[Finding a Lawyer]

When I was considering consulting a lawyer, I asked my pastor for recs.

[Anyone have a whole house window fan or other big fan?]

We have a whole house fan that sucks the hot air up into the attic and pulls the cool air in through the windows. Obviously, this doesn't work if it's warmer outside than inside. So as soon as the outside temp falls below the inside temp, I can turn on that fan, and then make sure in the morning to turn it off before it warms up. It also helps to keep the curtains and windows closed on the side of the house that receives the sun.

I've never tried solar film, but my windows are supposed to be something special that helps keep outside temps out. In the boys bedrooms, we do have thermal drapes to keep their rooms dark in the morning, and that should help block the sun's heat rays too.

[Anyone have a favorite flashcard app for iPad?]

I have Flashcard+ and Flashcardlet. They are similar and both will download decks from Quizlet.com. Flashcardlet has ads, but it is much more intuitive to flip through the cards [you can pay I think it's $3 to get rid of the ads]. Flashcard+ has no ads and is free, but I honestly never figured out how to flip through the cards smoothly, and I figured my 8yo wouldn't have the patience for it.

 

[ETA: sorry, started this before dinner, and then apparently got distracted]

[Has anyone been to Madrid?]

Toledo is beautiful, and well-worth the day trip. We talked to our concierge and he was able to hook us up with a bus tour there. Later we went again with our tour [we spent a week in Madrid on our own, then a week on tour with a group], we ditched the tour group and just wandered around the old city. Lovely, lovely place.

 

Ahh, you're bringing back such memories. We've been talking about going back, and taking the boys. But....

[Has anyone had an endometrial ablation? I have a few questions.]

Interesting thread. My doc offered ablation as an option to reduce my very heavy periods. Or the Mirena IUD. I go to see her on Tuesday for an endometrial biopsy, and the IUD if I want it.

 

I haven't decided. Ablation seems ... extreme. But I have worries about the Mirena. May I ask what convince you ladies to go that direction? PM me if you're willing to share, but you'd rather not do so publicly...

[Has anyone been to Madrid?]

Yes, but it's been almost 11 years: it was our honeymoon!

 

There are several great art museums, plus the palace, and the topiary gardens, and and and

 

I could get out my photo album and list all the places.

 

My hubby and I took the leisurely approach: other than the hotel, we didn't book anything in advance. We got up in the morning, went out for breakfast and looked at our tour books while we ate, and decided to go to A. After seeing that, we'd look again, and wander off to B. ETc ETc Etc. Somewhere around siesta time we'd make it bak to our hotel, then do some similar wandering after some downtime.

But you may not have that leisure.

[What's for supper this week?]

Tonight: grilled chicken breasts & asparagus/carrots

Sunday: ?? leftovers/out? Not sure

Monday: French dip sandwiches, salad

Tuesday: pasta/spaghetti squash with a meat sauce

Wednesday: tater tot shepherd's pie & green beans

Thursday: Out?

Friday: potato leek soup [crockpot?]

Saturday: steaks & asparagus

 

 

I just went to the organic store and stocked up on good beef and chicken, but next week will be my first week without a produce delivery from our winter CSA. I'm not sure what I'll do for veggies! Maybe I should have stocked up on frozen!

[Poison Ivy Help Needed]

I get it pretty badly. :(

 

Oatmeal baths [Aveeno has a ready-made one] and donboro solution helps.

I've never tried [or even heard of] that cream, but maybe it's newer? I haven't gotten into it for years, thank goo.

The Burt's Bees soap is pretty good too, if you can find it.

 

Good luck! I've ended up on steroids 3 times from bad poison ivy reactions. I've FINALLY learned to recognize it. :/

[Shirts with Holes - Granite Countertops?]

I don't get holes.

My bathroom counters are Silestone/quartz [bits of granite mixed with a resin]. Kitchen counters are not.

 

I'm stumped and dumb-founded.

[Just got a membership at the Y, and WOW.]

I resurrected this thread because:

 

I JOINED THE Y YESTERDAY!!!!

