My 8yo would...she can't stand ties or buttons or zippers and likes things soft (t-shirt fabric). She would love it. But my 11yo prefers a more "classic" and dressed up look.

In the children's class at church, the teacher mentioned Brazil. Dd said, "I know where Brazil is. It's in South America." Apparently this surprised her teacher, who then asked, "Okay, so where is China?" And dd said, "China is in Asia, south of Mongolia." This amazed her teacher, who then asked (somewhat with the attitude of "all right, smarty-pants, here's one that will stump you!"), "Do you know where England is?" To which dd replied, "In the British Isles, across the channel from France." The teacher decided to stop the quizzing and instead find out how dd knew these things. Dd told her about the maps on our wall and the globe, but neglected to tell her about the Geography songs she listens to regularly!

My bil sent this to me. It is a blog of photos people include in their listings...but shouldn't. :rofl: http://lovelylisting.blogspot.com/

The only suggestion I can think of that hasn't already been mentioned is bring an activity for the rest stop. Stopping to blow bubbles (have them jump, etc. to chase them) is fun. We "try" to "make" our kids run at rest stops but it doesn't always work...no reason to run! Some have suggested a ball...but unless you have a large rather safe area that doesn't work as well. We tend to drive 12-16 hours a day. I pack a small new toy for each day of the trip (something my mother used to do when we moved across the country--the moves usually took two weeks). Now that we have a DVD player for the car, I usually pack a new DVD, too (something they've wanted but haven't been given yet!). I also throw out the idea of actual "meals" and we tend to snack in the car a LOT. We bring fruit snacks, bananas, grapes (although I admit worrying about the choking hazard), individual packs of pretzels and animal crackers, NutriGrain bars, chewy granola bars, and the Austin cracker variety packs. For drinks we just have water. We usually buy an entire case and keep it in the back of the car. We use the water bottles to refill the kids' straw (used to be sippee) cups. I just don't trust some of the water at the rest stops and gas stations and would rather not have someone's tummy get upset over "new" water. As an alternative, we can bring our square five-gallon water container (that we use for camping) but it's not as easy to refill cups while driving with that thing!

We have four pet rats. The kids sometimes like to have the rats in their laps, on their shoulders, etc. while doing school. Sometimes this works better than other times. How do you handle school and small pets? Do the animals hang out with the kids during school or must the kids finish their schoolwork before playing with the pets? Are the animals a distraction, a motivator, a reward, a simple companion, or a non-issue in your house? I'm looking for some new ideas regarding the rats and our homeschool this year, so TIA for your responses!

A planner from Elan Publishing. I ordered the one that was recommended. It was this one--the SO-8: http://www.elanpublish.com/student/student.htm#so8

I called the closest Wendy's and they said they'd sell the audiobooks separately...so I grabbed the kids and went through the drive-through. I got a complete set of four for us and a complete set of four for my sister-in-law's kids. I didn't have to buy the meals. :thumbup:

My mother never left it out so I don't. My mil leaves hers out all the time. I figure if I had been raised in dh's house I would just do it. I don't think it would go bad...it's just not a habit I've developed. I do prefer it to be soft for spreading...but my counter's cluttered enough without adding one more thing!

Well, I've taken the "get organized" road. I've made some progress. Yesterday the kids watched "Walking with Dinosaurs" and "Walking with Prehistoric Beasts" while I organized. I'm embarrassed to admit that I'm still filing papers from...2006. Even worse, I finally filed my now-3rd-grade-dd's kindergarten papers.:blushing: I'm also simultaneously doing laundry and packing a box of hand-me-downs for my niece and nephew. I've also listed things for sale on Craigslist and eBay. I'm soooooooooooo far behind, we may never get this school year started! Ack! If you have a similar story, please share some encouragement! It's so much easier to sit here in the WTM "teachers' lounge" than to go back to work. But I'll be good and check back with you all later!

