They will import undertrained med prof from other countries. Quality will go down. I'm a RN who has considered going back, but I worry now. Gov't health (medi-care/caid) are the number one deniers of care in the country. We will be in demand, but I don't want to be a part of rationed care, especially in end of life decisions (my heart is in geriatric nursing even though I was trained for labor and delivery).

I would love some input on these types of learners. She must read everything aloud to understand it. She talks to herself when she plays (horses, battles, etc.). She is highly distractable and is completely and utterly mesmerized by television. I think she must be an auditory learner. But the need to read everything aloud is something I would like to work on. She says she can't hear herself when she reads silently. :confused: or :D I haven't decided whether to laugh or worry. Should I roll with it, or get information of how to "change" it? I'm just looking for some btdt advice before I proceed further. Thanks. Jo

:iagree: He is definitely helping us all be patient. :lol:

[Waving wildly] Aloha, Liz! It is always good to come here and see familiar, friendly "faces." We are doing well. I'm finding the four grades are time consuming. I have less what to do questions, and more how to effectively apply what I know questions. Know what I mean? I do miss hanging with the hive, and I sometimes pop in and search topics, knowing most of my inquiries have been inquired before. :D Thanks for the advice for the 18mo. I am always looking for new ideas. I thought the lego bath idea was great. I would try benadryl, but we just flew from Hawaii to Orlando recently and I can verify that it definitely does NOT make my son sleepy. :001_huh::lol: I hauled big rolls of Ikea drawing paper home in suitcases for just what you suggested with crayons. I just need to get all these ideas organized and written down so I can refer to them on the days that I can't think of how to deal with this wild, wonderful, busy boy. Thanks again. JO

No, briefly, no, no. :D He does enjoy reading books on my lap. But simply sitting there while I teach or discuss with the elder kids? Unfortunately, no. Messy stuff he does without encouragement. :D

Especially a needy, could care less about toys, would rather be carried all day, but weighs 32 lbs type of toddler? You'd think I would know this one, but he has drained my imagination dry. :D Your best ideas.....GO! Thanks.

I read the book as a favor to my 13 and 11 yo boys. We rarely go to movie theaters- it was a big treat. I really liked the movie, despite it's suggestive moments. They were only moments and in all our post-movie discussions they didn't come up. My boys looked over at me during the hot tub scene and I rolled my eyes (that look that says "oh please, sooo unnecessary"). They know it isn't appropriate, but then they quickly got caught up in all the cool effects. The boys, who are finishing up the fifth book this week, thought it was a great movie. I have to admit, I'm a little surprised at how much it didn't bother me now that I've read the replies. Jo

For pre-Alg. With the recent unpleasant ("unpleasant" because I don't do change well) website change I can no longer print out worksheets for lesson 13 and 14- solve for the unknown using order of operation. I've only ever used MUS for worksheets. Is there a good alternative worksheet and answer key generator? Thanks. Jo

I'm now officially over my head. I can NOT keep up with all the reading. What do you like to use for "cliff notes" these days? Is it still Cliff Notes? I thought it was Spark notes, but I cant find The Yearling there. I would love your opinion. I'll Xpost on HS board. Thanks. Jo

These are all great ideas, and just what I needed! I was running a little low on inspiration. I have it narrowed down to three. :D My husband will be so happy. Keep it coming if you have more. I'm going to save this post for the future. Thanks. Jo

I'm out of ideas. I would prefer a baked thing so I can make it a little ahead of time. The guest is a bachelor Navy guy that will be arriving while I'm herding all the kids upstairs for bed preps so the men can talk "big Navy thoughts" :tongue_smilie:. The excessive details is for context not stream of consciousness, even though I'm a little short on caffeine this fine Hawaiian morn. :D Desserts! Whatcha got for me? Thanks. Jo

:iagree: Mr. Schmidt was only stating the obvious. I would embarrassed, but not annoyed or angry to have received this email.

I would get them tickets to a movie. Or movie passes. At Christmas, I think they should have something that will be fun for them, not emotional/sentimental. I'm sure they have had some of that too, but Christmas gifts should be something joyful for them. I would save the memorial type thang' for after Christmas. Just my humble opinion. Jo

Thanks for 5 minutes.... Texting is not the devil. I agree. I text with my husband when I need too. If my son were away at college, I would be thankful for the ability to text! Teenagers who have an addiction to their phones and can't make eye contact or decent conversation does disturb me. And for me not to judge that as inappropriate would be foolish. But to each their own. Keep in mind, it is the behavior I'm talking about, not the kids. I have sat on my front porch for many an hour talking with these kids. I'm amazed at how sweet they become when given an alternative, like swinging on our tree swing or having a nerf gun battle around the house. I like teenagers in general, and my own son is wonderful! I may still let him go. We will talk about it together. I appreciate those constructive comments that allowed me to think through my reservations more clearly.

