My current van needs a significant repair, and DH and I are trying to decide if it's worth it, or if we should fix it or buy something a little better. Currently, I have a 2001 Ford Windstar (yes, I know they had some serious issues; we lucked out and got the recalls fixed and have had no problems). We just put four brand-new tires on it a couple of months ago, and aside from needing some significant repair work (blown head gasket, plus several parts related to the brakes), there's no reason to suggest that it wouldn't keep running for a few more years. But I'm looking around to see what might be available if we spend a bit more. I wouldn't normally want something that old again, but I keep hearing good things about the Toyota Siennas lasting forever. There's one near us for sale; it's a 2001 and has 88K miles (which is about half of what the Windstar has). It looks to be in good shape, but my question is: is that too old/too high mileage even for a Sienna, or would you give it a serious consideration? (I drive less than 400 miles a month, most months, if that matters.)

Seriously! If he had been completely nude, it would have been one thing, but nude plus the safety gear -- just does not add up!

I love that! It sounds like a very special private school, but I love that it has a special meaning to you too.

Our school name has Academy at the end, and I chose the first two words for a Bible verse and a nod to one of our favorite childhood books (as well as a nod to the area in which we live). I'll share privately if you are really curious, but I'm not putting it out in public on the internet, just a personal thing.

My current second grader has used Miquon and Singapore this year, and he's very much enjoyed them both. I will be sticking with them for next year.

Cool, I'll look into that -- thanks, HejKatt!

Thanks! I didn't know they had a scratch-and-dent section. Is there a way to get emails about what's on sale at CBD? I'm not really in a hurry to get them yet; if nothing else, I'll see if a friend can pick them up for me from one of the conventions.

We don't really have a set plan. I roughly alternated between the two for a while, like a couple of lessons from one, a couple from the other, and it's okay if my son hits something first in one, without hitting it for a while in the other. Then he hit a spot where he wanted to keep going with one instead of the other, mainly because we got close to the end of a book from each, and he wanted to finish each book, so we stuck with one for a few weeks, finished it, and then finished the other a few weeks later. Currently, he's finished the first four Miquon books and has asked to finish the Singapore 2B book before he does any more Miquon. When we start Singapore 3A, we'll probably go back to alternating between the two.

Any suggestions on where I can find the Singapore workbooks for a good price? Or is my best bet to find a friend to order from Rainbow Resource with me so we can get free shipping?

I just tried out Aldi's, after the recommendations here. If I can combine it with other errands in the same town, I'll pop in there. Avocadoes, for instance, were a dollar each on sale at our big chain grocery store (and that's about what WalMart sells them for too); Aldi's had them for $.59 each (or was it $.69?). I was able to get nice-looking fresh broccoli, which is a rare thing for us (usually it's frozen, because we'll eat two full pounds at a meal), because it was so much less expensive at Aldi's than our other stores. It does sound like they vary, though. I'll have to try the one a bit north of us and see if it's any good.

Half of the time, the workers at the local stores in our area are family of the owners! I love when I can support family-run businesses, especially those who homeschool. It's just not always possible for me to do so.

I personally think people ought to use common sense, depending on things like traffic and weather. DH has a straight road home for 40 miles, half of which has no stoplights at all, and traffic is usually very light. It's very possible for him to drive and talk (he's required to talk hands-free for half of it, but not once he gets over the line to our state) while still paying plenty of attention to the road. Otoh, a mom distracted by the radio or kids could be paying significantly less attention to the road than DH on his phone. Common sense and reasonable caution, please! (Texting does seem to up the danger factor much more than merely talking.)

I buy a few specialty items through amazon -- coconut oil, coconut and almond flours, and stevia -- because they have the best prices on smaller portions (and because free shipping means I don't have to drive to one of the expensive health food stores).

I shop anywhere and everywhere, LOL. I love love love when I can shop at local farms, dairies, and markets, and we have a fantastic variety here (it's one of my favorite things about our area); it is very important to me to support our local small businesses when possible. Unfortunately, between the economic downturn which hit my DH's industry very, very hard, and the increase in prices, I am just not able to pay the extra to get the best very often. I normally shop at a large chain grocery store, buying things on sale, and I supplement with smaller trips to local businesses occasionally. I've also recently discovered the joys of Aldi. I do occasionally shop at WalMart, but the ones near us are either the small, not-much-food ones or they're right next to the big chain grocery store that I like (and which gives me gas discount points; I'm good at only buying what I actually need, not stuff I don't need, just for the gas discount points, so it works out well for me). And then, tbh, there's also the time and gas cost issues -- I don't live near to much at all, so going to several places in a day is tiring, because we combine errands. And when I have to be in one town once a week, I can't always justify the gas cost to go down to the Aldi/SuperWalMart/cute little local shop with good meat just to save a couple of dollars. (And WM doesn't seem to beat the big chain store's sale prices, and it's never the pleasant experience that the big chain store is, for some reason.) Now, produce season is coming, and we'll buy a lot of fresh seasonal produce from the local farm stand that is around the corner. I am looking forward to that! ETA: We do not have a Trader Joe's or a Whole Foods near here at all. We do have a few independent health food stores, and I shop at them occasionally, but their prices generally make WF look like Aldi's. ;) ETA also: DH hasn't had time to hunt since we moved here, but people have given us many pounds of venison a few times. One friend gave us a large portion of a hog he raised. We were so grateful for all of that! We love buying in bulk, but it's not always possible, and it made our day to receive such gifts. (Someone also trapped some muskrats and gave a bunch to DH. He cooked it up for himself and the kids; it smelled good, but I couldn't bring myself to try it, even for free.) See, I said I shop anywhere and everywhere. I do have preferences, but most often, cost and convenience win out.

