I've done both emealse and Fresh20 and much prefer the Fresh20 plan (we did the gluten free one Jan through June, and now I'm reusing some of the plans). The plans are well organized and easy. Also, food is utilized well. You might make a 2 pound roast one day, serve one pound, and then used the leftover meat for enchiladas the next night. Very helpful overall!

Lurking along...my youngest has DS. Will need to file away these ideas for the future. thank you!

Thank you all so much!!!

I've heard that there is a "Pirate's Museum" near there, though one friend called it a "Pirate Room." Can you bring things to do that are different, like Tie Dye, duct tape crafts, etc.? Enjoy the beach? Contest to find the most seashells? Have fun! We've always done Nags Head, and I hope to go further south someday!

My DH just got invited to speak at a national conference in Orlando in October. We have never taken the kids to Disneyworld and hadn't planned to for a while, but we're thinking this might be a great option! The deal: -- Conference is just after Columbus Day. So we would probably go to WDW for a few days beforehand, as I'm not sure I can handle three kids by myself at the park. The two days he is at the conference, the kids and I will probably do pool, shopping, etc. -- Company will pay for DH's expenses while in Orlando (flight, rental car, hotel -- though DH is not sure if an on-WDW property will be reimbursed for a convention). So we just need to get me and three kids there. -- Since our DS is a busy boy and an early riser, it would help to have two or three rooms. I am willing to stay off property or in a suite to avoid his potential 5 a.m. siren song. :D -- Our local airport has one non-stop flight to Orlando per day, arriving at 8 p.m. Orlando time. -- Kids will be 9, 6, and 3 (almost 4, but he has Down syndrome and has limited mobility and cognitive skills) at the time of travel. We'll need to bring or rent a stroller and get a FastPass or a Guest Assistance Pass. -- I am fine with just doing one or two parks and not stressing over "doing it all" I have been perusing the various Disney threads here and have ordered a guide book. Thank you to all who have shared!! Any tips on traveling with kids, especially with food allergies (DD 6 is gluten-intolerant) and intellectual disabilities would be helpful. Places to stay, dining options, etc., would be helpful in planning a trip on short notice. Thank you!!

Yes, yes it is hard. I have a bio son with special needs, and several of my friends have children right near his age (including one born a day earlier). It is SO hard to see how different these kids are from my son. I love him with all my heart, but sometimes that creeper of comparison darkens the door. I also have an adopted DD who has recently begun showing significant learning and visual disabilities -- even though I've been her mom since she was three weeks old. It is not easy. HUGS!! You can do it!!

Awesome! Thanks!

I would get an old guide, and the updates, and the tin whistle. The guide helps for memory work and for weeks you may miss. Just my 2 cents.

Yes, I'm near Kings D. :001_smile:

Callanetics Evolution. Good toning, three levels shown at once. Nice DVD.

Great ideas! Thank you. Yes, fruit, cheese, and easy frozen things are helpful. Keep them coming! Thanks!

Since we lost power for five days, I had to toss everything in the fridge/freezer. I'd love to restock with good food and get on a healthier eating plan. What are your fridge and freezer staples for meals and snacks? Pantry ideas are welcome, too! Two of us are g-free, three are not. Thank you!!

Thanks for all the replies. Bed bugs and lice are somewhat comparable in the ick-factor, but lice are relatively easy to kill, whereas bedbugs are tough to kill and very long-lasting (they can survive for months). We are still wondering what to say. We are going to torch the h%ck out of our stuff at the laundromat (and we have a Pack-Tite, since my husband travels regularly). And I still want to help our friends, but, wow, this is tough!

We are in a tough spot, etiquette-wise. We live in central VA, where the tornado/storms hit. We have no power in our home, and have had none since Friday. We have friends -- good friends -- who contacted us Saturday via email and wrote, "We are headed on a cruise, we have heard our neighborhood has power. You are welcome to stay in our home for the week. Here is the code for the key and alarm." So we thankfully go. We are very blessed. I have done my best to help keep things clean, do the laundry they left at home, clean the kitchen, be a good guest, etc. And then, the bites start. And the itching. The kids and I have welts growing on us and are scratching like crazy. And then my DH sees what he thinks is a bedbug in the master bed. And there is weird stuff in the mattress lining We have lived through bedbugs before. To say it was HE double toothpicks would be a complete understatement. So....oh, my goodness. What do we say? "Thank you for letting us into your home. Two years ago, we had bedbugs, and now we think you do?" Any help?

Totally OT. I grew up in Fairfax. I remember Fair Oaks getting built. That said, it is a good choice, still!

Unfortunately, I have had this happen as well. As a parent of a child with Down syndrome, I am hyper-sensitive to the r-word. At the same time, I realize that people use it out of unfortunate habit. The memory that sticks with me the most occurred two years ago, when I had to undergo a biopsy after a mammogram. So there I am, prepped and ready for the doc, and the two nurses are making awkward small talk. One tells a story of her teenage daughter at the beach, using the r-word twice to refer to her child. Imagine this scene (as best memory recalls): I struggle. Part of me just doesn't want to say anything. I'm in a gown, b**k exposed, etc. But then I decide to try a different tactic. I turn to the other nurse and say, "Do you know any sign language? I do. My son has Down syndrome, and he uses signs to communicate." And I start babbling about my precious son and how people see him as disabled but I see him as beautiful. And both the nurses' eyes get wide -- the one who used the r-word and with whom I am pointedly NOT making eye contact, and then I see the eyes of the other nurse, whose body and eye language wishes that the other woman would just walk out of the room forever. I made my point, I think. I'm not proud of the fact that I could have been more explicit. But, given the circumstances, I think I made a point, one which I hope will last.

Not nonfiction, but if she likes L'Engle, she might enjoy When You Reach Me by R. Stead. Stead was inspired by A Wrinkle in Time when she wrote WYRM.

She also may want to look at some of Dianne Craft's materials, which are very visual and right-brain oriented, esp the phonics flashcards. These would help supplement an existing program. I will be using these with my son with Down syndrome, who has some mild hearing issues as well.

So sorry! We've had illness at our house, too. Adenovirus. Nasty. Hope they get better soon!

Ender's Game by OS Card Divergent by V Roth

I also recommend looking at Heart of Dakota. Another good option might be Biblioplan, which schedules history, Bible, and both MOH and SOTW, plus other books. It is for K-12, and so if your son already knows something for his age level, you might see resources for older kids which may work.

Boxcar Children

You might look into something like Biblioplan for history (or the Diana Waring series at AIG). This would allow you to combine all kids but provide extensions for the bigger ones. Biblioplan has their own book or you can use SOTW if you already have it.

I know a man named Paul, and his twin sister's name is Paulette. :smilielol5:

FYI--further down Broad St (west, past Belvidere) is the VCU Seigel Center, where there will be graduations Friday and Saturday. Busy! Also, just remembered that the Biblioplan ladies are Virginians and will have a booth!