No, my kids (9 and 12) don't really play with toys anymore. Dd has a bunch of American Girl dolls , but she keeps them more for display than play. They both spend time outdoors playing with the neighbors, riding bikes and skate boarding. They both rock climb, play video games and spend time on their computers. They read quite a bit, listen to music, podcasts and audiobooks, they like to cook, and ds has spent hours and hours with a ukulele in the past week. He also loves going to the mall or walking around downtown with friends. Dd has lots of playdates, and now that it is summer she likes to go to the pool whenever possible. Dd has a flock of 14 chickens that she spends a lot of time pampering plus each child has his/her own dog so that takes up their time as well (the kids are responsible for their own pets; other than going to the store to buy chicken feed, taking the dogs to the vet, and helping do a deep clean of the chicken coop a couple times a year they genuinely do 90% of the pet care on their own.) But no, toys aren't really their thing anymore.

I've always thrown organic material out the window, chucking it as far as possible, while on the highway. I've only recently quit doing it when I learned about how it increases the number of animals hit by cars. Likewise, I have no qualms at all about cleaning out a hairbrush and throwing out a big wad of hair while I'm in the passenger seat on the highway. If anyone can explain why that is a problem I'd stop, but until presented with evidence to the contrary I'll keep on doing it. Oh, and we eat in the car too, almost daily, it seems. Over the weekend I had to drive 4.5 hours to a neighboring state, spent the night, then home the next day. We ate sandwiches in the car while driving. Yesterday dd and I were running errands and grabbed a sandwich while we were out. We intentionally got our sandwiches to go just so we could go outside and eat in the car- it was a gorgeous day, nice breeze, not too hot, and we wanted to sit with the windows down so that we could listen to our audiobook over lunch: we were at a particularly engrossing point in the story! In nice weather when we are away from home we very regularly choose to eat lunch in the car just so we can continue our audiobooks, lol!

Yes, there is going to be a fifth and final book in the series! My kids are quite impatient waiting for its release. FWIW, my two seemed to enjoy the 4th book the most so far. It's a little different, yes, but maybe that's ok since my kids have been reading the books/listening to the audiobooks for several years, so they're older now than when they first started the series and ready for something a little more serious.

What kind of mattress is best for a side sleeper with achy hips and shoulders?

Not currently, but in the past we have kept cash in a fireproof lockbox hidden in the back of a seldom-used closet. I was always more worried about the potential of losing it in a fire or natural disaster (tornado?) than having it stolen.

Ham, scalloped potatoes, asparagus, rolls, dessert. Oh, and deviled eggs are a must.

There's a website that caters to British books like the Horrible History and Horrible Science series that are difficult to find in the US. I want to say it has "Ray" or something like that in the name, but my google skills and searches here on WTM aren't helping me today. Anyone care to help jog my memory? Thanks!

I've been considering enrolling my dd in school for the last 8 weeks of the year so she can see for herself what the schedule is really like. It's not the only reason, but a big part of why we're thinking about it.

We've read and enjoyed many of the books already listed, like The War that Saved my Life (very excited for the sequel!) and all of the Chains, Forge, and Ashes trilogy. The audiobooks version of The War that Saved my Life is EXCELLENT, btw. The narrator is one of our very favorites (she also did Ophelia and the Marvelous Boy, which isn't historical fiction, but another book that my kids loved.) If you liked A Night Divided, also look at Cloud and Wallfish: https://www.amazon.com/Cloud-Wallfish-Anne-Nesbet/dp/0763688037 For breaking down the Iranian Revolution in a way that kids can understand, try It Ain't So Awful, Falafel: https://www.amazon.com/Aint-So-Awful-Falafel/dp/0544612310/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489161795&sr=1-1&keywords=it+aint+so+awful+falafel The Inquisitor's Tale was quirky, fun, and exciting as well, but it's another one in which I'd recommend the audiobook version over the print book: https://www.amazon.com/Inquisitors-Tale-Three-Magical-Children/dp/0525426167/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1489161872&sr=1-2&keywords=cloud+and+wallfish

