learn an instrument, or just study music theory? A move to Ohio isn't certain, just a possibility and we're doing the research to help us decide. Anything you can tell me about homeschooling there would be a huge help!

Thank you!

Oldest ds (rising 7th grader) has to do literature and composition starting this year. What options do I have for both? Would Writing With Skill count as one of those? What about Rod and Staff English? I could see either of those working for the composition requirement, but what about literature? For reading until now he's just been reading anything he can get hold of, keeping tabs on what he reads, when he starts and finishes, etc. Would that continue to work now that he's moving from "reading" to "literature"? Thanks!

Wow, I wasn't expecting to see so many ideas! Thanks for all the replies, and all the recommendations! Looks like I have a bit of work to do checking them out and building our library!

Thank you!

I'm hoping to add more history books to our personal library and am wondering .... What general history books would you list as "must have" books? I'm mostly looking for ideas for books that cover history in general, not books that are specific to one particular event or time (unless there's a particular book you think is pretty spectacular). Books we have or that are already on my list are: Story of the World Streams of Civilization Encyclopedias (Kingfisher and Usborne) The History of the ..... World (series by SWB) Usborne Time Traveler Any other ideas? Books that cover history in shorter periods of time (like the SWB books) would be great too.

I'm so sorry for your loss!

I'm so sorry for your loss!

Boy.

Early April with # 6, a boy.

Schleich?

Thanks for the replies! I ended up going to L&D. I have a UTI that is causing bladder spasms. The dr said the pain I'm feeling elsewhere (back, groin, leg, stomach) is probably transferred pain. After monitoring me for 5.5 hours there was no sign of labor at all. The downward pressure is also due to the UTI. Thanks again for the replies!

I'm 27 weeks along. For the pat two days I've been dealing with a UTI. It seemed to clear up and all was well through the night last night. However, at the same time the UTI started it started feeling like the baby had dropped - it was uncomfortable to sit and there was pressure down low (not labor, but the feeling that the baby was riding low). Fast forward to today....early this morning I drank two glasses of water so the UTI wouldn't return. We went shopping and after a little while I started feeling a great deal of downward pressure. That eased when I used the restroom, but it still felt odd. By the time we got home (around 1:30) I was having abdominal pain that could have been digestive related. But, the abdominal pain changed and now feels like a major menstrual cramp - hurting the stomach, lower back, and legs. The downward pressure comes and goes, at times it's worse than others. I feel like I have to have a BM, but when I try nothing happens (sorry - that's gross!). I'm lying down right now on my left side. The cramping though has only increased since I lay down. I've never dealt with false labor, so I don't know what it's like. Should I go to the ER or see if it eases up? And is this false labor?