Please tell me you have a blog!!!!!!!

This is how I've felt lately about IKEA. You might be able to get a nicer couch for the same price elsewhere.

I'm not seeing the option to buy the whole curriculum anymore. Does anyone know what happened? Help!

Our friend works for Mattel in China and his wife teaches at an international school.

Great! It is so liberating! We've gone from 2,400 sq feet to about 1,000 and we've moved twice in the last two years. I don't even remember all the crap we used to have. It's such an easier way to live. You can clean faster, keep your house clean, and not focus so much on "stuff." Now, just remember to spread the word so that people stop giving you stuff!!!

I'd ask and be very direct. It will elicit a clear answer from them and also let them know how they come across. Also, with these exclusive groups...tread lightly.

They wish it was sorcery!

Sigh. I don't know. Here's what I'm thinking: Math- CLE 700s and AoPS Pre algebra Language Arts- WWS 2, Barbarian Diagrammarian on Lukeion, Megawords Science- I don't know. Maybe the next book in The Story of Science and continue with labs at the museum History- the second half of SOTW 4 (as planned) and continuing to the present with lots and lots of reading and social justice lessons. Lots of Zimm. Latin- Lively Latin 2. I guess? A modern language. I want Spanish, one twin wants French, and one wants Chinese. Stay tuned. Continue with soccer and archery

Personally, I think GWL is overpriced and crowded, plus Masanutten is in a much prettier location, so I'd choose snowboarding and tubing any day. As far as whether a 12 year old would enjoy the GWL waterpark alone (and I've only been to Williamsburg), it just depends on your kid. The slides are definitely big enough to be exciting and the wave thing is cool. It just depends on how he usually does by himself. I don't think my girls would want to do two whole days of that water park though. They'd probably rather site see in Williamsburg and spend an afternoon at the water park. FWIW

This, exactly!

These were exactly the two that did it for me!

Whole Foods, hands down Costco Trader Joe's Critical Thinking Company Starbucks Harmon's Chipotle, except for a few locations (we ate at many Chipotles while traveling across the country all summer- they are not all created equally)

We were a fost to adopt home. Unless kids are actually ready for adoption, "legal risk placement" doesn't mean much. Things can change so much in a case. Our girls were 4 when we got them. They had two visits a week and therapy twice a week. One also had speech twice a week. Infants in our area had up to 5 visits per week. It's a lot! Just take it slowly and SAY NO!!! Do NOT take on more than you know you can handle. You WILL be asked! You will be used and abused, so stick to your guns. If you feel like something is too much, say so.

We are reading aloud The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate and loving it!!!

We went two years ago and my kids did one day of the children's program. We aren't Christian, FWIW. I went because it is HUGE and the curriculum fair was unbelievable. There were so many hands-on things for the kids to do. I didn't go last year because I didn't want to deal the the Duggar crowds. It's great. Well organized, a huge variety of speakers (all, of course, with a Christian worldview). I really enjoyed most of the speakers I listened to. The used curriculum fair is larger than most regular curriculum fairs. We didn't stay near the convention center. We stayed about 15 minutes away at the Wyndham. I never had an issue with parking. We lived 90 minutes away and the only thing I regretted was trying to drive home on the last day. We should have spent another night in the hotel. We were exhausted!!!

This was interesting to hear. It makes me wonder about our differing circumstances and how it affects our attitudes about things. I can't imagine the park being a predictable place to take my kids. It never has been. There have been parties, creepy people, sections closed, dangerous trash in the sand, etc. I guess my world has just never been that predictable, and while a million things irritate me to no end, something like the bounce house would probably be the least of my worries for the day and a good time to teach my kids all the manners and lessons mentioned by other posters. If my kids are old enough to verbally whine about "wanting a bounce house, too," they are definitely old enough to start learning they can't have everything they want. However, I think I get that you are just saying you'd be silently disappointed, which I get, but realizing the situation itself isn't the problem. (I think.)

All of this.

We had an amazing summer last year when we traveled the US. I think traveling abroad would be their biggest wish. I'm not even telling dd about this camp because I can't afford it, but if she could, I'm sure she'd spend her whole summer here: http://www.whalecamp.com/

Absolutely! Toss it! We rarely have much junk in the house and I never buy soda. My husband is another story. Occasionally he'll bring sodas home for guests or whatever and of course I end up drinking them. I get mad at him because I have no will power!

Here's a $10 off coupon per prescription. That would make a dent. http://www.tamiflu.com/coupon?cid=tam_PS_MVTMIF1007&c=MVTMIF1007&moc=MVTMIF1007&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=tamiflu&utm_campaign=Patient-Branded-2012-Creative

This. There are a lot of great boarding schools and if I was to send my child away, it would only be to a *great* one (or none). I've had many family members and friends attend boarding school and they had wonderful experiences!

She tends to sensationalize things a bit, but I liked this article on teas. http://foodbabe.com/2013/08/21/do-you-know-whats-really-in-your-tea/

Constantly drinking anything but water is bad for your teeth, especially if there is sugar in it. Try to enjoy your cup, then give your mouth a break. The amount consumed isn't the issue, but the frequency of putting something in your mouth is.

Ugh. I'll tell you our story. We did a 3 month road trip this summer. I started making campsite reservations at the beginning of March and Yosemite was completely booked. I ended up making a reservation at a super small campground with only pit toilets just outside the park. However... We had camped two nights Marshall Gold SHP in Coloma. It was SO HOT. This was mid July. We drove into Yosemite around noon and it was gorgeous. Breathtakingly beautiful. But, it was SO CROWDED. I felt like I was at Disneyland. We checked out the tiny visitor's center that was hot and crowded. All the bathrooms were disgusting- some of the worst of our whole trip. We stopped to look at the Housekeeping camp and I was so disgusted. You couldn't pay me to stay there. There were people everywhere- like ants. It was so dirty. We could hardly pull over or park to see anything. We ended up canceling our camping reservation and going on to our next destination. I was so disappointed. With that said, I'd go again, but NEVER again during the summer. I'd go at the beginning or end of the season, rent a real cabin or camp outside of the park (the regular campgrounds were WAY too crowded and close together for us). I would have loved to have gone hiking, but even the trails were busy! We overheard hikers coming off trails complaining. My husband took the girls on a small hike (I had to stay with our dog). And just for some perspective, we had been at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon a few weeks prior and had an amazing time. Some parks are built and managed well for large numbers of people. Yosemite, in my opinion, is not one of those parks. ETA: Before you jump on me, it is GORGEOUS! This was our mid-summer experience last year. Itwas NOT the Yosemite I remember visiting as a child. And that was just our one day experience.

I would want to know no matter what, but I am like that and my husband and I don't keep things from each other. I know there are spouses who keep little things from each other all the time though, so I'm not sure how marriages like that work or what the wife would want to know. I'd probably tell the husband he needs to tell her, then refuse to engage until he did.