Out of four, SOMEONE IS ALWAYS HUMMING. Some nameless, out of tune, annoying hum. Always in the background, sometimes in the forground. Always there. Always there. Always there. Lara

I also think that you could see where to cut back the schooling. Would less spelling really disturb the child, would more reading/alone allow momma a nap? Perhaps hubby could help cook all the meals on Sunday for the week. Can someone else do schooling for an hour or so in the day? Lara

Eat more protein, eat more frequently, take more walks, get better sleep- Ask your Dr about your Thyroid levels and blood sugar usage. Lara

I agree with the alone time, however there is a difference between alone/growth time and playing/watching tv time. There is a fine line from growing to sulking/avoidance. I guess you just have take it case by case. My DD 9 is very artistic. She draws, writes poetry, reads. She is not allowed an mp3 player because it takes her further away from the real world. DD 8, is very social she has an mp3 player but cannot use it to tune out the family on family outings, or in situations where we are all interacting together. Like I said: case by case. Lara

I agree about the red flagging thing, I'll stop stressing the results. Thank you for helping me think this through. Lara

I'm not trying to dodge the test, she scored above profient in every category on 3rd grade CSAP (I don't have this yrs back yet). Her current school scantronned her and she is in the 96th percentile in LA and 87th percentile in math. I'm just worried that her PS education is jumping around so much that there are holes that may come up later, I want to start at the beginning of a curr and go to the end (I know history is full of holes). So my goal is to ignore grade levels for 1 year and just review. Being with her day to day, I see that she tests really well, but her mastery isn't all there. I want to stop, master, and continue. I'm afraid that the review will push back NEW learning and show her to be doing poorly. Too much of PS is to teach to the test, I want this to stop. She is so bored with her schoolwork that a review should be quick and only focus on the stuff that is not mastered. Lara

what is an umbrella school? Lara

I'm going solo next year (w/o cyber school). The one thing that really scares me is the testing. When, where, who, how much, how to study, how to choose a grade (I'm going to start my next yr 5th grader on MCT level one to review and possibly pick up on any holes, same with math- so will she be 4th and not need a test? but the next yr she'll be 6th and on another even yr- will I get in trouble?) Please respond. Lara

depends on how cold your fridge is, probably is all right. Lara

Our neighbors are GREAT!! Our last home had such horrible neighbors that I prayed that the Lord would just find us someplace that we could be happy, we lost 4 contracts before this house and it went through in 15 days. We have : no HOA, no watering restrictions, no covenants, no wood burning restrictions and live within walking distance to an all night pharmacy, all night grocery, hardware store and gas station. YEA!!! My neighbors like my kids, help with schooling, come to birthdays, and don't get upset about the toys in the front yard or the singing at the top of little lungs while jumping on the trampoline. Plus for some reason, when the whole town is snowed in we get plowed regularly while others can't get out for days. Lara

No to anything that allows you to isolate from the group, no to ipods for an extended period of time, or on a family outing as well. Lara

I have "something" that lives in the walls of my house. I've tried to git rid of it. I think its a mouse, I don't want to poison it because -yuck! The stupid thing scratches behind my bed at night, so I feel for ya!! Lara

I personally like Costco better, I found the prices at Walmart cheaper than Sams club, but if the membership is free---go for it, just watch the prices and don't assume them to be cheaper just because they are from there. Lara

When he starts to pee. put him ona cookie sheet and pour into a container. Lara

1/2 Cup melted unsalted butter 2 large eggs 3/4 cup sugar 2 Tbsp bourbon 3 Tbsp cornstarch 1 chopped pecans (I usually just break them up) 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (I find the mini-chips melt better) 9 inch pie shell pre heat oven to 350, melt better in microwave and set aside gently break-up eggs with wisk, add sugar -whisk until blended,add bourbon and butter, add cornstarch. Stir in choc and pecans pour in pie shell., place on cookie sheet. Bake 45-50 min Cool 1 hour before serving Like I said I was out of bourbon, so I dumped the last of my orange extract in it, I'm guessing 2 teaspoons. Next time I think I'll add some orange zest as well. Happy baking Lara

