I currently don't have a lot of house plants, but in assessing our new place, I noticed there are several ceiling hooks already installed and thought... plants!? When I was growing up (in the 70s!) my mom always had lots of ferns and whatnot growing in hanging baskets in the house. Are houseplants so totally "out" now that they would look funny? Does anyone still have hanging plants inside? I'm decorating challenged, as you might know! These would be in the living room, school room, and entry way. Thanks!

We're heading out to Virginia to visit our parents (my mom and step-dad are in Alexandria, my in-laws in Williamsburg). Please pray for us to have a smooth 6 hour flight with two hyper little boys... ahem... And drop me a line if you live in Va and want to get together! We'll be in Alexandria until next Tuesday the 29th, then in Williamsburg until the 8th. Then I'm coming home alone to continue packing for our move whild dh and the boys stay another 2 weeks in Williamsburg. Fun, huh? Thanks all!

Was it a potato bug? They tend to be a bit bigger then 1/2 an inch, though. You could always poke around here: http://www.whatsthatbug.com/ You could even write in. But don't tell them you killed it, they will not approve!

We have lots of IKEA stuff... Most of our shelves are not "pretty", but serviceable. We have tons of IVAR, which we started buying shortly after we got married. It has served as shelving in our living room (now replaced with something prettier), as extra storage in the kitchen and dining rooms, and now will be shelves in the school room of our new house. It is great stuff, because it is so modular we can move it around as we need. In the new place there is a wall with 6 units in a line, plus 2 other free standing ones. I also have some nicer Billy shelves in the bedrooms for books (we need more) and some cheaper IKEA bookshelves in the hall (now moving to the office in our new house). I'd someday love to do Billy shelves with glass doors, but not until the boys are grown! Hmmmm... I just realized our new house will have a total of 21 bookcases, not counting built ins. Lots of books!

I started the "curly girl" method a couple of years ago based on these boards. I don't usually shampoo at all, just scrub my hair & scalp under the water with plenty of conditioner--whatever is reasonably priced, usually a big bottle from Costco. I only untangle it with a brush in the shower when the conditioner is on, and don't blow dry at all. After years of frizzy, or trying to flatten it (which only works for a few hours, then moves on to frizzy) I finally have curls. I only use shampoo very occasionally after I have done something sweaty/dirty, like cleaning out my garage or something. Every time my hair takes a few days to recover its resiliency, so I try not to break my routine.

This is an interesting questions we've kicked around on the boards before, but unfortuately I'm on my way to church and don't have time to write fully. However, while I do think that preparation for life is important, I don't believe that college is simply a "tool for achieving what they want". College is indeed an important time to explore intellectually and socially, a time to really get a taste of the variety of options available and find a calling in life. Yes, I think my kids will have an excellent education by the time they finish homeschool--but I don't think that I can provide the same level of challenge and breadth of opportunity of a great university. Who knows what interests they will discover, what "rabbit holes" of knowledge they will follow that I never even considered? The experience of college, and even beyond, IS valuable beyond its financial or professional application. My undergraduate degree has nothing to do with my job, which requires a master's degree. My husband is a SAHD dad now--doesn't require a degree, for sure. But I don't think either of us would trade our university experience for anything. I believe a good education is never wasted, and college is in general part of a good education.

Mine usually put the seat down, but it doesn't bug me if they don't. We almost never put lids down.

OK... now that I've seen the final episode... oh, yes... that was so Joss. How can someone have such a great sense of humor (it was so funny), and yet be so serious. Plus, I loved the horse. That had me cracking up. Great stuff!!!

I wondered if anyone else on the board was watching this! It is so great... I just got up (late) so I'm about to go watch the last episode. Kind of makes me wish for another writers strike so folks have this kind of time on their hands again. Not.

Good memory, Abbey! That's right, I have a Molly doll... hmmm... that is a cool idea!

Hmm.. OK, I think I'll keep it. I would hate to jettison it and then feel bad... found another picture: The top of my dress has a twisty gathered then around the shoulders thing just like this dress, but without the ribbon and hanging ribbon. Actually, I think it probably still looks pretty good! I went to a wedding around a year or so after we got married where the bride was doing a Disney theme, and she wore the same dress that I had worn. Hmmm... gotta dig out those pictures some time. Now, I already have an heirloom christening gown--it was actually hand-made by my great-great grandmother around 1890 for my great-grandfather. Handmade lace (the kind where you pull stitches) and the whole works--and it is still in wearable condition--both my boys wore it. It is delicate and crinkly because I'm afraid to iron it... but beautiful. But... ring pillows. Or maybe someone could cut the dress down. I guess I'll hang onto it until some sort of opportunity to give it away presents. If I gave it away now it would just end up at Goodwill.

