It depends on how costly utilites are where you live. I live in an area with extremely high utility rates, so our pool costs significantly more to run than other areas of the country. The pool pump uses alot of power, so figure out the minimum number of hours it can run and still maintain the pool. We do not heat the pool unless we are having guests in the fall/winter that will want to swim. It would definitely be cheaper to belong to a pool, but it is definitely not as convenient or fun.

I kept a log (this can either be by hand or on the computer) of every check I received in addition to a separate page for each student with a record of the charge plus the payment and check number. (Obviously, if you are using the computer, you can enter the information once, and it will flow into the separate ledgers.) I also listed the student's name/i.d. number on my deposit slips which would support my A/R records. I also had a log for every expense with the supporting receipts in an envelope or file. (Depending on how much you earn, you may need to divide your expenses up into categories. I kept a separate log for each type of expense to assist at tax time.) I had a separate mileage log book that I kept in my car. I never charged mileage--it was to keep track of car expenses for taxes. If you haven't already done so, definitely develop a policy letter and stick to your guns. Most people are great about paying, but some people will try to weasel out of everything. How many hours notice do you require for them to cancel and not be charged? Will you offer any make-up lessons? When and how do you expect payment? You can generally find sample policies on-line or from local tutoring outfits or studios in your area. My one word of advice is to keep track of absolutely everything and DO NOT GET BEHIND IN YOUR BOOKKEEPING! If you use a spreadsheet/accounting program, it makes your taxes much easier at the end of the year. Turbo Tax Business Edition is very helpful in walking you through your taxes. I kept careful notes every year when I filed my taxes which aided me the next year in figuring my taxes. Have fun!

I completely feel this woman's pain! One thing I could not eat with my first child was peanut butter and that took awhile to figure out. I also could not eat any dairy, vegies, spices, and most fruits. I had a VERY limited, bland, plain diet. I wish her the best in figuring out the issues. Warmest regards,

Are you going to be in Vancouver, WA or Vancouver, BC?

I will be the lone dissenter and say it hasn't been that fantastic for us. Unfortunately, our internet service can sometimes be slow (even though we have U-Verse) which makes streaming problematic. We have had problems with programs not having sound. We aren't big into the latest releases (which they don't have), but they don't even have the Star Wars movies, E.T., or Beethoven (the first). It seems very random what movies are available. If you can afford it, I would definitely recommend getting the DVD option with the streaming.

Wow!! Thank you!! You obviously spent a great deal of time and money researching this topic, and I appreciate your willingness to share with the rest of us!! Warmest regards,

What is the school district? I am only familiar with some of the districts in the Puget Sound area. However, they all had Family Learning Centers/Resource Centers--they were all called different names. It is the homeschool/public school option. They all had curriculum that you could use and classes that you could take. You still have to go through the public school hoops, but I think your friend wouldn't mind if they are returning to public school in the Fall. The principal at the homeschool centers would also know how to get information from the local school. Warmest regards,

I would love feedback on this also. I am thinking of Algebra for my son next year. Warmest regards,

Wow! That is fantastic! What an honor to be chosen! Good luck!

BeckyFl (and any others that take the intensives), please report back on what you thought of the sessions. Also, it would be great to have more info on the Mom's Science Retreat. Wishing everyone a lovely day!

My children (especially my oldest) were horrible sleepers. White noise helped greatly!! Also, my son was easily over-stimulated--going to the grocery store would cause him to not sleep. I played alot of classical music because it seemed to take the edge off, and I was very selective about where I took him. Traveling with him or being in large groups of people made my life sheer torture for a few days after. My son started sleeping better around 2.5 - 3. At that point he would also just read if he woke up in the middle of the night, so he no longer disturbed me. I think he just had many thoughts in his brain and found sleep to be somewhat of a waste of time. I, however, thought I was going to die at times! Good Luck!!

I completely agree with this comment and thank you for correcting the name. I knew it was wrong, but I was too lazy to look it up! I also thought with all the money and technology that Paul Allen has--there was so much more they could have done with the exhibits.

I have to agree with other posters: The Boeing Tour at Paine Field in Everett is fantastic, but it may not work with your younger children. The Children's Museum in Everett is better than the one in Seattle, but it may be too far to drive. The Doll Museum in Bellevue is wonderful especially for girls. My daughter always really enjoyed visiting. Enjoy!

The Museum of Flight by Boeing Field is excellent. It is truly a museum that every age will enjoy--even if you aren't big "airplane" people. You will also be able to see the rest of the Science Center with the King Tut tickets--your kids should definitely enjoy this. The Children's Museum is next to the Science Center and is fun for the under 8 crowd. (However, if time is limited, I think the Museum of Flight and the Science Center are much better.) The Seattle Children's Theatre is absolutely fabulous if they have a show playing while you are in town. It is at Seattle Center by the Science Center, Children's Museum, Space Needle, and the Rock n' Roll (may have the name wrong) Museum. I was very disappointed the one time I went to the Rock n' Roll Museum and doubt I would take young children there. The Space Needle is fabulous on a clear day, but it is expensive. If it is an overcast day, definitely don't waste your time. I personally think a ferry ride is always fun especially if the weather is nice. You can just walk on if you want to save the car fare. The waterfront can also be fun to wander around. The Woodland Park Zoo (North Seattle) is great, if you like zoos. There is also a zoo in Tacoma, but I don't know anything about it. Depending on where you stay, there is also a great Washington State History Museum in Tacoma. I think there is a permanent model train exhibit plus other wonderful information on the state. It is across the bridge from the Glass Museum. There is also a Children's Museum in Tacoma, but we never visited it. We used to live in the Seattle area and always had memberships to the Museum of Flight, Pacific Science Center, and the Woodland Park Zoo. We also went to at least 4 shows at the Children's Theatre every year. Enjoy the convention--I think it is a fabulous convention. Warmest regards,

I often use oatmeal for some of the bread crumbs in meatloaf, and it tastes great. The other thing I sometimes do is toast the ends of a loaf of bread and grind it up. Enjoy!