 

I had looked a couple years ago, but members didn't have priority to sign up for classes, and many of the classes I wanted were an extra fee.

But they've changed that, and they have a homeschool PE class for my son, and some skills classes so he can learn about soccer and basketball without the pressure of competition. And there's 2 pools [no slide or hot tub] and a rock wall.

 

I couldn't sleep this morning [which NEVER HAPPENS] so I got up and went. I could only find a few channels to watch - mostly news or infomercials - and I couldn't see any way of getting music, but I go on Saturday morning to learn more about the machines and stuff, so I'll ask then.

 

Yay! Thanks for reminding me to look at the Y again. I hope it becomes a regular haunt for me and my family. :) <3

[Florida science tests contain major scientific errors...]

So, does The Very Hungry Caterpillar drive you nuts too?

 

Yes, yes it does. Though I give it a small amount of leeway cuz it was written so long ago. ;) But when I taught kindergarten we would read "chrysalis" instead of "cocoon"

 

Uh oh.... now you have to tell me the cocoon, chrysalis and pupa differences so I don't mess it up! :bigear:

A chrysalis is an actual form the pupa takes while undergoing metamorphosis. It is primarily [exclusively? I'm not 100% sure] used by butterflies.

A cocoon is spun of silk by the caterpillar around itself within which it takes the form of a transforming pupa. Used primarily by moths.

Pupa is the stage between caterpillar [larva] and butterfly/moth [adult] during which the organism is undergoing metamorphosis.

 

I told my son it was sorta like the difference between skin and clothes. The butterfly actually forms a hard shelled skin during its pupa stage while the moth puts on a protective outfit.

 

 

 

And I still might not have it exactly right, but I know the book had it wrong! :tongue_smilie:

[Florida science tests contain major scientific errors...]

I'm disgusted but not all that surprised. Today I was reading a book about life cycles with my 8 year old, and the author confused the terms chrysalis, cocoon, and pupa. I corrected the text, but that confused my son that the book was not correct. :/

 

I know it's a somewhat technical difference, and I didn't understand it for years, but ... still. I'm not a published author, either.

[UGH--on the Do Not Call registry but getting a ton of calls!]

The same thing happens here, with "Cardmember Services", even though our phone is up to date with both national and state do-not-call lists, and it is a robocall, which is also illegal. Been getting them for years. The only consolation is that any legitimate business would obey the DNC list, so you know right away they are a scam.

 

Robocalls are illegal?? I get them all. the. time! One that I was getting almost everyday was asking for my nephew. I finally took down the number and called and yelled at them to STOP. CALLING. ME.

[Family birthday party advice]

Same here.

 

Grill burgers or hot dogs or whatever in the backyard, the kids play, the adults hang out, have cake, open presents (if doing that), done deal.

 

If you feel like your boys + your nephew need some form of entertainment, maybe a movie on DVD? A simple scavenger hunt? Or, really, just go "water theme" and get water guns for the boys and let the adults sit back and watch.

 

Oh, I totally don't want it to be a big deal with special entertainment, just wanted something for the kids to make it feel more like a party. I think the water thing might be perfect: sprinkler, maybe water guns, maybe the wading pool or water table with boats. Awesome.

 

Thanks!

[Family birthday party advice]

I will have family visiting the first weekend in June. One of the things we hope to do that weekend is have a joint celebration for my sons' birthdays. They will also have parties with their friends at other times [one is this weekend]. Since it will be mostly adults, the only kids being my two and my nephew, I'm trying to think of something we could do as a family to celebrate that the kids will enjoy but that will allow the adults to enjoy themselves too.

I thought of one of those jump places like JumpZone with the inflatables. But they are SOOOOOOO loud. :/

I thought of just renting a bounce house and then doing a BBQ in our backyard if it's nice.

I thought of going to the zoo or aquarium, but all that walking is hard on my mother.

 

And there I'm stuck. Nothing has really grabbed me yet. I don't want it to be a big deal, cost a lot, or require tons of pre-scheduling.

 

Any thoughts?

