Wow! That is seriously awesome! To think that a restaurant would care so much about a child being able to participate in an ice cream treat that they'd actually offer a new scoop and new carton -- that's really pretty fantastic! I think I'd have cried on the spot.

Ugh, that is so annoyingly! I'd just tell people that you're considering several names and will make a final decision once the baby arrives. (That being said, I kinda hope one of my kids uses my middle name for a girl, since I didn't get to use it. Our only DD has my grandmother's middle name for her middle name. But I love my middle name, and I'd have insisted upon it for a second daughter. My father chose it for me, so I would dearly love for a granddaughter to continue it. But I'd never push for it.)

I use binders for stuff they need to do on the computer and then print, like writing or history summaries. Quick to open to add pages frequently. This year, I used my ProClick to make notebooks for certain subject so: notebooking sheets for art and composer study, science tests, maps for geography and history. Less bulky than binders. We have used individual spiral notebooks for math, spelling, and writing (narration and dictation), but this year I am going to try composition books, just one at a time until it's full, so they (and I!) only have to deal with one book at a time. So it might end up with a math set, then spelling, then Bible, then math again.

I would also vote for Getting Started With Latin. It can be done orally, but she could also do it independently by reading the lesson, listening to the free mp3s, and writing out the translations for you to check later. For grammar, Glencoe has free printable (or use on a tablet or e-reader) workbooks.

This whole thread is making me cringe! DH cut his thumb badly enough to need stitches as a teen, and he's had multiple other nicks and cuts over the years. I no longer even bat an eye when he says he needs a towel quickly. (I know he liked actually building things, but I am not sorry he's a project manager and designer now. . . His clothes and skin stay in much better shape!) OP, speedy healing thoughts for your DH!

I would probably say to you, "Tell me what is my best option for providing something that you/your child can eat." If that means you can recommend a gluten-free pasta or pie crust recipe, I can do that, or if it means I use foil or even have some special pans and utensils that aren't used for anything else (especially if I am likely to see you in a good setting often), I can do that too. And if it means that cross contamination is too great a concern, then you tell me what brands of prepackaged stuff work best, and I'll call it good and be happy that I can provide a snack that ALL children can eat, especially if it's not every day. However, I agree with PP who say that for public school, special dietary concerns should be accompanied by a medical documentation if you're asking for people to skip a large food item. I imagine if I sent my kids to school, we would turn to PB for variety. We eat eggs for breakfast often, so I can't imagine at being a very good lunch item. Jerky and sunbutter are very expensive for a large family, and my kids really need serious protein in order to focus well. A high grain muffin or pancake is likely not to pack a good punch for them, not regularly, anyway. PB occasionally would be likely to be a good option. We would do no PB/nut butter, absolutely, or whatever other allergen-free was needed, because life is more important than anything, but before you ask me to make a significant change to my budget and my kids' protein intake, I want you to provide documentation from a doctor. I don't think that's too much to ask.

I got those as a Prime item a few months ago, and they were not that expensive by far!! They have worked well, although some of the lids don't stay snapped on as well as I'd like, even though I do hand wash them all. When my kids were at martial arts day camp this summer for a week, I packed their lunches in those boxes, with good success. Yes to some sort of cold thing, and the LLbean lunch bags fit those boxes nicely. I packed sandwich or cheese and crackers, fruit, and some sort of veggie combo (peppers, olives, pickles, cucumbers, baby tomatoes, baby carrots). Since they also got a snack at camp, I didn't pack a dessert, but I'd have tucked cookies or something in there too.

I've never had a 20 week u/s but I've had a couple of early ones for dating. DH and the older kids were at all of them. I didn't have any u/s for my fourth, but with my fifth, the MW tried and tried to find the heartbeat at 12 weeks, but he was hiding. That was actually nerve wracking, that she couldn't find it, and I had all four children along. DH didn't take off from work that day because it was just going to be a basic interview and a quick heartbeat check; if I liked her, he would meet her later. But it turned out that the place could get me in that afternoon for an u/s, so I headed off with the four children, but not DH. They were all in the room with me, and we figured if something were wrong, we'd work through that as needed. So they were all lined up around the bed with me, and there was an audible sigh of relief when the baby promptly waved his little hand at us. They ended up missing the birth because he came very quickly in the middle of the night, and we didn't have time to wake them, so I'm really glad they got to see the u/s. Anyway, I like the plan to bring the kids in later, after the anomaly scan.

Liked it as a way of sending sympathy, not because I actually liked it. How sad!

