If you want mega-cheap, you might want to consider camping on the beach. If you have access to a camper, RV or tent you could be right on the beach and stay extremely economically. Here is a site that lists several beaches on which you can camp from NC all the way down to FL. http://www.beach-camping-parks.com/beach-camping-parks-atlantic-ocean-continued.html

Wish you lived nearby, we need to find a baker for a special 1st Communion cake for our son... Blog looks good. I left you a comment.

You're welcome! I just love the video's animation while Sir Ken Robinson is speaking. It just really brings out his humor and makes his points even stronger. The animation is very clever. Glad you enjoyed it.

She looked like my cats always have when they were playing with something. Cats love to play with things by batting them around. Unfortunately for the mouse, bird or bug, the "batting around" virtually always results in their death. The cats always looked so disappointed and bewildered when the "toy" no longer "played." There is a big difference between the "stalking" and "pouncing" when a cat is hunting--especially in body positioning and ear positioning. This lioness sure looked (to me) like she wanted to play. However, without that protective glass, the "game" would not have gone well for your son. Seems like you guys had a very cool day at the zoo.

If you like that talk by Sir Ken Robinson, then check out this one on changing educational paradigms: They have animated Sir Ken Robinson's talk and it is immensely entertaining. I wrote a blog (http://neweducationexplorers.blogspot.com/2011/04/sir-ken-robinson-changing-educational.html) about it in April last year. It just really makes you think.

Count our family in with yours! :) I loved reading these books as a kid. I distinctly remember a feeling of pride that I could tell where Papa bears was making a mistake. The "Oh, I don't think he should do that" kind of feeling was rewarded when you turned the page and disaster befell Papa. As a little kid, I liked that I could figure out what was the right thing to do. I never thought this as a child, but maybe that is why I loved them so much. I do remember reading the more recent (ie-- less bumbling Papa) books to the kids and being disappointed. I was looking for Papa bear to get into trouble... If reading Berenstain Bears is going to damage my children's psyche, so be it. They can just put it on the list for their therapist for when they are older. Reason # 439322 of Ways My Mother Screwed Me Up She allowed me to read Berenstain Bears books. Gasp!

If you don't want to taunt her from your window, what about using some of the room divider advice. Go by some cheap PVC or dowel rods, make an upside down "U" shape and hang a tarp across it on your side of the property line. That way you still get light from your window, but she can't tape you and yours. :lol:

I would make an appointment with an orthopedist on Monday if it still is bothering you. You could try "buddy taping" it to your ring finger in the meantime to prevent any further jarring or injury. I broke my pinky when the blow was to the top (nail side) of the pinky. The orthopedist said that the bruising on the underside (palm side) was a tell-tale sign that the finger was broken. It was swollen, but not huge. I could move it, but it hurt like the dickens! I'm really sorry this happened to you. You never think much about your pinky until it is hurt. Then you start to realize just how often it gets used. STRONG CAUTION: Be very careful if you run laundry. Reaching in and out of the washer and dryer with wet clothes can really exacerbate any injury. That was the thing the orthopedist warned me about the most. Good Luck!

My BIL and SIL are a little "challenged" in the necessary skills for raising children department. They have no nutrition, no discipline and no bedtimes and the list could go on (forever). You may need to borrow my names for them... Tweedledumb and Tweedledumber. We refer to them as "The Tweedles" when it is plural.

To me, that was the whole point of "the careers." They were groomed by the Capital as a "favored" district" while others were just trying to literally survive. I didn't love the 3rd book either. I ignored every single Hunger Games thread on WTM because I had no intention of seeing the movie or reading the books at this point. My dd never brought it up. I figured we wait a couple of years and approach the books when she was a teenager. After dd's best friend (from an ultra-conservative & sheltering home) read the book and saw the movie, dd wanted to do the same. Grr! So then I started to research... people were either hugely in favor or diametrically opposed to these books. There was very little middle ground. So, I naturally bought the books and read them before dd did. We just now got back from seeing the movie. We both loved it! We cried. We held each other's hands. We held our breaths because we knew what was about to happen to Rue... We both thought Gale was way more handsome than we had imagined in our minds. :lol: Once she completes books 2 and 3, we will go back more slowly over the books. Re-read them and try and learn some things. Hopefully it will be a good "teaching moment" with something she was interested in.

My son has been announcing this daily for quite some time. He has picked out sets he wants. He has never read the books or seen the movies since he just turned 8. He loves all things Lego, but he is REALLY excited about this.

