Our local school district in Florida uses Calvert for K-5, and then they switch to K12. It's separate from FLVS, though. I do know that Calvert will provide remedial math or reading/writing, if necessary. Know that if you use FLVS or a local virtual, usually you have to take the FCAT.

There are two bariatric surgeries I would recommend, the sleeve gastrectomy and the duodenal switch. Lap-Band has proven ineffective long-term and has way too many revisions. (I know, I had it done the day after FDA approval). RNY has a lot of revisions, and it's not an easy revision. Sleeve is good because it preserves the pyloric valve, which means usually dumping is not an issue. Ghrelin production is reduced the first year at least, which means less hunger. Basically, if you follow a protein first, followed by non-starchy veg and fruit, then carbs type approach your DH should lose weight. Long-term 5 year results seem to show about a 50% EWL, which is good…but I am seeing more revisions of sleevesters. Thing is, it's a far easier operation to revise to a DS if needed. Carbs are still easy to overeat. Diabetes resolution will last while weight loss lasts, but if your DH starts to regain, his diabetes will come back. (Duodenal switch has more of a cure involved with the intestinal rerouting.) Your DH still needs to watch vitamin D, b12, calcium, and magnesium. If his doctor does not recommend supplements, he needs to. ObesityHelp's sleeve gastrectomy boards are good, but remember 99% of the posters are still in their honeymoon phase. People who are 3+ years out don't post anymore, either because they've moved on…or they're ashamed of weight regain. Also check out the revision boards on OH. I strongly advise your husband to consult with a surgeon who does both the duodenal switch and the sleeve gastrectomy. Most surgeons only do sleeve, lap, and RNY. Let somebody who does them all, and has no reason to recommend one over the other, make a recommendation.

I always add in a bit of plain yogurt at the end. I'm not sure if it thickens it, but we like the creamy texture.

Took my kids today and we loved it. We even had Taco Tuesday tonight. Will Ferrell's character is exactly like my DH, so that really hit home for the kids. Loved that the most super duper heroine was Lucy/Wild Style. She totally out did all the boys.

When you said you think you found her…was it on an adoptee looking for birth parents board or something else? That was my assumption when you said you think you found her. Because if she was looking, then I think it's OK to respond with at least the info about her birth mother being dead and any health info you have (once you verify that this is really who you are looking for.) How does your State handle these things? For example, in Michigan where I was born/adopted, it is closed. The adoptee has to go to the court of the county where the adoption took place…. and then there is an intermediary that contacts the biological parents…and then if everybody agrees, information is exchanged. I believe if one of the parties is deceased, that info is shared. As for the health info, I know that I and many other adoptees used 23andme's DNA screening to try and find out some things. I don't believe they're allowed to do the health bits anymore, but it was great while it lasted.

I remember reading an article like that in the Atlantic. http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/04/fdr-grew-up-in-a-dress-it-wasnt-always-blue-for-boys-and-pink-for-girls/237299/

Weird question…I wonder if animal crackers were less sweet back then? Today I think of them strictly as a cookie, and I can't imagine having them with soup.

My Dad used wear a pink button down oxford shirt a lot. He's a doctor, and it turned out the day they were filming a commercial at his hospital, he was wearing it. My friend used to joke that it was my Dad's pink lab coat, as he never wore one. He also wore yellow shirts as well. My husband looks super handsome in this purple oxford I bought him from Land's End when we were first married. I don't think any of them look feminine and they were easily available, but it's rare for me to see those colors in the boys' section. Usually for oxfords, they can have white or blue. We tell the boys that Grandpa's favorite shirt was pink, so it's OK to like pink.

My 3 year old loves to get into his sister's nail polish….and usually paints his entire foot, not just the nails. He's also fond of putting on lipstick (lip gloss). It doesn't phase me. His father is not so comfortable with it, though. His favorite shoes are his sister's old pink crocs too. I remember my now 10 year old telling me when he was around 2 that it was no fair that girls got to paint their toes pretty colors and boys did not. I said, "you're right…what color do you want your nails?" We did them blue.

I had no idea she was his wife. RIP TIm. :( His death was such a shock.

See, I saw the movie before I read the book….and it made me want to read the book. Completely different, but I loved them for different reasons. :) It gave me a good lesson early on, rarely do films from books measure up to the books, but you can enjoy them on their own terms.

I was adopted and did the whole birth parents search in my late 30s. I think most of us undertaking that assume that we might have been the victim of rape, or a teen pregnancy, or a whole host of other things… at least I did. Still, it's not always easy to hear. The book "The Girls who Went Away" is excellent reading for anybody adopted in the pre-Roe v. Wade era. I think I would definitely want to know about the death, but I don't know if it's worth sharing about the rape. JMHO. I think that was your MIL's story to tell should she have wanted to. As she passed, I'm not sure that anybody else should share it. You can say you don't know anything about her birth father, but you're sorry.

Very sad about her death. My Mom was a ballerina, but also studied tap early on, so I watched a bunch of her films. Loved the ones she did with Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Might make a good topic during Black history month for some. Loved her version of "A Little Princess" and the "Bachelor and the Bobby Sox". Sigh. Cary Grant. RIP.

We've been following with an orthodontist who feels that it is. She watches the kids every 4 months (no charge) and then does everything at once…but usually around 10-11. The other orthodontist in town is known for two phase process. I was worried because they tried to widen my jaw as a 13 year old…and it didn't work…and I ended up having braces in my 20s. I trust her regarding my son though. For us, the two phases would have been to widen the jaw….stabilize it….and then correct anything else in few years.