I remember learning about missions in Côte d'Ivoire when I was a kid. I have a friend who spent a year in Ghana as a missionary, and I believe Burkina Faso is a big missions area for some denominations. (My soft spot is for, although it's not Africa, Haiti, personally, but only because I tutored students from Haiti in ESL when I was in high school.)

Around here, I'd apply to one of the local grocery store chains. The employees are always pleasant and friendly in both, and they just kind of give off a vibe that their stores are nice places to work. I have no idea if that's true, but the employees do act the part, anyway. Plus, they have evening hours, so I could potentially work opposite shift of DH and still homeschool/care for my little ones (daycare is non-negotiable in our book, unless there are NO other options). I could also potentially work for the library, if they hire paid staff that aren't actual librarians. Our Home Depot employees always seem friendly too, but I know nothing about their employee treatment. (Maybe it's just that people are more friendly around here than in a lot of places. My parents visit here a lot and say that is definitely true, that even at our WalMarts, the employees are friendly compared to theirs back home.) I could also apply to be a peer breastfeeding counselor for WIC. Not sure if I could substitute teach or not. In my home state, I was able to sub with just a high school diploma and then with a B.A., although with the B.A., I made more money, and with a teaching degree, I'd have made even more. I don't know what my current state allows. I have some administrative assistant experience and some real estate experience, so I would also consider looking for an AA or secretary sort of job there. I also have daycare and private nanny experience, and I'm willing to deal with cloth diapers and pumped breast milk, plus no TV, so I think I could put together a decent offer as an in-my-home sitter. Just to give you some ideas. . .

We usually start in July, after about five weeks off, but I wanted to update on what I'd mentioned in other threads that we were planning for this summer. In past years, we've taken three or four weeks to start slowly, adding a few subjects each week. This year, I decided we'd do a Morning Time, plus one individual subject for each big kid (writing for DD, history for DS1, because I want them to finish more this year than easily fits into the school year), plus science (individual reading, group labs), plus art, composer study, and picture study. Those last three I have trouble getting to during the year. This week was great!! Art, picture study, and composer study are no longer relegated to the back burner! They're the main dish. It has been so fun to do them in a more intense way, one each day. It's built momentum for the artist and composer, and it's been really great to be able to discuss and study and listen and watch without feeling rushed to go complete the three Rs. We have one more selection for both artist and composer because we were out all day today, so we will do those tomorrow at dinner when DH can be part of things too, and then Monday, we will move on to a different artist and composer. Our artist this week has been Thomas Cole, and we've looked at his series of four paintings, Voyages of Life. Everyone, including my toddler, has really bonded with the paintings and has loved comparing and contrasting them. We put them on the wall so they can revisit them, and they do. Our composer has been Aaron Copland, and they've adored him too. We watched the ballet of "Appalachian Spring" (which takes place in an 1830s Pennsylvania farmhouse, which is what our own house is), listened to "Fanfare for the Common Man," listened to Darth Vader, er, James Earl Jones read the Gettysburg Address against Copland's "Lincoln Portrait" (this is stunning), and listened for the woodblock in "Hoe-Down" from "Rodeo" (YouTube has a great instrument map that someone made for this piece, which puts up a picture for each instrument as it's being played -- a great help for a non-musical mama). As well, we've had time to discuss the science readings more, and I really feel like this has been a great way to start the year! It's still getting them in the school mindset but without so much heavy brainpower needed.

I wrote down a list of what Staples was offering, with prices, but I also had to go to WalMart for other things first, and when I looked at their school supply section, they had just about everything that Staples had on sale, at the same or better prices. So I bought a bunch of composition books, index cards, sticky flags for marking pages, pencils, pens, stackable pencil boxes, clipboards for my two small learners (they like them for drawing). . . Staples lost my business this year because they opted not to do the penny sales this year or last. No point in adding another errand I don't need.

LOL, yes, I get you. My baby sister is a lefty too. I figure they'll have to adapt to so much in their lives that I might as well buy lefty scissors and such when I possibly can. I didn't want his first experience with school supplies to be frustrating, so I got him these, which have worked very well for him. Like night and day over righty scissors, even given that at not quite three, he wasn't too coordinated with scissors yet anyway. http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-Inch-Left-handed-Pointed-tip-Scissors/dp/B0020MLI4S. (The picture is reversed, but the ones we got are true lefty scissors, with the left blade up. I happened to see the same ones at WalMart this afternoon too.)