Virtually none, individually. I went to Spain in high school. My husband, a New Yorker, went to Canada in college and Bermuda before he was 10. As a couple--NONE! This is why I was polling the Hive. I would love to know what people who have been to these islands think. Good experience? Great resort recommendation? Place to avoid like the plague so that we don't end up like Chevy Chase in "Vacation." True enough. Our Anniversary is 9/2, but I don't care if we go in July, August or October. As long as the grandparents watch the kiddos, I'm game.

Frustrating: I just put up a new post on my blog. My husband sent me an email that I had "whatever" misspelled in the first paragraph. Arhh! Could I look like more of an idiot? Don't answer that, because I know the answer is "Yes." Happy: We just had a happy childhood memory moment earlier. My daughter went to get the mail. She dropped a piece and it started blowing down the street. Every time she got close enough to try and stomp on it, it blew out of her reach again. I just watched and smiled as my son joined in the chase. They finally caught the piece of mail in the neighbor's yard two houses down. It is such a beautiful spring day with children smiling and laughing. Sigh! iPad: Don't have one. Wish I did. Will accept donations. Anyone wanna give me one? I have never done one of these. Kind of makes me feel like an official homeschooler. I'm finally starting to lose a bit of my "newbie" deer-in-the-headlights paralysis. It is nice to feel like I am part of a community.

Okay, here's my two cents. I would put her in the charter school and keep her there. PERIOD! Tell her she is staying until she graduates. Let her know it is a permanent thing. (If you and your husband decide to change things later, it is your prerogative. You are the parents. But she doesn't need to know that things could change if it doesn't work out. That might motivate her to sabotage the situation.) The head-butting, conflict issues are not just educational but permeate your entire home life if I am reading you correctly. BUT SHE OBEYS SCHOOL RULES. I think her willingness to obey the school will be your salvation in switching schools. She will do "what she has to" to follow the rules and "get by" (since you say she is not motivated by grades). Use this to your advantage. If you require "Bs" to play with friends and attend sleepovers, then I'm guessing she will bring home the minimal "B" to do what she wants to do. You might be able to manipulate her strong-will to your advantage-- ie: getting her the best education possible while not disrupting the entire family's harmony. Bag the PS. You clearly don't feel that it is adequate for your daughter. Just wondering... might she be extremely bright and is frustrated with how "pointless" "work" is? Bright, average or LD.. I would commit to the charter school whole-heartedly for her and see how she does. Commit to the whole year and see what happens while you follow-up on testing etc. Good Luck! I don't envy your situation right now. :grouphug: My parents switched my schools three times while I was growing up to pursue better learning environments for me. I hated it each and every time. I roared and fumed! I pouted and complained! I told my parents that I hated them and "They were ruining my life!" I made their lives miserable until I adjusted to the new schools. They were, however, absolutely right every time. They were the parents. They made the tough choices and I adapted and wound up liking each of the schools. I don't believe that the child should have much say in what their education should be, it is an adult decision that needs to be made by the parents. Kids don't have the maturity and understanding to make such tough choices. Kids are resilient though. Hang in there!

Is your last name "Murphy" by any chance? "Anything that can go wrong, will." Murphy's Law Let's just hope that another of Murphy's Laws doesn't kick in... "Nothing is ever so bad that it can't get worse." Sorry you are having such a rough time.:grouphug:

I really appreciate your posting this. There are always such "gems" on this Forum that make such a difference in our HS experience. I have already put this on my daughter's Fire. It will be a great resource for her next year when we start the Middle Ages. Thank you so much for taking the time to share this link.

Your situation is quite similar to ours. We just pulled the kids out of private school to homeschool and are also taking it one year at a time. I am really shocked by how well it has gone and how much we love it. We are committed to HS next year-- yes even for MS. Somehow people find this shocking. Like my teaching 6th grade will scar her for the rest of her life. What do people think happens in MS? Anyone think that the nasty, cruel behavior that goes on in MS won't affect a child? Like that isn't worse than any potential damage I could cause by choosing a bad grammar program... Please! People from their old school ask how the HS is going. Some are waiting to see if we "failed" (and some are sadistically hoping we did) and will be returning to the school while others seem to genuinely care about us. Either way, I always feel compelled to say how much we still love the school and recommend it to others, but that it just was no longer a good fit for our family. Mostly that is true, but sometimes it is just so that they don't see me as a "threat" to what they like. I just love this! It made me laugh! It is quite a response. One I probably would never have the guts to say to someone I knew and would likely see again in another situation. But, I love the gumption. Wow! This is such a kind thought. I am no where near this nice! Never been much of a "high road" taker--I am almost always going to take the road of sarcasm. Hopefully it is part of my charm. :lol:

