Haven't played the others... LOVE 7 Wonders

I did this once too - no guns in my case (our police aren't armed), but a plain clothes car that tailed me down the road and then pulled me over, and a MUCH more thorough check than the usual breath test.

I haven't seen a paper cheque for 5 or 6 years at least. I can pay direct into someone's bank account if they give me their account number, or many tradespeople have mobile eftpos now. Music teachers, etc just give me an invoice and I pay direct to their account. I do pay the chess coach in cash, but that's cos he's young and probably appreciates the spending money. I can use my mobile phone to make a direct deposit in real time for tradespeople or others who want immediate payment - I make the transfer and send them the proof of payment direct to their own phone. The only people I can think of who require physical payment are my firewood people, and I know how much that will be so I make sure I have the cash. My husband has just pointed out to me that they accept direct deposit now too, so long as it's done before they deliver, otherwise they want cash. I pay all tax and other government charges online.

I don't remember - I'm pretty sure they read to us as preschoolers, but I don't remember it, so assume it stopped once we could read on our own. Certainly not chapter books. My dad is almost certainly dyslexic, and I suspect my mother has fluency issues, although hers might be more from lack of use that a genuine deficit. I do remember having an eye injury as a mid teen and going CRAZY because I couldn't read for myself so my Dad took pity on me and attempted to read me a chapter of whatever novel I was currently reading (David Morrell, but I can't remember which one). It stopped pretty quickly because he couldn't manage it, and devolved into him sharing all off the rhymes and poems he could remember (some quite off colour, and most a trifle rude, lol). That's one of my favourite memories with my dad - just spending time with him like that.

my guys don't like them either. DS is getting a Fred Tshirt though

it doesn't take many steps before you have to exceed the population of the earth to get anything at all... and yet people keep sending them.

my six year old cried when I wouldn't buy her one of these recently. weird indeed

Tony Charles. I hated that thing, did not want it (I wanted a skateboard). I was so disappointed when I unwrapped that box. I *think* that was the last doll my parents bought me... FINALLY!! One of the names listed by one of you above is my daughters name, first and middle.

no blinking. Corpse stare. FREAKS ME OUT

My kids and DH can do it, but I can't, not even reading a map.

my kids do that. It freaks me out. I recently discovered that my husband (their dad) does too, when really tired. Nearly had a heart attack. I seriously thought he was dead sitting there in his chair. I've just assumed it's something some people do. They shouldn't though, in the interests of my continued good mental health. Ugh.

yes yes yes!!! My tongue is curling up at the thought.

I have multiple food allergies ranging from the mildly annoying to the life threatening to the just make me wish I was dead. I have finally learnt to listen to my body when it comes to food.

I don't eat sugar. I've improved dramatically on how they were cooked in my childhood. I've tried all sorts of fancy vege cooking options, from less is more to more more more... sauces, dressings... everyone ELSE loves my vegetables. I've tried them mulriple times. I still can't stand 'em. I like cilantro, but can't stand anything with chilli, thyme tastes like dirt and coffee is so bitter I cannot imagine why anyone would want to drink it. I think my tastebuds are extra sensitive, lol!

Your list sounds a lot like mine. I do like green beans and peas too, but I'm allergic to them so they're out too. I find them either waaaaay too bitter, or too sweet, lol!

It's so hard to know though... in previous years we had no idea there were medals coming until they turned up, because it only talks about the main prizes on the site. It doesn't really matter (although I must make sure I download their certificates before our login expires... I forgot last time! With the split into school years instead of the three bigger age group chunks there may be too many people needing medals for them to do it.

Excited kids here too, and I'm extra proud of them because the levels were messed up and they each ended up competing a year too high (6 y.o. in grade 2, 8 year old in grade 6) - and as I'd already given DS a one year acceleration that put him two years ahead - both kids in the top 50 overall and for literacy and science for world rankings, and for national rankings, DD 1st overall, 2nd for literacy and 1st for science, DS 5th overall, 1st for literacy and science. I don't know if they're doing the national awards this year... we'll have to wait and see! Once again I am in AWE of the speed at which the top scorers are typing in the maths rounds. I cannot even begin to imagine I could manage that!

I'd be soooo tempted to turn up with an ENORMOUS gift basket. Filled with all those things that come in gift baskets that no one ever really needs

yes! We've been everywhere from Nigeria to Austria and back again. Today the sound won't load on literacy too. Sigh.

My 6 year old AL has decided to try school. She visited last term and as of this coming monday will attend full time until the end of the year. The school tells me they can offer in class enrichment. I wish them luck with that, however I think that my DD needs to see and experience for herself what "school" learning is about so she can truly kknow what she has at home compared to what she has at school... she's my "want what I don't have" kid. I have asked her to commit to a 10 week trial (which is one of our school terms). We'll see how it's going after that.

we found it only repeated material if they were making errors or responding too slowly. When my daughter got frustrated I pointed out that wandering off to play with the dog between each question meant the programme thought she working the whole time and struggling. Once she actually focussed it got the message and moved her on.

A one year subscription to Dreambox is the "prize" for completing Miquon Red in our house, lol! Both children have enjoyed it and learnt a lot from it.

lol... I would have thought, hmm 'bout half an hour and turned the page :-)

I do 5000+ piece puzzles. Here's a good range: http://www.simplepastimes.com/cat_over.cfm 500 - 1000 piece puzzles are my "sitting watching TV" activity - I have a table that I can pull in to my recliner and I fiddle away with them. Usually I'll do one in an evening, sometimes 2 or 3 if I'm tired, lol. The bigger ones (the largest I've ever done was 18,000 pieces - the sistine chapel) I fuss away at over longer periods of time. Some I can only do in summer because I can't see the colours well enough under artificial light.

My son is EIGHT and I've just realised that I haven't had to tell him to get his hand out of his pants for a few months. He didn't do it as a little guy so much (although I do recall glancing down at him in the supermarket queue when he was three or so and seeing his penis poking over the waistband of his pants, lol!), but from about 5 - 8 it just about drove me crazy. We did the "in your room" thing, and the "wash your hands" thing, and the "do you need the toilet?" thing, and the underwwar, infection, irritation, and JUST STOP IT thing. I think perhaps he's just finally grown out of it. Sorry.