I would encourage you to ask the librarians for help. It is, after all, their job to help patrons. Is it possible for you to reserve books? If so, then they are pulled off the shelf and held for you to pick up. You wouldn't have to worry about finding anything! I'd be absolutely broke if I couldn't rely on my local library.

Oh my! We're going to Chicago in June. DS will be over the moon that there's a Mythbusters exhibit! We're blessed to have a science museum pass that will get us into several of the area exhibits. We're also going to make a short trip to Wheaton to see THE wardrobe, as in the inspiration for CS Lewis.

It's amazing what kids will do to win a bet! I once had a bet with a student who NEVER turned in his homework. If he turned in EVERY assignment one quarter, I had to go see a movie of his choice (and not cover my eyes). I don't remember what I would have won. Of course, he turned in every stinking assignment, and I had to go see The Terminator. Ugh. :-) Hope you're still enjoying more quiet time!

I'd go to United Art and Education (or whatever "teacher" store you have) and get a test prep book. I hate teaching to the test, but in your case, you need to. What happens if he doesn't score above the 4th stanine?

I've been mixing the yeast in with the flours and all seems to come out OK. Most of the time I'm baking from Roberts' book. IF I happen to use a mix and it specifies to make a well for the yeast, then I do that. (But I don't use mixes very often any more.)

My ds takes Tae Kwon Do at the Y. I'm paying about $65 per session (7 weeks) for 3x per week. Testing is $20 for colored belts. Junior black (in June!) is $50. DD(24) also takes Tae Kwon Do (Olympic style) at our church. Lessons there are free. Testing is $20.

HP 2035 I have had HP laser printers for years. I highly recommend HP.

I'm down something between a sperm whale's brain and an automobile tire...in 9 weeks. I haven't done anything extreme...just watching carbs, cut out soda and watch portion sizes. My dr was thrilled. I have a LONG way to go. Ultimate goal is to lose an average man. (just not my dh!)

Actually, it wasn't too crazy because of the timed tickets. We absolutely had a ball looking at all the stuff! I'll try to post pics tomorrow. :)

Just got back from the Vera Bradley outlet sale in Fort Wayne, IN. All I have to say is....retail therapy=good!

My youngest was a high-needs baby. I thought I had lost all of my parenting skills the first four months of his life--then I read Dr. Sears' book about high needs babies and I knew I wasn't completely nuts. I used to joke that my dh didn't cut the cord right. Ds was ONLY happy when *I* held him, including when he was sleeping. If I tried to put him down, he woke up. (I tried all the tricks, warmed the bed, etc. No go.) He slept a total of about 6 hours--as a newborn. He still doesn't require as much sleep as my other kids did. I think I held him every night and for every nap for at least two years. For five very long years, I couldn't be out of his sight, 24/7, or he was miserable and so was whoever was watching him. It got to be easier just to stay with him. At three, my sister thought he was hyperactive and wanted me to medicate him. I said NO. Sometime between five and six, a light switch flipped and he became an independent kid. It was worth all the time I nurtured him. However, if he'd been my first, he probably would have been my last. It was a long road. Today he's 11.5 and a great kid. He can still be intense, but in a good way. Remind yourself that all those strong qualities are things you really want in a kid....you want the kid that can stand up to peer pressure and who isn't afraid to go a different road from everyone else.

We splurged. I had gift cards to Olive Garden and the five of us ate out--something we NEVER do. I had a **wonderful** Easter dinner. No cooking; no cleaning. Yea!

I know the 3-8th grade tests allow 5.5 hours of actual testing. I'm giving it to several grade levels next month, and I'm allowing 2 mornings plus an optional 3rd if we find that it's just too much to complete in 2.

I always put "pp to continental US only." I'm sorry your buyer wasn't more ethical.

I have 4--a large oval, a medium round, a smaller round and a tiny round with a dipper. I use the larger two regularly and the smaller ones when I entertain. I regularly have 2 or 3 going at the same time.

I put some vinegar in the bottom of my dishwasher every time I run it. I haven't had problems with residue since I started doing that. Vinegar is super cheap at Sam's.

My oldest was part of a homeschool band for a couple of years and really enjoyed it. Then we found a program that the professional musicians of the area put together for kids. Great program! The guys from the local professional groups (all types of groups) would come and play beside these mostly high school kids. I'm looking forward to my youngest participating!

DD(24) and I saw it opening night at midnight in IMAX. I think this is one that would be better on the regular screen. There's a lot of fast camera movement (too much, I think) and my eyes were just bonkers by the end of the movie. I'll go see it again...when I can hit the early $5 showing. :-) It is very well done, and I think stayed true to the book. You could "get" it without reading the book, and in some ways, the movie might be better if you *haven't* read the book. Very interesting interpretation of the Capitol--not what I imagined. There were lots of people dressed as characters when we went. Some went so far as to carry their bows, and we had a few rousing "wave" sessions when a gal ran back and forth in the theater with her bow held high. (Hey, when you have to wait 2+ hours for the movie to start, I guess you have to have some entertainment!)

My bf is a former stylist so she does my hair for me. (Bless her!) We use Herbatint, an organic product.

I've slid over the 50 hill, so I didn't vote in the poll. :-) I started coloring my hair when the gray starting showing up--sometime in my late thirties. As long as I can find the $$ for a box of hair color, my hair will be the color I want it to be. (Fortunately, my bf is a former stylist, so I buy product and she cuts and colors my hair.)

I have a Zojirushi and love it. (I use mine several times a week.) I had one from another company for a lot of years, but I hated that the bread didn't look like a loaf of bread. I did purchase mine from Amazon.

I have been to convention and loved it...and I've been to convention and come away thinking, "bleech." I'm taking a convention break for that reason this year. (A few friends and I had our own "convention" in January. We rented a cabin at a local state park [great discount in the winter], stayed a couple of days and did NOTHING. We each brought a meal; we talked; we played games; we sat in the hot tub. It was a great convention!)

We recently gave a car to someone in our church who truly needed one. I'd look for someone in your community who really needs a car and give it to them.

Get a jar of vaseline. A big jar. Coat everyone's hair with the vaseline and cover with shower caps. Wait 8 hours. Towel off as much as possible, then wash the hair with Dawn. Comb the hair thoroughly...and yes, I'd get out everything I see. We battled lice for months until someone told us about vaseline--that killed them in one treatment. It was messy, but well worth it.

I am preparing my son for his first standarized test. I bought a test prep book at the local store...solely to get him in the swing of using a test booklet and marking his answers on an answer sheet. We're doing the IOWA test. I don't know anything about the CAT. Sorry I can't be more helpful.