This is my favorite not too sweet frosting. You don't even need powdered sugar. It's known as flour frosting, so doesn't work for gluten free folks. It rocks! http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2010/03/a-tasty-recipe-thats-the-best-frosting-ive-ever-had/

I love Pi Day!!! Think we'll make this Egyptian dish called Gollash…which is basically a phyllo pie with ground meat. :) For dessert, I'm hoping I can convince the kids to do a chocolate cream pie. Yum. Or maybe a mud pie with coffee ice cream.

If they find something that requires follow-up, they'll call when they get it in usually. For most of my tests, it takes about a week. Some labs are quicker, and if it's something critical, your doctor would have most likely put a rush on the results.

Re: hair cuts, I used to be a salon snob. I never would have ventured into a Hair Cuttery or SuperCuts or beauty school. But since four kids, I have…and you know what? The cuts are just as good. No difference. Seriously. I usually go to the Hair Cuttery, but I've also gone to an Aveda school and had great cuts. Price? $15. or so. I can highlights in for $3/highlight.

Midsomer Murders Inspector Morse and Inspector Lewis Rosemary and Thyme Cranford and Return to Cranford Poirot

You're just the only one honest enough to bring it up. That's the problem…they're not used to that. With DS, we used to bring Goodnites and a mattress pad (kind that lies on top). They (GoodNites) also came out with an adhesive disposable mattress pad, but I don't know if it was successful and is still available.

We've looked at this regarding my parents. There are more and more companies that are specializing in small homes (separate on the property) for elderly parents. They run about $50K and up. Sharing the same home would be difficult…but would love to have my parents within walking distance. This is kind of what we're looking at http://www.houzz.com/granny-flat

My fav dressing is 1 clove of garlic, salt, pepper, oregano, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. I kind of eyeball the amounts and shake in a jar. I think it started as a take-off from this recipe, so it might be a good starting point for measurements http://allrecipes.com/recipe/greek-salad-iii/detail.aspx

If you have Prime, I loved London Hospital. http://www.amazon.com/Episode-1/dp/B003UPMK1Y If you have Netflix, both "House of Cards" are great.

Me either…which is probably why it's good to know. :) Softball http://www.isfsoftball.org/english/umpiring/signal_chart.asp Football http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/signals Basketball http://www.ducksters.com/sports/basketball/referee_signals.php

$10/visit… but I'll add you're a much better Kitty Mom than I am. We just leave out food and water and an extra litter box if going for a few days.

My son's cub scout troop did a fitness challenge thing. They had partners, and timed how many push ups and sit-ups they could do in a minute. (Might have included burpees/squat thrusts too.) They also did a vertical and horizontal jump. Then the goal was to check each week to see how much they improved. You could also do things like the yoga tree pose or just balancing on one foot. Could also add in arm wrestling. We use this DVD as part of our homeschool fitness. My son likes it. https://workoutkid.com/fun-for-kids/videos/

Good reminder. There was an article in the Daily Mail (yeah…I know) about a Mom who casually decided to talk to her 3 year old daughter…and found out she was being abused. Quite a shock. I like the UK's PANTS acronym. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2577342/Ron-touched-Mothers-horror-casual-conversation-three-year-old-daughter-revealed-sexually-abused-family-friend.html#ixzz2vbwwYqTq "Rachel explains: 'I hadn't thought about talking to Hannah about abuse before as she was only three-years-old and I didn't think that it would be something that would happen to us. Not long after hearing about the NSPCC's Underwear Rule, I was putting some cream on her where her pants had rubbed and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to talk to her. 'I said: "Where your pants cover; that area is for you. No-one else can touch this area." I expected her to just say OK but she said "Ron puts his fingers up there."' P is for... Privates are private Explain to your child that no one should ask to see or touch their private parts. Sometimes doctors, nurses or family members might have to. Explain that this is OK, but that those people should always explain why, and ask your child if it's OK first. A is for... Always remember your body belongs to you Let your child know their body belongs to them, and no one else. No one has the right to make them do anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. And if anyone tries, tell your child they have the right to say no. N is for... No means no Make sure your child understands that they have the right to say "no" to unwanted touch - even to a family member or someone they know or love. T is for... Talk about secrets that upset you Explain the differences between "good" and "bad" secrets. Phrases like "it's our little secret"are an abuser's way of making a child feel worried, or scared to tell someone what is happening to them. Good secrets can be things like surprise parties or presents for other people. Bad secrets make you feel sad, worried or frightened. S is for... Speak up, someone can help Tell your child that if they ever feel sad, anxious or frightened they should talk to an adult they trust. This doesn't have to be a family member. It can also be a teacher or a friend's parent - ChildLine.

