I'm with you.

:grouphug: Jean. I'm so sorry for your loss.

I was raised in various protestant churches (we moved a lot - military), and attended 2 years of Lutheran school because it was the best educational choice at the time. We attended church because it was the "right" thing to do, but the family focus was on ethics, and living a good life, treating all people fairly and kindly. By the time I'd had 2 years of Lutheran school, we stopped attending church at all - we discussed it as a family, and decided that I knew the stories. And yes, they were called stories in my family - as in, these are stories people use to illustrate how to live a good life. They were never viewed as literal. As a young teen, a friend convinced me to join a methodist church for the youth group activities, then after only a few months she converted to mormonism and tried hard to convert me to that one, too (she lost me on the concept of women needing to be married to make it to a certain level of heaven, or something like that). I attended an evangelical church camp with a cousin, with altar calls and angels singing when a soul is saved, and threats of hell. The basic message I'd received by the time I was a teen: there are many different types of religions. None of them are right. The ones that I felt had merit were the ones that helped people live well, treat other people with kindness and fairness. By the time I was a young adult, I knew christianity was not for me. It was too inconsistent, the messages too mixed. My sister converted to Orthodox Judaism. I explored Buddhism, and had a bit of a love affair with A Course in Miracles, in which I substituted the word "universe" for "god" every time I saw that word. Then I went to school, and studied. And studied and studied. I am an anthropologist. And I see the value that was in religions, and the order that they brought to people. People need answers. People created those answers, and I think it's fascinating to see just how many religions have similarities - so many cultures have stories of a virgin birth, or a flood (the virgin birth is perhaps not so surprising, after all, when women are afraid of being stoned or outcast or killed, I think a story of a virgin birth is pretty enterprising!). But religions also brought chaos and confusion, and incredible cruelty. Ultimately, I see no reason to think that one religion is more "right" than another. I don't think we need to create a "god" to answer questions about why it rains or doesn't any longer, I think we have those answers now. And that we are finding more and more answers as we learn. The answers we are finding are every bit as beautiful, as mysterious, as comforting, and as thought-provoking as any belief in a god. For the people who still need to believe that they are right, that their god is the right one - that's okay. People have needed that belief for a long, long time. If it gives someone peace, I don't begrudge them that peace. I don't fit the mold of the angry atheist, normally. Unless I see someone behaving cruelly or unethically in the name of religion - and then, I suppose, I do fit that mold.

It's not a fun test, but it's not horrible. You'll probably want a ride home. I have POTS (among other things). Did he check your heart rate lying down then standing? When you stand - for quite some time - don't shift your feet, keep you feet firmly under you, and don't shift your weight around. I hope you get answers soon!

Thinking of KK today!

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Keep up the good fight!

Yes, this would be most helpful. I'd like to pass it along to my oldest, recent college grad who is living on internships and minimum wage jobs while he builds his resume. He would be very interested.

Oh, yay!!!!! I am hungry just thinking about this. Picking up tofu today. Thank you!

I'm drooling. :drool5: All of you who can eat lentils and garbanzos... Eat some for me, so I can live vicariously through you. Please. (None for us, DS is allergic.) Watching for lentil, garbanzo, dairy free ideas though!

Buckingham County. From VAHomeschoolers' website: Buckingham CountyWe have also received reports of school officials in Buckingham County requesting that homeschoolers make an appointment for the parents and their children to meet with school officials to fill out paperwork and answer questions. While the law allows for dialoguing with students in granting religious exemption, no meeting with parents or students is required by law under the home instruction statute. We are currently in the process of contacting school division officials and will provide updates as we get more information.

I heard about this (VA Homeschoolers sent out a notice, and they've been in contact with the school board's attorney as well, but without much luck yet), and feel for you. They are overstepping. There is another VA county overstepping this year, too - it seems to be contagious. :grouphug:

:grouphug: :grouphug:

I was an outdoors kid. I rode horses, and spent every moment outside. My family was a backpacking family. I grew up to choose a field that involved outdoor fieldwork, and required backcountry trekking. I collected mountain ranges, and have camped more places than I can remember. My 30s were stolen by a series of tick borne diseases. I'm lucky to be alive, and lucky that I can walk. Every day I make the trek to the laundry room I am grateful. I probably won't ever be the same. So, yep, I am now a mostly indoors adult. I love museums, I love cities, and I love being outside and doing things. But I don't camp, I don't backcountry trek any more, and I love to look at mountains more than I love to camp in them now. I still have the gear, and it sits in our garage, in storage, waiting for my courage to come back.

:( So sad.

Yep. And those little portable packs of sunbutter rock, too.

Oh, don't forget to ask about Auvi-Q. Our insurance actually covered those *better* than epipens! And they are so much cooler. :coolgleamA: You could ask the doc to write you for both - get 2 packs of each.

Get some insulated epipen carriers. They make them to clip on boys' belts, or to wear as belts - usually they'll come with both options. The insulation isn't great, but will help a bit - to keep them from getting too hot or too cold. Don't leave them in the car! We order ours online, but even our CVS carries them now. Always get the two pack. See if your doc will write you for more than one set, so you have a set for home, in your purse, in the medicine bag. If you do end up with an expired epipen, or one you've had to replace because you (a-hem) left in the car... use it to practice on on an orange. :) Keep them in the same place in the house. Get in the habit of checking for them when you check to be sure kids are buckled in the car. If you leave them at home accidentally - go back and get them. You are teaching your kids that the epipens are a priority, and they'll need to know that later in life. If we forget ours, that trumps everything.

How about a sturdy, will-last-forever microscope? The Brock Magiscope is great - you can throw it in a backpack and take it on hikes. Ours has gone everywhere. It's a pricier item, but will take your kiddo a long way.

Yours is chocolate. Ours is face paint. I *know* it's face paint. Still, the cringing. :leaving: Going to scrub it off now.

:grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug:

I agree - homemade card and maybe a small homemade gift if it feels important to your child.

Our just died, too, and right in the middle of printing stuff for the upcoming year. I ordered a new HP. The price has changed since I ordered it last week, I think we paid $152, but I wanted Air Print and didn't mind paying for it. Can I suggest that when you *do* buy a new printer - do some research and see if there's a CISS for your new model? I went to a homeschooling conference in 2010, and a CISS was the best piece of advice ever! Still use it. I went home, ordered a CISS for our printer and only had to replace the ink twice, at $20 each time. In 4 years. It was fabulous, and the CISS outlasted the printer. Thank you, Sue Patrick! The CISS trick outlasted workboxes in our house. :lol: So... Our new printer will arrive this week, and the CISS to fit it arrives next week. I love being able to print and never worry about ink.

No catchy tunes, but we're using Build Your Library this year. Fits the bill, and I don't have to come up with it all. That was the closest I could get to a magic wand!

:( Yep. Isn't it sad? (Says the mama of the kiddo with HFM, as a result of being seen for bronchitis last week.) I know, I posted above, but just had to post again. Clearly, this is on my mind at this very moment.

We ordered the one from successbydesign (linked above) and got it last week. DS likes it, and it has plenty of room for writing. Including the shipping, it was about $12.