Hi, We use comcast where we live and we can control all the settings like you are looking for. My oldest dd can ONLY receive email from pre-set addresses that we input, which means no spam & no ads. We can also set it up to blind-copy one of us if we wish, although we don't do this since it's on our family computer and we can access it daily easily. Comcast allows us to have up to 6 emails at no add'l cost...I don't know if any of the free online services offer something similar, like gmail. Hopefully someone will offer other suggestions.

A college professor by day, dh has picked up early AM work baking bagels & such for a local coffee establishment. This has been a KEY part of our Dame Ramsey debt-elimination plan...we are as gazelle-intense as it gets. We have looked at picking up other restaurant/kitchen work types of job since this is his passion anyway. He's also added evening tutoring to the schedule whenever possible. The best-paying jobs are via personal referral rather than an agency. In the summer, he picks up extra work in his specific field, teaching as adjunct faculty at nearby colleges. For me, I have added occasional tutoring to my docket, plus just recently some as-I'm-able airport limo driving. We have found that networking and letting people know you are looking for something is THE way to go. Nobody expected that my dh would be seeking additional employment but when we spread the word, the jobs came in, and in this economy no less! All the best to you!

I would definitely question the owner and/or teacher. At our dance studio (not a ballet school exclusively), all girls who wish to start a pointe class must visit their doctor, have a growth assessment to be sure all youthful foot growth is complete, and when it's time to get pointe shoes, they are fitted, and this is not something that can be done overnight. To be sure, our dance studio owner/teacher is extremely conservative when it comes to health and safety. As an aside, I have never heard that ballet instruction can't really go forward without pointe...that seems ludicrous and a bit self-serving in the case of the teacher who said it to you.

In addition to previous instructions, you may need to insert a CD for the game you are wanting to play, like Wii Fit for example...then you will see that option on the screen charmama4 mentioned. Hope you can figure it out! My kids enjoy a good laugh at my expense too...

Just sent you an email. One last thought...love the darker type that you've already changed, but the services on the right seem to blend together with same-size fonts. You might consider larger type for headings, or different color? I wanted to see your services pop off the sidebar should I be scrolling down quickly looking for something.

Hi Jennifer! I visited your other site as well and like it! This new is one is great...I love the leaf design at the top. I agree with elegantlion about the grey type. That was tough for me in the sidebar especially where the print gets smaller. I would love to see credentials, and that would lend credibility to your pricing structure as well, which seems fair and well thought out. Down in the lower right, you have an "it's" that should be an "its" but that's my Former-English-Teacher coming out again!! :lol: Errors pop off the page for me all the time, and yours is so near perfect it's beautiful!!! It's in the last paragraph under Book Review Submission Guidelines. Can you make your email address a link to provide ease of use? Your descriptions of services are thorough and interesting to read. Love it! All the best to you on your venture!

Well, I was relieved to finally have siezed control of something that felt oddly out of control. I also felt like I was bucking the system that everyone else loved and that I would somehow never have a free moment again. Truth be told, I love bucking the system (who knew?!) and I actually find homeschooling to be freeing rather than as something that robs me of my freedom. We have time to be together, know each other, work hard, relax, play, take vacation days that suit us, meet with friend mid-day, experiment with learning an instrument or trying a new activity... This is in stark contrast to what we had before, which was trying to squeeze in time together around homework and exhaustion. So, I think "relieved" is accurate. No regrets. My kids love it, and my oldest who was removed from ps mid-year (during 1st grade) never wishes to return. Walking away is hard, so I think your current feelings are normal...just wait til that "relieved" feeling kicks in and you'll know it was the right choice. :001_smile:

Thanks for sharing!! This is a wonderful book!

:iagree: Indoor dogs would impact my home for months. Be gentle but direct... this is for you to say since it's your home. If you leave it to the kids, it may offend them and will not likely get the desired result.

I agree with others that going to class and having homeworking and comraderie were big perks. We would not have done so well on our own with just a book. The cost of the class is nothing compared to what we have already saved with our new budgeting plan, and the changes in our household since going through FPU will be permanent and life-altering for the good. In that sense, the course is priceless.

Is the bottom freezer drawer heavy when it is full of food? Is it easy or hard to organize the freezer and find items in it? Do you like that you have more space for pizza boxes etc in the frig part than with a side by side? I love my fridge with freezer below but in answer to these few questions, YES, my drawer freezer is heavy when loaded and hard for my youngest to open during popsicle season. :) Also, because of the frequent and challenging tugging, our handle has popped off numerous time. it's easy to reattach, but this is a nuisance. I might get a swinging door freezer on the bottom instead next time. Love that my pizza box fits in the fridge, and birthday cakes... :)

Sounds to me like your "wish list" describes why I love R&S! Why not stick with it if it's working? It's economical, rigorous, and can be done quite independently. My dd10 uses it completely independently and has since level 3. I check work and answer questions and ask her about it...many days we do a small portion of oral review and she does written work on her own. To me, it's perfect and it frees me up for more hands-on mom time in other subjects. Maybe I don't understand your reasons for wanting a new program...

I have used Spelling Workout and quit in the middle of the 2nd book for a few reasons: 1. It wasn't sticking. List words, activities, test...it doesn't work and never carried over to other writing. 2. Boring. The activities were no help in learning to spell and felt like busywork. 3. Cursive lists. At some point the lists are in cursive using a style that is not Getty Dubay Italic. For copying purposes, this posed a challenge for us. I would have liked to see all lists in standard font print rather than loopy cursive. I remember TWTM citing the rules instructions as a perk of SW, and while it does do this, and probably covers lots of them over time, there are certainly other programs that do the same. For us, we are using studied dictation as our primary spelling practice, and my oldest is enjoying the Apples books which help her with some spelling rules she has missed along the way.

