:hurray: :hurray:

How did they say the day went?

Thanks for sharing- this was on my list to possibly purchase!

Our state convention was this weekend and Rainbow Resource had Beast Academy there- so maybe you'll find it at yours!

How wonderful!

I agree- this book is on my list of Top 10 must-reads for children. I loved it- such a beautiful, beautiful book.

I am SO excited- I've been looking for this book for over a year- since I first read about it on here. I've seen it for as high as $130 but even at $60-$70, it was to much money to spend on a book sight unseen. I followed it on eBay and I've been waiting and waiting for someone to post it with a price I can afford. Well, two weeks ago someone posted a copy in great shape for *****$9.99******** I could not hit "Buy Now" fast enough! I got it the other day and it is every bit as wonderful as people say. Absolutely a treasure!!! I love how inviting and conversational the writing is- it's delightful.

I'm with Jess, above. Bedtime is not an option. However, I don't care what they are doing in their room as long as they are in the room. I can't force them to go to sleep. But defiantly sitting on the couch and refusing to go upstairs is totally, completely unacceptable.

Has no one else noticed that Mom's pants aren't pulled all the way up? I feel so bad for her! That poor woman probably was just trying to pee & the kids escaped.

I'd love some grammar suggestions for 6th grade. We have been using Christian Light for many years but I am overwhelmed right now and need something that is less intense. I still want solid grammar & diagramming but just LESS. I have been crossing out some and having them do partial lessons, but even that is just to much management for me right now. I'd prefer something that keeps daily lessons to 1-2 pages max. Any suggestions?

Deleted bc it was an accidental double post!

I just happened to find the exact set of Weather Tec mats I needed for our van on Craigslist for $80 right when we bought it. They are SO wonderful!!! That gives me a great idea for dh- I wonder if I could find a set for his jeep??? Off to hunt....

I ended up over at Lands End and ordered the expensive Primaloft Jacket that I've been wanting, a CashTouch scarf that will look nice with my plum winter coat I bought from them last year and a cozy flannel shirt- they gave me $100 but there is a 40% off coupon & free shipping tonight so it went pretty far and they were things I wouldn't normally spend money on. Now, how loooong will it take for them to arrive???! haha- can't wait!

My sweet in-laws have given me money for Christmas but I can't think of a single thing I want for myself. Surely you guys can inspire me with some idea of what you'd like!

This thread has some really great ideas- thanks to everyone who has shared! I've added a bunch of items to my Amazon cart.

While I'm waiting to get our 2016 costume photos sent to me (hopefully any day now!), I'll post some from previous years. ETA: Well, never mind, I can't figure out how to post pictures...

Thank you. 8 years in and I'm tired. Really tired. :( But I used to be a runner and so I totally get this analogy. It was good to read tonight. :cheers2:

Before I had a bathroom with tile, I would have been all about the white subway tiles because they are beautiful! Now, having a bathroom with tile... I would give me left arm to have a nice,white, easy-to-clean box. Hate the tile, hate it, hate it, hate it. Did I mention how much I HATE the tile?

That's wonderful!

My kids LOVED the NC Arboretum- all of the different gardens & art, they did the treasure hunt, etc. We would definitely go back!

For years, we've mostly done nothing. (other than piano- all of our kids start piano at age 5) But last year we made some changes and have started seriously adding in extras. I've gotten some negative comments about it from other homeschoolers but it's working for us right now- my kids are happy & thriving- it's been really, really good for them. 12yo dd- piano, horseback riding, basketball 11yo ds- piano, Trail Life and just started football (almost) 9yo dd- piano, violin, cheerleading (for her brother's football team in the fall & with Upwards basketball in the winter) (hopes to start riding with 12yo sister this fall) 6yo- piano, soccer in the fall & cheerleading in the winter (although may change to basketball this year). Really wants to do dance again this year but I'm not sure if that's going to happen or not. Synced calendars for my husband & I has been really helpful. The timing of activities has also been good- they are either in the late afternoon (after 3pm or so) or early evening (6:30)- so we still always have dinner together as a family. We've purposely chosen things that are close by & said no to some good things that were just to far of a drive since we live out in the country (like gymnastics & robotics). Sometimes one of us goes with whichever kids need to be somewhere while the other stays home with the remaining kids. Sometimes we all go together as a family. It's been really cool to see kids exploring the things that interest them & making friends. I had no idea how expensive sports would turn out to be. I also had no idea it would be so fun. It's been so neat to see the siblings really supporting each other at games- rooting for each other, cheering each other on, etc. Very sweet.

I second Hanna Andersson leggings. Also, Lands End has some great fitting, sturdy jeans for girls- you can get regular jeans or, for the winter, you could get some that are fleece lined for extra warmth.

First of all- I have two children who are *extreme* talkers. They have been highly verbal from a very early age & language is their strength (and, as is often the case with a strength, it is their weakness as well!) All that to say, I totally GET what it's like to have a child who is extremely verbal. Yes, you can get a kid to stop talking. Can talking be an acceptable way to release anger? As with all things, the answer here is balance. It is *sometimes* appropriate and sometimes not- one benchmark that I try to use when assessing whether to allow them to continue is to determine if they are A)talking it through to think it through/process it, seeking and willing to listen to constructive comments/interpretation of a situation or B) obsessing over an incident and feeding their anger, participating in negative/unhelpful/untrue thought patterns. I don't think it is true to say that kids must always be allowed to talk about every thought/feeling they have, endlessly. (not implying that you said this, just commenting on a current parenting trend that I think is out of balance) It really depends on the HEART of why the kid is talking about an issue, what is their focus, are their thoughts kind or true? Is their self-talk leading to understanding/processing OR feeding a spirit of anger, injustice, victim attitude? If it is the latter of the two, then I try to ask questions that lead to truth, extending grace, kindness, treating others as you want to be treated (i.e. giving someone the benefit of doubt), etc. As to getting a verbal kid to stop talking- it IS a helpful skill for them to learn- mine are still working on learning to filter their thoughts and edit their comments but they have vastly improved as they've gotten older. In our house, if I were to give a child a direct instruction, such as "stop talking", I would expect the child to obey. My cousin helpfully pointed out to me (because I really DID NOT know) that it's nothing more than a verbal temper tantrum... Would I allow my physical/spatial/active kid to throw a temper tantrum? As in getting down on the floor & kicking & screaming. Absolutely not. But a verbal kid can do pretty much the same thing only its with words- and when I realized that was what was going on with one of my children, I put a stop to it. They can and they will learn self-control and for my verbal kids, that means learning to stop talking when instructed to do so. I don't know what discipline methods you use in your home, but if you decide you want the child to stop talking, just tell them so directly & then enforce it in whatever manner you choose. (in our house, I would begin with something concrete- i.e. "I want you to stop talking for 10 minutes. I will set the timer. When it goes off, we can talk about this some more.")

Excellent advice- this has been our experience as well!

I spend around $1100 a month for the six of us- my kids are only 12yo, 11yo, 8yo and 6yo- so that seems VERY reasonable to me when you take into account 3 teenagers!