We were there for three days, but in our first day we took a free walking tour with La Bussola (http://www.venicefreetours.com/). It was a great way to navigate around and see all the major sites and get a sense for the city without having to figure it out ourselves (Venice is not easy to find your way around!). I would recommend this for just one day in Venice, too, as you won't waste time just trying to find places! We took the 4.5 hour Big Tour. It isn't as strenuous as it sounds either, actually it is relaxing to just take things in as someone else leads you, with enough breaks for lovely cappuccino and cichetta. Edited to Add: It looks like they don't offer the Big Tour (4.5 hours) anymore on the website, although I just took that tour this past April. But they still offer shorter tours that I would recommend!

This is the first purse I ever bought (last year...I'm 41!). It's crossbody - but maybe bigger it's than you are looking for? http://m.zappos.com/ogio-brooklyn-purse

Are you decided that you want a hotel? Or have you considered an Airbnb? In my experience, an Airbnb is a better value as they are often less expensive than a hotel, but so nice for a family as you will have a kitchen, a living room, and enough bedrooms for kids and parents without having to buy 2 hotel rooms. Just a thought!

Book a Scavi Tour right now. http://www.scavi.va/content/scavi/en/ufficio-scavi.html It can take months to get a response, apparently. I booked one in January for this past April and heard back quite quickly, but some people never hear back during busier times. As a bonus, on top of the fascinating tour led by a real archaeologist, you finish your tour already IN St. Peter's, thus skipping the huge line-up entirely. (The only "line-up" to start your tour will be with the 12 other people accompanying you into the necropolis, as the entrance is in an entirely different location than the main entrance to St. Peter's). Book the Vatican Museums ahead of time online to avoid line-ups as well. The email to reach the Scavi office is scavi@fsp.va. It doesn't appear at first glance on the website I linked above. (Edited to add email for Scavi office.)

Woohoo!! Thanks so much for sharing. I had this on my "potential purchase" list.

We use this and we live in Canada. It's the cheapest we've found without a contract and so we use it with our kids who don't need data or large amounts of calling/texting.

We use the National Geographic United States Atlas for Young Explorers. It had the same requirements as you, and I am happy with this one! http://mshop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/books/kids-books/atlases--almanacs-and-reference/us-atlas-for-young-explorers---revised-3rd-ed?mobile&_requestid=5890766

I bought a medium Case Logic Reflexion bag, and I love it: https://www.caselogic.com/en/sg/products/camera/shoulder-bags/reflexion-dslr-ipad-medium-cross-body-bag-_-flxm_-_102_-_anthracite It is somewhere between a purse and a camera bag in my opinion. It feels a little large to me but it's still a tight fit to get my camera in and any other accessories like an iPad. I can fit a lot in it, though. I was never a person who carried a purse, so this is a big step for me! I see that there is a small version of this bag as well, that I hadn't looked at before.

I would like to join too, if possible. Thank you!

My sons learned a lot about Greek mythology from Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson books. He recently released The Sword of Summer, which is similar, but based in Norse mythology. My boys didn't like it *quite* as much as the Percy Jackson series, but it is a start and a great introduction to the Norse myths. Some of my boys have read D'Aulaire's Norse Myths as well, which another poster mentioned and I also recommend!

My sons have used iMovie for years to make stuff for YouTube. They've figured out a lot just messing around with it.

I know what you are feeling. I have in the past asked if he would help provide accountability - like ask the boys what they did for school and look at their work after dinner or something. Or even just ask me! I felt like, "Hey! They're your kids too, show some interest in their education!". But... I don't show a whole lot of interest in the stuff HE'S teaching them - like how to use tools, build sheds or additions, fix cars and appliances, do physical labour around here...I appreciate that he does it - but I don't really want to hear all the details! So there you go. Ha! In my lowest moments of lamenting how hard homeschooling is, he has on occasion suggested me going to work and he taking over the homeschooling. My internal reaction to that clears up how I really feel. No thanks, I'm happy being completely responsible and in control of our homeschool, thank you very much!! Oh my goodness, I'd go crazy if he were doing the homeschooling - so glad he just supports me and doesn't micro-manage me like I would him! Haha!!! But I do get your feelings about it. I do. I figure my hubby helps by teaching them a world of things I am useless at, and by not bugging me about and interfering with the things I am good at. Incidentally, after reading your post again.. one of the things he is good at is "playing" with the children. I am not good at playing with the boys - but my husband, like yours, is. ;)