We've only ever used GD Italic and my kids need reminding from time to time to use it outside of the workbooks. First, I ask them to use it one other subject consistently, like grammar perhaps. Then, I remind them to use it for thank you notes or letters to family and friends. Sure enough, this is paying off and dd10 is using it fairly consistently in most subjects and note writing. I notice it not being used well in math, a subject she has never loved, but the use of handwriting is rare in math anyway. Generally, I need to remind her less and that is the goal, right? ;) I love Italic Builders and the Science one is a hit here. It is helping us transition to more general use of the techniques.

Be sure they rule out sarcoidosis...that's the other disease they always suspect for about 2 minutes before it, too, is ruled out. ;)

Hi Jean, I find that this is my experience as well. People talk to me openly and intimately within a very short time of having met me. I can completely relate with your concerns... I do think that the questions you pose at the end of your post are the perfect place to begin. "What or who have you relied upon in past difficult situations?" "In what do you find yourself seeking comfort?" And finally, I think that seeking permission in some way is the ideal way to feel free to share where you are coming from. I have not found that this approach drives people away at all. After someone has opened up to me and it seems my turn to speak, I will say something along these lines: "Wow. I'm so sorry you are going through this. I'm honored that you felt comfortable sharing this with me, and I'd be happy to help you in some way. In times of trouble, I often rely on my church family and my faith to get me through... do you have a similar support system in your life?" Their answer to this question is my guide on how to proceed... If any interest is shown at all, then you have informal permission to continue in that direction. I, too, would never want to push too hard in these areas, but the truth is that if someone is opening up to me for help, God is my answer... my goal is to proceed gently and let Him guide my speaking. I am pretty much praying silently non-stop in these moments with people, just seeking God's leading for my next word!! :)

:lol::lol: I found it recently as well. Try www.hulu.com but you'll only get recent episodes. There are some tv channels that play old ones over and over or you could rent a few seasons. He's crass & chauvinistic, but I love the show somehow.

I agree with the Garden State/Tappan Zee idea. We drove from Delaware to NH/MA on a regular basis for years. Once we got on 287, we would take 684 North for a while and then take 84 through CT, which is preferable for more northerly destinations in New England. Maybe it depends where you are going in New England. Okay, just read "RI" in your post, so probably 95 IS your best bet out of NYC. Sorry!

A local friend called me today about this because she got that email about the halt on shipments. She promptly called and had a long conversation with someone. It seems they had a glitch in processing online orders this year and the tests may have gotten into the hands of students at a ps before they took the actual test in their class...cheating, essentially. She was referred to another company who knows of Piedmont's troubles and is working with their customers to get testing done in a timely manner. So, I have no idea what will happen to Piedmont. I hope my tests get scored and returned to me safely...we just tested 2 weeks ago with them and shipped ours on about May 4. Unsettling, to say the least.

Like many of you, I too am relieved to hear that I am not crazy!! I have incredible ear pain with wind and especially cold wind, to the point of total distraction. Dh thinks I'm a bit odd about it but now I can tell him that I'm not making it up! Lots of WTMers have it too! I own a pair of ear warmers that wrap around from behind and hide under my hair (mostly) b/c I need to keep my ears protected from even very mild or warm winds. Thanks for the validation everyone! Now, if only there were a cure!

Oh good golly!! I am "LOL" here all by myself. I detest the "poor" use of quotation mark's and apostrophe's. ;) A beauty "salon" near us has a sign that reads "Your's in beauty" and I want to run it down! For about a week they had a corrected, newer version and then REMOVED IT!!! What were they "thinking"????? Pardon my use of exclamations and CAPS! BTW, that "blog" is one of my favorites "ever!"

Beth, Glad to see it went so well and you find her instruction worth the fee. I think the fee is within the normal range for in-home private instruction. Dh charges $40 and up for in-home chemistry and math tutoring. Enjoy the language learning!!

I agree with idea for playtime on weekends as you are able. Also, my dd10's best friend is in ps and we make it work. Her mom and I are always tracking the ps schedule and looking for early release days or non-holiday vacation days for teacher workshops, and then I plan to give my dd a 1/2 day so they can spend time together. It's worth it. They are a great pair and enjoy similar activities. We have homeschool friends too, but this friendship is worth the extra effort it involves. Best wishes to you. I am sure it's not easy for your ds.

:lol: Love these and have already pasted into an email and sent to my favorite people! They have replied that they love 'em too! #9 is a huge hit with us all here! Honestly...where do people come up with this stuff...

We are too! Since we choose this week to be free for time with dh (college professor on break), our week includes some lofty goals as well: Yard clean-up from Dec. ice storm Closet organization in entryway Cleaning out...everything!! Fridge, a cupboard or two,... A local field trip or two for fun A bit of reading for me... I am also planning a half-day trip out (just me!!) to do a little shopping which I haven't done since we started Dave Ramsey-ing our life. I have a few gift cards to cash in on some personal necessities (like socks!) so it still won't cost me any cash. This doesn't sound exciting to some, I am sure (it's just socks after all!!) but it will be a real treat to have the girls doing something with dh while I head out for a couple hours...aaahhh...I can hardly wait!!