How about the My Side of the Mountain series? The Chronicles of Prydain. My boys both recently read Little Men- a surprising favorite for both of them. My 13yo seems to be enjoying the Artemis Fowl series, but I recall there being something objectionable in them. Anyone? Redwall series. Sherlock Holmes. My oldest is reading Murder on the Orient Express right now and loving it. Another surprise. A school assigned book that both my 11 and 13 yr old loved recently was Trails to Poosey. The Alex Rider series has been enjoyed in the past. It is James Bond for kids. My oldest told me last night that last two books were "sloppy" writing. LOL. He prefers the first three in the series, but he does mention that they have some violence within. For December we are reading aloud: Hans Brinker The newest Mysterious Benedict Society (the 3rd) Little Women and lots of Christmas books

Thanks everyone. This does help my thought process. This is definitely a case of a great kid in a one-on-one environment, but put her in the crowd and the discussions are completely inappropriate- mostly sex. On halloween I allowed my son to go walking with a group of these kids and he came back asking me what X and Y meant- if I told you, you would be shocked too.:glare: Of course they were discussing "other" people, not themselves being involved in these activities, but they still made it seem like it was the norm. It gave my son and I a great opportunity to talk and reason through some of these topics but I really struggled after that night whether it was worth it. Having said that, a birthday party is more organized and supervised. Honestly, this mom would really like my son to be there because she thinks he may influence her daughter and some of her friends. She thinks my oldest son is awesome. She has talked to me about how to keep her daughter's heart, because she sees her becoming more and more peer dependent and sassy. I think she thinks my son will be good for the pack. I'm not so sure it will work that way. I do like the girl and the mom, but no, they do not share my values. The military community allows for much interaction with people from all backgrounds and beliefs. That is one of the reasons I love it so much. But I'm not going to turn my kids over to the village, ya' know. :D Typing these thoughts out helps. Thanks again. Jo

please someone reply.:blush: I'm headed to bed in Hawaii, and I'm hoping for some insight in the morning. I have to RSVP soon.:confused: TTFN

My son has been invited to a birthday party by a neighbor girl. It came in the form of a backstage pass, requesting that he arrive as his favorite Hollywood personality or movie/rock star. Not good from the start. We aren't exactly "plugged in" to Hollywood. It is going to be a Murder Mystery party. The problem is that this group of kids in the neighborhood live extraordinarily different lives than our family. They text....all. the. time. They cruise the neighborhood and have boyfriends for a few days or so. They use the word "like" 10,000 times per minute. And they drip OMG! It just isn't our scene. But the actual birthday girl is nice, and I am friends with her mom, and I feel conflicted. This particular son is the one who wants to be liked. And he is missing a good friend. We were hoping for a more like minded friend. :glare: I'm just venting a little, because I know somewhere out there will understand what I'm saying. I don't want these kids to be his peeps, but I want him to have neighborhood friends. 13 is a tough age. Sigh. Jo

Thank you so much for the Christmas selections. They were lovely titles, and I've purchased several at your suggestion. I'm very excited about our Christmas read alouds this year! Thanks again. Jo

These are great. I've added at least 5 to my amazon cart, and I'm likely to add some more. Thanks again. Jo

I'm finally ready to start up the daily read aloud time. The moving, settling, deployment kicked it out the window for a few months. Bad mommy. I'm in a rut with our home library, and I don't have a block of time to wander through the new local library looking for titles. I am also compiling lists from my great books websites, but I love word of mouth. I learned about the Mysterious Benedict Society, which my kids loved, from here. :001_smile: I would love your one or two favorites for: 1. family read alouds for listeners aged 13, 11, 8, and 6. 2. Christmas books (I'm planning on doing the entire month of December "differently" this year). These can be for all ages. Thanks! Jo

tomorrow is a new day. I'll try to make it one that I *will* remember for all the right reasons. Thanks again. Jo

I've decided to be "bad cop" for halloween. That way I won't need a costume. :glare: I will hold fast. I will insist on neat work. I will use the red pen. I will make them think harder. I will encourage, but not bail them out. I will not be the favorite parent if necessary. I will not remember these days one day. -------Jo

My 13yo is into cartooning lately. He has witty ideas, but needs some help in the drawing and lay out of a cartoon. I saw a few on Amazon, but I thought I'd ask the hive first. :-) Thanks. Jo

Can I ask how it presented in your family? Mild, moderate, severe? How long did it last? I hear different stories. Thanks.