Actually, the guy on the neighboring ranch, just told me that they used to have alligator in the swapy area on the back acerage. :001_huh: ....between that and the cottonmouths we do not let the kids back there anymore! ;)

I know in Houston they get around this by alternating privacy panels. So, for 6 ft the post are facing me, then the neighbor, then me, and so on. :tongue_smilie:

One whole side of the yard is connected to the horse and goat pastures. I do not like the goats in the yard beacasue they eat my Kumquat and Meyer lemon trees, but I wonder what would happen if I moved them for awhile and allowed the goats access. They might go after the garden. Hmmmmm....:confused:

Yes, please!!! Dh had just mowed and trimmed the yard, so I think this particular snake had his home chopped down. :tongue_smilie: I have two dogs that spend all night under the house and in the yard so I was really surprised to see it so close to the house. Ick! I am now terrified that it is somewhere in the house!!! Edited: I am looking into guinea's as I think they are capable of taking on a snake, but I am a little concerned for my gardens.

I thought they were going to pull together an send the information to Math Mammoth within 48 hours, and then Maria usually reponds with the link in an additional 36 hours. I could be wrong though as this is my first time. :001_smile:

:iagree: I would read aloud as much as you can together, but I would start to utilize books on CD for the children as well. These could be really helpful at night. The discussion would be a little more limited, unless you were very familiar with the text, but it is still doable. Also, I was looking at the ages of your kids which are a little younger than mine. My kids missed out on some beautiful picture type books. The language is still extrememly rich and the artwork is stunning. They are slightly shorter to read, but feed a ton of discussion. On another note, I let my kids to foreign language in th evenings. It doesn't really feel like school to them as it is computer based. We use Mango which adds the option of lessons in Pirate for when they need a reward. :D My house is such a hodgepodge right now of French, Spanish, Greek and the occasional Pirate! :lol:

:D This was my suspicion, so I have refrained from killing them....even though they freak me out every. single. time! Especially, because I only get a glimpse before they launch themselves into the creek. :tongue_smilie: I might have to look into the snake away product. Thanks!:001_smile:

I did okay for awhile. But, after killing 3 copperheads and a coral snake this winter, dogdeing large black snakes (I think they are Cottonmouths) when I walk near the creek, and missing another coral snake last night that then slithered under the house.... I am struggling. :tongue_smilie: I am starting to miss colder climates!

I know that here in Texas 3 of the 4 plants that produce this have been indefinitely shut down. That is 100's of jobs. http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/03/28/149529235/why-pink-slime-isnt-that-different-from-other-meat What I do have a difficult time with is not understanding if it really is DANGEROUS. Granted, I do not like the IMAGE of pink slime, but is it unhealthy? That is why I was asking my question about ammonia. Yes, meat parts spun around in a centrifuge does not come out looking very appetizing, but is it bad for you? I go back to the whole bone broth illustration. That gelatinous mass that comes out of my crockpot is not appetizing, but it is very good for you. I am all for accurate labels and a well educated population. I have no problem with a label saying beef bits mixed with ammonia....if I can ascertain the health risks associated with the ammonia. Edited: I DO have serious issues with artificial things being added to my food. I have more issues with food dyes though than I do with ammonia. ;)

I would agree, except for the fact that I think humans have been consuming similar things for quite awhile. I recently read a recipe for "head cheese," that was a bit disgusting. But it was quite the delicacy back in the day. :tongue_smilie:

I have question that I haven't quite been able to figure out the answer to. How is ammonia different from vinegar? I know that I use vinegar to make bone broth from the leftover carcass. I use vinegar and ammonia for many of the same cleaning chores. It just got me thinking about how different these two things are. Sorry, I am not phrasing this well. If someone with a clearer head wants to try and rephrase my question please do. :-)

Wonderful! :D

Just going to throw some practical suggestions out there. First off horse rides do not often last very long. At my house this looks like the horses being tied, groomed and saddled in one area (grandma would be in charge, keep your kids away). Then taking turns, they are led around. (again, by Grandma) Another idea is to ask if SIL kids can buddy up with your older kids while outside. It sounds like it is going to be stressful no matter what, but if she only uses one or two horses and you do not have to be right outside the whole time, it might not be too bad. ;) I wouldn't ignore your feelings in any way, but that wouldn't mean a no go either. I would take it as proceed with caution. Is it a new thing for you to be with dh's relatives, by yourself? That can be overwhelming in itself. Let grandma handle the horses, keep your kids safe and occupied inside, and if they want to ride let them out one-at-a-time. All of this is very fresh for me, because we had about 4 families out last weekend and gave horse rides. I was stressed as well, but mainly because I had an adult who *thought* he could ride. :glare:

I would really like to make my own version of febreeze. The only problem is I cannot find a recipe that lasts long enough. Within a min the nice scents are gone :confused: Right now I have started with a basic baking soda, water, essential oil mix. I just tried adding a really high proof alchohol, but it is still gone so fast. It does neutralize bad odors, so that part is working!:001_smile: What really rubs me as that I have this cheap linen water from the dollar store that smells good for DAYS!!!!:glare: Any ideas? Recipes? Am I just not using enough/the right kind of essential oils?