[The things people say......]

Our UPS guy just delivered a package that was obviously books. He rang the doorbell and asked, "Do you homeschool?" My first thought was, Uh-oh, what weird assumption am I going to hear about homeschooling now?!

 

Then he made my day by telling me that he and his wife homeschooled their kids and that they only live two miles away from us! I LOVE that the UPS guy "gets" my excitement over Box Day! :D

 

That's awesome!!!

[If you use stainless steel cookware...which utensils?]

I use bamboo utensils mostly. I think I got mine at Ikea, but I've seen them in the grocery store.

They are safe on the few "non-stick" items I own too, and on my cast-iron. They're great all around!

I own one thin metal spatula for sliding under things that stick, and I think we have a plastic/nylon spatula for pancakes, but we use those rarely.

[A whole year on the states?]

Thanks everyone!!! These are all such interesting ideas!

 

 

 

Are you also planning on doing a year (or more?) on the US as a whole? I think some states could easily take less than a week, and some could easily take more. I do like the idea though. I guess it depends on the balance you seek between a US focus and a world focus...

Well, HO spends a good 15 weeks [the way I divide it up] on the Americas and US history, but I just felt like a bit more on the individual states might be nice. I could change my mind once I've actually gotten into it though; I'm still a year away almost.

No MFW isn't secular, sorry I didn't realize.

Thanks. I did look at the website, but I couldn't figure out whether the specific US geography/history stuff was religious. :)

[A whole year on the states?]

8 and 3, but we're secular/not Christian; would MFW pose a problem there?

 

Thanks!

[A whole year on the states?]

We're using HO, on Middle Ages now, and I'm starting to plan out next year. As it stands I want to move all the stuff on the Americas to the end of the year, and then I was considering going through each state one by one in the order they entered the Union, spending no more than a week on each one with the possible exception of our own state. And then it hit me that that would take a whole 'nother year. Is that too much?

One pro would be that it would delay our start of Modern Times til both boys are a touch older.

 

Or would it just be better to a) skip it altogether or b) do it, but cover 4-5 states per week finishing up in 10-12 weeks?

 

Thoughts? I'm totally flexible at this point, not married to either idea though I would like to cover American history & geography a smudge more deeply than HO does.

[Question for those that use Story of the World..]

I plan on using SOTW 1 with my dd for 2nd grade. This will obviously be our first time using this curriculum. I have the activity guide as well.

 

I know that this is a history program, not a geography program so I am wondering what others use for world geography at this stage? Anything that corresponds well with SOTW?

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

I didn't use a separate geography curric. We just did the map studies every week. DS knows the mediterranean are pretty well at this point. :)

[Tell me about Isagenix]

Please update if you do it.

 

Someone I know from high school sells it or is somehow involved, and I've been curious, but figure I wouldn't get unbiased advice from him. ;)

[Anyone on here have a fitbit?]

I really want one--my SIL has one--but I'm afraid I'll lose it. :(

[Dinner tonight was a major fail]

We also make diabetic-friendly ricotta pancakes. These are a little more work, but very filling! Ricotta cheese is much tastier than white beans.

 

Can you share this recipe? I saw a recipe on Pinterest for pancakes that used cottage cheese I think, but someone I know tried them and said they were gross. Ricotta sounds better....

[S/O HOW do you give up sugar?]

I am leaning towards a paleo/primal approach. I haven't completely given up fruit or all dairy though, just trying to keep it to a minimum. I also find that if I give myself a carb infusion in the morning, even fruit, that I feel hungrier for the rest of the day.

 

 

I have some of that green superfood stuff; it's not bad. I try to sneak it into my boys' smoothies too. The elder has caught on though, and won't drink them anymore.

 

I read something about not eating spinach/kale raw, at least blanching it to get rid of.... something. Do you blanche yours first?

 

I don't think my body would take to coconut milk as a substitute for the ice cream. :/ I do like good dark chocolate, and have some really dark stuff in the fridge as it is.

 

 

I really am learning a lot to hear how you all work with your cravings and all. <3