Even more embarrassing, I have one of these: http://www.xyron.com/enUS/Products/9__Creative_Station_.html I love it. I laminate frequently. Most recently copies of the periodic table for my chemistry-crazy ds1.

OK, I was going to post a picture of me and my dh in our wedding finery, but, of course, we are moving--all the pictures are packed! I have a wedding dress. It's in one of those sealed boxes with the little window. It's off the shoulder with little sleeves, has sort of a gathered thing with sparkly clasps. (You can tell I'm so into fashion, right?). I don't remember the designer, but a quick image search and it actually looks kind of like this: But in a 15 year old style sort of way. In fact, 15 years old yesterday. Happy Anniversary to me! So, ladies, should I keep it? No daughters here, no chance of it coming back into style, I honestly haven't looked at it in years except when we move. I paid $900 for the thing, which is why I've been hauling it around, I think. Declutter? Or keep it for future possible weddings? Or....?

My dh and I married what I would consider to be "young" (22), one year after graduation. I only had one friend who married younger--most couples we knew waited at least until after grad school. It worked for us because we had found the right person already. In fact, I think we were the youngest couple to get married in our recent family history--our parents both met in college, but married 2-3 years after graduation. I think my expectation would be that my children finish college before getting married, my hope would be that they finish their entire education, including graduate degrees. But hopes don't always work out, right? Right person, right timing, I'd support marriage early--though not "early" like before 21.

So.... does the whole courtship thing assume early marriage? I can understand the reasons for delaying dating until college, but I still don't understand the practicality of courtship. I married young (22, we met at 19 in college), but I don't assume my sons will. I had dated before marriage, so had my dh, and neither of us seem any worse for the wear, so to speak. My brothers are 26 and 29 now, both single. Should men of that age not date? My sister in law married last year at age 35--should she never have dated? How does "courtship" work if one is an adult in the world? Isn't that just dating by another name?

Most top ranked colleges will work with you to make it doable--some combination of grants and loans. I'm pretty sure that the Ivy's now have a policy where you don't have to pay if you make under $60,000 a year, and contribute very little under $80,000. There are also discounts up to an income of $180,000 (according to a NYT article I found). Many schools have programs that meet 100% of demonstrated need. Since top ranked schools have large endowments, it is actually easier to get financial aid there than at mid-level schools. Just harder to get in. I would worry about them getting in more than the cost... THEN deal with cost after acceptances are in hand. They won't set up a package until after you are enrolled, regardless. Here's a site that summarizes: http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/college/ivy_league_financial_aid.asp

Wow! Prices are less where you are! We have 4 in our family, and we we spend that on maybe 2 fast food meals, or one casual restaurant. Even if they have a kids menu, we don't get out for less than $50 in general.

I totally agree! I think that optimally both parents should be fully involved. I have no plans to step back when my sons reach 10, and since my dh has been a SAHD since our kids were born, he doesn't need to step up.

My boys have cheap MP3 players, as well as CD players in the thier rooms. I keep most of the school stuff on my Ipod, and then dock it in a boom box for playing aloud during school hours. I also do burn them CDs with various things on it for bedtime listening, but stock their MP3 players as well. So, both-and here.

So, I've settled down and taken my bra off (Braberian?!? :lol:) I am glad to realize there are so many fully dressed husbands out there, and I will announce to my dh that he is indeed a pantless bararian. He's in his boxers again now... maybe we can debrief later. :lol::lol: You guys are so funny!

:lol::lol: OH, that was funny! I just got home from bible study, sure enough dh is in his boxers (again). He wore shorts and a t-shirt to work, I think he just likes his undewear. He does also wear boxers alone until it's time to go out. Hmmm... no wonder my boys resist getting dressed in the morning.

within seconds of walking into the house?" I posed this question to my dh, who was in his boxer shorts literally by the time he had walked across the living room after work today. His answer: "All men." Yes, it is a hot day out there, but friends, do all men really strip off thier pants when they enter the home? Or am I married to a barbarian? A pantless barbarian... :glare:

While both dh and I were interested in homeschooling, we had never really met any homeschoolers before we had kids. It was reading WTM that convinced me that this was IT for our family. We've never lived in a neighborhood with other homeschoolers, though there are many group opportunities in our region. I think our friends (all, like us, fairly highly educated people) thought we were somewhat crazy, and their kids have all gone off to school. Now one of those same friends is pulling thier daughter out of school to homeschool this coming year, and looking to us for advice. Lol! When the homeschooling issue comes up, it seems I am more likely to get the response "Wow, I wish we could do that..." than anything negative. In general: Your choices need to be best for you and your family. The opinions of the rest of the world simply aren't relevant to the needs of your children.

Lol! I clicked so I could suggest... Fajitas. :lol: Sounds like a lot of us like peppers in our fajitas!

We don't have a lot of wall space (too many books!), so our world map is on our "school table", underneath the clear plastic.