We had our son tested by a neuro-psychologist. Schools (private and public) will usually have a list of names that they recommend for various types of testing. However, I know some Universities also have testing facilities. You could possibly get it done for less by a grad student that needed the practice. Warmest regards,

We moved from the Seattle area to Orange County (Villa Park) about a year ago. (Villa Park is very nice, but there are virtually no homes to rent.) In my opinion Seattle is a much more pedestrian/bicycle friendly area than Orange County. The drivers here seem to ignore some of the basic rules of the road like stopping for pedestrians, stopping at red lights, etc. With the exception of a few places, many areas have good areas and bad areas, so looking for places on-line can be very deceiving. My parents moved here to be closer to the grandkids, and I really struggled to find them a place to rent. Some homes looked o.k. on-line, but the neighborhood was not fine when I went to look at it. Anaheim Hills is a nice area, but I don't think you will find much for $2000. My parents are paying $2,500/month for 1,700 sq ft in Orange. Their street is decent, but you go over a few streets and it isn't nice. They originally only wanted to spend $1,900, and I couldn't find anything for them that would fit the piano and be a decent neighborhood. They currently live about 4 miles from Disney. Wishing you the best,

Congratulations to you and your son! What a wonderful accomplishment!!

I think Hoggirl makes some excellent points--some children can start young, and they will do fantastic. However, if the student is not reading yet, he/she cannot read what the assignment is to practice. The left-hand/right-hand thing is important also. If the student does not know right/left, you can color-code the hands. (Right is red, and you high-light the right-hand notes in red.) Starting at a young age requires the parent to be very involved with the student's practice. I had many parents promise to help with practice--even if it was to insure the child was working on the correct piece--however, most parents in reality did not work with the student every day. This generally causes great frustration. This is why I generally recommend the music exploration/slow moving groups for a young child. The parent does not need to work with the child for 30 minutes every day. I also agree with Hoggirl's point about 2 shorter lessons per week for a young child. Again, the parent needs to be willing to make the drive. Some parents are absolutely willing to do that drive for a 15-minute lesson, and other parents are not willing. If you can find a teacher that works with young children and will do music exploration as part of the lesson, you could have a longer lesson. I agree with the full-size keys and weighted keys for a keyboard, also. I don't want to discourage you. In fact I would love for you to find a great music class/piano teacher for your child. I wish all people had music in their lives! Warmest regards,

I taught piano for many years to other people's children, but I did not start teaching my own children at 3.5. Often the child does not have sufficiently developed motor skills to correctly play when they are that young. Also, if you are trying to use a more traditional piano book, the child may not be able to read well enough to use the book. I put my children in http://kindermusik.com for about 3 years before they started piano. The first year of Kindermusik was more listening, moving, singing, etc to music. Then we did 2 years of the Young Child Program. This actually taught them (very slowly) to read the treble clef, understand some terms, note values, etc. They played some mallet instruments and developed their ear. I think other groups have similar programs, but I am not as familiar with them. My daughter started actual piano lessons at 5.5 years because she was very motivated and had great motor skills. (She was actually still in Kindermusik when she started piano.) My son was a little older because his motor skills weren't as strong. I would definitely recommend visiting some different music programs to see which might be a great fit for your family. Obviously, I love music, and it is a big deal in our house. Warmest regards,

Best of luck with the move! Moving is so hard on everyone, but I hope this becomes a great home for you! Warmest regards,

First, I want to say how sorry I am that you are having such a rotten time! I hope you feel better soon. I have had horrible reactions to medication more than once that lasted for a few weeks and required multiple trips to the ER and Doctor. This may sound crazy, but one thing that helped a little (in addition to all of the other things that have been mentioned) is ice. I literally had ice bags all over my body. It helped numb my skin and cool down my over-heated skin. I have no idea if it will help, but it might be worth a try. Warmest Regards,

Any place that I have ever lived, there is only one gas company, one water company, one electric company, and one garbage company. There used to only be one telephone option and one cable option, but those have expanded in recent years. Most likely the utility companies the landlord uses are the only ones that service your area. You just call them and set up the service in your name. You can sometimes get "good payment history" letters from your current utility companies which can help in establishing new accounts with the new utility companies. Good luck with the move!

The junk mail/bulk mail does not get forwarded. However, most companies get address updates from the post office, so it will eventually get to you after a few months. You will also receive the previous occupants junk mail/bulk mail since it can't be forwarded to them. Consequently, you still get junk mail!

Freeze it, make lasagna, or baked ziti. Have a wonderful day, Jean!