We love Pediped shoes for wide variety toddler feet. You can often find them at good prices on Amazon.

Thanks for sharing! It sounds delicious and I plan to try it!

Thank you, everyone! I feel better about bringing them and I agree... it will be worth the effort.

We get to go to Germany for 4 months for dh's job! :hurray: My older dds (10) have been playing Suzuki violin for 4 years. They like it, but don't love it, and it often is a battle to get them to practice. They are only in the second half of Book 2. This summer they took a bit of a break... just reviewing Book 1/2 songs and taking fiddle classes from a Suzuki teacher. We leave for Germany soon, and I am trying to decide if it is worth it to take their violins. I've heard it can be such a hassle flying with instruments. With our other dd (2) in tow, the older girls would be responsible for carrying their violins and a backpack as carry-ons. Has your child ever taken a break from Suzuki? Did they regress considerably? We would take the violins to continue Book 1/2 review, and to learn to read music with I Can Read Music, vol 1 and 2.

I would not take them... Especially if I didn't have the space.

I've posted before asking about living abroad in Japan or China because of my dh's job. Both of those options may happen in the future, but we know for sure that we are going to Germany this fall. :) We will only be there 4 months... a bit longer than the 90 day tourist visa. I know homeschooling is illegal in Germany. We will be in a small town, about 2 hours from a major city, so an international school is not an option. My dds do not speak German. Does anyone know if we have any options?

This is so helpful! Thank you!

Would you still switch to Hake 5 or Rod & Staff if you already purchased FLL 4 and WWE 4? I appreciate the advice. I am thinking it might be worth it to switch to Hake 5, even if it will stretch the budget.

We started today too. Margaritas with dinner!! :)

For a variety of reasons, my dds (turned 10 in May) are both behind in grammar and writing. They are currently finishing Level 2 of First Language Lessons and in the middle of Workbook 3 of Writing With Ease. I am wondering if we should jump ahead to Level 4 in both FLL and WWE. What would you do? Please be gentle, I feel terrible that they are behind and am trying to figure out what the best course of action is. They are both reading at a 5th/6th grade level and are currently beginning 5th grade math. Thank you!

Her mom thinks it was hormonal/emotional. She asked her dd if she was in any pain and her dd said she wasn't. She has always said she doesn't want to grow up and I guess this was a sign to her that she is....? Her mom tried to be as sensitive as she could, but she was surprised at her dd's reaction. I've enjoyed reading the variety of responses. I'm still not sure what I'll do... probably follow my dds' lead when the time comes.

My dear friend's dd and my niece both got their first periods last month. My friend's dd, who is normally very even tempered, was crying herself to sleep for a week over it. She did not want anyone else to know (she has 2 younger sisters) and was so upset about it starting. Her closest friends had already started and her mom had prepared her ahead of time. My niece wasn't thrilled about it starting, but my SIL took her out to lunch, just the two of them, and she let her in on her secret stash of chocolate. :) My older dds are 10, and will most likely get their first period in the next few years. I started thinking about what my approach should be to minimize the drama. Did you or will you do anything special for your dd?

We booked flights for a family trip to Washington DC in September months ago. We will be there during the Pope's visit and are wondering how crazy things will be. Do we need to escape the city? Will the metro be shut down? We will be in the DC area for a total of 8 days. We planned a day trip to Gettysburg and a day trip to Mt. Vernon so far. Any suggestions are welcome as we don't know the area very well at all. Thank you!

That is obnoxious. I am so sorry. My neighbor currently has her home on the market. Yesterday some potential buyers came with their dogs to the showing to see if the dogs would like the house. (without prior notice or approval)

DH found fabulously inexpensive tickets to Moscow and has proposed a family trip to Moscow/St. Petersburg this fall. Our dds are 10, 10 and 2. Has anyone traveled to Russia with children? We took a lovely family trip to Ireland last fall, but we had friends there, and spoke the language. :) We are adventurous, but have been warned it is sometimes hard to find/buy basic items. Any experiences to share?