Almost twenty years ago, I started taking three classes a semester, for four semesters, at a local university, starting in my junior year of high school. Then when I applied to my chosen university, I had about 38 credits, all of which transferred as either gen ed or elective credits, and they only transferred as credits, not grades. I ended up graduating from college a year early, which saved me a fortune in out-of-state tuition (and more importantly, let me get married sooner too, LOL). This was a really good plan, because while I was a mature and level-headed student, I was also pretty shy; some of the credits in high school were through a special program that was designed for high school students, and the professors were part of the program. It really gave us a feel for how to adjust to college life, while still having a support system of parents (and professors who expected to be guiding high school students) in place. When I went off to college at 18, I found it to be an easy adjustment. I still graduated early, but without going off to college early, which I think was good. If I were sending a student to college in the next few years, I'd probably have him/her take classes at a local college during the junior and senior years of high school, summers, and the first year of college, doing two years' worth of credits over three years, and then I'd have the student transfer to a different college (or main branch of my alma mater, of which there are several branch campuses near by, so that would be the obvious first place to look). I think it would also depend on the college/university; my university is very, very large -- it is a great place to be, but you have to find your own niche there, and I can see how it would be intimidating for a younger student. (My own brother looked at it because I was there, and though he'd have been 18 when he started, he was turned off by the sheer size. I didn't care for the crowds myself, but I also was self-directed and knew what I wanted, so I carved out my place. But I know kids for whom it was just too big and impersonal and who slipped through the cracks.) Otoh, a college that would provide very personal guidance might be an excellent place for a young, but very bright, student.

Let yourself cry! A good cry is often cathartic. The idea of removing dairy makes me panic too, and I know I'd have to have a good sob first before I could get moving on new diet plans. I know it's hard if he's sleeping, but could you try keeping him upright for a bit after feeding him? If it's happening while he's lying down, helping him stay upright might help keep the milk in his stomach. I would definitely try stopping him in the middle of a side to burp him too, or massage his tummy while he's nursing -- that might get the air bubbles moving in the opposite direction so they come out as gas instead of burps.

I'd do a buffet, with ingredients labeled -- maybe a nice roast or ham, and then assorted sides. Like, at Thanksgiving dinner, there's always so much food that nobody notices that I don't eat turkey (I just don't love turkey, and I'd rather leave room for the other stuff that I love). Or if it's not a super formal meal, lots of appetizer-type stuff (again, labeled). A big green salad with several toppings in small dishes could work well. But part of it would depend on the severity of the issues. If you're talking anaphylactic allergies or extreme physical distress, which could happen from cross-contamination, I'd consider asking people to bring dishes -- the person who is gluten-free could prepare some gluten-free dishes, the dairy-free person could bring some foods safe for him/her, etc. I am pretty sure that I could manage to read labels enough to avoid using any form of dairy or gluten, for instance, but I don't know that I could guarantee that the spoon or pan hadn't ever touched one of those things. If it's just a matter of "Jim can't have too much dairy, but a trace amount wouldn't be an issue," or "Kate does best on a low-gluten diet," that's different, but I'd talk to the family members first. And if everyone brings some of their favorite safe dishes, perhaps they could bring recipes, and everyone might go home with some new things to try!

Just had to say that I feel for you; I can see where this may come for me in a few years. And I realized that by next summer, I will have spent almost four years straight either pregnant or nursing/caring for a baby under a year. Next school year will also be the first year I have to deal with portfolios and reporting requirements for two children, plus the 2yo and newborn, plus a 5yo who desperately wants to learn to read and wants to know when he will be able to do math too (and I have no doubt that he'd be able to do all of that NOW, except that my time and energy are very short). Not to take over your post, but I really understand and feel for you. (((HUGS)))

Also, my spitty (not vomiting, just spitty) babies were very spitty around the four-month mark; I think it's because they start taking in more at a time, and they also realize that it tastes good and feels good, and they don't always want to quit nursing. ;) Have you tried burping him in the middle of a nursing session, and/or block feeding? They may help get the milk to stay down.

That's what I would do as well, and I'd start cutting things out from my diet. Dairy would be the first thing I'd cut out, and it can take two weeks to clear it from your system; it also hides under lots of names.

This response was priceless, in a line of great posts!

If nobody else in the family has had a bug, I'd probably take him to the doctor, but I'd probably also wait a few more days. If anyone else has had a stomach bug, it could just be that. Several of my children had a bug last spring; my older two threw up once or twice, the third one not at all, and the fourth one was about eight months old at the time and fully breastfed. He threw up a couple of times a day for a couple of days, but then he continue to throw up once or twice a day, usually at night, for about a week. It was weird that it lasted longer than it did for everyone else, but he was fine; I just watched him for dehydration and tried to offer nursings more often. It could be a reaction to dairy or something else in your diet, not necessarily spicy food.

For a boy, specifically, I voted Little Britches. I think All-of-a-Kind Family is lovely; it's one of my favorite series. But it's heavily focused on girls; my son enjoyed it but not nearly as much as my daughter. My other choice for you would be Cheaper By the Dozen because it's hilarious (and I vote for Belles on Their Toes after that as well).

Or just get a smaller coffee maker; ours makes up to four cups and works just fine to make one or two.

LOL, I love his comment!