Does he have any mates in the class? Could they compare notes on class requirements after class? My son has dyspraxia which affects his auditory processing and executive function. His best mate has 'can't shut up' disorder. DS is by far the worse off because his mate is more mature and more socially savvy. They both miss stuff but fortunately they usually miss different stuff, so they compare notes in the car on the way home from their weekly drama class. Then they both have a good laugh together about it.

Hey, you've got my hair! You can imagine how devine its been in Sydney this summer with record humidity and now a week of endless rain. I'm another pony-tail devotee. And yes, I am bored. Listening in here.....

PM me - I'll put in him touch with my husband (relatively new atheist, but no prior faith). They can rant to each other and I can get on with my reading. I've been an atheist for 30 years. I feel no need to discuss it. But my facebook page is full of politics, sustainability, refugee rights and social justice issues. I hate looking at pictures of other peoples kids, cars or meals ;)

At least you are using the force for good Susan!

I'm having a bit of a purge here. Lots of the stuff was things I thought I would sell. Thing is, no one has turned up here looking to buy stuff (where are those pickers when you want 'em?) and I haven't done anything about selling stuff, so its just been gathering dust. Its a manifestation of our poverty mentality - there was some sort of false security in that useless stuff. Now I am a YNABber, the poverty mentally is going, and I can left go of stuff more easily. Its a good feeling. Big spending week here: clothes for DS14 - he's now officially man-sized, and this terms guitar and drama lessons. I had all the money allocated, ready and waiting. I was feeling pretty pleased with myself! So I had a little splurge on the WTM conference. D*#% that exchange rate!!!!

I get Thomas too! And DS didn't even watch the show. We were TV-free Steiner folks back when he was a little tacker.

First test the backing fabric to see if it turns to glue when wet. You don't want the backing to stick to itself. Take the curtains down and take any hooks off. Wash the curtains in the bath in warm water and ordinary detergent. Rinse them really well and walk on them (clean feet!) while still in the bath to get the excess water out (remove the plug, water and any stray children first, and be careful you don't go on your bum and make a fool of yourself). Hang them on the line making sure the backing doesn't touch itself or the line - you can hang them on the curtain rod, or with the fabric side on the line. Unless they are really crushed, avoid ironing them. If you need to iron them, test a small corner first and use the coolest iron that will do the job. If you have a fabo washing machine with a large capacity and a gentle cycle, you could try that. Make sure the water is cold, turn the spin speed down if you can, and get 'em on the line quickly. The backing stuff seems to have some chewing gum-like properties!

Whoohoo - all paid up. Not sure that I can wait till May, though. One tiny question- can someone please tell this Sydney-sider which time zone I should be converting to so know when to get up? Ta muchly D

DP

It is all too common in Sydney, but is not allowed in this house!

DS14 read about the Holocaust when he was 9 or 10. I bought the box set of Horrible Histories books. I left him reading about the Tudors after dinner. At 9.30 he came out ashen-faced, having chewed his way through to WWII. It was a salutary lesson for all of us: you can read too much, especially after you have been told to turn off the light! That was our unintentional round one of modern history. Now we're hitting it properly this year, with History Odyssey as the main guide, but with extra time given to WWI and WWII, and more Australian history. It will take us 18 months. We'll use a lot of historical fiction, the History Alive series by Peter Moss (UK, 1980's, very well written), KFHE, van Loon, Jackie French (DS has already read these in another week-long binge), and some primary source stuff. This will probably be our only go at modern history- DS is a STEM kid.

We are doing our first proper round of modern history now, DS is 14. D

Most workplaces are used to parents juggling sick kids - its quite normal for families where both parents work. Back when DH and I both worked and DS went to school, whoever had sick leave or annual leave or was less busy that day would stay home. At a pinch, DS would come to work with me (impossible for my husband who worked in a laboratory). I remember going to work with my mum as a kid. I loved it! I've never asked what she thought of it......

Food continues to be our major expense, apart from our mortgage. I have two never-fulls here (DH and DS14). We eat really well. I take great pride in feeding them well and I cook mostly from scratch, but it costs serious money to eat good food in Australia. Last month I was very busy, so the food budget blew out because I wasn't paying attention and we bought some convenience foods. This month, its back to the budget! I have to say (again) how fabulous YNAB is. I'm actually enjoying using it, and have been able to pay all this months bills from amounts saved in each category since January. Its a very nice feeling. D

I don't think its registered for use in Australia yet. Comfortis isn't registered for cats here yet, either. I use the US recommended dose on our cat. Its works a treat. Much better than frontline

My lab has a flea allergy, and she reacts very badly to topical flea treatments. They seem to burn her skin. We use Comfortis. Its absolutely fantastic. I only have to use it for about 4 months of the year and we live in a warm, humid climate. The only downside is getting to her swallow it.

10th grade! Argghhh, we are a term into year 9. DS14's brain seems to have dribbled out his ears. He can't even sit up in a chair, let alone hold a pen. He is an IT genius one minute and brain-dead zombie the next. And the nice lady from the Board of Studies will be here to reregister us in a month. How long till it gets better?

$150k is considered a reasonable deposit in Sydney.

I'll just sulk over here in the corner. It'll be 2016 before this makes it to Australia. D

In my little fat tummy......

We're using HO modern times (1850+) for year 9, but I'm in Australia, so that may not help. DS is 14, clever and unenthusiastic. We're also using LLfLOTR. We're almost a term into it. HO is plenty for history here. I'm beefing up the geography part to cover local requirements. We're adding Analytical Grammar (the second and third parts), a focus on essay writing, and our homeschool bookclub (about 10 diff literary works, including Shakespeare and poetry). So far, it feels like plenty.

It sounds like sour crop to me. isolate her in case its something infectious (sour crop isn't). Basically, her crop isn't emptying. This could be a yeast infection, or some sort of impaction. Give her water with garlic in it, but withhold food. Massage the crop gently to try move things along. Keep her quiet and warm (another reason for isolation). I'd probably take her to the vet D

Two Australian recommendations: A Town Like Alice (Neville Shute) and The Harp in the South (Ruth Park) D

I wish I could wake up smarter!

My son was 4.2kg at birth. At 3 months he was 4.6 kg. He had awful reflux and it took a hospital admission for non-organic failure to thrive to finally get a diagnosis and some treatment. We started him on solids early. By 3 months, I was feeding every 90mins. At 14, he's about a month off six feet tall. He's a good eater, but has a very well regulated appetite. He never overeats and he will always be slim like his father (unlike his mother.....). Its worth keeping in mind that most of the weight charts were developed in the 70's and 80's when most babies were bottle feed. Breastfed babies tend to be a bit lighter. It is a tough time. I cringe when I look back at baby photos of those first few months. If your doctor is happy, keep doing what you are doing, rest up when you can, and enjoy your baby.