No answers, but I feel your pain. I have yet - after 13 years of homeschooling - to find a science curriculum for the younger grades that makes me happy. My high schoolers have all liked Apologia so far. They do on their own, so that is fine. I am not very fickle, I have found what we like in every other subject and have stuck with these curriculums, for years even! Just. Not. Science. Argh! Sorry, I'm no help! Just grouchy, too. Haha!

Scroll down to recordings from 2012 on this page and you'll find one: http://kayray.org/kayray-reads/ The recording was done as the reader, Kara Shallenburg, read it to her young son. There are little interruptions from him and explanations to him - but we didn't mind them, and it's free!

These are the socks the men and boys in my family wear. They are a super value since they have a lifetime guarantee. Anytime we get holes in the socks, we can return them for a new, free, replacement pair. This has saved our family hundreds of dollars, as you can imagine! They are 81% wool. http://m.basspro.com/RedHead-Lifetime-Guarantee-AllPurpose-Socks-for-Men/product/34713/

Love this idea! Thanks for sharing. I bought a huge laminated wall map that we mounted a few months ago covering most of a wall in our school room. This will be a great way to use it even better.

I was just watching some National Film Board of Canada vignettes with my children. Some of those took me right back to the TV years of my childhood!

I have NEVER heard the word "riffled" before. I thought "rifled" was always as Chelli said, to rummage through something (whether with nefarious intent or not).

It's completely to do with the grandparent's heritage in our family. My husband's parents were born in the Netherlands - they are Oma and Opa. My dad was born in the Netherlands too. He is Opa. But my mom was born in Newfoundland and is of British descent (in fact - Newfoundland wasn't even part of Canada when she was born, they joined Confederation in 1949). She is Nana!

I just listened to a TED talk today in which the person being interviewed suggested to ask not what your passion is, but where does your curiosity lie? It's a start if your "passion" isn't immediately evident.

Thanks, Chalex! They were contacted by Disney based on their YouTube work to participate in that. Disney asked the boys to do another season, but they have too many other projects and stuff they wanted to do and so they said no. Just days after that, they were contacted by Dreamworks to do game reviews on their own YouTube channel which is a better fit and is working out well! So they are glad they turned it down. It kind of wouldn't have worked to do them both! :lol:

My teen sons have a couple of YouTube channels he can try which are definitely clean. This one is where they play Minecraft and a few other games: https://www.youtube.com/user/FinsGames This one is where they share art and other stuff Minecraft related: https://www.youtube.com/user/FinsGraphics ETA: I have seen them even blur out the chat box if they are playing with someone else and inappropriate language is typed out from other users.

I asked my 14, 12, and 9 year old sons and here are their suggestions. :) The Gift of Dragons, Anne McCaffrey The Eragon series, Christopher Paolini The Septimus Heap Series, Angie Sage

My eldest son is a very slow reader (and is possibly a little dyslexic, too), but he loves Dickens because of audiobooks. He first listened to Great Expectations and just recently Oliver Twist. I think he found Great Expectations was more engaging, but I couldn't speak to how it compares to Oliver Twist in book form. My son is an artist and listens to audiobooks while drawing. Does your daughter have something she can do with her hands to keep her mind engaged while listening? Maybe she could give audiobooks another try?

I'm pretty sure I've seen my sons' names listed on airplane tickets and such as "Master _______ __________". Maybe this was just on British airlines as a previous poster mentioned, but I thought it was common practice in somewhat formal settings. <shrug>