I'll admit yesterday was a rough day, so when I chose a pie for Easter dinner, I picked my easiest, Chocolate bourbon pecan pie. When I reached for the bourbon, there was none!!! So I dumped some orange extract in it. Yummer!!! Dh says its just "wrong" to call it pecan pie so I think next time I'll make it in a rectangular glass dish and call it "do not touch". Lara

Thank you for your help. I think we need one, so I'll have to start saving my pennies. Lara

I would buy new underwear and hint that you don't want to pee on Dora. I would give my children all the drinks they want. I would turn the heat down. I would put their feet in a bowl of warm water while on the big potty. It is pretty hard to hold the pee with your feet in water. I only gave a week for potty training, after they knew when they had to go, I threw away the potty chair. Lara

Where would you recommend I purchase a middle of the road microscope? Or do I really need one? I have a 3rd grader and a 5th grader next yr, the 5th grader will start with the human body, (not a lot of need) but perhaps for different cell types? Lara

I have one large whiteboard, two would be great! I'm thinking of doing a wall with chalkboard paint for more writing space. I have a shelving unit, but will soon make shelves up high to go around the room so I have more room at desk height. The thing we really need? More electrical. We burnt out a fuse earlier this year because it was the fuse for 3 rooms. I have corkboard all around the room that I can pin stuff on. That really comes in handy. Lara

We live simply: its called poverty!!!:D Seriously, once you have a focus in life (God, school, charities ... whatever) it is easy to let the rest fall by the wayside. What others do, say or think just doesn't matter. You compare yourself to....you. Lara

Older eggs is the key, I bought mine off the discount rack. Lara

My DH had very high bp a year ago, the Dr sort of chocked when he took his bp. DH has a stressful life, he works a lot of hours. He drank a ton of soda (mtn dew) and those horrible pep drinks (red bull, monster) I made him switch to tea. Same caffine, less cr*p. Blood pressure normal. (it took about 3-6 mo) Lara

When I was younger (14) my mother (who is not a good example of a parent) left town with my stepfather for the weekend. They did not tell me or my brother, they did not pack anything, they just left. We worried. We called every hospital and sheriffs dept for 5 counties. They finally called us later and told us where they were. The leasson I learned was to NEVER let the people that love you worry. When people live togther they take care of each other, they are the first line of defense should something be wrong. They are the ones to call the police first and start the search BEFORE you freeze to death on the side of the highway. In college all we want to do is shake the KID off of us and grow up, little do we realise that GROWN has more chains than KID. As a child we think of ourselves and rarely think of the cost our actions have on others, as adults thats just about all we do think of, because we have seen how others carelessness (sp?) has affected us. Breaching the gap from GROWNING to GROWN is to take the chains of childhood off (curfew that MOM gave, cleaning my room because MOM said) and voluntarily putting on the chains of adulthood (Curfew because it will disturb the household when I come home late, because I will make my mother worry, because I have to be at work at 6am. Cleaning my room so that I can find my shoes and my clothes are not wrinkled, because I am almost a guest in my mothers house and I will treat her house with more respect.) This is a time when the parent must help the pre-adult open their eyes and SEE. See the parent as a person, not a poo wiper, as a sturdy new boot, not a comfy tennis shoe. The parent must realize how hard this is for the pre-adult trying to fly, not knowing that the rules of flight (gravity, air currents) are much more important to follow than the rules of the nest. They want the beat of both worlds (who doesn't?). You must show them gently that their world is changing, not for better or worse, just different. Sorry about the soapbox Lara

I try to tell my DD that history is past, we cannot change it, those people have been out of pain a long time. But we need to learn from the mistakes they made so we can be better than they were and have a happier world now. Lara