That's too bad. I really enjoyed watching him. Just back from vacation in Italy! Sometimes life seems a *tad* ironic... It's very sad.

I *just* started blogging. Part of the reason is because we live far away from family, and now dh has just joined the Army, so we know we'll be away for a long time. The other reason is because it's too much fun!

I'm so sorry that your family is going through this. We went through something similar a few months ago, except my father committed suicide. My brother flew over immediately, but I was *really* hesitant to go. Ultimately, I did go, and now I'm glad I did. It was really important to face the pain and the reality, even though I didn't think I could deal with it. However, my dh did come with me. If your dh thinks that he would need your support, I would consider going. We didn't bring our children with us. I don't know your MIL, but maybe in her mind, it would be really hard if your dc were there? Maybe she would feel like if she didn't focus everything on your FIL, she'd feel disloyal in some way? Honestly, I don't know... Maybe she doesn't want your kids to go through the sadness, even if they are in a hotel? Do you belong to a church where maybe someone could help with the plane ticket? We knew someone, who knew someone who worked for Delta, so we got really cheap tickets. I'll be praying for your family that every detail works out smoothly.

Yes, I love em. I'm 31, and when I was 13 I got really big into the 60's and 70's for some reason. My middle school friends thought I was crazy. But, that's when my love affair with the Beatles began. I haven't shared their music with my kids yet. I think they're too little to appreciate their genius, but hopefully my kids have inherited my good taste. ;)

Dh and I got a great kick out of this! Thanks!

I really thought that these were things that boys did. But, a couple of weeks ago dd4 said she swallowed a penny!

Just bumping this to have one more go!

Jessica, What made you choose SSRW over Phonics Museum? I've looked at Phonics Museum too, but haven't really been able to judge, based on the description in the VP catalog, whether dd4 would enjoy it or not.

I'm looking for a fun phonics program for my dd4. I used OPGTR for dd7. It was great for him because he needed *no* distractions. I think it might be a bit too dry for dd4. She needs a little more entertainment to keep her going. I've been considering SSRW, but it's pretty pricey... don't know if it's worth it. Any favorites I should check out?

This year we're going to use R.E.A.L. Science Earth and Space. I'm wondering if anyone knows what the $16.95 "R.E.A.L. Science Kit" from Rainbow Resource includes. They don't list any product info. Is it the rock kit? Thanks for your help!

Yes, this is my favorite too! :)

My dd4 did this several times when she was in diapers. It drove me crazy. What ended up helping was to put her in a zip up pajama, and then safety pinning the zipper to the pajamas. That way she couldn't unzip.

Dh and I are both lefties. All 3 of our dc are right handed. I was sure that at least one would be left handed. I guess it's the luck of the draw! Dh writes with his paper sideways. I never could get the hang of writing with the paper that way. I remember the whole experience of writing being awkward in school. I couldn't write in a spiral binder, or any binder, without taking the paper out first. I would also smear the writing as my hand went along. The teacher made me put a seperate piece of paper under my hand, to cover up what I'd already written, so as not to smear the whole page! It's even strange today to write checks! I have to sign the check first, and then start at the top and work my way down, otherwise my signature gets smeared.

My ds7 was in ps for most of K before we took him out. He could read a few sight words. We started OPGTR during the summer when he was 6, but his reading really took off after he turned 7. With my dd4, I'll start with her this next year when she's 5.

Yes, I agree. I am not from the South, but I'm currently living in GA. I love the accent here! It was definitely the pronunciation that bugged me. I was raised by a French mother who liked studying languages in her spare time. She, like me, was quite the perfectionist. I guess I've become a pronunciation elitist. :)

I'm a size 8, and was a 7.5 before pregnancy.

I have heard many good things about this program. However, when I listened to the audio samples, I chose not to use PL.

I will be praying for your dh. I feel your pain! We've been there, (we're basically still there) and we *do* live with our inlaws! We're seriously considering the military at this point...

I was breastfed for a year. Dh was bottle fed. I breastfed ds7 for 13 months, dd4 for 10 months, dd2 for only 5 months, while also supplimenting bottles of formula, because she wasn't growing very much.

Yes, I'm excited as well! Elizabeth Gaskell is my favorite author these days. (I'm currently reading Wives and Daughters.) I loved part one last week.

I purchased the book alone. I made the cards myself, but my son already knew all his letter sounds, so we didn't really use them much. We didn't end up buying (or using) any of the suggested extras. OPGTR was such a great program for him, and he learned pretty quickly with just the book.

When you filed your taxes, did you do direct deposit? Our ss ends in 04 and we received our rebate on the 2nd. I think that's when you should of had yours deposited by, right? Maybe you're getting a check in the mail by the 16th?

Thanks Michelle. I'll check out your book suggestions. It hasn't been a picnic, but we're pretty amazed at how well we've survived so far. It can only be God's grace. It's good to know that what ever happens, He's still in control. I will pray that your friends will feel the comfort we've felt during this crazy grief process.

My father committed suicide 3 months ago. We knew that he felt that life wasn't easy, but no one knew how depressed he was. I don't think *he* even knew how depressed he was. It was a spur of the moment decision. Maybe this article will help people to really think about their own level of depression, and to seek help before they make a horrible mistake. I'm glad you shared this.

We weren't 100% sure what we'd be getting because our income was low last year, and we didn't owe any taxes. We have 3 kids, so we assumed we'd receive the $300 per child. We ended up getting $1500. Kind of crazy to get money when we didn't pay taxes, but it was a total blessing for our family!