I can't wait to get there! Only three more days and we're Texans!!:party:

Me Too! I would fall asleep in the Honors Lounge and wake up to find all sorts of people around me that weren't there when I first shut my eyes. A little disconcerting.:001_huh: Then I wondered if there was some sort of library fundraiser where you could sleep in the library one night. That could be fun - all those books and just little 'ol me to browse them all night long!:D

I ran all my dishes through the dishwasher with a detergent that included bleach when we first got married. I figured that the combination would be enough. It was for DH

Not that I can tell - if someone knows, please tell us!! :bigear:

I used to wonder this exact same thing. It took almost three years for me to find the time again (and DD to be independent enough to allow it)! I read while DD takes a bath and I'm just supervising while she splashes I read when I can't sleep (more frequent these days) I read when I realize I'm watching TV for no reason I read when I'm trying to get DD to play by herself I read when I wake up a half hour before everyone else I may just get a few minutes in, but having a book (or books) nearby and ready makes it easy for me to pick one up and start in. That's where the Kindle is genius - I have six books going at once on one device and I can "pick up" any one of them at any time. It's not easy, I'll agree - and I'm not home schooling yet!

:iagree: There are books that work for me on my Kindle and books I'd rather be able to flip through and hold and mark up. TWTM? Prefer in print. TWEM? Interestingly, it's working well in Kindle. Go figure. Books I consider "reference" type books and cookbooks are best not "Kindle-ized". Books I read through (fiction, biography, personal reading) work great. Example: "Julie & Julia" was a perfect Kindle book. "Julia's Kitchen Wisdom" not so much. That being said - I plan on having a Kindle version of TWTM so that when we go overseas I have a copy without having to lug the print copy in my suitcase. And that in itself makes the Kindle worth it.

I hope everything went well with shopping! Holler if you have more questions. My husband is from Turkey and I have been thoroughly educated in the "no pork no how no way" method of cooking. They truly do think it is *that* unclean.

:lol::lol::lol::party::party::party: That's all - just my own little party in a text box.....

You've been given great advice. I would second all of it, especially finding a local quilt shop and finding out about lessons. You will find a hand piecing class or at least the friendly people in the shop will know a hand piecer who can help. Quilters are very friendly people. Think about making a couple of small quilts for dolls (or DD4) at first as you get your bearings. My first one was a throw - we STILL use it about 25 years later. I made my first quilt when I was 15. I still love it. How wonderful your daughters can do this with you!

Don't know if this is a repeat, but found this in my booklist folder of bookmarks: Trivium Pursuit: Good Books to Read

I don't know if you missed any, but thanks for the list! I'm copying into my own bookmark folder of booklists! :hurray:

I think your ILs live near me - those are my exact distances to the 2 airports! Some people get bent out of shape because depending on the time of day and season, that 30 min drive to Norfolk can become 2 hours. The Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel can be a real bear in summer, especially Friday afternoons. I know, DH works in Va Beach and there have been some hellacious commutes!

They're about 45 min. apart. Newport News is closer to Williamsburg, Norfolk is closer to Virginia Beach. Look at both, prices can vary with both. If the $$ works, Newport News is smaller, easier, closer to Wmsburg (20-30 min). Norfolk will be closer to Va Beach but still a drive to get there (30 min). However, you will drive right by it on your way to Newport News on your way home. I guess it depends on which end of the trip you'd rather do the big drive - beginning or end?

Just go for it and serve Thanksgiving! Roast turkey stuffing/dressing green bean casserole (my overseas relatives are all over this one) mashed potatoes jello salad green salad w/ ranch dressing pumpkin pie w/ cool whip apple pie a la mode Who cares it's not really November? I can't think of anything more American than Thanksgiving!

:lurk5: DD just this week started waking up and coming to my room. Every night I've woken to an adorable face in mine. I have a monitor in her room, turned up, but DD is a sneaky silent little one. Buying door covers asap. Had forgotten about them. Thank you!

My overseas in-laws want us to bring them things from Walmart all the time. And they want to shop there every.single.day when they're here, too. :confused: The funny thing about the comparison bit is that I wouldn't start it - they would. Someone would ask a question ("what do you wear? where do you shop?) and I'd answer honestly and suddenly it was a flash of defensiveness, even though the options in the US are so much more than where I was living. Dunno. I think they didn't want me to like living abroad at all, and I did. A lot of posters have recommended the "Third Culture Kids" book. I'll also recommend it. Good insights about what your kids will go through. Also - bring some things from your UK home with you to ease the transition - I mean like your favorite breakfast cereal (if it's British), some treats that you can stash in your suitcase. It helps, especially if you have a picky eater that may need some help transitioning. Fix your kids' rooms straight away when you get a home here so that they feel some sense of belonging and stability. I moved A LOT as a kid and sometimes just having my room "right" was really comforting when everything else was so upside down. We're moving now and all my DD can talk about is if there's going to be a room for her in our new house. It's first on my list once we finally get to our new place. The rest of the house I can take my time with, but her room has to be right by the end of the first day.

