I am facing this with my youngest, a girl with a summer birthday. She would never had been ready for ps K at just barely 5, cutoff was Aug 1 in that state. But since we hs, I thought- K, no problem! My oldest has the same birthday, and always been fine (in fact is taking an 8th grade class at the middle school as a young 6th grader). But this kid is different. She only started reading fluently this summer. Her math skills are a little above grade level, but we only just started spelling as she only just started really reading. She is immature and shy. And, most of the kids in 3rd grade I meet are 9 or about to turn 9, not just barely 8. She is truly a year younger than 90% of the kids in her grade. We messed up. She needs to be a 3rd grader again next year. But how to tell her?? We won't, we'll just register her a grade behind for middle school when we get to that point and if we live somewhere she can take classes at ps. There is no testing at the moment for us, but if there was, I'd just order the 3rd grade test 2 years in a row to get an accurate picture of how she is doign compared to her real peers, not the arbitrary cut off of the state we happened to be in when she started school. Yes, if everyone started their kids according ot the dates, we would be with age-mates, they would all be her age. But it is what it is, and it may harm her (and your child), IMO to be the only to be so much younger. Her sport goes by year of birth, but physically bigger is a disadvantage there, so sports is not a consideration at all. This is purely for academic and social reasons.

I've sewed only 1 "trial" leo, but my DD does rhythmic gymnastics and I plan to sew her next ones. I used a KwikSew pattern, but for ice skating costumes, as RG leos are skirted. They are also generally more complicated with applique, etc. If total-beginner me can do it, anyone can! I have no serger, I have a used thrift store machine, that has a zig-zag stitch. I do not know about the regualr leotard pattern, but for the RG/skirted leo, the armholes run very big on the pattern, they need to be adjusted quite a bit. I knew this ahead of time, and adjusted, but the trial leo still has too big arm holes. So if your leo pattern has sleeves, watch those arm holes. Otherwise, for sleeveless leos, it is great! Kwik Sew was the top pattern recommendation when I asked about this on a message board full of very knowledgeable women who have been sewing leos for years.

Bitter, part of one? But some of the definitions are hilarious over there! I have never seen the site before. I could spend hours browsing! So thanks, bitter guy, without you I'd never have found it. :lol:

There was a couple at my church growing up who were 1st cousins!! They were elderly, and got married when very old, because the law was they couldn't have children or something. I don't know the specifics, my grandmother told me about it. The yucky factor was VERY big for me, but my brother always used them as the reason he could marry our cousin Janine when he grew up! He grew out of that. ;)

MY oldest has no real "passion", per se. She never met a class, sport or activity she didn't enjoy, though. I guess its all her passion! My youngest has been obsessed with rhythmic gymnastics since she was 5 1/2. She was previously a kid who hated every organized activity- even Mommy and Me! She preferred to stay home with the babysitter I got for oldest DD and send me to Mommy and Me by myself.:glare:Training in no AC (and soon, no heat!), in a language she doesn't understand, with training methods that are...uh...a bit more energetic on the discipline, has not dampened her enthusiasm, so I guess it really qualifies as a "passion" now. I do wish my oldest had something she really was into, like my youngest. But then again, it could be something totally ridiculous (like, say, rhythmic gymnastics:lol:) and expensive, so maybe we ought to count our blessings!

That is the only plus to having moved to a place where my youngest has private coaching for gymnastics- NO SICKOS!! There were 2 sisters at our old gym who were always sick, and their parents ALWAYS brought them. "OH, Sara just threw up, but I don't think she should go home, I mean, she seems fine now..." WHAT!? And invariably it was my DD who would get the bug 2 days before the big meet, they were over it by then. Of course, the general assumption is that a child should compete, sick or not, so it isn't like they were the only ones. In truth, we were the weird ones for NOT practicing sick. So talking to the coach will possibly get you exactly...nowhere.

MY youngest told me she is "getting to be Korean" because she just peeled off her clothes and changed into her leotard right there in the practice area at the meet last weekend. At the first meet, she wanted to go into the bathroom and change, and there were several changes as she had group and individual routines. We noticed all the other little girls just changed where they were- stands, practice area, hallway. She and her big sister also roamed the streets of Jaechon, Korea with the other gymnasts and siblings at 10 pm while the moms (me included) finished our meal and drank...beer! :D

MY girls have always gone commando in leotards. But, the very light pink, thin ballet leos are too see-thru for that, so they have worn flesh-colored dance/gymnastics panties specifically made for this issue. They sell them at dance stores, or GK (gymnastics wear) makes them, too. Now my youngest wears a flesh tone under-leo instead of the panties under her competition leotards, they have more coverage than just the (often high cut or see-through portion) leotard alone. Regular panties are too thick and loose, usually, even if high cut.

