We are struggling with this same decision with my 13 yr old. We've spent the last two weekends touring open houses of the local private schools. Yesterday's was particularly impressive, but the school is 40 min away. I know that we would lose time with our kid, but I know that I can't compete with what those schools offer. My 8th grader would rather hs, but is that because he's in the Hiding Zone of Puberty? Will he feel differently next year and wish he'd made the jump? I'm so conflicted about what to do.

Mrs. PiggleWiggle, Paddington Bear, anything by Rauld Dahl, especially Matilda. That should get you started!

We all got the shot one year. That year, I ended up with bronchitis and pleurisy and took over 8 months to finally feel normal. Could have been a coincidence but considering that we rarely ever get the flu anyway, it's not worth the risk. I think Vit D is far more important for keeping you healthy in the winter.

I tried antibiotics and got nada. Took Accutane and get occasional break out but nothing like what I had.

Is it possible to just spray her clothing? I've tried a lot of alternative products and didn't think any of them worked well. Hey, what about tick collars for dogs/cats - could you buckle one around an ankle (with a sock on first)? Are you walking in deep grass? That's a lot of ticks!

I totally agree with this. My kids have the rest of their lives to get pets. We homeschool and so much of my day/life revolves around my children. I do not owe my kids a childhood pet. They can get one when they move out and have their own families. Ironically, my girlfriends who gave their kids pets all tell me not to get a pet. They love their pets but are tired of the upkeep/expense/allergy issues.

Does it have to be an 'art' program? My boys began building and painting model airplanes. They've been doing this for 3 years and I'm shocked at how well they paint. One of my sons sews stuffed animals - he does not use a pattern, but gets the proportions from his animal books. He has also sewn capes and masks and we've dyed silk scarves. Have you considered doing handicrafts instead?

I think this is really good advice. My newer chiro is also a sports medicine specialist. The first chiropractor that I went to was really useless and more interested in selling me pills than helping me to walk pain free. It sure is hard to find someone capable of dealing with back problems.

I went to a crappy chiropractor who didn't help at all for a herniated disk. I then went to another chiropractor who used a decompression (traction) table. I was out of pain after the first session and after 8 session, no longer have constant pain/numbness down my leg. I urge your dh to find a chiropractor who can really help him. Good luck. Back pain is so exhausting.

they are spelled differently and pronounced differently. Katya with a y is Slavic. Katia with an i is Greek. http://babynamesworld.parentsconnect.com/meaning_of_Katia.html

My dd is Katia, the Greek version of Katherine.

I grew up near Belleville and lived in St Louis while I got my MS. My family all still live in the area. We stayed over Memorial weekend and the Drury Inn was fantastic. We stayed at the Drury in O'Fallon - just northeast from Belleville and it's easier to get to/from St. Louis from there because it's right off 64. They had huge rooms, free popcorn and drinks and free dinner in the evening, free breakfast in the am. Indoor and outdoor pool. Regional St Louis food - you can eat Italian on the Hill. I miss the sandwiches at Amighettis. http://www.amighettis.com/ Don't miss Ted Drewes for frozen custard IMO the rest of the food is typical midwest fare. If you get to the zoo early, the parking is so so much easier. STL is not a walking town. The Science center is pretty cool. Have a great visit!

I would try the chiropractor. My dd had 9 ear infections when she was a baby and we were ready to meet with the the ENT for tubes. The ped suggested a chiro first. My dd had 2 adjustments and didn't have another ear infection again for 4 years. After the adjustment, the colic disappeared and my baby's whole personality changed. The chiro charged 25 a visit - worth every penny. Good luck!

My youngest is starting K this year. It's a bittersweet year for me because my oldest will be in 8th grade and my dh wants our kids to go to a high school so this will be my last year hsing all of my kids.

You all are awesome. What a fabulous list of ideas. Thank you!

nono, we'll be at Hilton Head and I've never been so I appreciate any help! Parrothead, I love the seafood idea and plan on getting lots of steamed shrimp to peel and eat. I'm not very good at cooking fish though. Beth, thanks for the suggestion. I tend to steer away from the convenience foods because they don't usually feed a family of 6 and are expensive. But maybe I should rethink this. A roasted chicken would be a great idea. Mamageek, I confess that I cannot abide the boiled meat dishes that are generally crockpot fare. I'd rather eat pb&j.

that does help and that's my kind of cooking. How do you find a farmer's market while on vacation?

I"d love to have some ideas for meal planning while on a beach vacation. We'll be driving over 12 hours to get there so I'm not keen on packing frozen meals. I do lunch pretty well because we've been packing pool lunches since June. The dinner prep makes me twitch. It tends to take too long and by that time of day, I'm tired. This year, I have a pinched nerve so I really want to be more prepared. What menu ideas do you have for a beach vacation?

your child's age/grade_____ 13, 10, and 8. She thinks the 5 yr old is too young to take lessons teacher's qualifications (degree, etc.)________ BA Lesson length _____ (30 minutes, 45, 60?) 30 min in her home Lesson frequency(once/week?)______ weekly Monthly cost $ ______ (per child) 15/child Region where you live______ midwest I had a cheaper piano teacher last year but my kids disliked the lessons. now, they play every day and I never have to remind them to practice - they just enjoy playing. That is all because this teacher lets them work on fun pieces.

I had my 3rd at 38 and my 4th at 41. Congrats!

:iagree: It's totally worth $25.

scroll down for the sandwich. http://www.cincinnati.com/dining/servatii/chef.html Oh, and if you are serving ham, cut it into thirds. I find that people often take more than they will eat (especially children) and I hate to run out because kids have put more than then can eat on their plates. Sometimes, I serve small rolls for kids.

Your menu looks great. You will likely have to be at church by 8:30. Are you sure you want to cook beforehand? I'm going super lazy and having Olive Garden salads, fruit salad, rolls, condiments, pretzel sandwiches from the local bakery, cake and brazillian lemonade. I have thrown a lot of parties. Here is my advice: set the table the night before leaving a post it note for where each food item should go. You might want to assign a relative to go to your house immediately after mass and put out the food. There are usually photos after FHC and you may not be the first one to arrive. Focus on one thing that you want to be fabulous and don't worry too much about the rest. I tend to make fancy drinks and decorate the table. Congrats to your First Communicant!

I think this audio bible http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Dramatized-Audio-Bible-Testament/dp/1591713250/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1303123526&sr=8-3 would make an awesome gift.

I have this. It's several stories, each one describing a member of the sentence family. The student listens to the story and is supposed to draw/color a picture for each member of the sentence family. There are clues to the person in the drawing - verb is red, performing some action, etc. My 10 and 7 year olds loved this. It's was a little young for my 12 year old but they listened to it together. I think it is excellent for what it does. After using it, I moved on to Winston Grammar. Let me know if you have any other questions.