I feel your pain. All of a sudden dd11 has discovered arm crossing, throwing arms up in exasperation, rolling eyes, head tossing and then looking off into the distance with a blank, "I am so to good to listen to this," expression, feet stomping, "WhaaAAAAaaaattttttt?!!!!, "You NEVER listen!!!!, you ALWAYS ******," and door slamming. :svengo: I feel a little bad for her because it just looks so awkward, but it is also incredibly infuriating! :tongue_smilie:

I went into B&N the other night and found a bunch of the books for between 11-17 dollars. It was at that point I was really excited about this sale. ;) I need to make a master list of what the different books cover, or maybe just print the table of contents for each one. Hmmmmm, that actually could work!

2 weeks ago. ;)

...and I am so grateful!!! Now, I do not have to have 40 tabs open!!! ;)

Yeah, I meant for this to be on K-8 board! My oldest is headed into 6th so I purchased some more advanced stuff for her. I just bought a university textbook on Ecology at my tiny library's book sale for 10cents, rather happy with that find. :D I would have noticed this was on the wrong board if I hadn't been happily sequestered in my library. ;) Oh no! there goes my great plan. I am so sorry if I was a tease! :glare: Edited: I just added some in my chart and went to checkout and they were still 1.00.

....and it is really cheap so I figured I would share. ;) I already have a couple great encyclopedic like spines. Those are providing me with the frame work. Then each child has a composition book. We choose an area of science from the spine (for us it is ecosystems, biomes, and habitats right now), summarize in journal. Then we get books from the library, finally I purchased a bunch of these for a 1.00... http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-solve-the-riddle-science-mini-books'>http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-solve-the-riddle-science-mini-books'>http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-solve-the-riddle-science-mini-books'>http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-solve-the-riddle-science-mini-books'>http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-solve-the-riddle-science-mini-books'>http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-solve-the-riddle-science-mini-books'>http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-solve-the-riddle-science-mini-books http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-solve-the-riddle-science-mini-books http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-solve-the-riddle-science-mini-books http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/lift-look-science-mini-books-and-manipulatives http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/sandwich-bag-science http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/15-standards-based-science-activities-kids-will-love http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/25-totally-terrific-science-projects ....and this little book is one of my favorites!!! http://teacherexpress.scholastic.com/dollardeals/science-graphic-organizers-mini-lessons It doesn't look like much, but it does teach about the scientific method. We will do things from these books (and many others I purchased :tongue_smilie:) and paste them into their science journals. I figured I would share since they are still availble for 1.00 this morning. I also used the LEARNINGJAN code for an additional 30% off (maybe 20%) anyway, lets just say I saved a ton!

I would make something like this with my kids for each one, and attach it some very bright and colorful extra large candy boxes. http://www.christianbook.com/handprint-poem-with-scripture/pd/779004?event=AFF&p=1156550&

Highly recommend this book http://www.amazon.com/Wise-Child-Monica-Furlong/dp/0394891058/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1332960501&sr=1-1 I am reading it aloud to the kids right now and we are loving it. There are a few other books in the series as well. The author was very talented. I think they are out of print right now, but I have had good luck at my libraries.

Can I ask you science people for some ideas? One thing Dd came home from ps with was a great science journal/notebook. It seemed like a composition book combined with a lapbook. Because it was a composition book it took up little space and provided a great place for science vocabulary as well. I would like to model our science after this for awhile, bit I am not sure how to go about it. The other kicker is that I would like to let the kids pick an area of science to gather info on and research, a bit interest driven at first, with me steering them later to fill in holes. Ideas? I guess at it's most basic I am looking for simple templates to accompany different science themes.

How did you bridge from R&S to algebra? I was considering moving dd11 over to Saxon Alg1/2 next year, but she seems to be really enjoying R&S combined with MM videos. I should probably just grab my TWTM and see what Susan says. I read it a couple weeks ago, but am starting to question my plans. :tongue_smilie:

Can anyone tell me how Rod and Staff math holds up past 6th grade?