Grand Canyon Bryce Canyon 4 Corners (ok, everyone who actually goes says it's hokey, but I want to go!) Wall Drug Would the Badlands be on your way or worth seeing? I can't picture the route so I'm not sure what you're going through.

You want to talk awkward? My SIL homeschools her kids. Her sister is a public school teacher and sends all her kids to public school. I think they finally agreed to disagree on the subject and they just don't discuss it anymore. I would want to crawl under my chair whenever the subject of education came up because while they tried to be gracious, both feel strongly about their choices.

I am certainly no expert (my DD is only 2), but it occurs to me that July is two months from now. Couldn't you do a unit study or mini-session on knights this summer and then say, "Ok - now we're going to start with our school year and start studying another cool period - with Egyptian pharaohs, Roman soldiers, Greek gods, and all sorts of interesting things. You can continue to study about knights in your free time and free reading, but I want you to learn about these other periods during our school time." Like I said - I'm no expert, but it seems you can do both. By the time you hit July your son might be ready for something new.

Be careful going into Wal Mart. I broke down into tears my first trip there after returning from Turkey. A whole AISLE of baby food?! I was used to maybe two linear feet in my grocery store, and at least one lecture from a little old lady about how processed baby food was going to give my DD brain damage. Friends and family will vacillate between interest in how things are done overseas and defensiveness about how things are done here. I finally learned to answer questions succinctly and diplomatically (I didn't even realize I wasn't being diplomatic at first!). Traffic blew my mind, especially the size of cars here. SUVs everywhere - but not a bus in sight. And taxis? Only in the big cities. HTH...

As an alternative to stroganoff, maybe a Mexican casserole (like a lasagna) with tortillas, taco seasoned chicken (shredded), sour cream, green chilies, salsa, cheese? No recipe, just thinking off the top of my head...

Funny you should mention this. On top of everything, she is being raised bilingual. DH is Turkish so she has no choice if she wants to talk to my in-laws (well, except for MIL who is perfectly bilingual). DD's English is stronger, but her Turkish is about to get a huge boost - we're moving down the street from MIL who has promised to speak to her in Turkish. DH can't keep it up - he lapses into English. MIL has a lot more discipline. I hope to add French eventually, but want to give the Turkish time to grow before I add it. She loves French, though. Loves the sound of it. Repeats anything I teach her in French over and over and over. Will go on random French riffs every now and then. I wouldn't believe it either if I wasn't living it!

Yeah, there's pressure, but it's ok. I can handle it. And I do think it's good for her to be around other kids. For the past year we've been kind of stuck in a small condo without other kids and no car to get around. We're moving to a neighborhood, with a yard, will have access to a car at least part-time if not full-time (shared with in-laws who are awesome). I'm looking forward to dd getting to get out more and make friends. As far as WTM goes, I devoured the library copy, but they have this annoying rule that you have to return books when due if someone has it reserved. :glare: It's on my list to purchase after the move. It's very much my style. When I get another copy to read, I may pursue that further. Thanks for the reminder! And for those who worry I'm doing too much with DD, understand that I'm viewing outside preschool purely as social, not academic. I want her to play, make friends, and have fun. Actual learning is gravy.

I do too! That's why I came to the hive for help/encouragement/a good talking to. :) Like the time we were in the Charlotte airport and she was going bonkers (she wasn't quite two, if I remember right) saying "Basket! Basket!" We were strolling to Concourse B with a great big huge "B" on the wall. B is for basket. She then recognized A (Apple) and C (Carrot). That's when I decided I need to feed her brain. I just want to do it right. Thank you all! I welcome any and all comments. :)

YES! Someone here said that they almost needed "permission" to do something. I think I need that too. Everyone keeps telling me what a bright girl DD is, that she needs to be challenged, should be in preschool (and some of these people are homeschoolers). I want to feed her brain without overdoing it. I was thinking a curriculum would give me enough without going overboard. Like I said - I need structure. I feel like Goldilocks... Trying to :chillpill:....