Do you have to buy the meal to get the audiobooks? Or will they sell the audiobooks separately?

kat--first three letters of my name alaska--where I grew up

"What's a Circa punch?" But instead I chose "no." :confused1:

I'm thinking of getting Klean Kanteens for each member of my family (five of us) in different colors for Christmas. We like the 20-ounce Arrowhead size bottles--but Klean Kanteen offers bottles in 18-ounce and 27-ounce. I'm leaning toward the larger size along with getting dh a big 40-ounce one for Scout campouts (he's a Scoutmaster). What's your favorite size?

My dh fell off a rock while we were hiking this summer. He is a former varsity basketball player so he's had tons of sprained ankles (and we have a closet full of splints, braces, and AirCasts to go with them). It looked horrible to me but I don't have a lot of personal experience with sprains, broken bones, or anything like that. He decided it was just a really bad sprain. We came home, he iced it, elevated it, splinted it, etc. He took ibuprofen for the swelling. He went to work as usual the next day. FIVE WEEKS later he mentions it is still painful (and it is still swollen). He finally goes to have it x-rayed. It was broken IN THREE PLACES! (FWIW, I told him he needed to go the ER because it looked so awful when he originally injured it. But he's a grownup and wouldn't listen. He told me if it didn't feel any better by Monday he would go to the orthopedist who treated his wrist fracture two years ago. But he didn't). Now he tells me that he should have just gone to the ER in the first place, because by the time (five weeks after the injury) he finally got it looked at it would have almost been healed. Instead, he had to wear a boot and then graduate to an AirCast (a nicer one than we have in the closet). He's still wearing it. I share my story because sometimes even "adults who should know better" don't realize they've broken their own bones!!!:glare:

Absentee because it is just plain easier. I used to get all the information I needed, figure out for whom and what I was going to vote, go to the polls...and invariably the language was different than the information and I couldn't figure out which way to vote on issues. Plus, at that time I was lugging kids under 6 with me. So dh and I started voting absentee. It is just SO much easier. The ballots are mailed out waaaaay in advance. We get mailings on the candidates and issues. We have TIME to sit and think and ponder and even discuss. Then we make our choices and fill out the ballots. Part of me misses "dragging the kids to the polls" with me for the experience of voting. I make up for that, though, by talking about how we are voting and choosing and taking them with me to drop off the ballots. They take turns depositing the envelopes and everyone gets an "I voted" sticker. :)

You all have really helped me with your comments. The concensus seems to be that $150 each for the adult children involved in the gift-swap is too much! In my mind, the youngest has basically guaranteed, with this proposal, that her father's unemployment is NOT going to affect HER Christmas. Additionally, she has also put other terms on the arrangement. These are, if you find something on sale, it doesn't matter--what matters is the dollar amount you spend...so if you get it cheap you still have to spend up to within $1 of the $150 "limit." If you live out of state from the person you are to be Secret Santa to, shipping the item is NOT included in your $150 expenses. Those who will be with the family (at the parents' house) this year will also be expected to participate in the White Elephant/Yankee Swap ($25) and the gag gift ($1). The parents are still expected to fill everyone's stockings (which they never do cheaply--that's easily another $20 per person). I just don't see how this can be considered "scaling back," "cutting expenses," and "making sure we only get stuff we want or need and not a bunch of junk and clutter!" I always send the Alaska Moose calendar (about $5) to my in-laws for Christmas. Anything after that is a "I found this and it totally reminded me of you and I knew you'd love it" type of gift. There is no obligation. Same with all of my brothers- and sisters-in-law (there are 10 of them on dh's side)--I only buy something I know they will totally appreciate/need/want but it's not a case of "Well, I bought something for Brother-in-Law #1, so now I must buy for Brother-in-Law #2." There's never an expectation. Plus, we never get gifts from the siblings-in-law (although last year we did and it was a framed picture of their kids which, frankly, would have been a more appropriate gift for them to have given the grandparents!). I'm still trying to figure out what we will do. This year, the $150 is not a financial burden for us. We COULD do it. But should we? That is the question. Dh's father is unemployed and the "assigned" amount seems overboard. If anyone wants to, I would appreciate some help wording a response to the entire family that we will not be participating. I really HATE this idea and can't stand that we are being strongly pressured to join the group. Everyone also knows that we "can afford it" (we are probably the most financially stable family of the entire lot) so we will be labeled "cheap" and other less-nice things. Here are my points: 1. I think the amount is too much. If it was $50 I think we would "play" just for the fun of it but $150 is a HUGE amount of money. 2. I think the terms (i.e. if you find it on sale you still have to spend the entire $150, you have to get within $1 of the $150, you have to pay for shipping, etc.) stink. 3. I can't think of $150 worth of stuff that I would want (everyone keeps saying how they can easily come up with $150 worth of stuff--which to me just means they are all asking for clutter-y stuff). 4. Anything I actually want either a) wouldn't be for Christmas because it's something we'd buy anyway--such as tire chains or table pads or b) would cost more than the "allotted" amount--such as tire chains or table pads or c) both. 5. Even if I could come up with $150 worth of stuff that I "wanted" I'd want dh to buy it for me--not THEM. I really feel like if I want something badly enough then it needs to come from someone closer and I wouldn't want to give all that buying "power" to someone else. 6. I'd rather spend $150 on the kids (i.e. get oldest dd an iPod Nano or something).