We bought "A Child's History of the World" for $5.99 for the Nook. We also bought the hardback book, but DH likes reading the ebook on the iPad. It's a really wonderful introduction to world history for 3-5th grade.

I bought the Child's History of the World set (had the book and questions) used on eBay for $25.00. BUT, you can buy it from CBD here http://www.christianbook.com/childs-history-of-the-world-volumes/virgil-hillyer/pd/228501?item_code=WW&netp_id=851371&event=ESRCG&view=details (Slightly cheaper than from Calvert directly) If you don't want the questions, we bought the book on Nook for $5.99 (We read it in a Nook app on the iPad) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/childs-history-of-the-world-v-m-hillyer/1007372438?ean=9788087888544 For Horrible Histories, I usually just search on Youtube for BBC Horrible Histories and things come up. If you start with one, usually you'll see many related clips. Last week, DH was studying the Crusades, so we watched these: http://youtu.be/MdBQBg6XEUM http://youtu.be/DBHLhMfszOA For Bravewriter, I think I bought it when she had some sort of special going on (maybe through Homeschool Buyers Co-op), but here's the link http://www.bravewriter.com/program/home-study-courses/partnership-writing/

Can't wait to see it. I've read nothing but good reviews. We're going to take the kids who are in school out early next week and go when the crowds are less. Everything is Awesome!

That is so wonderful. Congratulations!

Here's a really good document that was produced in 2009 on the rate of false child sexual abuse allegations. Americans views are colored by the daycare scandals of the late 80s/90s. (Remember those?) Actual rates of false accusations are 2-8%. That means there's a 92-98% chance that the victim is telling the truth. http://ndaa.org/pdf/the_voice_vol_3_no_1_2009.pdf If you're asking me why this is so important to me, I work in family violence in a community where coming forward is rare. Most victims are not believed. It drives me crazy. I also believed that false accusation rates were higher, until researching it. I was in my early 20s when the McMartin case happened. I also had an uncle molest me…never came forward…and finally told somebody when I noticed that his granddaughter was the same age I was when I was abused. I know what it's like to think that nobody will believe you. Yet I've found out that it's far more common than I'd ever imagined… and that most people never say anything….and the abusers continue to abuse without repercussions.

Yes, and we can also talk about how ineffective polygraph tests are, especially with regards to sex offenders. From wiki…."In the 1998 Supreme Court case, United States v. Scheffer, the majority stated that "There is simply no consensus that polygraph evidence is reliable" and "Unlike other expert witnesses who testify about factual matters outside the jurors' knowledge, such as the analysis of fingerprints, ballistics, or DNA found at a crime scene, a polygraph expert can supply the jury only with another opinion..."[15] In 2005 the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals stated that “polygraphy did not enjoy general acceptance from the scientific communityâ€" There was also this article in Slate which pointed out that the NY Appellate Court backed up Farrow, not Allen, and said that the evidence suggests that the abuse DID OCCUR. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/culturebox/2014/01/did_woody_allen_molest_his_adopted_daughter_22_years_ago_reviewing_the_evidence.html "And in their May 1994 decision, the judges of the New York appellate court held that, with regard to the events of Aug. 4, 1992, “the testimony given at trial by the individuals caring for the children that day, the videotape of Dylan made by Ms. Farrow the following day and the accounts of Dylan's behavior toward Mr. Allen both before and after the alleged instance of abuse, suggest that the abuse did occur.†Although “the evidence in support of the allegations remains inconclusive,†the court stated, “our review of the record militates against a finding that Ms. Farrow fabricated the allegations without any basis." And the fact that even in acrimonious divorce cases, the rate of false abuse claims is less than 10%. Many people's opinions about false abuse accusations are clouded by the McMartin Day Care case in the late 80s/early 90s. That was an outlier. Dylan has nothing to gain by bringing this up now. Nothing, except lost of her anonymity and further scrutiny. She very well knew that their would be fans of her fathers that would attack her. Yet, after being tormented for 20+ years, she had to come forward for her own healing.

Our Costco had fresh Organic blueberries…and I bought 3 cartons. I kinda splurged…but man, they were so good. (And yes, I bought them Wednesday…it's Friday afternoon….and they are all gone.)

I loved the Detroit Tigers one….and I remember that guy from the 92 Olympics. Great! :) :)

So Amazon Prime recommended this movie to me. I had never heard of Chico Xavier. So, I watched it anyways and found it interesting. A bit slow at first, but thought provoking. http://www.amazon.com/Astral-City-Spiritual-Journey-Subtitled/dp/B007UK0ETU/ref=tmm_aiv_title_0 Anybody else see it?

I saw them at our Costco on Wednesday. I actually wondered if we should try them. :)

You inspired me to Google. This is really interesting... http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/former-biggest-loser-contestant-andrew-cosi-costello-reveals-the-truth-about-the-weight-loss-show/story-e6frfmq9-1226820498768 " Have you ever wondered how the contestants manage to lose a staggering 12 kilos in a single week? We don't. In my series a weekly weigh-in was NEVER filmed after just one week of working out. In fact the longest gap from one weigh-in to the next was three and a half weeks. That's 25 days between weigh-ins, not seven. That "week" I lost more than nine kilos. I had to stand on the scales and was asked to say the line, "wow, it's a great result, I've worked really hard this week". The producers made sure that we never gave this secret away, because if we did, it created a nightmare for them in the editing suite. The shortest gap from weigh-in to weigh-in during our series was 16 days. That's a fact. The thing is, overweight people get inspired by watching the Biggest Loser. They get off the couch and they hit the gym. But after a week in the real world, some people might only lose 1kg so they feel like they've failed and they give up."