It's ok for school to work for your kid! I'll tell you, we really went back and forth about middle school. I think it was harder than the other grades because it's a transition year, so we really had to decide yes or no to all of middle school (we felt). We really weighed our options and decided middle school just wasn't going to happen. Once we made that decision, it was like a huge weight was lifted. There were no more doubts and we just told people, "yes, we are hsing through middle school." We'll revisit again for high school. I think once you decide either way, just embrace it and move on. It's three years. He can always go to high school. It's also great that you feel like school is an option. It's nice to have options!

Awesome! I bet once he gets used to eating like this, he'll start noticing those other foods don't fill him up. Good for you, Mama!

My kids said, "Look at all that alcohol!" And after all the pictures of beautiful fruits and veggies, we got to the US and dd says, "We'll that's embarrassing." (Referring to all the processed foods.) It's interesting to hear their reactions to each picture.

I was needle phobic and have helped my two overcome it. Absolutely offer a prize. Absolutely. Do not dismiss her feelings, but do help her work through them. Yes, it will hurt for just a minute, but I will sit there with you and breathe. We'll count to twenty and it will be done. The worst thing my mom did was dismiss my feelings and treat me like I was just a big baby.

I don't think a commercial business and a city service are in the same arena. I was a teacher and had no special privileges at my library. I had to remember to return the books.

Has anyone been there? Was it worth it? What did you think? Where did you stay? Thanks!

If I owe fines at the library, I'm always embarrassed because it is always my fault. We have really nice librarians, but I'm not sure what sort of extra treatment I need just because we homeschool. Sorry.

Yes, we teach social skills all the time by being guests, hosts, writing thank you notes, speaking with new people, etc. It's just a matter of modeling and talking about it. But, look around NObody is perfect, and I'm talking about adults. Is a life long process and not something most people master in childhood. When I worry (and I do) I try to keep my experience as a teacher in mind. There is a whole spectrum of everything. For every quirk one of my kids has, I can name ten kids who are worse and go to school. When I see them with their PS peers, I worry that they don't know who Justin Beiber is, but then I'm thankful for the other characteristics they don't have because of the influence of that whole 10 year old girl culture. Just keep plugging away at it! The world needs all kinds of people. :)

Excuse me? Where did I say "all?" My kids are adopted through foster care. Unfortunately they don't have a sweet story of a birth mom who gave them up to have a better life. So yes, for a lot of us, this is a huge concern.

Ditto.

New Market. :) We went there once!

OK, so if I cook the meat and veggies this afternoon, then throw everything else in the crock pot and let it sit on low for a few hours, I should be fine?? I'm a recipe follower and have no cooking sense!

I'm making a "healthier sloppy joe" recipe I found online. It's all done on a skillet and takes about 30 minutes. I don't want to be cooking when our company arrives. At what point can I put this all in the crock pot? Could I brown the meat now (10:30AM), then put everything else in the crockpot until dinner? Or do I need to cook the veggies a bit with the meat first?

Sigh. Good luck. I can only hope I will have raised my kids to see through their bioparents- love them for who they are, but accept that they are broken and not seek identity within the dysfunction.

Simplicity Parenting

I don't know how to bold you last sentence on my iPad, but I totally agree.

Also, my friend from dds therapy office is a wonderful mom of five little ones, one of whom has autism. Her kids have very limited screen time and tons of play/outdoor time. She owns four Nooks. The kids know that therapy time is their Nook time. And I am ever so grateful for their Nook time. ;)

My grandma didn't have to put up with whiny kids at the store, but not because they had electronics. She had a housekeeper. A full time housekeeper. And no job. (I'm not one for kids with electronics, but I in NO way compare today's parenting with past parenting. Completely different issues.)

Ah, I didn't even think of Ford's theater!

We've done Harper's Ferry, too. A favorite, for sure.

Ohhh. We do need to hit Mt. Vernon, still. And, I'd love to visit a town called Pohick. Hehe

We have six weeks left in VA and need to hit some Civil War sites before we leave. We've been to Gettysburg and New Market. I thought we'd be here for a few more years! What would you say are the most important things to see? Appomattox? Tredegar? Petersburg?

Same here. I have no desire to go to mine. We have friend reunions and those are much better.

When you are spending over $100 a head, it does make a difference. I think it depends on what type of wedding you are having. Not everyone wants kids running around at their wedding, monopolizing the dace floor, etc. Also, my husband and I like to drink and socialize at weddings, not babysit. ;) My friend just got married and the restaurant (club) had a separate room set up for the kids (only the few kids who were part of the wedding party, children of close family, etc). It was cute and such a great idea.

We turned down an out of town wedding of an acquaintance because of child care. But, I was very impressed that they sent a babysitter list out with the invitations. These were babysitters that the bride knew, who would come to the hotel to watch your kids for both the cocktail party and the wedding and the reception. It was such a nice idea, but in the end, we just don't leave our kids with strangers. We are weird like that. If it was an important wedding, we would have hired a babysitter to come to our home and stay with our kids for a few days while we went. We've done things like that before when it's really been important to us. It isn't anyone else's responsibility to accommodate for our family needs.