This concerns budgeting for Christmas and a reasonable amount for Secret Santa among family members. I am struggling with a situation that has recently presented itself. Dh's father is out of a job--again. In an effort to reduce Christmas spending this year, the youngest sibling (who still lives at home) has proposed that to take the financial load off the parents, we should do a gift swap with the adult children of the family. The amount is $150 per adult! While dh and I like the *idea* of a Secret Santa among the adults in the family (there are 14 altogether), we are cringing at the $150 amount. Part of that is we believe certain individuals cannot truly afford that kind of money and part is we cannot come up with gifts that someone else could buy for us that total that amount. So I'm curious what others' per person dollar amount for Christmas would work out to be. I'm going to go through our pictures from last Christmas and see if I can ballpark how much we actually spent (knowing that most of our stuff was bought on clearance or at thrift stores, so that skews the numbers downward somewhat). I can't figure out why I am cringing about this and need some perspective. I feel like our kids already have way too much stuff (and the kids, of which there are 8 total, are not being given the opportunity to Secret Santa their cousins) and I can't think of much that I would want (except household items that exceed $150) or need.

The Princess Bride My Cousin Vinny I'm sure there are more, but it's late :sleep: and these two come to mind.

I'm curious how often and for what your dc use the computer. So far, we've mostly steered away from having our kids on the computer. The oldest used to play some preschool-type games while sitting on dh's lap. We did not do this with the middle child because she was far too rough (she banged everything just to make noise). The youngest didn't play games, either. The oldest has used the computer for email (mostly when she was in first grade). All three like to use the "paint" program to draw. The oldest has figured out a few of the games that come on the computer (i.e. solitaire and pinball) and the youngest has figured out a few things about solitaire. The middle did her home vision therapy program on the computer The oldest started a computer-based typing program this past summer. That's about it, though. They all got Webkinz from my sister last Christmas but I don't really know how that's supposed to work (except for a vague idea). If your dc use the computer, please share why they use it and how you work out that use...i.e. is it for assignments, games, etc.? Do they have free access or is it something they must earn? TIA

I think you're right on the mark. My oldest is 11 and sometimes acts about a year older. Then my middle is 8 but acts more like 7 and sometimes 6. Then my youngest is 6 but acts 6 and 7. So the oldest is QUITE far ahead. I'd say she's an introvert. She does complain about not having friends (it's tought finding kids she can get along with and strangely, they are all a year younger!) but she's mostly satisfied to spend time alone. That said, she does get to do more outside things than the others; for example, this year she went to swim camp and next year wants to participate as a resident and not a commuter (in other words, she wants to stay in the dorms like nearly everyone else who attended swim camp). She's on swim team. Thank you so much for your suggestions of bringing her in with me more (although I admit it's a struggle because I'm an introvert and I *crave* time alone--which is really hard to come by homeschooling!) and having her do more things like help in the kitchen, etc. I did bring her (and ONLY her) along when I enrolled our puppy in puppy class (she got to stay up late and learn how to train the dog). Il'l look into supporting her interests (arts and crafts, reading, handwork, etc.) further, too. You're right--it's not a triangle in the peer sense but a big gap in ages and interests. It is tough, though, since she shares a room with her sister but they don't want to be together! We have a 3-bedroom house so the kids sort of have to share. The one alcove I considered making into a "den" for her is now home to our pet rats. My middle usually camps out on the playroom floor. I don't know how long the present sleeping arrangements will last, however. Again, thanks for your thoughts! :001_smile:

