I start her bedding in the am and am done by the time she goes to bed. So, essentially, a full day, but she has a big comforter and depending on the season a few blankets. Plus, I'm usually not standing at the dryer as soon as it buzzes, either. It could probably be done much faster. I no longer give her free reign on the stuffed animals on the bed. She rotates them out and can have no more than two. Those are easy to throw in the wash with the bedding. Wow! Cotton!!! As in plant form or all manufactured cotton products? The bedding thing would probably be good for you to do during high pollen count times. A friend of mine is allergic to pollen and she has to change her clothes upon entering the house, shower after being outside, etc.

Not particular to Egypt, but here are some ideas I've used with my kinesthetic learner (also 6): math ball - toss the ball back and forth during drills math dice - mental math use math manipulatives whenever applicable narration - acting out story (she actually is an actress already, so this works very well for her); creating paperdolls specific to story as I read and then using them to narrate for me afterwards; scultping characters or important props as I read (beeswax, non-hardening clay, play-doh, even baby bel cheese wax works!) Yesterday we flew kites as a physics lesson. Cooking works well with chemistry type lessons. Nature walks and nature crafts are active and go along with biology, ecosystems, nature study, etc. Create salt maps for geography lessons. Field trips, field trips, field trips! We take advantage of many community class offerings through museums, gardens, etc. Those classes all tend to incorporate hands-on activities that go with the discussion topic. We're lucky to have incredibly energetic teachers in those classes, too. I am more diligent about incorporating a main lesson book (Waldorf) into our learning this year. Dd is artistic, so this appeals to her. Reading lessons still stump me. I haven't figured anything out for that except to have her write the words that trouble her. My biggest hurdle was to train myself that it's okay to have alternatives to "book-learning". My dd may not learn in the way I did, but she is still absorbing and processing large amts of info in her own way. Enjoy your kinesthetic child!!! They make learning so much fun! :)

I'm rather proud of my pasty whites. To me, they represent efforts to avoid skin cancer. But, if I felt I had to add a bit of color to my legs, I'd go with this fab beauty tool: http://www.lushusa.com/shop/products/body/solid-body-tints/

Same thing in our house. Dd is also allergic to dust mites. I'm supposed to wash the bedding and stuffed animals on hot at least twice a week. If I don't, she gets sick. Her bedroom is the only one that has regular dusting of the door tops and other woodwork. If I had to be as thorough as often with the rest of the house, I'd never get anything else accomplished. Why couldn't she be allergic to rain?

I have the basic Sony ereader. I love it. It's small and takes up little room in my purse. I prefer real books, but this reader has saved me and my dd from boredom many a time when we've had unexpected waits because it lives in my purse. I initially bought it to download all the free books for the AO list, but I've been able to collect many of those rather inexpensively. I will use the ereader for the few that I have yet to purchase, though. While it can never replace the delicious feeling of holding a book in your hand, I am happy we have this. Oh, I use this ereader in connection with calibre software rather than the Sony software. Love, love, love calibre, and it's free!!!!

My uncle died from lung cancer a year ago this month. He had enough strength to get around better than I would have thought until a week before he died. Two weeks before he passed, he insisted on grilling my husband and I steaks. Although he was a bit weak, I'm glad (and so was my aunt) we let him do that. He needed oxygen his last week, and within the last 24 hrs, that just wasn't even enough. He lost his ability to talk, couldn't move, couldn't see well, and then stopped breathing. As long as he could talk, though, he still spoke as if he would beat this and didn't want to hear anything to the contrary. He was a determined, strong, wonderful man, and I'm glad we didn't force cancer/death talk on him. In the end, we found out he was prepared for the inevitable, though. My aunt found a wad of cash in his wallet, and when she contacted the funeral parlor (extremely small town and only funeral parlor in that specific town), she found out he had been in and taken care of it all. The money she found was the exact amount needed to cover his wishes. So he knew but didn't want to spend his last bit of time dwelling on it. All that to say, follow your MIL's lead.

Hermione is incredibly brave. Neville doesn't seem to think much of himself but is a strong example of bravery and determination when it matters.

Dd and I have taken a few of the quizzes, and we both fluctuate mostly between Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. We have come up with Gryffindor a few times, though. Some of the quizzes show points breakdown, and we do tend to rack up a few Slytherin points but always far below the other houses - thank goodness! If I had to base it on my own suppositions, I'd say I'm Ravenclaw, dh is Hufflepuff, and dd is Gryffindor. And dd said she would like to belong to the family who posted about using the sorting hat and breaking the kids into houses for the year. :)

Fall - from OK but now live in the midsouth.

The washcloth thing is exactly what we did! Unfortunately, I still haven't bought a nice set for company. Luckily, our friends know and love us just as we are so there haven't been any complaints. :)

:001_smile: Wonderful! Congrats!!! :001_smile:

Scooter, bike, roller blades - we allow them all on the first floor. We have plenty of space for this and flooring that can handle it.