I wear my lightweight down jacket for that kind of weather. Something like this: Or this: https://www.macys.com/shop/product/32-degrees-packable-down-hooded-puffer-coat-only-at-macys?ID=2813750&CategoryID=72025&LinkType=&selectedSize=#fn=BRAND%3D32%20Degrees%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D8%26ruleId%3D52%26slotId%3D8 https://www.macys.com/shop/product/32-degrees-short-packable-down-puffer-coat?ID=4294031&CategoryID=72025#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D132%26ruleId%3D52%26slotId%3D2 Or this if you're wanting something a little longer but still not too heavy/bulky: https://www.macys.com/shop/product/32-degrees-packable-down-hooded-puffer-coat-only-at-macys?ID=2813750&CategoryID=72025&LinkType=&selectedSize=#fn=BRAND%3D32%20Degrees%26sp%3D1%26spc%3D8%26ruleId%3D52%26slotId%3D8

My mother wasn't older, but my dh's mother was 41 when she had him, her only child. His father, FWIW, was in his late 50s! He says that her age didn't matter at all growing up. However, speaking as the spouse, it has been hard on us. I knew and accepted when we got married that one day she would probably need us to care for her. I did not, however, expect that day to come less than two years after we were married. She had a series of strokes that left her unable to care for herself, and without enough money to afford assisted living, she moved in with us. She lived with us for 8.5 of the first 10 years of our marriage, and it was hard, really, really hard. Our oldest was only about 18 months old when she had her big stroke and then I had my second child a couple years later. Pregnancy, childbirth, raising babies/toddlers AND caring for an elderly parent took its toll on our marriage and frankly, it's shocking we're still married. Being financially prepared, having plenty in retirement savings and taking great care to stay fit and healthy would've gone a long way for us, but MIL had ignored her doctor's advice for years, subsisted mainly on fast food and refused to exercise, and hadn't been able to save much since she had always been a fairly low-income worker. It is what it is, and I love MIL greatly, but it was just so hard to be having babies and dealing with end of life issues at the same time.

Please don't quote- I may delete part of this. I have a 12 year old who likes to read and often processes things going on his in his life through newer books about other contemporary kids going through the same things. For instance, when he was concerned about a friend who was having some body image/disordered eating issues he gravitated towards books in the library about girls with eating disorders to understand what she was going through. He is currently going through some issues with a friend who has alternated between being very kind to him, then very mean and hurtful, then the friend reels him back in and the cycle repeats. We've talked about it quite a bit, but I would like to go further and find a few books to strew across the house for him about kids in his general age bracket who have with dealt breaking away from tumultuous, unhealthy friendships. Recent books he has enjoyed, just to give you an idea of the kind of reading material he enjoys, include Rain Reign, Fish in a Tree, The Thing about Jellyfish, The Someday Birds, and The Ethan I was Before. Suggestions?

My oldest went to Montessori for preschool and kindergarten and has been homeschooled for grades 1-6. My youngest, currently in 3rd grade by age, has always been homeschooled. This may all change next year. My oldest is very curious about trying out middle school next year, and if he goes to school, I may consider enrolling the youngest as well. I'm pretty torn, and if they do end up both going to school I'm probably the one who will have the hardest time adjusting.

