Nick's Mama-Zack's Mama, Too - I looked at this link you posted: http://www.amazon.com/Brita-35530-Ul...=cm_cr_pr_pb_t It's plastic, though, right? What number plastic is it? If it's a better one, I suppose I should consider the option. I'd prefer to find something in glass, though, with a spigot close enough to the bottom that there's very little left before needing to tip the jug.

http://www.target.com/Siberia-Dispenser-2-8-gal/dp/B000GTFMNA/ref=sc_ri_4/602-6277349-9664621 It's the only one I have found that has the type of spigot I want (flip to open). The others I found online have spigots too far up the bottle, and they have to be turned to open and close. The dc wouldn't be able to do that very well without spilling. The drawback is, of course, that the spigot is plastic, and who knows what kind it is? Other ideas would be most welcome!

I, too, would be stunned. It sounds like some nitpicking out of jealousy, to me. Still, I think you need to take away from this the most important things, the good things that this woman recognized in your ds: 1. Your son has an advantage because he is homeschooled. (Good choice, Mom!) 2. He is independent. 3. He deals well with adults. 4. He takes on leadership roles. 5. He is willing to do the work needed to see that things work well. You were absolutely right - that is the point of scouts. It's the point of homeschooling, too! Be proud. Stand tall. Look them all in the eye and smile! And feel sorry for this woman because she feels so inferior. It isn't that her ds has to work harder to measure up, it's that she thinks he should. Totally different story.

I hate to bump my ad to the front of the line just because I want people to know it sold, but I don't want to get more requests about it, either. Oh, well, I guess people can just celebrate my sale with me. :)

Okay, through the whole plastics discussion I've been feeling pretty smug. We don't use many plastics, and I have made sure not to use them for hot liquids or to microwave in them for years. But. But. BUT! Tonight, I was filling the water jug that we keep in the fridge, and dh asked what number plastic is was, so we looked. 7. 7. Yep, that nasty one with the estrogen-mimicking compounds. I've always assumed this jug was of a better plastic because it didn't make the water taste bad. We've used it in our refrigerator for about, oh, five years. Maybe six. So, now that I may have poisoned my dc, after trying so hard not to, I'm a little stressed. Also, I'm wondering, those of you who already figured this out about the refrigerator water jugs, what do you do to keep your water cold in the fridge? Is there a glass jug that will fit on the shelf with a spigot for pouring easily? Is there some other way to keep filtered water cold without using plastics (or those hard to clean, heavy, apple juice jugs)? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Ex 1: Keynote speakers Dr. Doug Tallamy, entomologist and chair of the University of Delaware's Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, and author and photographer Rick Darke will share their passion for conservation practices... Ex 2: By installing a Clivus Multrum composting toilet the Kablers were able to free up valuable land that a conventional system would have used, because the Clivus system is completely self-contained within the house.

If you have to choose, I'd go with the swimming. It's a life-long skill that has safety and social benefits even at such a young age, and the amount of exercise and coordination improvement is greater, in my experience. The martial arts are easily learned at a later age, and can be even easier to learn later because of improved balance and coordination that come with age. If your dd really loves it, though, maybe you could just take a few months off to do swimming. Do you have a martial arts contract that you would have to keep paying for, even if she doesn't attend classes?

A magnesium supplement at bedtime every night might help.

The notes are now incorporated into the Core 100 Instructor's Guide, along with notes on the other required readings.

I'd go online and do some research. If those 50s and 60s sets aren't valuable by now, they may not be worth much for another 20-30 years, if then. Do you really want to store them that long, just in case? Would the hassle of keeping them that long make them worth the $50 you might be able to get then? Is the information in them so special that you don't have it in any other books? My solution is to look at such books as far as quality and usefulness go. If I didn't use it much, if my own kids didn't use it much, my grandkids probably won't, either. If we all loved it, it stays. However, if it took up most of a shelf for 10 years and was only touched a few times, there's no need to keep it.

I assumed drunken college students took the shoes off their even more drunk friends and tossed them up there. Still, what do I know? I wasn't a drunken college student and I didn't buy drugs! Now, I'll keep my eyes open to see if there are shoes in the neighborhoods.