Yes, us little ole "special" people who spend our time with our children rather than at the spa. Special enough to want what is best for our children, rather than what is "convenient." Poor homeschool mom who doesn't have a brand new tennis bracelet to show off at "the club" between her tennis lessons. We all (unfortunately) know snobby b*tches who are so shallow that they only way they can feel better about their pathetic lives is to put someone else down. I have to admit I derive a little too much pleasure from insulting nasty people in such a way that they are not sure if I insulted them. It is a flaw I can live with.. :lol: Maybe having a reply ready for folks like her to the effect that she is so right, it would be ever so much more convenient for your social life to leave the schooling to someone else. But alas, you just care too much that your children receive only the best.

I don't think that there is one "right time." It is too personal and each family has different dynamics with different criteria. We have had to put four pets (3 cats and 1 dog) to sleep. Each decision was agonizing and heartbreaking. My husband and I cried when it was time for each one of the pets. They were very elderly with lots of problems. We have an amazing vet who was very comforting and tried to reassure us that what we were doing was humane and loving as he handed us the tissues. I am sorry your family is going through this. It is very difficult. :grouphug: Trust your instincts. It sounds like you know what needs to be done. You clearly love your pet. Your heart will hurt, but it will hurt more if you realize your pet was suffering unnecessarily.

I would love to tap into some of the experiences of those of you who have traveled to any of the above places and get some recommendations. My husband just got bumped (twice) from a business trip and received two round-trip tickets to anywhere (not just continental US) that Air Tran flies. So, we are going to go somewhere for our anniversary in September. We just don't know where. Neither of us have been to any of the above locals. What would be your destination and more importantly, WHY? Thanks!

Ikea sells a bookshelf that is 6 feet long and 6 feet high. It has all the cubes that you could use for a tremendous amount of storage. In its description, it mentions being used as a room divider. Perhaps you split the room in half with the bookshelf and then hang curtains in front for privacy. The bookshelf is $199. It assembles very easily. My daughter has had it in her room for 4 years and it has held up perfectly. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/00208646/ If you have the need, you can attach a desk. Ikea calls it a work station. It has a very large work surface and it is very sturdy. The additional desk is $119. http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S19861339/

After watching the video, I don't believe I will be swapping out traditional Easter Eggs for a taste of another culture. I am well and truly disgusted and horrified. I cannot even begin to imagine the smell of those eggs! Eww! :ack2::ack2: This thread suggest the need for additional "Smilies." We may need one barfing.

Thanks for posting this. We just bought a WW workbook for our son to use in the fall. This will be a great supplement to go with it. My son sat in my lap and did several exercises as I checked out the site. I really appreciate this. I had no idea that there was a website for the books.

I don't want to get into the CC thing. What went on was horrific and I would have personally indicted a few Bishops as a party to the crime if I had been the District Attorney in some of the worst areas. My point is something different. I think that churches genuinely just don't "get it." I think that they believe if there is enough sorrow, contrition and prayer on behalf of the offender, that he will be healed. We had a pedophile in court with his minister and half the congregation all saying exactly that... so sorry, so contrite, prayed & prayed, will never happen again. Blah, Blah, Blah! Personally I don't believe it--EVER! Lions do not become vegetarians. Pedophiles are wired differently than other people. They are wired so that they are sexual aroused by children. PERIOD. Prayer and contrition do fix this. Forgiveness perhaps, but they will not be safe around children--EVER. IMO. To allow a pedophile access to children is negligent in the extreme. Why did the scorpion sting the turtle knowing that they would both die? It was his nature. The nature of pedophiles is such that they should NEVER be given access or positions of authority around children.

Well, I can certainly understand your mother's concern. Two weeks off from school will lead to educational setbacks for your child. It is quite alarming! Just think of all the learning opportunities she has missed. Sigh! There goes Harvard. I know that there has to be a Tiger Mom out there drilling her child right now as yours falls by the wayside. Obviously the above is severely sarcastic. It is hard to balance the need for a life that you can enjoy vs. the traditional mindset of school, school, school. I have caught myself several times this month saying "No" to things at first because I didn't want "to lose the days." Then some glimmer of rationality would hit and I would change my mind. Hopefully my husband will not get whiplash from all the 180s I am making. I forget to have confidence in what we are doing. I know that we are doing a lot more than what a brick and mortar school would do. Hang in there! Enjoy spring while it is here.