Thanks! This is perfect!

dd15 has been through the Italics books and has pretty writing, but she really wants to learn the regular kind of cursive with loops...like I learned in 3rd grade. What would be a good book for her to use that would not be for little kids (since she's in high school!) Thanks!

Thank you for all the ideas so far. I will definitely look into all of these suggestions. I am not a writer at all... Avoided English classes in college like the plague. (math is my thing). So I personally can't teach him what he needs to know.

*** I apologize in advance for no paragraphs...my computer won't let me!*** ds13 has always loved to write stories. He doesn't actually like to write with pen and paper... when he was younger he would dictate to me and then he learned to type. He is incredibly creative and is currently working on a novel. In the past he's written short stories, plays, novels... He has had very little formal writing training because I really wanted to encourage his creativity. He has always been inspired to write books like the authors he loves, so I guess most of his training comes from books he's read. He has been doing grammar for a year (Daily Grammar Practice) and he does spelling and dictation. I just started him on Kilgallon elementary, but what else can I do for my boy who wants to see his books on the shelves of Barnes and Noble one day? I bought Apologia's Jump In and we are just getting started with that. What would you suggest? He is very passionate about it and ready to do the work it will take to make him a better author. Thanks!

Off to google tinnitus...

So glad to know someone else knows what I'm talking about! When it happened last week I was sitting at the dining room table doing math with my son. The beep was so loud I asked if he heard it. Of course he didn't and it went away as it always does.

I think this has happened to me for years and years, but I never really thought about whether it happened to other people too. It doesn't happen very often, but it did once last week and then today which got me wondering... Basically out of the blue, for no reason at all the sounds around me become muffled and I hear a high pitched beep. The beep is constant and I can hear it very clearly, but no one else can. This only lasts for a few seconds...maybe 10 max. This might even go back to my childhood, but since it happens so infrequently I've never given it much thought and have assumed it happens to other people too. Anyone?

Polestar Family Calendars are Jan-Dec. It's worth the wait!

Polestar Family Calendar!! I've been using them for years and years and they fit your requirements perfectly, depending on the size of your purse. I buy them on Amazon every year and save my old ones. I highly recommend it!

I just finished my first 45 minute bike ride this morning after picking up "Younger Next Year for Women" from the library this week because of a post I read here. I found out how out of shape I am and am excited to start making my body younger!

Arsenic and Old Lace North by Northwest I've always loved Cary Grant!

Amazon wishlists! You can have as many as you want. I have books for me to read, books for dd14 to read, books for ds12 to read, possible read-alouds...

Was right!

I like this idea! ds12 would hate it, which I guess is the point.

I'm assuming the problem is marked wrong, but not specifically where the problem went wrong?

dd14 is is a very responsible, hard working student. She wants to do her best. ds12, not so much. He has many interests outside of school that he puts his best effort into (learning computer programming right now), but when it comes to school he just doesn't try. I'm thinking especially of math. He knows if he gets the problem wrong he will have to redo it, but this is not enough motivation. He just doesn't care to put any effort at all into getting the answer right the first time and I don't know how to convince him to. Ideas?

I wish I wasn't such a sensitive sleeper. dh falls asleep instantly and stays in a heavy sleep all night. I have always been a light sleeper. I am sensitive to light, noise, temperature, location and it seems to be getting worse with age. I read in one of the Dr. Oz articles that 65 degrees is the perfect temp. for sleep. We just have a window a/c unit and keep it at 72 during the summer. I guess I just wish i didn't need to perfect conditions to sleep. I think another part of the problem is that every now and again one of the kids will get up and need something. It hasn't happened in a while, but my anticipation of it is always there keeping me from falling asleep. *sigh* Here's a new question: What is the best thing to do when I'm trying and failing to fall back asleep in the middle of the night? Stay in bed? Get up and do something then try again later? I hate to get up because I want to sleep so badly, but the sleep doesn't come and I get discouraged just lying (laying?) there.

Most of these replies make me very nervous about trying even the herbal supplements...Anyway we are going out of town next week so if I do anything it shouldn't be until we get home. For now I will follow my doctors orders re: no reading in bed, no computers in bedroom, time to myself everyday and see if that gets me anywhere. I really wish I knew how much sleep I got every night. I wonder if it's more or less than I think. I usually get up in the morning with a feeling that I barely got any sleep.... not just because I'm tired but because I remember tossing and turning so much. I read the Dr. Oz article linked here and other articles he has on sleep. Very informative.

I have been struggling with sleep for quite some time. I wake up frequently and can't get back to sleep. I wonder about how much sleep I really get because I feel like I'm constanly awake. At least my dreams are proof that sometimes I'm getting rest! A friend gave me Valerian to try, but I haven't yet. My mom mentioned Melatonin. My doctor prescribed Ambien, but I haven't picked up the prescription and don't want to. My mom sleep walked using it and I sleep walked as a child and that scares me. My doctor prescribed 2 hours of "me-time" every day when the kids are not allowed to bother me. He said being with the kids all day every day with no breaks makes my brain go non-stop and it keeps going at night. With dh's help we are trying to make this work. I like that prescription! Also he said not to read in bed anymore, so I am reading in the livingroom before bed. Also, no computers in the bedroom, so all electronics are out. While I am hoping these changes help, I would like to try something herbal. So back to my original question: Valerian or Melatonin? Your experiences?

Wow! I just went through this thread adding so many wonderful books I haven't heard of to my Amazon wish lists! Thanks for all the great recommendations.

Adorable!! We had 4 hamsters born yesterday...the kids are thrilled. They look like mini-pigs.:tongue_smilie:

Thank you for posting about this!

Sentence Family looks very interesting!

My library has both Word Snoop and Word Spy! School ended early today so I think we're off on a library field trip. Thanks for the recommendation!

I'd love a link too. Thanks!