Loved most of the books, hated the IG. I don't like being told what to do. ;) We ended up just reading most of the books, although it does seem there were a couple I deemed too mature for my dc. Good stories, for the most part, though. However, if this is the year that has the I Can Read It books, they made reading very boring for us. I sold them and we used the MCP Phonics Practice Readers instead.

Natural, raw honey will crystalize over time, but it doesn't spoil. Just set it in a pan of warm water for awhile and it will become easy to use again.

Ditto everything kalanamak said. No guilt. You're the mom, you decide. I think you are being very generous.

Very classic, very cool. If you love the way you look in any of the others, keep them, too. Wear with jeans or save for dressing up sometime.

I have a good friend whose situation is very similar. Her dd studies several languages and instruments, and is very advanced in arts, maths, and sciences. They travel all over the world. I expect the girl will also be accepted to every top-rated university to which she applies, when that time comes. While I'd love to be able to do what they do, our reality isn't the same. My friend is high-energy, has significant financial means, and only has one child. I am low energy, have limited financial means, and have three very high-energy children. I look at what my friend does with her dd and I am amazed at all they do. My friend looks at my three dc and says she is amazed at what all I do. So, even though the article doesn't change anything for me, it encourages me that such articles are being written and that great schools are so glad to get quality homeschoolers. It doesn't make me want to set the bar any higher, though. I think our bar is high enough.

Whatever perfection you see is temporary. She may have it all together right now, and her life may be great, but that means there's only one way to go. Try to choke down any jealousy or frustration you have, and be glad that she is getting to experience an easy time now. It won't last. Time has shown me the truth of this, with my sister, with friends, with other relatives, and even with myself. As for hearing about everything your sis's kids do... how do you know she doesn't hear about everything yours are doing well? I used to think my mil really preferred the other grandkids to our dc because I heard so much about them. Well, guess what? My sil often comments to me about all of the great things mine do, but she doesn't hear about them from me! Mil tells her all about them, just like she tells me about sil's kids. No preference - just mil trying to find something interesting to talk about, and the most interesting topic is her dc and grandchildren. Give yourself a big hug, and when you see her, give one to your sister, too. All is well.

I do freeze foods in the freezer bags and in the GLAD ware, but only things that are solids and that have cooled first. If there is liquid involved, I use canning jars or pyrex bowls. I never reheat in the GLADware, or any other plastic that claims to be microwave safe. I store dry food in plastic, I buy food stored in plastic bags (dried beans, rice), and I still have Rubbermaid. However, I won't let my dc drink out of plastic cups. I have yet to find one that doesn't impart a plastic taste to water within a short time, and that means chemicals I don't want them to have.

It looks like a "little girl" style to me, kind of like the Hannah Anderson outfits. That would be fine for your dds, but for you, I'd pick something else. I've seen swim capris and longer swim shorts which were modest, and paired with a swim shirt I think they'd be fine. If you are uncomfortable with the close fit of those things, though, I can see why you'd choose this. If that's the case, I will say that of the very modest suits I've seen, this is the most attractive and least likely to draw extreme reactions from others.

I've lived in a lot of temporary homes, and I wouldn't ever have felt settled if I had left everything in boxes. That said, I would be sure to sort well before moving, so that I didn't keep anything that I didn't have a good reason to keep. Also, if I only used something once or twice a year I'd keep it boxed up, but in a box with a big label, easily accessible. If you have time, making a list of what is in each box and numbering the boxes may be a help. (Box 5 - cake decorating supplies, spring form pan, rosette irons, meatball maker) I hope your move and temporary home work well for you!

That option wasn't in your poll!

Isn't that interesting! We never had problems until living here, with a water softener. When I grew up with hard water we never had etched glasses, even with Cascade. I suspect you are right. I'll check out the Cascade with Shine Shield. I wonder if there's a way to reduce the amount of salt that gets processed with the water softener?

One of mine did, and I'm amazed at how quiet it is here with one less child! The rest of us are going to work on a project that hasn't gotten done so that the one at work won't miss anything. If your dc went to work today, what are you planning to do at home?

Glasses and pyrex bowls get etched in my dishwasher over time. I've tried using less detergent (Cascade), but it still happens. Does the Jet Dry stuff prevent this? Does it matter if we let them air dry? Any suggestions would be welcome!

Here's what I found. It's a univeristy site, so it's probably correct, but I'm sure you'd want to research further to verify. http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/okbooks.html#whatpd