DS is getting Round the Bend by Jeremy Clarkson and Top Gear's Highway Code. DD is getting a couple Puppy Place books and The Lego Book.

DS uses Bob Harper's Boot Camp DVD - not for weight loss, but for cardio/strength training. We also have a Total Gym, which is great for strength training and it doesn't take up too much space.

Edited - TMI

This one...

I heard this tip during the last big storm we had. I also heard (and used!) this tip - freeze gallon jugs of water before the storm, then you can use them to keep the food in your freezer/refrigerator cold if the power is out for a while. And when they melt, you can drink them :)

The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology has extensive collections. Their current special exhibition is about the Mayans. The museum is not right in the city, but there is plenty of parking nearby. http://www.penn.museum/ The Academy of Natural Sciences (of Drexel University) doesn't get as much press as the Franklin Institute, but it has a lot of great exhibits. http://www.ansp.org/ If you want to cross the Delaware River into Camden, NJ, the Adventure Aquarium is a lot of fun. My kids really enjoy the hippos and the shark tunnel. http://www.adventureaquarium.com/ Hope that helps :)

Thanks to all for the advice. I know in my head that we can't have a dog, but I was hoping in my heart that there was another option. Dd and I had a nice talk about it today, and she realizes that her brother's health is more important. She has always been very careful about not exposing him to dander when she has been around dogs. And she is very protective of him when we happen to spot a dog in public. :) I have left a phone message with the local rescue shelter, and have found out that our local zoo lets kids volunteer starting at the age of 10 if they have a parent with them. Her b-day is coming up soon, so I think we are going to look into that. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. When she is a little older, we will talk about maybe doing some pet-sitting or dog walking. Thanks again!

I've been trying to do this, but the SPCA in our area requires volunteers to be 14 or older. And the local rescue shelter hasn't returned my emails. Maybe it's time to give them a call.

DD does understand that dogs make her brother sick. She has seen it happen. And she is very careful after being exposed to dogs not to touch her brother. She changes clothes and showers as soon as she gets home. My parents and sister have three dogs at their house, one a chocolate lab puppy which is adorable, so she does get a chance to play with them. But they live about 25 minutes away, so it isn't often.

He has been tested twice - once when he was about 18 months old and again just a few years ago. He was tested as a baby because one day my brother took him to the horse farm where he was working so that he could see the horses. He ended up having an allergic reaction that required a trip to the ER in an ambulance. So he's allergic to dogs, cats, rabbits, horses, etc.

Ds has severe dog allergies (not just a runny, itchy nose, but to the point that he sometimes needs a breathing treatment after exposure). Dd's first love is dogs. She has all the dog books, knows most breeds by heart, reads "Dog Fancy" magazine every month, etc. We've read to dogs at the library, gone to dog agility trials, and she visits my sister's dogs. Tonight dd and I went to watch dog auditions for an upcoming play at our local college. There were chihuahuas, shih-tzus, corgis, schnauzers, German shepherds, and even a great Dane. She had a great time and on the way home, she talked about how we could get a dog and keep it outside. That we can build a garage and put a shower in it, so she can clean off before coming back in the house, etc. Then later I heard her crying in her bed because she just wants a dog so badly. Any suggestions from the hive? We live on almost an acre of land, but most of it is wooded and none of it is fenced. We don't have a garage and don't have the $ right now to add one on. We do have a walk-out basement. Would it be practical to have a dog in the basement? Is the dander going to spread through the house? Would a dog get enough attention if it isn't allowed in the house? We had dogs when I was a child, and they always lived outside. They only came in the house in cases of extreme weather. But we lived in the country and our nearest neighbor was my grandmother. Any advice would be very much appreciated. It breaks my heart to hear her cry - she wants a dog to love so much!

It looks like the Back to School Special is valid until September 21st. http://www.apple.com/promo/pdf/BTS_2012_Terms_Conditions_US.pdf

On this note, do you absolutely need to get tested if you suspect Celiac? Or can you just go GF?

I haven't used the online version of HST, and am also curious to hear from those who have. :bigear: I did notice that the Basic version is still available. It's listed under HST Plus as "Free Planner." http://www.homeschooltracker.com/tracker_basic.aspx

When I started thinking about homeschooling, I went to the library and read almost every book they had about it. It wasn't until I read TWTM that it all clicked for me, and I thought "I can do this." Now I need another book like that - this time about health/eating/exercise. Does a book like that exist? I think I've exhausted my library's resources, and I haven't found it yet. What is your favorite healthy living book?

How about the Brandywine Valley? There are lots of attractions like museums and gardens. There are lots of hotels/B & B's as well. DH and I stayed at the Fairville Inn for our anniversary a few years ago. And the Inn at Montchanin is very nice too. Hope that helps :)

I was reading the post about Herodotus on the general board, and am wondering - what did your kids read in 9th grade? I know Histories is one of the books on TWTM list for freshman, and I was planning on having ds read it. If you don't use the reading list in TWTM, where do you get your 9th grade reading list? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I use a journal for sermon notes. I take notes at church on the bulletin, only writing the book/verse for scripture references. Then later in the week, I re-write the notes in my journal, this time writing out the verses from the scripture references. I find that it helps me to remember what the sermon was about :)

We put our tadpoles in a clear Rubbermaid/Sterilite bin - one of the smaller ones (a little bit bigger than a shoe box). I drilled a bunch of air holes in the lid, and the kids put some flat rocks and sticks inside the box so the tadpoles would have somewhere to climb as they got their legs. It worked out very well - although one of the frogs (Houdini) did escape and we never found him. Fortunately we were keeping the box outside on the screened porch :) Hope that helps!

$3.50/gallon here in NE Maryland.

DS did Prima Latina and Latina Christiana One in 4th/5th grades. He worked through "Getting Started with Latin" in 7th grade. We're using Vocabulary from Classical Roots (he's on book D), so he has a good foundation in word roots. Does he really need to have Latin in high school as well? I'd like him to do four years of Spanish, which seems more practical. A little background... He wants to be a Nascar driver, is passionate about cars, and is already planning to take the ASE certification classes as soon as he turns 16. Although reading is one of his very favorite things to do, and has been since he was young, I think he is going to be a 'work with your hands' adult as opposed to a scholar. What are your thoughts/experiences? Thanks :)

He is killed on the morning that Katniss and Rue decide to blow up the career's food. The two of them are sleeping in the tree when the cannon wakes them up. Later that night, when Katniss is hiding, she sees the picture of the boy from District 10 in the sky. No details are given about where or how he died. Hope that helps :)

:iagree: and not only because I work for a resort in T & C... I think it is a beautiful place to visit - very relaxing and the beach on Grace Bay is amazing.

Try this website - Historic Hotels of America. There are lots of unique inns and hotels that aren't necessarily B & B's. This is the link to the California hotels. http://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/results.php?property=Hotel+or+Location&luxury-clone=&luxury=&architecture-clone=&architecture=&propstyle-clone=&propstyle=&x=36&y=20 Hope that helps :)