We are looking at a possible move as well (job related). Some online have mentioned lake Oswego as a nice neighborhood with great schools, albeit more expensive. Anyone here know about that area?

I third Enslaved by Ducks and all of his other books too - hilarious. I'll have to dig out a few more titles.

'I'll check out DIY.org He loves TedEd videos. Haven't watched Crash Course though! He has been doing Scratch for a while. I've heard good things about Nitrotype that we want to try. He would love something that is gamified. He loves math and physics type things!

My son is looking for some new educational web sites. Any suggestions? He loved Timez Attack, various physics games, etc. Any suggestions would be great!!

My kids recently enjoyed Supersize Me, lol! America Before Columbus is great for history study. I'll try to think of more that we've enjoyed.

My kid! He's mourning the loss now of the Rokenbok set we donated a while back, lol. I'd love to find some awesome sets that are for a kid who is bright and likes to build but was never that much into lego.

Great ideas! I'm currently reading aloud George Macdonald's The Princess and the Goblin. My 10 year old son loves it so much he begs me to keep reading each night!

Nordstrom is great. I rarely shop there but I have a pair from banana republic that is 6 years old and I still love them (I dry clean va washing to keep them nice, and that really does help I believe).

My 13 year old daughter will probably just want clothes. Funny because I was exactly like her at that age!

I have two things on this topic :) 1. My daughter is 13, grade 8, and goes to a charter full-time as of this year (3 full days a week there, 2 days at home). They implemented a mandatory ReadingPlus requirement (3 times per week) just recently, and yet last year she tested OUT of ReadingPlus because her reading skills are so fast and high. The school is saying doesn't matter, she still has to do it. I'm so frustrated! 2. The other question I have is regarding my son. He is 10, grade 5, and homeschooling but we are also under the charter this year for the first time. He tested a little low on his reading comprehension test (MAPS test -- the first test he ever took). So we started ReadingPlus for him, but I'm not convinced it's the best option. Any recommendations for upping his reading comprehension in a better way?

I thought I'd report back on Build Your Library grade 5. I LOVE it. Seriously love it. The book selections and flow are perfection, and we even read poetry with it! We don't do the science with it, and there are a few of the hands-on things we don't do, but otherwise it's great!!!

Will think about this more and come back. We've loved all the old classics but know I'm missing some amazing ones! Great topic - I love movies!!

Curious if anyone has watched the movies (for after) with a ten year old? I've never seen them and wondering if they are good/appropriate?

Great thread! Thanks for sharing!

Would love some great art ideas also!!

I think we might need to do this one this year. I tried reading aloud once and it didn't go very far.

$360 the past two months using the A/C (not all the time, just when we really wanted and at night in our bedroom only -- we have central A/C for the main part of the house and second unit for master only). We JUST got solar though.

Thank you!

When does the sale end?

See I found monte cristo hard enough! :) and the adventure is what I loved!

Do you have a recommended version? I ordered a copy a while back from my library but it was definitely an abridged version so I didn't read it.

I have been reading this book for the past two weeks and am hitting the last 200 pages. First, I feel so sad to be finishing this book after having invested so many hours reading it. It's like I'm having to say goodbye to a family member or dear friend! (I will immediately be watching the movie again, after I finish. I must say I watched it many years ago when it first came out, and throughout the book, I had Jim Caviezel's face and voice in my head, which I loved!) Getting this close to finishing it has had such a weird effect on me! I often get sad when an amazing book ends, but this is something else! And just curious what other really long classics I should read! This copy was almost 1300 pages, and at first it seemed like such a daunting task, but now I feel like it was such an incredible investment. It's really just an incredible book.

Thanks :)

We found a piercing place with the best reviews - she was 12 years old and it wasn't cheap (she got titanium implant-grade posts). I have suffered with issues and infections my entire life so I wanted to make sure if she got it done, it was getting done right. I had also read this article about plastic piercing guns that freaked me out big time. I got my piercings done at the mall over 30 years ago. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/anti-aging/a35208/piercing-guns-bad-dangers/

The biggest question is the discrepancy between your age ranges and theirs - it's perfectly normal says its for age ten and up!