If I had any, I'd show it! Unfortunately, the ribs that show on my chest just somehow do not look attractive. Even when nursing, I had enough milk for septuplets, but wouldn't you know- no cleavage! I did get large lumps on my armpits and shoulders, where there are apparently milk glands. Not exactly the hoped-for effect. :lol: Boat neck tops are my friend.

I use our real names and photos, but I rarely post the family blog address anywhere "public". Like the only 2 places I really hang out on the internet- here and another board for scrapbooking (though I almost never scrap anymore, lOL). It would take about 2 seconds to find the blog though, or us, if anyone wanted to. I could care less, really. We're pretty boring, I don't see us being the stalkers or axe murderers types. :D

Woah, I'm a Cami, and also overseas, but not in Bangalore. In Korea. Kids are far more free range here, and I have happily let mine go, too, thought it wasn't without some angst at first. We live in a military base, so of course they can walk to the store, etc on post. Your regular neighborhood stuff. But Korean kids have far more freedom, and that took some getting used to! Just last night, we were in Jaechon for a gymnastics meet and all went to dinner a few blocks from the hotel at around 9 pm after a late practice. The kids ate and then the other moms gave them some money for ice cream. My girls wanted to go too, of course, but they speak almost no Korean. No matter, off they went. Us mothers sat and finished eating and drank some beer :D, and after an hour left and there were all the kids, playing in the street in front of the hotel (at 11 pm!). I have started letting my oldest go wander around the shops and restaurants by herself while her big sister is at gym practice, if she has to come along for some reason. She doesn't speak much Korean, but has a fabulous time. Since everyone knows us in the area as the "foreigners who do gymnastics at the high school" I am confident that if anything happened, I would know in about 20 seconds.

We had a dog with a super high prey instinct, who killed cats in the backyard (strays), and rabbits, and it was awful. But she never, ever touched OUR cat. Now, our cat was there first, when we got this dog, but she seemed to understand the difference. We ended up having to rehome the dog and it was to a family with no small kids (a must!!) but a CAT. She was fine with their cat, too, because I swear, she knew the house cat was off limits. In a similar vein, our cat is a cold blooded homicidal maniac where rodents are concerned. But when we had 2 rats, and they GOT OUT while I was visiting relatives with the girls, DH wouldn't catch them. He doesn't like rodents, they skeeve him out. Rats lived free in the house for a week (oh, I was so mad, the bleaching and cleaning after that-!) and the cat never once touched them. Again, she seemed to know that THESE rats, that live in the cage in the playroom and are now roaming through the house, are off limits. So I guess my answer is "not necessarily". Labs aren't really known for their strong prey instinct, ours has never killed anything, she even just looked at a bear I met once while walking her in Washington, no bark, nothing. I'd be real careful, but then I'd be careful anyway at first. Probably, the dogs would be fine. Of course, if you are looking for a reason to say no, then disregard!!

Its our enemy, too! I finally had to just say "enough" to it all with youngest DD. She was 6 pounds at birth, she is just not going to be a gigantic kid! Heck, I am on the tallish size but have to struggle to stay above 110 pounds. DH is 5'8", same height as me, and the tallest in his family. I tower over his parents.It isn't like we were going to have big kids with that genetic history! We made rounds of gastro, peds, endos. when DD was a year and 14 pounds. They said she was Failure to Thrive, which of course makes you feel like the crappiest mother EVER. She had severe food allergies as a baby, that didn't help. But she grew out of them, finally ate solid food at around 18 months, and has been a dynamo of energy and health ever since. I just had to say enough, and stop listening to the Dr when they would start in. No more tests, no more worry. We keep her in a car seat (at 8, LOL) with a harness, but otherwise, I am not doing anything differently. She is slowly starting to catch up now, at least in height. She isn't huge, but not so remarkably smaller anymore. And she's the fittest kid I know, so I think we're good.

:grouphug:Praying. I was hysterical practically upon breaking a tooth a few weeks ago. I totally get it.

Shhh...I think zombies might improve Austen a fair bit, too!! :auto: ((runs away))