My kids are told to whisper. No running, no yelling, no touching things they aren't supposed to touch...those go for every public place. I HATE the library play area thing. Hate it. They can play at home or at the playground, that's not what the library is for. Our library has a lego table and it's loud and is, of course, the thing my 4 year old goes straight to every time. And I wish our librarians would shush people and REALLY wish they would tell the mom's to keep quiet and to keep their kids under control during story hour. It can be very difficult to teach my children the rules when no other kid is following them. And I will stop myself there because this is something I could rant on about endlessly right now. I've had some embarrassing situations lately being in public with other people's children.

My boys will be 5 and 6 in October and we're starting Kindergarten with both of them. (we're just going to see how it goes with the younger)

To me, these are things that, yes, are pleasing to God, but also help us to fulfill what He has commanded us to do....to love one another. One way we can show love to one another is to be respectful toward them. When we are gentle, honest and attentive to those around us, we are showing respect for them and showing them we love them. I know this is super corny, but I loved the quote from the movie Blast From the Past: "He said, good manners are just a way of showing other people we have respect for them. See, I didn't know that, I thought it was just a way of acting all superior. Oh and you know what else he told me?...I know, I mean I thought a "gentleman" was somebody that owned horses. But it turns out, his short and simple definition of a lady or a gentleman is, someone who always tries to make sure the people around him or her are as comfortable as possible." I think you can teach character building in a way they don't think "you have to do this to be loved," but in a way they think "I do this because I love others."

How many pages did you do per day? For instance, Unit 1 is Match and Sort. Then it is divided into lessons, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, etc. Should I divide each unit up to spread across a week? Only one lesson per day? Or just see how things flow as we go?

We're using the Easy Classical schedule with a few changes: http://easyclassical.com/Kindergarten_Curriculum.html I have the ABC Bible Verses book, but we'll use something else we have (I have a ton of Bible things) instead of the Big Truths book. Funnix Singapore Earlybird Math And then the rest is what's listed.

I honestly don't think my kids have ever heard the word "Hell" nor do they know what we believe happens to a person who does not accept Christ. I have no doubt they will one day ask, but I'll just handle it at that time. I don't want them following God out of fear of the alternative. I have worked with kids in church (different churches) for at least 11 years and have never heard Hell talked about with children. I've never heard an 8 year old speak like that. :( I know there are "fire and brimstone" type churches out there, I've just never witnessed it.

Why do you think you can't teach both? My children are most definitely taught they are made in the image of God (what greater compliment?), that they were created for a purpose, that everything about them is exactly how it should be, that God brought us together as a family, and on and on and on. And also that if we want to be with God one day we have to accept Jesus' sacrifice and follow Him. They go hand in hand.

Teaching a child about Jesus is mean? Maybe NOT teaching them about Jesus is mean to some people. ;)

I haven't clicked your link. I really disagree. I have never heard anyone tell a child what the alternative to salvation is. Only what salvation is. My children have both come to me ASKING how they can be with God when they die. I explained it to them and they asked if they could ask God to forgive them of any bad things they've done, ask Him to help them to be good, and thank Him for Jesus' sacrifice for them. I think that was their profession of faith in whatever way a 4 and 5 year old can understand it. After that time they loved telling other people about Jesus and how they told God they want to follow Him forever.

Churches I've gone to have always taught kids about salvation from birth onward. I don't think it can hurt for them to hear it. I know of 4 and 5 year olds who have truly understood and accepted Christ. Of course there will be a lot who raise their hands and say they want to do it, but they don't really understand and then they'll do it 10 more times, but eventually it will click and they'll get it and it will be real. Nobody can have childlike faith like a child!

I cried when I got my braces off. I was probably in 7th grade. I hated how I looked. It didn't last long, though.

Yes, it would be "forcing." That's what happened to my dh. His parents forced him. Picked his classes, signed him up. He flunked out because he would go to movies instead of his classes. :glare: He went back for some Microsoft certification classes at one point and got 4.0. Because at that point he WANTED to be there. He never got any type of degree or anything, but he now works for the university he flunked out of. Hehe. :)

Also called an Osage Orange.

What about a Hedge Apple?

Hope everything is ok. :grouphug: Rapid breathing is usually the only sign I get that my son is having an asthma attack.

I've looked up all sorts of fruit and nut tree pictures and the closest I think it comes to is a citrus tree...lemon or orange or something. Is that possible?

Go to gardenweb.com and I think they have a plant identification forum or else post in the tree forum. Post pics there and you'll have an answer fast! That site is awesome for getting answers.

People ask me all the time, too, what country my kids are from. When I say "Kentucky" they are surprised. :lol: I am SO thankful my boys have each other. They have the same birth mom and I love that they have someone else in the family who looks like them. (well, except my oldest looks just like my dh, which is crazy!)

Tell her to get used to the comments. No matter what she chooses, someone will tell her it's the wrong one. :grouphug: Before kids I took a summer off from working once. I was told I wasn't helping to support my family (dh and me) and that I was "wasting my mind." :001_huh: My dh is the only one out of four siblings who didn't finish college. He makes more than twice what any of them make and is actually working in the field he was interested in. All they got was a degree and a lot of debt. So, it's really hard for me to say there's a "right" way to do things. Sure, a college degree isn't going to hurt anything. But to say one is worthless without it is ignorant.

Hehe...I have no idea. I think she was just the boss. :)

I did find new ones. :) But it's just something I never thought about until all these people were making fun of that couple!

If money weren't an issue I'd probably adopt internationally, probably Uganda. I have a BIL from Uganda and some friends who've adopted from there. Second choice would be foster care. I probably would not choose a domestic agency adoption. Our two adoptions were independent domestic.

My mom had constant pain and headaches when she was young from having long hair. Once she cut it off she was fine! My SIL, on the other hand, complained about her legs, arms, back, neck hurting constantly as a child. Doctors all said she was fine. It got even worse in college and finally she was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. Now whenever my boys complain of their leg hurting or something dh freaks out because he remembers his sister doing that. It can't hurt to just rule a few things out if it continues. (by specialists, not just the regular dr.)

I wouldn't give her Aspirin if she's bleeding for 15 days. It thins your blood! Anyway, like others have said, it does sound like endometriosis. I would find a dr. who will listen. "Common" and "normal" aren't the same thing. Just because a lot of people suffer from something doesn't mean it's healthy! I went to dr.'s for years who kept telling me to just take Advil for my pain. I finally found a dr. who did an ultrasound and found out I have uterine fibroids. Find out WHY, not just how to treat the symptoms. WHY!

Kristen - I was thinking along the same lines. I remember years ago there was one couple in our group of friends and everyone knew she made her dh sit to pee. I guess all the other couples giggled and talked about it when they weren't around. It was the first I'd ever heard of a man being made to sit. I don't know if the guy had bad aim or why that rule was in place, but after seeing everyone else make fun of both of them for it I didn't think it would ever be a good idea to have that rule in my house.