So there's a reason I stay up late! To learn something I needed to know. DD was diagnosed with SPD years ago, did OT, at home sensory diet, brushing/pressing, listening therapy, all of that. But, she was not school age by the time she "graduated" from OT, so learning issues were never addressed - social issues/fears/tolerating foods, grooming, etc were the bulk of our goals. So, jump to now. Dd is almost 7, has consistently flipped and reversed letters and numbers, recognizes at times that she is doing so but still seems incapable of writing them properly on her own, and I've been chalking it up to age thinking it will magically disappear by the time she is 8. But it seems now, after reading this thread, that her reversals could be related to SPD? So, does this mean I need to get her back into the OT to work on this specific area or is there something I can do at home to help her? Words of wisdom from been-there-done-that folks would be great. Thanks!

I'm all for a wonderful relationship with my child - which we do have, btw. But, having seen what my two brothers did to my parents' doors (and walls) when they were growing up, I am all for removing said doors should they become used inappropriately. The child can punch a pillow, throw stuffed animals, go for a run, etc if he/she needs to let out physical aggression. There is absolutely no reason property needs to be damaged in order to facilitate letting off steam, and, believe me, slamming a door hard enough can do a significant amt of damage.

Glad I wasn't drinking or eating when I read your post! Thanks for the laugh! Now you all have me looking forward to the time when we might be able to use this! :lol:

My grandmother's pancakes, rolls, and roast My grandfather's chicken and dumplings and homemade choc/p.b. candy (I'd give anything to taste these again!) Authentic dumplings and noodles in China Nai huang bao (steamed, custard filled bun) in China Curry from the Cow and Bridge in China My friend's mom's egg rolls and tom yom gai (the mom is from Thailand and cooks amazing Thai food!) My dh's grandmother's czech dumplings and fruit fritters My aunt's pecan tassies Dh's bananas foster french toast My friend's scones My uncle's steak and potatoes (again, I'd give anything to taste this meal again, too) A particular pizza from Tomato Head in Knoxville Anything - and I mean anything - made by another friend of mine who should just go ahead and open a restaurant I see a trend. I associate good food with people or places I love. I'm also drawn to the carbs and sweets.

I also buy homemade jam and local honey. ETA: Oh, and homemade italian ice to eat while shopping. Yum!

Love mine. Just wipe down with a rag and white vinegar when needed, and they look gorgeous.

Thanks for posting,Kathleen. That was too funny! I'm on the wife's side, of course.

Do you have a tray or some cardboard you could slide under the pot while keeping the snake trapped? Then the whole contraption should slide easily towards a door and preferably outside where the snake belongs. If you're positive it's not venomous, then try to stay calm and just get it out of the house. If there's the remote chance it could be venomous, keep the kitty away from the pot to keep the snake contained and call animal control. ETA: My cat brought two baby snakes inside (she had a cat door) once and deposited them on the bed where I was sleeping. They were still alive. She woke me up so I could reward her, I suppose. Instead I woke up quickly and stood full upright on the bed screaming my head off. I then called my dh and begged him to come home. He wouldn't (couldn't in his words, but I still say wouldn't), so I jumped off the bed, grabbed the broom and dustpan and scraped them back outside. Didn't really need coffee to wake myself up that morning.

Adults bring experience and baggage along when reading these tales. Under typical circumstances, a child would not do so - or at least a child's experience and baggage would not be equivalent to an adult's. Fairy tales are actually wonderful tools to help a child process good vs evil. So far, I've only run across one tale that I just couldn't read to my dd - and even then, that was based on my attitude toward the story. She would most likely have been fine with it.

Previous ambitions: Professional snowman Space alien Current ambitions: Actress on FR, Sat, Sun. Writer/Songwriter on Mon, Tues Artist on Wed, TH

I was on my way to work thinking how strange it was that traffic was so light. The streets were so deserted that I wondered if I had forgotten a holiday. I remember taking in the vivid blueness of the sky and thinking what a gorgeous day it was. I walked into my office, put my things away, and received a phone call from my dh. I thought he was playing a horrid, sick joke and recall truly not believing what he was saying. Then, I went into the conference room and turned on the tv. It wasn't a joke. A colleague of mine was on the very last plane allowed to land before the grounding of flights. The plane was escorted by fighter jets. The passengers were told nothing until they landed - just informed to keep their window shades lowered. This colleague was the daughter of one of the partners, the sister of the sales manager. I remember how torn up they were wondering if they would see her again - the relief when they heard from her after she landed. I remember not being very productive that day - the office a somber, dark place. I remember going home, turning on the tv, and sobbing for those lost, for our country, for a world so damaged by hate. DH and I kept up our evening walks, and I remember the weight of a huge silence in the face of what would normally have been a very active FedEx flight path. I remember wondering if I would ever feel safe again.

Sal at the Khan Academy (online math helps) teaches via number lines, and he seems rather brilliant, so no, I would not say they are evil. Anything that helps kids "get it" is okay with me.

You're not alone. I love Gossip Girl! But, I haven't seen it since mid-way through the season where Chuck bought the hotel. Too much stuff happened and got in the way of my tv viewing. So how many seasons have I missed now?