My kids are very much into "What does the Fox say" by a Swedish group, I think. Hold on…. I shall Google… :)

I didn't know that there were state schools that were pretty open admissions. I grew up in Michigan, and getting into U of M was not a guarantee. Michigan State was easier, but still not a guarantee. Here in Florida…same thing for University of Florida and Florida State, although I think U of M is above the University of Florida. How do I find out which schools are open admissions? Does anybody have a list?

Glad you're going to the ER. I hope they can easily figure out the problem and treat you so you're home soon. Lots of prayers headed your way.

Just missed it, but next year you could also do the Great Big yard Bird Count. http://birds.audubon.org/great-backyard-bird-count What about starting his own website/chat board for Autistic Teens like him who may have a similar interest? (So Spectrum Minecrafters if he likes Minecraft or what not.) Even if he gets three friends to join he can still list that. He can still say he did this… he did something. For older kids another option would be to look into training to perhaps be a peer online counselor for suicide, bullying, etc. http://www.billwilsoncenter.org/action/index.html/title/chat-4-teens-peer-counselor What about organizing "love bombs" for kids who are sad or lonely…or starting a homeschool birthday club or going to a local nursing home, getting a list of the birthdays (if they'll share it), and having him make/buy a birthday card for each resident on their birthday.

Honestly, just do it regularly. She can set up a Roth IRA. I'd try Charles Schwab, Fidelity, or Vanguard. (Not sure who has the lowest fees for transactions.) In general, though, at this age I'd be far more concerned about getting into credit card debt.

Of course, I can't find the project I was thinking of at the time….but try: https://www.zooniverse.org http://www.volunteermatch.org https://www.onlinevolunteering.org/en/vol/

What about volunteering online? There are groups who look for people to post things/manage their Facebook or Twitter pages. If there's a group he likes or is interested in, he can message them and ask. (No need for in person interaction.) There are online research projects which look for average volunteers, etc.

Does she have a clock or night light near her bed? If so, can you move it? Is there anything going on in school which could be stressing her out? This may sound dorky, but DS8 loves some warm hot chocolate (made with milk) before bed. He also used to sleepwalk/talk…but hasn't done it since we've started the hot chocolate (or if he has, I haven't noticed.)

My eldest is 10 and my youngest is 3.. so a seven year gap. He dotes on his baby brother and is actually enjoying that relationship more than with this brother who is 2 years younger. My Dad is the youngest of four. His older brothers are 14 and 16 years older, respectively. They are all best friends. MILs and mothers can have opinions, but in the end, all that really matters is what you and your husband/partner want.

Even if it's not, most libraries offer digital loans. You can often get a bunch of Ebooks from your library without having to travel. :) What is your budget? For math, CLE is relatively cheap. You can buy one light unit at a time ($3), which helps as well. You could also look into Miquon which would cover a few years of elementary math. Easy Peasy is well liked and free http://allinonehomeschool.com My kids have loved A Child's History of the World. WE got it for about $6 on Nook. (We read it with a Nook application on an iPad). It's wonderful for world history for kids…and could be gone into in more depth for older kids. Just have them narrate back to you what they read/listen to. For handwriting, you can print out free worksheets on the Zaner-Bloser site.

I'm sorry, but I can't find any facts to back up what you're saying. I can find claims like this on Common Core conspiracy theory sites, but not actual facts. You're also twisting what I said. I never said that that language " is standard language and has been forever (held up in a court of law, as you noted". The only thing that has been held up in New York state (and not nationwide) is how data is stored and whether or not enough security measures are in place. I'm not conservative, but I did find this which seems to address some of the conspiracy theories. Note, I'm not saying that data isn't being collected…data is collected everywhere. If your kids use any Apps, anything online, their data is being collected. What I'm doubting is that it would be PII or HIPAA related.… " In a New American article on student data mining, Mallory Sauer claimed that the Education Department brief called for extraction of sensitive information “which delves into the intimate details of students’ lives.†But the list of “sensitive information†she provides from the report is provided with a clear disclaimer: the collection of such information, it says, would require “written parental consent†before any minor could be required to participate in “any survey, analysis, or evaluation†funded by the Department of Education: “In the event any data elements under consideration for inclusion in a student record system involve any of these eight topics, those data elements should be included on the inventory of PII and should be identified on the list as PPRA-related variables.†In other words, the report warns such information cannot be involuntarily collected…" "Yes: the Race to the Top, SFSF, and CCSSO are calling for more data collection. And there are most definitely ties between Common Core and all three of those initiatives. But Common Core itself does not “require†data mining. Neither is the new SLDS system mandatory for school districts. It’s a purely mandatory effort. There may be pressure to adopt it in exchange for federal funds, but states can choose to accept or reject such incentives."

I used to be paranoid about sell-by date. DH is the complete opposite. I've moved to more his line of thinking. Honestly, 3 days past the sell-by date seems fine. Of course, if it looked or smelled off, I'd toss it…but otherwise I'd cook it (well, more than medium or rare though).