Some of the books we have enjoyed together over the last year or two, even though many of them have already been mentioned: Inside Out and Back Again The Watsons Go to Birmingham Chains trilogy (Chains, Forge, Ashes) Lily and Dunkin As Brave As You The Thing About Luck Out of my Mind El Deafo I am Malala (YR edition) Sold (about a girl being sold into sex slavery, this one might be too intense for some kids) I am Nujood, Aged 10 and Divorced Kira-Kira Shooting Kabul Farewell to Manzanar Red Berries, White Cloud, Blue Sky The Red Pencil A Long Walk to Water The Birchbark House series (The Game of Silence, The Blue Jay's Dance) The Crossover American Born Chinese One Crazy Summer (PS Be Eleven and Gone Crazy in Alabama) March graphic novel series by John Lewis

Around that age I recall some of the following: Wagon Wheels (someone else mentioned this- my kids both LOVED it!) Tornado Magic Tree House The Bears on Hemlock Mountain The Matchlock Gun Diary of a Wimpy Kid series The Legend of Zelda manga series Encyclopedia Brown The Littles

As s homeschooler, I've not really given many tests or grades. Last year my son, who is a reasonably bright student, took one graded outside class and this year he's taking a couple more. He would like to go to public middle school next year. In the last two days he has taken two multiple choice tests, one for an online class and another at the school district office for placement into honors courses, and has done poorly on both. He thought the history test was easy, but missed half of the questions despite having excellent grades in everything else he's done for the class. He also thought that the placement test for the school district was easy and even fun, but his scores were below average. I think it is a test taking issue: he's just not practiced at taking them. Obviously, there is definitely a strategy to taking tests, otherwise school wouldn't spend so much time to test prep. If he goes to middle school next year, he's going to need better test taking skills. Even if he ends up staying home, he's still going to need to take tests at some point in his life, whether it be the ACT/SAT, a multiple choice test of the driver's manual to get his license on day, college, or whatever. Where do you even start? Up until now, the only tests I've ever given and graded on a regular basis were end of chapter math tests just to make sure we had mastered the material before moving on. Are those Spectrum style test prep booklets generally decent? Other suggestions?

We have a set from Pandia Press that were a little pricy, IMO, but oh so worth it, especially considering that it is something you will most likely use for several years, at least. They're gorgeous, printed in color on high quality paper, completely secular, and can be hung on a wall or put into a binder. http://www.pandiapress.com/publications/timeline/

Ha. I was just explaining to a friend earlier this week who was asking me about how homeschooling works that even though legally I'm still considered a homeschooler that I really think of myself more of an educational planner and chauffeur. My 12 year old has virtually everything outsourced at this point because it's the DIY private education that I can afford, plus it is more individualized and flexible than anything we could find in a traditional school, and there isn't a lot of secular school choice in my area. I like being able to choose his curriculum, something over which I'd have no control in another setting, but letting others take charge of teaching it.

Bizarre January weather here in the midwest. Yesterday was warm, but windy, rainy, and extremely foggy at times. Today at 8am it is already in the mid 60s, windy, and another storm is approaching. Thunderstorms in January?! Oh, and then tomorrow the temperature is supposed to plummet, and we're expecting an ice storm.

We found both of our dogs on petfinder.com. They were both being fostered in private homes but were rescue dogs.

I nursed my kids as needed, day or night. Sometimes they wanted to eat much more frequently than once every three hours, other times they would go much longer stretches. We co-slept, so usually I only half woke up, rolled over, latched the baby on and went back to sleep. All night, all you can eat milk buffet! :lol:

I'm a little confused. I know you say you're introverted, and so am I, but how is it possible to have a guest all weekend long and only speak 5-6 sentences to them? If I were visiting a friend or relative who could barely muster to speak to me the entire visit I would probably feel very awkward, unhappy and unwanted. I completely understand how frustrating it must've been to have her interrupt and finish your sentences, but by that point I can imagine that she was feeling quite out of sorts as well.

I would still go. Just make sure to pack a snow shovel and some extra supplies in your car. Three hours isn't very far, IMO, and you could always stay an extra day for the roads to be cleared if needed.

I emailed Mr. Otto a month or two ago with the same question and he told me that yes, there will be additional classes being offered for middle schoolers next year including science and possibly literature, and that more information would be available in January.

Does your library have a bookmobile program that perhaps comes closer to you every week or two?