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Carla

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Posts posted by Carla

  1. 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!

  2. 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!

    • Like 1
  3. 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.)

  4. 7-11 stores sell sim cards on the Speakout / Rogers network. If your phone is unlocked, just buy their sim. Or, buy a phone from them - they have super cheap burner phones.

     

    no contract

     

    talk .25/min Buy the US add on for 1.99 & your long distance is an additiona .02/min

     

    text .15 outgoing free incoming or $10 for unlimited

     

    http://www.speakout7eleven.ca/prepaid-cell-phone-rates#talk-rates

    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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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!

    • Like 1
  7. 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. ;)

    • Like 2
  8. 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!

    • Like 2
  9. 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/

    • Like 1
  10. 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!

    • Like 1
  11. OMG!  You are a celebrity's MOM!!!  LOL

    I've seen your kids on that Gaming Show in Your Parents Garage :)  DS tapes it and watches the episodes again and again and again...

    How did that come about?

     

    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:

    • Like 4
  12. 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.

    • Like 3
  13. 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?

    • Like 3
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