DD prefers the basic Kindle for some things and paper for others. My son will somewhat reluctantly read things on a device if that's the only option but prefers paper. DH prefers paper. I'll read either. I like the Kindle app on my iPad because I can get books instantly, plus I can read in the dark, plus no late fees. But I like paper as well and will still check out paper books. I still prefer paper for things I want to browse, like cookbooks. The one place where reading on the iPad absolutely wins for me is when I'm reading novels to the children, especially with the baby on my lap. I have very small hands, and holding a paper book open with one hand while wrangling a toddler with the other is difficult and makes my hand hurt. The tablet makes that so much easier! Also, I love that I always have a book available, so if we get stuck somewhere, I can always read a chapter to the children.

We signed on our house in the DC area about October 11 and moved in that same weekend, so we were brand new to the area in the midst of the sniper shootings and were wondering what we'd gotten ourselves into. DH insisted I get a cell phone for when I was out in our new area with our then 7mo.

Yes, I bought some composition books for all of my kids today because they should hold up better than spiral notebooks, and my leftybaby (he's almost four) will be able to use it easily too, but I also made him some reverse opening booklets for drawing, using my ProClick. Arliemaria, I think composition books are pretty universal, so they'll likely have them in a few years too. But you might want to get her lefty scissors so that when she's interested in cutting, regular scissors don't frustrate her. Fiskars makes a red and blue pair that worked really well for my 3yo.

About the same time. But it depends on the child's interest. My kids like languages, so they are learning Latin plus Spanish (13yo) and Italian (10yo). I wouldn't push if they hated them, but I think it's good for them.

Oh, yeah, and I heard the shots from my dorm room when Melanie Spalla (because her name deserves to be remembered) was shot and killed on my college campus in 1996. My room faced the lawn where she was killed, and several of the bullets went beyond my dorm. In the era before widespread cell phones, texting, and Facebook, many parents were understandably very worried for quite a while because all phone circuits were jammed. I remember sitting through my afternoon classes in a daze, along with everyone else wondering what had happened, as information took a while to spread throughout the large campus. I think my reactions to that were probably pretty similar to how I felt after 9/11: HERE, REALLY??? On our territory? Unfathomable.

I wasn't part of them happening, but I remember exactly where I was when: -the Challenger blew up -the Berlin Wall fell -Greg Louganis got back to back double gold medals -America returned to space as Discovery cleared the tower (I will never forget hearing the announcer's words, and to this day, it makes me all teary.) -Y2K happened and the lights didn't all go out -we waited to see who actually won the 2000 election -I was sixteen weeks pregnant with my daughter when 9/11 happened, and I remember getting up that night for my usual bathroom trip and looking out the window at the calm, as if nothing had happened, and yet, the whole world had changed. -we went into DC to watch President Reagan's funeral procession But my husband has actually worked on preserving several of America's historic sites and buildings. It's cool to think that decades from now, people will be able to see churches, houses, etc. (including the Lincoln summer cottage in DC) because he had a hand in their restoration and preservation.

1200 doesn't seem that all small to me, not what I would call tiny, anyway. Our first house was about that size. It had a living room, half bath, and fairly large kitchen/dining room (with a pantry, even) on the first floor, and three bedrooms (the master bedroom was quite large plus had a nice walk-in closet and a second closet built over the stairs; the second and third bedrooms were small but not tiny), a full bath, and a linen closet on the second floor. It had a nice basement, and we divided it so that half was a workroom for dh, and half was a nice, clean, bright space for storage, chest freezer, and laundry. It was more than adequate for the two of us (and our cat) and then our first baby, and it would have worked fine for a couple of kids, probably even two teens, especially if we knew we had a small house and kept toys and extraneous stuff to a minimum. It's so much about the layout. I actually have twice that space now, but the layout leads to some strange spaces.

I'd be interested in it except for one thing (other than the five kids thing): mine and DH's hobbies take up space! Yarn, wood, metal, art stuff, guitars, books, games, you name it. We have very strong DIY genes and are always creating something. We gave birth to children who are the same way, so there's always a project in progress somewhere. Other than that, less to clean, yes, please.

Target has some nice wire bins with dividers, kind of like the desk apprentices, but smaller and only about $15 each. They hold a full binder plus several books, so each of the three older children has one for his or her specific, current stuff, and they live at each child's workspace. Then I have a shelf that holds shared books like the Kingfisher Encyclopedias, plus reference books. And I have a long narrow crate that holds things we don't use often, or stuff that will be coming up. I have our summer group work in my first grader's wire bin for now, but I need to get another of those from Target for the group work books. Otherwise, I just keep them in a plastic mesh basket from The Container Store. I can take some pics if you want.

Congratulations! And to Chris in VA too -- congratulations!

We have removed wallpaper from two houses. Some of it was very easy, and some of it took a lot of steaming and scraping and then washing to get the glue off. It's a pain in the neck but not worth passing up an otherwise great house because of it.