There's this odd little nook between the bedroom and the bathroom down there (that, strangely enough, the previous homeowner had decorated with old-fashioned school desks!!) that just fits three little desks. Across from it is the (large) laundry room, which now houses another desk. Sometimes I do think the lack of natural light down there gets to me...but there's no way around it. The big window is on the north side of the house (in the bedroom) and the window on the south side of the house (where all the sun is) is tiny and high up (and in the playroom). Most things are done in the basement. Sometimes we bring *A* subject up to the living room or family room so we can spread out on the floor or sit on the couch.

My 6yo ds turned up with a new tooth--behind his baby tooth (bottom front center). He has NO loose teeth and has lost NO teeth (and doesn't even have all his six-year molars in yet). What do you do with a shark-toothed child? Do we have to have the baby tooth pulled? Will more of his teeth grow in like this? What's your experience?

I remember in elementary school, I had a best friend. The problem was, she had another best friend. It was a triangle. I hated when Julie played with Kathy! And if Julie played with me, then Kathy didn't want to play with her. Poor Julie!! (I wish I could find her again IRL--she was such a neat girl). Anyway, I think about this because I have 3dc, and it seems the "triangle" effect is ALWAYS in effect! Either the oldest (girl) and youngest (boy) are playing together and leaving out the middle (girl)--though this is RARE and normally happens only if the middle is not available (ill, out of the house, etc.)... Or the two girls are playing together and leaving out the boy... Or the two younger kids (girl and boy) are playing with each other and leaving out the oldest. The last is our current, and most common, situation, as the age gap between them is 27 months whereas the gap between the girls is 33 months...also, the middle is immature and the youngest mature so they naturally "meet in the middle" academically, socially, emotionally, etc. It's hardest when the "left out" child complains about being left out! Sometimes the kids "gang up" on the left-out one or purposefully exclude the third child. How do you handle the triangles?

Last year was our first year on swim team. Dd was 10 and turned 11 during the season. At the first level, practices were 45 minutes long and they were encouraged to attend 2 practices per week. At the second level, practices were 60 minutes long and they were encouraged to attend 2-3 practices per week. At the third level, to which my dd just advanced, practices will be 75 minutes long and they are encouraged to attend at least 3 practices a week. Last year we tried to make 3 practices a week. This year we'll aim for 4. My two younger kids, 8 and 6, are trying out for my oldest dd's team in a few weeks. The 8-year-old nearly meets their recently increased requirements (had she had her current skills a year ago she would have already been on the team) but the 6-year-old isn't quite there. However, there is another team in town that will admit both the younger kids. I posted recently about my swim team dilemma (I think on the special needs board). You can read more there if you're interested. :) Anyway, this year if my middle child gets on the same team as the oldest, then they will both swim (in different ability groups) and the youngest will take lessons (and hopefully be ready to join next year). Obviously, if both of my youngest make the team (unlikely) everyone will be on the same team. If neither my middle nor my youngest make the team my oldest dd swims for, then they will both swim for the "other" team for a year and then we'll transfer. At least, that's the plan. My plans don't always work out, though. :tongue_smilie:

I have decided that I need table pads for our dining table. My mom had some made for her table years ago... I need to know where I can order them now (a reliable, reputable company). My mother's were about 3/8 inch thick, felt on the bottom, a slick surface on the top (for easy wiping), and were in pieces so the leaves could be included in the table. Anyone have a recommendation for where to (or NOT to) order these? TIA