If you want to sneak in something educational my dc have read "Treaties, Trenches, Mud, and Blood" by Nathan Hale multiple times. It is a retelling of WWI. The author is part of the team that wrote/drew Rapunzel's Revenge. (Not educational)

Jean, I was in the same, somewhat grumpy situation not long ago and was pleasantly surprised at how very readable the book was on my tiny smartphone.

JoAnns does teacher discount for homeschoolers also. 15% off final bill at register..

A 2 million dollar policy sounds big, but you may find that the out of pocket cost is actually snack.

I kept mine on my phone and the first few lines visible in the preview mode have some prospective dentist's offices. Not highly secure, though.

I spent some time yesterday at the big box-like bookstore looking through amigurumi books I thought might work for my dd. Then I took the book to the big name fabric store in town and picked out hooks and "bonbons" of yarn to get her started. All this stuff could be returned or exchanged if needed, of course. If she is interested in an afghan you might look for one made of separate blocks. It is a nice way to try different stitches or patterns, it is way more portable, and the size is flexible. The con is you have to are the pieces together in the end which is tedious.

You could skip some of the things she already knows. I mean if she generally likes it already... I don't follow the script too closely, if they can already recite the definition no need to repeat. I sometimes write the sentence on scrap paper for them to diagram from scratch. That series needs a streamlined guide for kids like ours.

Thanks for the recommendation! I pencilled it in for when we get to WWII in the new year.

Our library has the audiobook read by Neil Gaiman. It was good. There is also Odd and the Frost Giants (same author).

Sounds like the "could" in your title is optimistic. I like Milovany's response, unless you can just stick your head in the sand altogether. I hope it stood at awkward and doesn't get to painful. Maybe they are just trying to keep the wedding small?

A glass shop can cut you a sheet of plexiglass. Cost would depend on the thickness. What about a vinyl tablecloth?

We liked Bull Run, by Paul Fleischman. It is a series of short vignettes from fictional people on both sides of the war. Homer P. Figg is set in the civil war, but was heavier on story than historical elements.

Plan to Eat Meal Planner This sounds so extreme! Are you out of food altogether? No dry beans or rice in the back of the cupboard? Will you each just eat a page or two, maybe wrapped around burrito filling? Perhaps you are just so frustrated with the whole thing you want to get rid of any evidence that it even existed? It is going to be hard to find an accurate calorie count for it... I just spammed "likes", but I so rarely log in on a real computer and it is difficult on my phone! Keep the funny ones coming! I'm liking 'em even when I can't "like" 'em.

Cute, and so short and round you'll probably be done before she gets home - even if she is just walking the dog! Haha. That mind set is why I don't commit to any particular holiday until the gift is done and in my hands.

It was taking me longer than any of us wanted, so eventually I started streamlining a bit. If a problem is discussed in the teaching time and then there is essentially the same problem on the worksheet, we would do one or the other, depending on which I thought would be more beneficial.

I was thinking, along these lines, how about having her take a simple recipe and look at the result if varying different ingredients. Cook's Illustrated does this all the time in their magazine. It would be an interesting way to understand the job of different ingredients. Like sentence diagramming for the kitchen? I love the idea of learning to finish a project. We need to work on that in this household. I'm going to tackle that (a bit) over the holidays. Thanks for the idea!

Fast as agave nectar on a cold day? Fast as Nutella? Ketchup through a straw? I'm going to look for molasses cupcake recipes to have on hand in case this thread goes off the rails over whether anybody uses molasses anymore!

It's amazingly crazy. I start off thinking we are going to be 10 or 15 minutes early and I might have time to drop a library book in the return slot and before you know it we are peeling out of the driveway as if I can drive fast enough to to slow down the passage of time. Hats off to you, though. I can't keep my c a l m voice going for an HOUR.

I'm glad everything turned out okay, because it gave me a good laugh! Reminded me of the time in high school that I got home late from my part-time job. I got out of my parent's car, and just as I was shutting the locked door, realized the car didn't have the emergency brake on nor was it in gear. I realized this just as the door clicked shut because the car was starting to roll downhill toward the neighbor's house. Gah! After a panicky run alongside it yanking on the locked door handle it rolled to a stop in front of their hedges lining the living room bay window. As quietly as possible I got in, started the car, and drove out of their yard. Parked more carefully the second time around!

Sometimes, in those types if situations, I think that these people got into their business because they like that business, not necessarily because they are skilled "business-people", like with intelligible billing, call if you are late, let the customer know if the schedule changes. So, if I find someone I like, or want to like, I bend over backwards to make it work. To a point, of course.

I think WordlyWise has some online vocab games if you just want general vocabulary work.

I wonder if he could work in Rube Goldberg, now THERE is somebody working hard to be lazy (if that is how we are defining creative and inventive today). ;-)

Well, is there a basis for your fear? History of injuries or calls to the fire department? If she is interested in the cooking class in spite of the potential schedule-induced fatigue, I say do it. You will get some of that money back in the food she brings home, and the things you will be comfortable with her cooking on her own going forward (right?) It isn't a long-term commitment if it doesn't work out. Why not let her peruse the library's collection of cookbooks? Or the Fannie Farmer "cooking with kids" book? I've probably messed up both the author and the title on that...

Really? Famous "lazy" men? Is that a sneaky way to get him to report on the inventor of some Labour-saving device? Or is the lazy part your son's idea?

I don't think that is unusual at all. Keeping or children safe is a daily concern, at some level, right? I have twins, so I often had this dream when they were younger. Usually at a park our the library - places we often spent time. Sigh. Took forever to go back to sleep. Now that everybody is older, the dream had morphed into trying to remember or get to where I left them. Despite the fact that in real life I rarely "leave" them anywhere.